I wrote this book to give people information they need to deal with contractors and get construction projects completed with as little waste and aggravation as possible.
I consider giving people tips on where they get the most “bang for the buck” to be one of the central themes of this project. Within all of the construction trades, there are ways to get the best results for your money.
There are really two sides to the “bang for the buck” concept in construction. The first involves not doing things that you might have considered doing. For example, I tell people over and over that they should look at ceilings and wood trim carefully when considering re-painting rooms.
Frequently, you can skip repainting them: the ceilings are normally white and go with any color, and the wood trim is usually in good shape and can easily be cleaned. You save money whenever you do not paint things that are already fine.
The other side of “bang for the buck” involves doing things that achieve the great results without emptying your wallet. Again to use painting as an example, skip painting ceilings and wood trim and just paint the walls in a room. This technique gives you the maximum “bang for the buck.” Walls are relatively easy to paint, and once painted, they can fill a room up with a color that fits your style.
In every trade there are similar “tricks of the trade” for achieving the most “bang for the buck.”
