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Designing and Building Mid-West through the Big Dog Gameplan: 12 Rules Homeowners Should Know Before a Remodel · Designing and Building the Midwest One Community at a Time

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, welcome to designing and building the Midwest one community at a time.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_03: I'm Chris Hartsuok with Big Dog Construction, your local window depot.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm Caitlin.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_04: This is the show where we bring you real insights, expert input, and a lot of entertainment along the way.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_04: It's the podcast you didn't know you needed.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, every week, our main focus is bringing you the best advice on home improvement, remodeling, and how to take care of your biggest investment.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_03: But we don't stop at the property line.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_04: Exactly! We also dive into our realtor segment to cover the ins and outs of buying and selling locally.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_04: And our community segment where we talk about giving back charity and what's really happening across the Midwest.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_03: Plus, we regularly sit down with some fantastic guests from all walks of life to hear their unique stories and perspectives.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_04: Whether we're talking blueprints or community roots, we've got you covered.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_04: Let's get into today's episode.
• 0:47
  unknown: Big dog!
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_01: In the military, there's no such thing as good enough.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: You either do the job the right way or you don't do it at all.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Blake Middleton of Elite Roofing Professionals and Exteriors.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: I'm a veteran and I brought the same mission first mindset back to Illinois.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_01: While others talk about the way it's always been done, my team focuses on the technical precision of how a roof should be built.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_01: We use the best materials, the best technology, and a level of communication you won't find anywhere else.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: Your home isn't just a job, it's a commitment.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: Elite roofing, high standards, zero compromise, clear communication.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: Give us a call today.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, welcome back to Designing and Building the Midwest, one community at a time.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_03: I'm your host, Chris Hartzuk with Big Dog Construction, your local window depot.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_03: And with me as usual, I have our lovely Caitlyn Borgini.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_04: Hello.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, and today we're getting back into our big dog game plan series, right?
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_03: Last week we had a special guest from Sovereign Transition.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_03: Loved April Hayes being on there.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_03: We appreciate the big shout out to her.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_04: She did a great job.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, very calming person.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_04: I really enjoyed listening to her.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_03: It falls right into the sovereign transition, right?
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_03: So that's awesome.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_03: So, hey, if you've been following this series, we've covered a lot of ground.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_03: And here we go.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_03: I'm going to rattle them off, right?
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_03: We've talked about budgeting.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_03: We've talked about DIY versus hiring professional.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_03: We've talked about defining your scope, hiring the right contractor, walking you through the remodeling journey, what change orders are all about, talked about protecting your investment.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_03: We talked about the design process, and we talked about where you should spend your money and where you can save.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_03: And we've talked about designing your home for way you're going to live today and in the future from now, right?
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_03: Years from now.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_03: So today we're going to put all those things together.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_03: And yes, there are lessons we're going to put together because after years of remodeling homes and working with homeowners, there are certain things I wish every homeowner knew before they ever started the remodeling project.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_03: So today we're going to give you the 12 rules every homeowner should know before starting the remodeling project.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_03: Some of these could save you money, some could save you time, some could save you a whole lot of frustration.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_03: Pull that hair out, right?
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_03: That's the big one.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, and if you're thinking about remodeling anytime in the next year or two, this is an episode you're going to want to save.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_03: But first, Caitlin, we need to pay a few bills.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_04: We got to pay them bills.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_03: We got to pay them bills.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_03: And we are going to give a big shout out to our 10x partner, our OG 10x partner, Elite Roofing Professionals, right?
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_03: Your roof isn't just another part of your house, it is the main defense, top of your house, right?
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_03: And whether you're dealing with storm damage, an aging roof, gutter problems, siding, or you're simply wondering whether it's time to have your exterior inspected, you want somebody you know everything they're doing, right?
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_03: Elite Roofing Professionals handles that.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_03: And so with that, you can reach out to them, give them a call, reach talk to Jenny over there at 217-851-3836, or you can visit them on that beautiful interweb at Eliteroofing Professionals.com.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_03: Elite Roofing Professionals where quality counts and they're on top.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_04: I would love to have Jenny on our show sometime because she is so entertaining.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_04: I know our listeners and followers would love to see her and hear her.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that they would just realize, you know, she's a big factor in elite's.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_03: She is.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_03: She's the front line.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_03: Front line has.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_04: Maybe something in the future, think about.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_03: We'll have to throw that up to Blake and little Blondie.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, she is.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, Jenny, if you're listening, little blondie, as Caitlin's telling you.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, now you're a cutie pie blondie.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_03: So hey, anyway, we're gonna start off with the big dog bite, right?
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_03: So here it is today, the big dog.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_04: I was gonna say, I was waiting for you.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, thank you.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_04: You gotta do the sound effect.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, the most expensive remodeling mistakes usually happen before construction ever starts.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_03: That's worth repeating, right?
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_03: The most expensive mistakes don't always happen when somebody picks up a hammer.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_03: They happen when the homeowner didn't plan properly, when the scope wasn't clear, when the budget wasn't realistic, when the contractor wasn't properly vetted, when decisions weren't made clearly enough, or when everybody involved had a different idea of what the finished product was supposed to look like.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_03: Clear vision, right?
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_03: Clarity.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_03: Clarity is a big buzzword right now.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_03: So that's why we talk about so much about the big dog game plan, right?
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_03: Because a successful remodel isn't just about building the project right, it's about planning the project right.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_03: So let's get into the 12 rules, okay?
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_03: Rules one through three, right?
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna start rules one through three.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_03: Rule one is know your why.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_03: You've heard people talk about the why.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_04: We talk about it all the time.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_03: Why are we doing this, right?
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_03: Before you started, why are we doing it?
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_04: We're doing it because of countertops, flooring, walls, are we doing it because of functionality, or are we doing it because of superficiality?
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_03: Why are we doing it?
