Fall Projects/Preparing for Early Spring

I have always loved the fall — the cooler weather, changing leaves and a busy workload. This time of year is usually quite busy with people anxious to get planned projects completed before the colder weather, at least the outdoor work. Roof decks, paver patios, masonry work, roofing, and siding, and window replacements have been some of the improvements made this time of year. Just this past year we have completed four roof decks in Philadelphia alone; this has been a trend the past three years.

We are just now in the finishing stages of a finished basement in Bryn Mawr, as well as a concrete and stone patio in West Chester that we have been working on most of August and September. We are working with potential clients now in anticipation of the coming year. Some of the projects that I have been looking at include an addition to a three-story Victorian home in Wayne, as well as smaller projects such as composite decks, EP Henry paver patios, finished basements and a couple of bathroom remodels.

I am optimistic about where the economy is going, just based on the sheer volume of new calls. There is definite growth in at least the residential community. People seem to want to increase the value of their homes, not just to make them more saleable, but because they plan on staying. The fall has always seemed to be a time for folks to do the things they wanted to get done but couldn’t find the time over the summer. Clients often tell me that the fall has been a time of planning for the future. There is an old saying that goes, “a failure to plan is planning to fail.” I can relate to this in business as well as my personal life.

So, I encourage anyone reading this blog to act now in the planning stage of doing any remodeling project that you want to have done. Some projects take months to plan for. Having an architectural drawing made up for review and submittal to a local building department for approval can take some time.

Don’t wait till the spring to start thinking about projects you would like to have done.

Have a happy holiday season. I hope someone has benefited from this little bit of information.

— Jonathan Cumming