Improvements & Security

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• Be very, very careful picking somebody to remodel your home. Do not hire people who drop fliers off in your mailbox, or who ring your doorbell and tell you your roof or gutters need fixing.

• For a minor renovation job, take recommendations for a remodeler from friends and neighbors. For a major renovation job, anything above $10,000, get recommendations from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) or the Remodelors Council of the National Association of Home Builders.

• Ask candidates for your remodeling job for the last 10 homes they've worked on, a description of what they did, the dates they started those jobs, the dates the jobs were completed, and how to contact each owner.

• Ask what kind of insurance each contractor carries. Protect yourself by hiring people who have a current certificate of insurance or by making sure you have enough liability coverage in your homeowner's policy in case someone who's uninsured is hurt on your property.

•Don't sign a standard builders supply house contract for a remodeling job. Instead, consider using a contract from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

•Get subcontractors to waive their right to place a lien on your home if they aren't paid by the contractor.

•Never agree to any contract that calls for a large payment up front. Devise with the contractor a reasonable timeline and pay schedule, under which the contractor is paid as work is completed. In the contract, include penalties against the contractor for failing to complete the job on time.

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Air conditioning company agrees to $395,000 settlement

If your air conditioning breaks, get ready for the con artists. The Arizona Republic reports an HVAC company out of Memphis, Tenn., agreed to a $395,000 settlement with the state of Arizona because they were ripping people off. This company, which operated under several names, was lying about selling equipment ...

Look for user reviews of local services

Doing a Google or Bing search is great for a lot of things, but using a search engine can put you in the danger zone when you need a repair at your house. Let's say you're looking for a locksmith, a plumber an electrician or another kind of worker. You ...

ClarkHoward.com and The Clark Howard Show offer more money-saving advice for your furniture and appliance buys.

Credit card is the best way to purchase furniture and appliances

It keeps happening again and again and again. Customers put deposits down at furniture stores or appliance retailers and wind up getting burned when the stores go out of business before delivering their purchase. I have key guidance to help you avoid this scenario. One of the side-effects of the ...

Should you repair or replace your old HVAC unit?

Should you repair or replace your old air conditioning unit when it starts giving you trouble? It's a dilemma so many of us face when warmer weather comes and we pop on our AC unit only to find it's not working. At my home, we had an AC unit that ...

Septic tank system scam targeted seniors

Con artists stole $1 million from people by convincing them they needed specially formulated toilet paper to comply with new government regulations. When I read about various scams out there, sometimes they're so far beyond belief that I can't understand how criminals think these things up! In this case, the ...

Apple refugee re-imagines the programmable thermostat

A former Apple executive is readying a high-tech makeover for the lowly programmable thermostat in your home. The Nest Learning Thermostat is the brainchild of Tony Fadell, who had a role in the design of the iPod and iPhone, according to The Los Angeles Times. The Nest is a device ...

A toilet that costs $6,000?!

We needed a new toilet at home so I went through Consumer Reports, cross referenced model numbers and did my comparison shopping on the web. Then my wife and I settled on a $300 toilet. However, I know that most times, people don't think much about their toilet purchases. Surprisingly, ...

Skip the extended warranties on appliances

Manufacturers are reducing appliance warranties at a time when retailers would love to sell you a third party extended warranty, according to The Cleveland Plain Dealer. But I have a few alternatives for you. We're in an era when the Internet means that shoppers are more precise about getting the ...

Entrepreneur develops lawn seed that requires little watering

High maintenance lawn care may become a thing of the past if one entrepreneur has his way. Jackson Madnick is the man behind Pearl's Premium, a new blend of ultra-low maintenance seed that can save homeowners money and is environmentally friendly. According to Madnick's website, "Pearl’s Premium rarely, or never, ...

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Shoudl You Buy A Home Warranty?

Home warrantees are a common way of providing a sense of security for new buyers. But are they worth the money? Get Clark's take.