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_03: Are you remodeling because your family has outgrown the space, which we talked about that?
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_03: Or are you doing it to downsize the space, which you can downsize space?
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_03: Health reasons.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_03: Health reasons?
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_03: Are you trying to make your home more functional?
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_03: Little feng shui?
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_04: The 12 lemons.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_04: You had supposed to have 12 lemons in the middle of your uh 12 lemons?
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_03: Lemons.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_03: Tell me about the lemons.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_04: That's just one of the rules of feng shui.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_04: If you have uh first of all, you're supposed to open your door for 10 minutes every morning.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_04: Sorry, bugs, come on in.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_04: And animals, come on in.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_04: And you're supposed to have a whole start calling you LMA.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_03: LMA, come on in here, raccoon.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_03: Give me a key.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_03: I'll feed you right here at the boom table.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_04: But yeah, you're supposed to have a bowl of fresh 12 lemons on your kitchen table.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_04: I don't know if maybe the citrus.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_03: How often do they stay fresh?
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, how long will they stay fresh?
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_03: Or you gotta do it every day.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_04: You gotta you gotta replace them.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_03: Every day.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_03: I well, I guess you're replacing 10 lemons every day.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, so that might be a feng shui podcast we do later.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_04: I think we should a feng shui fuel shape.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_03: Feng shui, feng feng shui pwa shan.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, that actually will be fun.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_04: That will be fun.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, okay.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_03: So see how we even do our own future podcast just by talking about our current podcast.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_04: Because we're that smart.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, maybe the why, we're talking about the why.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe you're preparing to age in place.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_04: We've talked about and you're the caps guy.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_03: I'm the caps, certified aging in place specialist.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_03: You are the right with that with calling us.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe you're trying to increase resale appeal, right?
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_03: That curb appeal and/or the value of the home, or you're creating your forever home.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_03: Or you're simply tired of living with the space that doesn't work.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_03: Your why drives everything else.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_03: So you've got to start rule number one, start with your why.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_03: It's kind of like in 10x when we're when we're coaching our clients.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_03: You got to start with the target.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_03: And those targets are your why.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_03: Why are you doing this?
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_03: Identifying that why.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_03: And so I want to make sure that kind of sinks in there.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_03: Because when the budget gets tight, and it probably will, you need to know what matters most.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_03: And so knowing your why will help you do that.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_03: Number two, rule number two is define the scope before you define the finishes.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_03: Real key there.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_03: We've had people go, I love this color of countertop.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, well, let's define the scope of where the countertop's going before you even pick out that color.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_03: It's kind of ass backwards, but it happens.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_03: And the professionals here at Big Dog, we try to spin that around for them.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_03: We don't lose focus on what they really like, that color.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_03: It will come into play.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_03: Trust me, it will come into play later.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_04: But I'm glad that you do that because that could, you know, lead to them having such a mistake.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_04: Like you started off with this when you don't plan right.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_04: Like, for example, your countertop in the showroom, I'm obsessed with it.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_04: But I wouldn't be able to put that in my house unless I completely redid my entire house.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_04: So if you only remodeling their kitchen, of course, if they like that, but you're looking around like you do.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_04: And you're gonna say, let's find something that fits you a little bit more.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_03: You know, a lot of the mistakes the homeowners make, they start with the fun stuff.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_03: They start looking at countertops, tile, cabinet colors, light fixers, appliances.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_03: That's that's great.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_03: But first we need to know what we are actually building?
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_03: Are walls moving?
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_03: Is the plumbing moving?
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_03: Are we changing electrical?
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_03: Are windows changing?
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_03: Are we opening up the floor plan?
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_03: Are we changing the footprint of the home?
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_03: Those decisions determine the real project.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_03: Again, then the finishes become second, right?
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_03: But again, I know people fall in love with a color, like you're in love with our countertop on display here.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_03: The waterfall edges and stuff.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_04: The waterfall edges are top tier, man.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_03: I know.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_03: I love I love that countertop.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_03: And you know what sucks about that countertop?
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_04: What?
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_03: They discontinued that color.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_04: So you have the only one, Chris.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_03: The only one left in the world.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_03: No.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_04: The only one in a mid US showroom.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_03: We correct.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_03: We we do have, so we do have complimentary colors that are similar to that.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_03: But that one that has that specific veining in it has been discontinued.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_03: RIP.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_04: And it looks so good with your lighting.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_04: All right, but I do, yeah, R I P.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_04: I do think that people need to realize, like, yes, if you want to start by getting yourself excited for a remodel by looking at all the fun stuff, awesome.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_04: Love it.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_04: But that is not really the real money, right?
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, the biggest expense is gonna be the construction.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_03: Correct.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_03: Know your why and then figure out that scope.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_03: And then rule number three is design before you build.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_03: People's like, oh, I don't need to design anything.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_03: Well, we do.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_03: You know, even that design, the design doesn't mean you're getting a full set of blueprints drawn.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_03: And that's what people think, well, design, I got a blueprints and all this stuff.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_03: No, that's not the case.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_03: The design literally can be, okay, we're gonna walk in this room.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_03: Is this wall coming out?
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, it is.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, great.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_03: That's part of the design that we need to take into place that came from your scope, right?
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_04: That we but you guys do have the yeah, we have in-house designers.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_04: But that where they can actually give you a representation of what 3D rendering.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, thank you.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_04: I that I totally lost that.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_04: But no, yeah, you're just listing.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_04: And but to me, this is what I want people to know.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_04: I'm trying to put it in terms that people could like if you don't design this big project, that'd be like like a teacher going into a classroom without our lesson plan.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_04: You know, that'd be like us without the curriculum, without the the scripts that we have with our guests.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_04: So this is just like that.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_03: I think well, we could wing it with our guests, but may not be as good, but hey, yeah.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, right.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_04: But like that.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_04: You know what I mean?
