McCreedy, 59, tapped into the expertise she gained while flipping houses to establish Dependable Referrals, an online service that connects homeowners with prescreened contractors. Before decided on that business, she considered purchasing a magazine.

“I started looking for something that was still familiar with me, and something that could help people get through these tough times,” she said. “I’m going to be retiring from advertising in the next couple of years, but I still wanted to be in the home improvement industry.”

McCreedy said when she moved from Iowa to San Diego a few years ago, she and her husband bought a condo in Del Mar and began remodeling it as an investment. “I had to start from scratch and find the contractors who really did a good job,” she said, “and some of the experiences were not all that great. I learned my lesson, that people need to know who they can call and who they can trust.”

McCreedy decided to set up a referral network using a business plan she purchased from a woman who has helped set up about 400 such networks throughout the country. McCreedy found her by searching on the Internet. It’s not a franchise, so she pays no ongoing fees.

The service she offers through dependablereferrals.com is different from the contractor-review site Angie’s List.

Homeowners pay nothing for the service. McCreedy is available to the homeowner, if there are any problems, throughout the entire project. “It’s a very personal approach to making sure that the homeowner has the best possible experience in hiring someone to come into their home,” she said.

She interviews contractors and obtains copies of their license, bonding, insurance and recent references. She also monitors Better Business Bureau complaints. When a homeowner calls with a project, she connects them with a contractor, who pays her a referral fee only if he or she gets the job. The fee comes out of the contractor’s marketing budget and is not passed to the customer, she said.

She is already getting several leads a month, mainly for painting, fireplace repairs or maintenance, and window covering installation. McCreedy is continuing her work in advertising on a freelance basis to support herself until the business takes off.

“There’s a freedom in making sure all the details are taken care of, and not having to count on someone else to follow through.”

Read the full article from the San Diego Union Tribune: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/oct/12/buying-themselves-job/

Preparing a home for the coldest months of the year – whether you expect to host company for the holidays or to simply spend more time indoors – can seem daunting. But professional designer and television personality Danielle Hirsch says there is no need to fret. Hirsch, featured on Dutch Boy’s new Restore My Decor.com decorating website, says there are many ways to minimize the time and expense you might associate with refreshing your home’s interior. Here are just a few of her easy and affordable tips that can help bring new life to your decor.

It might sound like a cliche, but a fresh coat of interior paint can truly do wonders to renew a space. Dutch Boy’s Restore My Decor.com website features advice from Hirsch to help you decide what color and design scheme is right for your room. She also offers tips to help your project run smoothly. Gathering valuable inspirational ideas from the site will ensure your interior turns out right the first time, saving you valuable time and money.

Don’t stop with wall color, though. As the weather turns bleak, heat up your home design by bringing a bit of color inside. Are you conservative when it comes to design? Try accenting a neutral room with a few pieces of the same color family. If you’re more daring, play with a variety of warm, bright colors. “Take cues from Mother Nature and pull colors you see from the foliage around you,” Hirsch says. “Rich oranges, chocolate browns, vibrant reds and ambers – these colors bring energy as the days get darker earlier.”

To create the perfect atmosphere for your cozy escape, appealing to all senses is a must. Give your entire home a warm, inviting aroma with seasonal scented candles. Liven up a dining room with a visually stimulating centerpiece or wall hanging. Or make a casual den more comfortable with overstuffed throw pillows or a faux fur rug. Adding small accents and finishing touches can completely change the ambiance of a room and turn it into an area where you’ll actually enjoy spending time.

You can also take pleasure in the changing of the seasons by incorporating natural outdoor elements into your decor. “Nothing says fall like a pumpkin, and if you hollow it out, it makes a great vase,” Hirsch says. She also suggests accenting a room with seasonal fruits, vegetables and flowers, colorful leaves and pinecones for quick and easy ways to bring the natural beauty of autumn indoors.

