Andy's Discussions

I used Deco Electric when we finished a large chunk of our basement a couple years ago. Their rates were reasonable, and we were very pleased with their work. (So was the L&I inspector: it passed on the first inspection.) I think they're based in Bellevue, but I'm sure they work in Seattle. The phone # is (425) 644-8908. Good luck!

I agree with sas912. My wife and her sister are trying to fix up and sell a home they inherited that's on the other side of the country. They've had nothing but trouble: jacked up estimates, and "professionals" that don't show up when they say they will (or even return phone calls). If you really feel guilty about asking a friend to help, offer to pay them for their time. Tell them that the amount you pay them will certainly be less than the cost (in time, money, and grief) of trying to get the work done blind.

I live in a neighborhood where all the homes started out with cedar shake. When the time came to replace our roof a couple years ago, we decided to go with composite. (It was personal preference: I don't like how shake looks if it's not well maintained, and I don't have time to maintain it.)The interesting thing is that since then most of the homes in the neighborhood have all had their roofs replaced. (Makes sense, because all the homes are about the same age.) Every single one of them has chosen composite over shake.I don't claim to be a professional, but my instinct would be to go with the lower-priced composite. There's no knowing what the potential buyer's preference will be on roof type, but every buyer likes a $4K lower price.

Good stuff! Keep it coming!

Great stories! It's going to be pretty hard to beat the dedication of Dave and Nancy. Can anyone do it?

Wow. Clearly there are some very dedicated (not to mention hardworking and creative) agents out there!

I'm deeply impressed with all the things you do to help out your clients. And, as LaDawn points out, it's not all about the sale: you're helping out a fellow human being.Now, when I started this thread I promised some Zillow swag to the best story. There were so many great stories that it was hard to pick the winner, but there were two that stood out for me. Dave and Nancy handled a backed up septic system and invited their clients into their own home until the problem was fixed. Wow! And Laura Bunts was a bail bondsman, therapist, financial consultant, friend, and caregiver, all rolled into one! Laura, I'm glad that woman came back to thank you for all you did for her: you sure deserved it.Dave and Nancy and Laura, congratulations on sharing the best stories with us. I'll follow up with you to find out where to send your swag to.Thank you to the others who shared your stories. As Anita said, you're an inspiration to many others.

We used Trex when we replaced our deck six years ago, and it's held up very well. Our decision to use Trex wasn't based on appearance or resale value so much as ease of maintenance. I never seem to have enough time to tackle all those routine home maintenance chores, so when I heard that Trex could survive without all the normal cleaning, sanding, staining etc., I decided to go for it. We're very happy with the results, and I haven't had to invest any time in maintenance.

We've put Silestone (I think it's called an "engineered stone") on several of our countertops. To me, it looks just like granite, it's available in lots of different colors, it costs less than granite, and actually holds up better than granite. It doesn't require sealing, and is impervious to some of the substances that granite and marble don't tolerate well, like lemon juice and other weak acids.We just ordered a new Silestone countertop from a place called e-counters.com. I originally wanted to buy from a local shop, but the price difference was significant (about 30% less), and their tools for selecting the countertop were very good. (I went with a semi-custom countertop that I'll install.)

We finished off our basement a few years ago, and did two types of floor. For most of the area we put down a subfloor (vapor barrier, pressure-treated sleepers, then 3/4" plywood) covered by carpet. It was a bit of work, but it guarantees that no moisture will get on the carpet, and it avoids that cool, damp feeling you get even in dry basements. We also put down some tile (much easier than the subfloor), and just bought some decent rugs to put on top of it.For the ceiling, I've heard that it's actually possible to do a hanging ceiling with drywall. Basically, you put all the hanging ceiling hardware in place, then instead of putting in acoustic tiles you screw drywall panels into the hardware then mud and tape just like normal. I think the benefit over regular drywall is that you don't have to worry about dealing with all the extra stuff (ducts, pipes, different floor levels) that you might encounter in a basement. Again, I've never actually seen this kind of ceiling before, but it might be worth considering.