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_04: They wouldn't like to come in.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_03: No.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_04: Raw dogging it.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_03: Raw dog it.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_03: Bite the pillow and raw dog it.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_03: All right.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_03: So, hey, this is one about the design before you build.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_03: This is a big one for us at Big Dog Construction because we are a design build company.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_03: So don't try to figure everything out while construction is happening.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_03: The more decisions you can make during design, the smoother the construction becomes.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_03: A good design process should take your ideas, your inspirations, your wish list.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_03: We talked about creating those wish lists, right?
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_03: Your budget and your actual home and turn all that into something that can realistically be built.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_03: Don't design with a hammer in your hand.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_03: Design first, then build, right?
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_03: Well, let's take a sledge and bust that out and see what's behind there.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_03: Well, let's think about why we're busting through that wall so never, guys, do that.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_03: Ah, yeah.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_03: I was curious about a section of my home.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_03: It was built in 1837 or 1887.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_03: Sorry, it's 139 years old.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_03: 1887 by my great-great-grandfather.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_03: And I was like, all these years I've been walking through this arched opening from one large room to the next.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_03: I'm like, why is this wall so thick?
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, it's it's thicker.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, it's an old home which has true traditional two-foot or two inch by four-inch studs, but this wall was like 10 inches thick.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_04: Okay.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_03: But none of the other walls in the house were I'm like, why?
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_03: And they'd put paneling over everything in the 70s, right?
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_03: Right, right, right.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm like, hmm, if I remove this little trim here, this little trim here, I can pull this piece of paneling off of here and I can see what's behind it.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_03: So I did that, right?
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_04: Well, what was it?
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_04: I'm dying to know.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_03: Now wait a minute.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_03: It's why is it why is there plaster over that?
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_03: So I took my hammer.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_03: I started with the hammer, right?
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_03: I went against the grain here and I started hammering through.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_03: I'm like, why is it hollow in this wall?
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_04: Was it pocket doors?
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_03: It was.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_03: I found that I had, and they'd made this arched opening, and my original ceilings were 10 foot tall.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_03: And this was a pocket door that was eight foot tall, pocket doors that created the division between the front parlor.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_03: People come to the sitting room, formal sitting room and then the next room.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_04: I can picture that.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_04: Chris, that's so cool.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm like, now the mess I made on the floor, I'm like, hmm.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_03: I gotta clean this up before the wife sees it.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_03: And I put the paneling all back on right there.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, you got the duct tape out, guys.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_03: No, I put the paneling back on, put the trim back on, that all the corner trim and all the stuff.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_04: Did the doors go with the art?
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_03: No, they had created the art.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_04: Okay.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_03: They did that.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_03: So when I go in full demo mode on those two rooms, yeah, I'm hoping to try to find the pocket doors.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_03: I only opened up one couple.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_04: That's cool though.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_04: That's neat.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, because I slid my tape measure up in and I hooked the track.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_03: I'm like, okay, yeah.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_04: Because remember like the the guys, they'd like come out of their like cigar room and they'd be like, ladies, we're retiring for our brandy.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I don't know if this farmhouse had that going on, but it wasn't that formal.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_03: But you know, hey Well, you can make it that way.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I could.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_03: I could, yeah.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_03: I and I might.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_04: Do you cigar get your brandy?
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_03: Come on up, Jordan.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_03: Grant and Brandon, we'll get you squared away with some cigars and a little brandy.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_03: So hey, all right.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_03: So we're gonna move.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_03: We just went through rules one through three.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_03: Uh again, quick recap.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_03: One is know your why.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_03: Why are you doing it?
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_03: Two is define the scope before you define the finishes.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_03: Three is design before you build.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_03: Now rolling into the next three, uh, which is money and budget, right?
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_03: So rule number four, have a realistic budget.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, we've got some people come in with pipe dreams.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_03: I don't mind pipe dreams.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_03: We can do anything anybody wants to do.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_03: Literally, if they want to move their house 10 feet to the north, we will pick their house up and move it 10 feet to the north as long as they're willing to pay for it.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_03: We'll make it happen.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_03: There's not much I'll say no to or that we can't do.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_03: So we'll figure out a damn way to make it happen.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_04: Do you ever have people like like the opposite?
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_04: They're like, they want to throw all this money into it and they're like, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_04: And then they actually don't have it.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_03: So we've had instances where they've come in and said, hey, we we want to do this, this, and this.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_03: We're like, off the cuff, you're looking at, you know, 120, 130,000.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_04: And then they say yes, maybe.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_03: They're like, well, okay, we want to stay around 100.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_03: We're like, okay.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_03: And then things change.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_03: They're like, you know what?
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_03: No, we we can go up to 150 now.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, great.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_03: So we started that, and they're like, well, we want to do this.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_03: We want to build a freestanding garage here.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_03: We want to do this.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna convert this to a master.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_03: We're now we want a whole new HVAC system.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_03: Like, okay, now you're at, you know, 180,000.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_03: Well, no, we want to be at 150.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_03: Well, okay, then we need to remove some things.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_04: That's what I'm saying.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_03: Like, well, okay, now we want to do this, and we want to convert this back here.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_03: Right now you're at$210,000.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_03: You're going the wrong way.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_04: You're going the wrong way.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_03: You're like, oh, oh my gosh.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_04: But it's almost like an addiction.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_04: Like, you know what I mean?
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_04: Like you get, you get you see it and you're like, oh my God, I just want to do everything.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_03: And and so that's that's the thing.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_03: And that realistic budget.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_03: Realistic.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_03: You really got to understand that material costs keep going up.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_03: Labor costs, what I have to pay our employees, keeps going up.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_03: The taxes that we keep getting taxed on in this great state we live in keeps going up.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_03: And so the more everything goes up, the more unfortunately that has to get passed on to our clients.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_03: You know, just just playing them something.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_04: It's just the reality.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_04: That's how it is for everybody.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, every business owner, everything you gotta accept.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_03: Your clothes go up, your your groceries go up.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_03: We're looking at six dollars and seventy-nine cents a gallon for diesel right now, four dollars and sixty cents a gallery.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_04: The groceries are whore, it's everything, guys.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_04: Everything.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_03: So everyone, not just for remodeling, should be looking at a realistic budget for their home too, right?
