Posts Tagged ‘residential building’
We all need to hear good news these days when it comes to the economy, and this is the type of thing we need to be spreading the news on! Worcester was named one of the 5 best housing markets for 2012 by MSN Real Estate. Check out this link to read the full article: http://realestate.msn.com/january-buying-advice-best-and-worst-markets
With all of us losing value in our homes over the past few years, its good to see the region where we work and live be recognized as a smart place to buy a home. Only an hour west of Boston, Worcester offers a more affordable housing market than those communities located inside 128 and closer to Boston. There are many great communities in the Worcester and Central MA area that offer tremendous upside. Such as less traffic and more land/house for your money!
Worcester is the Hub of New England, with easy access to Providence, Boston, Hartford as well as New Hampshire and Vermont. More and more people will be looking to call this region home. Great communities, great location, and affordability.
Lets go find that nice piece of land to build the house of your dreams!
Posted on: Monday, June 25th, 2012 In: Kitchens | No Comments »The term “Design/Build” gets used alot these days, but what exactly does it mean? And what are the real benefits of this approach to a project?
Several years ago, as I was in the early stages of growing my business, I was still in the mode of “bidding” plans drafted by an architect that was hired directly by the homeowner. Unfortunately, after going through the process of getting quotes from subs and putting together a neat professional proposal for the homeowner, it seemed that the vast majority of the time we discovered that the costs to construct the proposed project were well over the homeowner’s anticipated budget. These homeowners had spent a decent amount of money to have these plans drawn, and were clearly well along their way to establishing a certain expectation of turning their project into a reality. It was very discouraging to deliver this news to the homeowner and see their disappointment as they realized they had to re-assess their project.
This is one of the reasons that led us to embrace the Design/Build process. One of the most important and beneficial aspects of this process is that the “budget discussion” takes place early on, before plans are drawn. In other words, a good design/build contractor should be able to determine an overal budget range for a project after spending a couple of hours (or less) assessing the project, getting to know their client and learning what they hope to accomplish. This budget discussion is extremely important to have in the beginning, early stages of a project and leads to a much better process for the client. Once the parameters and expectations for both sides are established, it is now the responsibility and obligation of the Design/Build Contractor to develop a set of plans and scope of work that not only meets the clients’ wants and needs, but most importantly it meets their BUDGET!!
What a concept, designing to meet a pre-established and agreed-upon budget! Better to discuss budget up-front, rather than after thousands of dollars are spent drafting a set of plans that will never get used.
Unless, of course, budget is of no concern. In that case, please give us a call at your earliest convenience!
Posted on: Monday, June 25th, 2012 In: History | No Comments »This being our first official blog post, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Kevin Barnes and I started Barnes Building & Remodeling about 5 years ago, after spending the previous 15 years in a variety of different construction fields. While attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, MA and figuring out what direction I wanted to go in, I came to the realization that I loved the building process, learning how structures are put together and working with my hands. These discoveries led to my decision to enter the field of Civil Engineering and focus on Construction Project Management. As I entered this field, I recognized the importance field experience would have in order for me to achieve success, so I intentionally sought employment in various construction fields, including: residential framing, foundations, landscape construction, facilities maintenance, to name a few.
After graduation and a couple short stints with different companies, I landed with the right organization and worked for a large commercial construction firm based in Providence, RI as an estimator and project manager for about 7 years. This was an excellent, well run company with strong upper management. I gained tremendous experience but decided there was more I wanted to do, so I left and spent the next 2 years working for a couple smaller companies in the residential arena before deciding to go out on my own.
It has been a terrific journey so far and I enjoy the field of construction as much as ever. We enjoy a challenge and seeing our efforts manifest themselves into new creations every day. I have been fortunate enough to surround myself with a strong team of professionals that enable us to deliver the best possible service to our clients. Our primary focus is to ensure that our clients are properly guided through whatever project they are undertaking. To do this, we utilize our field experience and knowledge of the industry, combined with honesty, integrity, and a sincere desire and passion to do what’s best for the homeowner.
Thats enough about us. We intend to use this blog as an opportunity to educate and inform the homeowner on various changes and trends in the industry, and to help equip the homeowner with tips and information to allow them to intelligently navigate their own construction projects and make sure they are hiring the right contractor and getting the service they deserve.
Happy Building!
Kevin Barnes
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