“To round out your fall decorating remember that with the days getting shorter, warm lighting is essential,” Hirsch says. Do a quick audit of the lighting to ensure you’re making the most of your room’s natural and artificial light. Introducing a new light source, whether it’s a standing or table lamp, can transform the overall feel of a room and fight off the dreary gray outside your window.

Hirsch goes onto say, “This fall, don’t be lulled into hibernation. Take the time you have indoors and put it to good use. Tackling interior projects now will leave your home looking beautiful and ready for family and friends for years to come.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Bathroom remodels traditionally return more on investment at resale time – often 70 or 80 percent, or even more. The trend toward spa-like baths continues to appeal to both potential buyers and renovating homeowners. While homeowners may still be willing to spend on luxurious bathroom products, they’re also looking for upgrades that give them the most return for their investment.

Here are a handful of upgrades that can help elevate a common bathroom to a luxurious home resort:

Massaging Bathtubs

The bathtub has become a symbol of modern luxury in the bathroom. Whether you prefer a placid soaking tub experience or an energetic massage from whirlpool-style bubbles, adding an upscale bathtub can greatly enhance the luxury quotient in any bathroom.

For strength and beauty – as well as durability – cast iron has long been a material of choice when designing a luxury bathroom. Now, you can even find cast-iron tubs that provide those lovely, fizzy bubbles that shout “luxury.” Kohler recently integrated its BubbleMassage technology into three of its most popular cast iron bath tub lines. The technology uses 40 air jets positioned around the bath to deliver a fully customizable air massage; users can opt for heat or no heat, and vary the intensity of the massage by adjusting the speed control. You can learn more at www.kohler.com.

Flat Screen TVs

LCD TVs are showing up in upscale bathroom designs. The trend that started in top-end hotels in cities like New York and Las Vegas, has found a willing, loving audience in homeowners seeking ultimate luxury in the bathroom. With manufacturers offering LCD TVs in a wide range of colors, sizes and configurations, it’s possible to find one to match virtually any decor. Plus, mounting manufacturers have created wall mounts that address one of the LCD’s most common issues – viewability from an angle. Adjustable wall mounts, many of them motorized, make it possible to adjust the TV for viewing from several points in a room – whether it’s the soaking tub or the shower.

Lovely Lavatories

Even one of the most utilitarian items in the bathroom can enhance the overall luxury of the setting. One of the hottest trends in lavatories is to go beyond commonly used materials. Kohler’s Nature’s Chemistry and Artist Editions collections incorporate glass and bronze to create a more dazzling marriage of form and function. Materials and design touches are all intended to evoke a sense of grace, luxury and harmony with the natural world.

Showers that Show Off

People spend, on average, 10 minutes a day in the shower, according to one study conducted in the United Kingdom. In America, especially, showering isn’t just about getting clean. The shower is also a favorite spot to relax, decompress and perhaps even practice your karaoke style.

Multi-jet showers and multiple showerheads are becoming sought-after improvements in upscale baths. Steam showers are another popular trend. A self-enclosed unit uses a steam generator to turn the water from the tap into steam. Occupying about the same size as a traditional shower, steam showers allow you to control the temperature of the steam and often come with a range of upscale features, including massage jets and voice activation.

Fancy Faucets

Faucets are no longer just a way to get some water for washing your hands or brushing your teeth. Today, they’re a style statement, as well. Whether you opt for traditional or modern, classic or contemporary, two-handled or hands-free, you can find a faucet design to fit virtually any decor. And manufacturers continue to expand the range of options available, introducing new designs and extra touches. Kohler’s new Stance faucets feature refined angles and edges with a softened cubic flare to create functional faucets that also look beautiful in contemporary baths.

While it may be your dream to incorporate every upscale touch possible into your bathroom design, if your budget allows for only one or two, you can still greatly enhance the room’s luxury by adding elements that offer the most enjoyment and value for your investment.

Courtesy of ARAcontent