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_03: So see, we're we're outside of the home.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_03: We talk about it.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_03: It's all good.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_03: But there are two numbers.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_03: Two numbers that homeowners sometimes confuse.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_03: It's the what you want the project to cost and what the project will actually cost.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_04: Correct.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_03: It's oh we just kind of went over that.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_03: That's always like that, isn't it?
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_03: It is, but I only want it to cost$100,000.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I'm sorry, it's gonna cost you$200,000.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_03: $210 now.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_03: But but I want$100,000.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_03: I apologize.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_03: What would you like to remove on this?
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_03: So those aren't always the same number.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_03: Do your homework, we'll help you do that homework.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_03: Talk to the professionals early, right?
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_04: Exactly before they're not doing this with you like after they've already torn into your home.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_03: And understand the level of finish you're expecting, right?
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_03: Because, yeah, all right, we can get you the 150, but you're wanting the 210.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_03: So, okay, we'll get you the shell, we'll get you insulated, we'll get you new HVAC system, and there, you finish it from there.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_03: You gotta understand and expect what you're gonna be getting for the level of money that you're putting in.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_03: Correct.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_03: And don't build your entire budget around the lowest number somebody throws at you.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, I was gonna say that too.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_04: Like, is there ever times that like I mean, you don't want to feel like that you're like telling people to spend more money, but you know that they need to.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_03: Well, structurally, we'll never let them cheapskate on structural, right?
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_03: Because safety won't happen on that.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_03: Finishes-wise, though, I mean, our team is pretty good about talking to them if you know, well, I want the Taj Mahal look, you know, on what is it, champagne taste on beer budget.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_03: Or yeah, Cadillac Dreams with driving a Chevette.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_03: It's a champagne.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I that's what I'm saying.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_03: So so we can we can do some things on finishes to make it look higher in than it actually is.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_03: But, you know, again, don't necessarily go with the the cheapest way, you know, to do the project.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_03: The goal is to determine the right investment for the result you're trying to achieve.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_03: And I say this all the time.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_03: I literally just said it uh earlier in the week, which had been Monday, whatever today is, that you know, when we're presenting an estimate, we're not gonna be the the least expensive and we're not gonna be the most expensive.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_03: I guarantee you'll find other other contractors that'll charge more money.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_03: But we are gonna be the the best product, the best price, which equals your best value.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_03: The best product, which is your best quality, best price, and that's gonna be your best value.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_03: So just keep that in mind.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_03: Also, we've talked about this.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_03: The rule number five is have a contingency.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_04: Yep.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_03: A contingency is if you're doing an existing home and you're working with somebody, uh something somebody else built years ago or decades ago, there's gonna be stuff that goneed up and uncovered, and you need to make sure you have a contingency.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_03: That contingency can be a small percentage of the overall project cost, or it could just be a contingency on a certain portion of the project.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_03: Demolition.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_04: Okay.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_03: Right?
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_03: Or build back.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_04: Because of you don't know what was there before.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_03: So if a project is a hundred thousand dollars, then and you wanted the 10% contingency, so then you would put that 10% into the overall cost.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_03: So you would need to set aside$110,000 for your project.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_04: Got it.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_03: We're contracted a hundred thousand dollars.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_03: But you've got ten percent set aside for contingencies.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_04: Okay, just in case something were to happen.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_03: We can or cannot put that included in our in our price if you need to.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_03: Like if someone's going to a bank and they want to have that in there, we can do that.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, for their level.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_03: You know what I mean?
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_03: To have that contingency built into it.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, but then people think, ooh, I've got ten thousand dollars extra shopping money.
• 19:36
  unknown: I know.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_03: And yeah, see your eyes lit up on that one.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_04: No, I actually pretty much think I had maybe like not quite ten thousand dollars.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_04: I think that happened to me though.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_04: I think it was like two thousand or three thousand.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_03: And you're like, ooh, yeah.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_03: Extra money.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_04: Well, hey, we but it's really not because you have to pay it back.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_03: It's exactly.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_03: It's not free money, folks.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_04: I know.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_04: It's kind of like when there's money in my Venmo account and I use that.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_04: I like think that that's free money.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_03: Free money.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_03: No, it's not.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_04: I I use it to pay for my hair appointment.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_04: I was like, oh my gosh, it was free.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_04: No, guys, it's moving right on.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_03: Contingencies are not free.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_03: Rule number six is kind of like don't confuse price with value.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_03: So don't confuse things, right?
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_03: So this might be one of the most important rules in the entire episode.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_03: Cheap and inexpensive are not the same thing.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_04: That is correct.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_04: I'm very glad you said that.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_03: And neither are price and value.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_03: If a contractor is$10,000 less than another contractor, you need to know why, right?
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_03: Is the scope different?
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_03: It could be a red flag.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_03: It's just, it's just stop and do your homework.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_03: Why is it different?
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_03: It's the scope different.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_03: Are the materials different?
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_03: Is something excluded?
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_03: Is one contractor carrying proper insurance?
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_03: Is one providing project management?
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_03: Who handles the permits?
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe permits aren't included on one, but they are on the other.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_03: Who's doing cleanup?
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_03: Who's doing protection?
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_03: Who's covering warranties?
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_03: Communication.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_04: Who's been doing it longer?
