Homeowner’s Contractor Connection Blog » relieve stress

Seven year anniversary giveaways start November 16, 2009!

urbanreferrals — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:26:54 +0000

Check our blog each morning at 9am EST to see what you can win!

Giveaways will begin November 16, 2009 and continue each day, for 7 days, in celebration of Urban Referrals’ anniversary!

Many thanks to our wonderful consumer and contractor clients for allowing us to provide you with our service over the past seven years. We look forward to continuing to connecting reliable home improvement companies with consumers who take pride in their homes.

Happy Remodeling!

Marla

Preparing for your meeting with a Remodeling Company

urbanreferrals — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:53:34 +0000

Happy Monday everyone!

I feel it’s critical to educate our customers and others about ways to prepare for meetings with home improvement companies so the process is pleasant not stressful. Of course, as in all relationships, open communication is the key to success.

Some suggestions on topics to discuss with companies during your first conversation and/or meeting:

• A convenient time for all decision makers to meet with the contractor.
• If you have a deadline or a time specific time frame for the completion of the job – i.e. having a baby, selling your home, having a graduation party, getting married, etc.
• Do you need a ballpark idea of what the project will cost so you can determine how you will pay for the project or if you have a budget.
• If you live in a historical neighborhood.

I would welcome any additional suggestions from contractors or consumers to add to this list. Urban Referrals is in business to make the process of connecting consumers and contractors as stress free and pleasant as possible.

Thank you -
Marla

www.urbanreferrals.com

Isn’t it time to get organized?

urbanreferrals — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:48:11 +0000

Getting organized is one of the top 10 New Year’s resolutions that people make every year, and for good reason…most people never complete this resolution, which is why it keeps reappearing on the list!

Let’s let this year be different. The costs of a cluttered home or office can wreak havoc on your personal finances, health, time and relationships, which is why the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) sponsors Get Organized “GO” Month every January.

I have many clients who have suffered distress from the clutter in their lives. They have experienced bad credit from losing bills, divorce, missing appointments, not having family and friends over because of the embarrassing mess, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, and money lost from a home-based business. For many, this is an issue that cannot be swept under the rug.

The toughest part is getting started. The mess can often seem overwhelming, but there are ways to organize a little each day and finish the job over time. The following are a few ideas that we offer our clients at Clutterbusters!!, a national professional organizing franchise based in Rockville, MD. ·

Clean out your medicine cabinet.

Get rid of old make-up, expired medicine and toiletries you haven’t used in months.

Consolidate medications.

Organize a single drawer. Whether it’s your junk drawer, a drawer in your bedroom dresser or a desk drawer, spend 10 minutes emptying out the junk and arranging it so that similar items are being stored together.

Hunt and gather. Walk around your house with an empty clothes basket in hand. Put anything that is not in its proper home into the basket. Spend another 15 minutes today, or tomorrow, putting everything back where it belongs.

In our consumer-driven society, more and more “stuff” accumulates quickly. Couple that with the fact that today more families are double-income and low on time for maintaining organization in the home. For some, hiring a professional organizer is the answer. In fact, you may be surprised to hear that the professional organizing industry grew more than 40 percent last year.

Isn’t it time you got organzied!