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, yeah.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_03: You can't compare two numbers until you understand what's behind those numbers.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_03: So keep that in mind on don't confuse that price with value.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_03: Because people will like, well, they're$10,000 less.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_03: There's a reason they're$10,000 less, and you need to know why.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_03: And we have no problem if someone, if someone feels comfortable enough, we will sit down and take our bid and their bid and we'll go through line by line and we'll look at them for them.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_04: And that's not, I don't think that's an abnormal thing.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_04: Like a lot of businesses, corporations, stuff like that will do like a compare if you bring it in.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_03: It's I didn't say we're going to match the price, but we'll help you understand that.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_04: Help you, yeah, correct.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_03: Andor quality of what they're providing.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_03: And most of the times we'll find that a lot of the other contractors, not necessarily in this area, but there are some that it'll just be uh remodel your kitchen, here's the number.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_05: Handwritten.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_03: It doesn't say anything.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and handwritten doesn't say what type of cabinets doesn't say the color of the finishes type of cabinets, doesn't say how many cabinets, it just says here's the price, right?
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_03: And that basically is just them to get their foot in the door to start working for you, and you're the bank.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_03: You the client or the bank.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_03: You know.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_03: So and that's That's what we just want to make sure on that.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_04: Um yeah, because I would definitely want to know how much each thing, me personally, I would want to know how much each thing costs.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_04: Each step of the remodel.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, we sometimes do that, sometimes we don't, because we will call out everything we're doing and then we give you a price at the end.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, well, if you're not going to be able to do it.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_03: If there's shopping money, yeah, you're knowing what's in that price.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_03: Everything we're doing is is called out in that.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_03: So the other, the other thing is that then you have your shopping money, the what we call the allowances of what you're doing.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_04: And I love that you guys do that.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_03: So we're going to roll right into the next three rules.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_03: And these are contractor and communication, right?
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_03: Your contractor and communication.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_03: Number seven is hire the contractor, not the price.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_03: That's kind of that cheap isn't inexpensive, and all that.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_03: I love that.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_04: I've always been that kind of person with business, honestly.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_03: You're not just hiring somebody to swing a hammer.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_03: You're trusting somebody with your home.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_03: You're trusting somebody with your family in that home.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_03: You're trusting somebody in your home with your family, with the priceless uh things you have.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_04: I was just gonna say that.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_03: You know what I mean?
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_03: So we're possibly gonna be in there for weeks, months.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_03: It just depends on the project, right?
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_04: I was gonna say, maybe sometimes even in your bedroom.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_04: Like if they're doing work in your bedroom or your off suite, like they see every they see it all.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_03: We have seen it all.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_04: You really do.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_04: Well, sometimes you might even have to take care of their animals.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_03: We've we've had to do that before.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_03: That's what I'm saying.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, don't let's let the dog out when you're in and out of the house or the cat.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_04: You really are a family with these people.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_03: Well, big dog family is what we say.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_03: So it really is.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_04: So you you need to know who it is.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, definitely ask questions, right?
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_03: Check references, look at their work, understand their process, find out how they communicate, find out who's managing your project, understand what happens when there's a problem, because there's almost always going to be something during the major remodeling project that requires a decision.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_03: And you're hiring the company and the process, not just buying labor materials.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_03: That's so key.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_03: I want potential clients out there to understand this.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_03: When you call us a big dog construction, you're calling us the professionals.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_03: Let us do our job.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_03: Don't tell us how to do our job.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_03: This is probably on party.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_03: It pissed some people off.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_03: But but again, you're hiring us as the professionals.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_03: You wouldn't walk into an attorney's office, a lawyer or a doctor, or let's use a doctor example, a surgeon, and go in there lay on the on the table, you know, for open heart surgery and say, okay, doc, you're gonna grab that number nine scalpel over there and you're gonna get the chest spreader and you're gonna slice from here to here.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_03: You need to do that now.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_03: No, now, doc.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_04: Chris, I say this.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_04: I can't, I love that you're talking about this because this shouldn't piss anybody off.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_04: Everybody should agree with us on this.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_04: You but they don't.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_04: Like you not one person can be good at every single thing in this world, which is why you're in construction company.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_04: I'm in, you know, whatever I am, multimedia specialists.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_04: Like, yep.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_04: That's why I wouldn't want somebody to come tell me.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, you're holding your camera wrong.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, or make sure you're holding like this view.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_03: Like I'm holding your mouth wrong while you're taking that picture.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_04: Like, this is why I'm here.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_04: This is why we go to the doctor, this is why I go to the gym.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_04: You know what I mean?
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_04: It's just okay, so that better not piss anybody off.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_03: If it does, they're not our client we want.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, bye.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_03: So by five.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_03: Bye, Felicia.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_03: Oh my god.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_03: All right, rule number eight get everything in writing, right?
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_03: If it's important, put it in writing.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_03: The scope, selections, allowances, exclusions, payment schedules, change orders, responsibilities, expectations.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_03: A handshake is great after you sign the paperwork.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_04: A handshake was great in 1887 when your grandfather purchased his land.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_04: Not in 2026.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_03: Not in 2026.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_03: Shoo dang no, right?
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_03: Trust is important, but documentation protects everybody, right?
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_03: And I I learned this when I got in this industry about 30 years ago.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_03: And the person I work for, I don't know why he said it, but he said he's like, the person with the most paperwork will win in court.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_03: And that's so true.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_03: If you ever get in court, it's the one with the most paperwork is gonna usually win in court because they can prove everything.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_03: They have documentation of everything.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_04: It's the truest thing on this planet.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_03: Yep, it is.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_03: It is, and that's why our CRM system, Customer Relations Management Software, we use all phone calls, are documented as they come in.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_03: Uh all emails that go in and out are documented in there for each client.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_03: So it helps us not have to remember everything, but it's there also as a documentation trail.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_03: It's like, yeah, well, we called in and told them.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_04: Or if anybody there's just really nothing that anybody could say.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_03: No, exactly.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_03: And rule number nine communication can make or break the project, right?
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_03: Clients often think construction problems are what create bad remodeling experiences.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes that's true, but a lot of frustration comes from communication problems.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_03: What happened today?
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_03: Who's coming tomorrow?
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_03: Why did this change?
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_03: When do I need to pick that?
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_03: What does this cost?
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_03: Are we still on schedule?
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_03: You should understand how your contractor communicates before the project starts, right?
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_03: Who is your point of contact?
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_03: And again, there are great contractors out there that work out of their truck.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_03: No problem with that, right?
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_03: Or their van, right?
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_03: We at Big Dog Construction, we have a brick and mortar.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_03: We have two brick and mortars, one in Springfield, one here in Carnivalville, Illinois.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_03: I have office staff, someone to greet you when you come in, someone to greet you when you call, you know, to help all process.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_03: We have office manager, in-house designer, head of sales, production coordinator, production crew, and me.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_03: I do what they let me do when I can do it.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_03: So you know, so understanding machine.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_03: And so again, who is your point of contact?
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_03: Is it the office manager or is it our production coordinator?
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_03: Is it head of sales?
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_03: Just know who your point of contact is.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_03: And how often will you receive updates, right?
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_03: How are changes communicated?
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_03: How are decisions documented?
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_03: We talked about change orders.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_04: Change orders, yeah.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_03: Great.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes emails can be documented as yes, we agree we want this color finish because it's already an allowance, but we use that, okay.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_03: You chose this color, you chose this light fixture, whatever it is, and we put that in.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and the email is a credible form of documentation.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_03: Right, exactly.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_03: And so great communication doesn't mean there will never be a problem.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_03: It means when a problem happens, everybody knows it gets addressed.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_03: So the last three rules solen into 10 through 12 here, it's surviving construction and protecting the result.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_03: So rule number 10 is expect some disruption.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna tell you something no remodeling television show can completely prepare you for.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_03: Remodeling can be disruptive and dirty, right?
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_03: It's there's gonna be noise, there will be people coming and going, there may be dust.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_03: No, there will be dust.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_03: There will be sun and there may be days where parts of your house aren't usable.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's just gonna happen.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it could be depending on what's going on.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, see?
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, your normal routine may change.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_03: A professional contractor should work hard to minimize that disruption.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_03: We've had bath remodels where it's the only bath in the house a single time.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_05: What do they do?
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_03: Where we put the toilet back every night when we're done working so they have a toilet to use.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_03: They brush their teeth in the kitchen sink, but they would have a toilet.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_04: They take a shower.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_03: They would use neighbors.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_04: Or family.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_03: Or family or yeah.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_03: We've had people go stay in a hotel short period of time to do it.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_03: Right, right, right.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_04: If it's a bathroom.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_03: We've had some people that live near the Y, then they would just go take their showers where they work out.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_03: D D.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_03: You know, so, but you should still prepare for everything I just mentioned.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_03: You know, if we're remodeling your kitchen, how are you gonna eat?
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_03: If we're remodeling your only bathroom, what's the plan?
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_03: We have a plan for you, but you need to understand that plan.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_03: If you work from home, where are you going to work?
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_04: Ooh, that and that's a very big one now because so many people do.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_03: Especially if we're flipping breakers and having to do electrical and stuff.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_04: Or if they're so loud and you have to be like on Zoom meetings, could you imagine?
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, right.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_03: So plan for disruptions makes the process much, much easier.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_04: That really does, Chris.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_03: Number 11, understand change orders before you start.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_03: We had a whole episode on change orders.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_03: Well, it wasn't all episode.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_03: It didn't matter.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_03: We talked about them.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, we did.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_03: But a change order isn't automatically a bad thing.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes homeowners change their minds.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes they decide to upgrade, no problem.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes they want to downgrade, no problem either.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes we uncover something nobody could see before demolition, like Jimmy Hoffa behind a wall or in concrete.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_04: Jimmy.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_03: Whole joke there.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, it's Jimmy.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_04: We don't know where he's at.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_03: We don't know where he is.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_04: Hey, the important thing is a pocket door.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_03: He is.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_03: The important thing is he's having he is having a process, right?
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_03: What's changing?
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_03: Why is it changing?
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_03: What does it cost?
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_03: Does it affect the schedule?
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_03: And who approves it?
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_03: Don't wait until the end of the project to figure out what all those changes cost.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_03: And that's what we do is change.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_03: You're knowing at change order.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_03: Everyone's signing.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_03: Here's what we do and moving forward.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_04: I love that you do the change order.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, we don't want, and here's the biggest thing.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_03: No one wants it.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_03: I don't want it.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_03: You don't want to go, okay, yep, I'm doing this project for$100,000.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_03: Great.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_03: Here's your deposit.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_03: Here's the the invoice at job start.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_03: Great.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_03: Here's a progress draw.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_03: When you get the final invoice, you're like, hey, this all adds up to$130,000.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_03: Where this other$30,000.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_03: Well, remember you said this and you remember you wanted to do that.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_03: No, I don't remember saying that.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_04: Exactly.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_04: That's why written change orders, we can say that's what I mean for you, is why I like that you do that.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_03: So number 12, here we are on the last one.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_03: Think beyond the project completion.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_03: So here's the final rule.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_03: Don't just think about how the house will look on completion day.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_03: Think about how it's going to look and perform five, 10, 15 years from now.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_03: How will you maintain it?
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_03: Are the materials appropriate for your lifestyle?
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_03: That's a good one.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_03: Here is as we get older, again, the aging in place training I've taken, the older we get, the more we're going to be less sure footed when we're walking.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_03: More we're going to be shuffling our feet, maybe instead of picking them up.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_03: We're going to make sure transitions between floors, you know, floor types, carpet and hardwoods or LVPs and tile and all of that.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yeah.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_03: Like those little things.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_03: Right, right, right.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_03: And also then like tile.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_03: You don't want it too slick as we get older.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_03: Tile is usually in for a long time, right?
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_03: And if it's slick, and if there's a little water you spill as you get older and shaky, and now you got a slip hazard.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_04: Even little kids with tile.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_04: The way they run everywhere.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_03: So will the design still work as your family changes?
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_03: Can you easily replace or repair components later?
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_03: Did you invest in quality where quality matters?
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_03: A remodel shouldn't just, you know, photograph well the day of we finish, right?
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_03: It should live well for years after we leave.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_03: That's how you protect your investment.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_03: That's that number 12 rule.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_03: Think beyond your contract completion.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_04: That's probably hard for people.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_03: It is.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_03: It is.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_03: But that brings us to our big dog rapid fire.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_03: Here it is.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_03: We've given a lot of good nuggets today.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_03: So let's run through the fast.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_03: So design or construction first?
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_04: Design.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_03: Lowest bid or best value?
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_04: Best value.
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_03: Budget without contingency.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_04: No.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_03: Bad idea.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, bad idea.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_04: Zero.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_03: Verbal change order.
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely not.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_03: Get it in writing.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_03: Choose your contractor based only on price.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_04: No.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_04: What do they do?
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_04: Look at their work.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_03: Make every selection during construction.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_04: No.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_04: Before.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_03: Correct.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_03: The fewer the better.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_03: Make the decisions early.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_04: Plan.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_03: Expect zero surprises.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_04: That's like expecting yourself to walk on water.
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_03: Well, Jesus Christ.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_04: Jesus Christ.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_03: It's remodeling.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_03: Be prepared and have a process for those surprises.
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_03: Because they will help.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_03: Spend money where it matters.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 33:07
  SPEAKER_03: Follow trends or design around your life.
• 33:09
  SPEAKER_04: Design around your life.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_03: Communication important.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_04: The highest of importance.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_03: It's critical.
• 33:16
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
• 33:16
  SPEAKER_04: Critical.
• 33:17
  SPEAKER_04: I like that.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_03: Critical.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_04: It is critical.
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_04: Critical in every facet of life, really.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_03: Plan before you build.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_04: Do you want a lesson plan, teachers?
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_04: Remember?
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_04: Plan before we build it.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_03: And finally, what's the goal?
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_03: The goal is to plan smarter and build better.
• 33:33
  SPEAKER_03: That's the big dog rapid fire.
• 33:35
  SPEAKER_03: So our big dog challenge for this week is if you're thinking about remodeling your home in the next 12 months, don't call a contractor tomorrow and ask, how much will this cost?
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_03: Instead, sit down first and answer these five questions.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_03: We like to keep them small and simple for you, right?
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_03: Between three and five questions, or sometimes one.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_03: This one has five.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_03: Why are you doing this project?
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_03: What was the first word of that?
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_03: Why?
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_04: Why?
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_03: Which is rule number one, right?
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_03: What problems are we trying to solve?
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_03: What are three must-haves, which if you've been following along and done your list, you have that must-have list already, right?
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_03: Number four, what would be nice to have if the budget allows?
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_03: This would be a nicety.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_04: That's a good question, though, because it gives you something to work toward, you know?
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe you can shave a little bit off the budget in this area because you really want to have this, yeah, which allows, you know, to have something right.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_03: Number five is what are we realistically comfortable investing?
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_03: Know how much you're willing to put in.
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_03: And or kind of like we've talked about on our realtor segment, is kind of get pre-qualified, right?
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, banker, I'm thinking about doing an addition of my home.
• 34:40
  SPEAKER_03: Can I get a HELOC?
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_03: Actually, yeah.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_03: How much can I get, you know, on my home?
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_03: We've got a lot of equity.
• 34:46
  SPEAKER_03: I know we still got a mortgage, but can we put into this?
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_03: Get pre-qualified.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_03: No.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_03: And that would be your real realistic, comfortable number investing, right?
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_04: I agree.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_04: I think we should do a finances episode too.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_03: We could do that.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_04: Like, not just finances episode.
• 34:59
  SPEAKER_04: Fung shui and finances.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you are so good at stuff like that.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_04: Like, and you've had to learn too.
• 35:03
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_03: You know?
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_04: So I feel like the people need to know.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_04: And this remodel is huge.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_04: But yeah, obviously get pre-qualified.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_04: I didn't even think about that.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, qualified or talk to your investor, right?
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_03: Or yeah.
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_03: Investor on what you've got in stocks and bonds or 401ks and IRAs and all the other Feng Shui's and BR459ers out there.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_03: So hey, that's your starting point with those five questions.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_03: And here's the bonus challenge.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_03: Have everyone in the household who's involved in the decision answer those questions separately.
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_03: Answer them separately so that you can come together, then compare those answers.
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_03: You might be surprised.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_03: We've had this, right?
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_03: Talk about your family members doing different things.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_03: You were supposed to bring in some stuff, but you didn't do it.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_04: I will tell you, I did do it with my oldest son, only him.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_04: That made me so sad.
• 35:47
  SPEAKER_03: Well, just remember, sometimes the biggest design challenge isn't between the homeowner and the contractor, it's between the two homeowners.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_03: Figure that out early.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_03: Before, please.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_03: Well, hey, big dog, final thought rolling into this.
• 36:01
  SPEAKER_03: We've got you a long episode today, and we love giving you guys a lot of good nuggets and things to work on.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it was good.
• 36:07
  SPEAKER_03: So here's what I want you to remember from the entire big dog game plan series.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_03: A successful remodel doesn't start with construction, it starts with clarity.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_03: C-L-A-R-I-T-Y.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_03: Clarity, right?
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_03: Clarity about what you want, clarity about what you need, clarity about what you can invest, clarity about who's responsible for what, clarity about the design, clarity about the scope, and clarity about the process.
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_03: At Big Dog Construction, that's why we believe so strongly in design and build.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_03: And that's why we are Big Dog Design and Build Construction Company.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_03: We're not looking at your project as a collection of individual pieces.
• 36:43
  SPEAKER_03: We're looking at the whole picture: your home, your family, your lifestyle, your budget, and your goals, which are your whys, and where you're going in the future.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_03: Because we're not interested in simply completing another remodeling project.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_03: We're interested in building something that actually makes your life better.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_03: So if you're thinking about remodeling, don't wait until you're ready to start demolition to begin planning.
• 37:05
  SPEAKER_03: Get ahead of the project, download the Big Dog Remodeling Game Plan checklist and start working through your project the right way.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_03: And if you're ready to take the next step, reach out to us here at Big Dog Construction, your local window depot, and let's start the conversation.
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_03: Bring us the idea, bring us the Pinterest pictures, bring us the napkin sketch, bring us the list.
• 37:24
  SPEAKER_03: I've had toilet paper sketches before.
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_03: Don't ask.
• 37:26
  SPEAKER_03: I did it was it was clean.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_03: It was clean, right?
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_03: I do my best thinking on the toilet sometimes.
• 37:31
  SPEAKER_04: Hey, man.
• 37:32
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, bring us your list you've been making for the last five years and/or the episodes that you've been listening to making your list, right?
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_03: You don't have to have everything figured out.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_03: That's what the design process is for.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_03: So hey, that's going to wrap up today's episode of Designing the Building in the Midwest, one community in time.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_03: And if there's one thing you take away from today's show, make it this.
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_03: Don't start your remodel with a hammer, start it with a plan.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_03: I've said it about five times this episode.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_03: Hopefully, you can take a hammer and beat it into your head now, right?
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_03: Your home is probably one of the biggest investments you'll ever make.
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_03: Treat it that way.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_03: Ask questions.
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_03: Do your homework.
• 38:06
  SPEAKER_03: Build the right team.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_03: Make decisions intentionally and understand what you're building before construction begins.
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_03: At Big Dog Construction Company, we don't just build houses.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_03: We help families build better lives inside of them.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_03: We build relationships at last and we build stronger communities.
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_03: One project, one family, and one community at a time.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_03: I'm Chris with Big Dog Construction, along with Caitlin Bargini, our lovely co-host.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_03: Until next time, plan smarter, build better, keep designing, keep building, and keep going 10X.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_03: 10X all your actions.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_03: We'll see you next time on Designing and Building the Midwest, one community at a time.
• 38:43
  SPEAKER_00: Bye! Hey there.
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Lisa Miller, managing broker and owner of First Choice Realty Pros.
• 38:49
  SPEAKER_00: We don't just help you find a house, we help you discover home.
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_00: My team and I are passionate about taking care of your needs, making the process smooth, and ensuring you get the personalized attention you deserve.
• 39:04
  SPEAKER_00: Ready for the next step?
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_00: Call us at 217-825-3999.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_00: With First Choice Realty Pros, you've got a team that's got your back.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, listeners and followers, we have something big coming out that'll be launching January 1st, 2027.
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, I said 2027, it is upon us already.
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_03: We're almost done with the third quarter rolling into the fourth.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_03: But we are rolling out the Big Dog Home Guardian program.
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_03: It's a residential service and maintenance agreement.
• 39:34
  SPEAKER_03: You ever have those the annoying beeping smoke alarm that's like, oh crap, I forgot to replace the battery in that, or it's too high, I don't have a ladder, I can't get up there safely, or that furnace filter that you're like, oh, I forgot to change the furnace filter.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_03: Gutters need cleaning, it's just a mess, whatever that is.
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_03: We are gonna have that in our home dog.
• 39:54
  SPEAKER_03: Big dog.
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_03: Home dog.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_03: What up, home dog?
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_03: The big dog home guardian program where we can take care of those things.
• 40:01
  SPEAKER_03: Or the little handyman stuff that you need taking care of, right?
• 40:04
  SPEAKER_03: The squeaking storm door, the squeaking bedroom door, squeaky loose floorboard, whatever that is, we can take care of you.
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna have three tiers of service low, middle, and high.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_03: Each one of those will have their own things that we offer.
• 40:18
  SPEAKER_03: Obviously, the higher the tier, the quicker response time you'll get put on the schedule.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_03: Okay?
• 40:23
  SPEAKER_03: So stay tuned and be looking for more information on the Big Dog Home Guardian program.
• 40:28
  SPEAKER_03: Until then, we'll catch you next time.
• 40:31
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, it's Ryan Cleman.
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_07: And Lindy.
• 40:33
  SPEAKER_02: We are the community partners for the Big Dog Podcast.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_07: As the owners of SIPS Coffee Co., community is at the heart of everything we do.
• 40:40
  SPEAKER_07: We want to support the people who make this area great.
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_07: So if you are our local business or organization that would like to be featured right here on this podcast, or if you want to work together with us to make the Midwest the absolute best community it can be, please get a hold of us.
• 40:55
  SPEAKER_02: Reach out today and let's build something great together.
• 41:27
  SPEAKER_04: And that wraps up another episode of Designing and Building the Midwest, one community at a time.
• 41:32
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you so much for tuning in and listening with us today.
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_03: We hope you walked away with some valuable insights to use in your home or neighborhood.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_03: If you enjoyed what you heard, make sure you hit that subscribe button so you never miss a weekly episode.
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_04: And be sure to follow us on Facebook and across all your favorite platforms to keep up with everything we're building.
• 41:50
  SPEAKER_03: Until next time, I'm Chris.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm Caitlin.
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks for hanging out with us, and we'll see you next time.
• 41:56
  unknown: Big Dog!
• 41:57
  SPEAKER_03: This episode was produced by Big Dog Media Group, delivering powerful creative for brands and creators everywhere.
• 42:03
  SPEAKER_03: If you're looking to take your podcast to the next level or just get started, Big Dog Media Group has you covered.
• 42:10
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for listening.