J&R Construction Services, Inc.

1. Remodel now while interest rates are low.  Interest rates are at historic lows, so now is the

Source: NAHB

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Home improvement isn’t just something to do to change things up around the house. It’s an investment that can have a marked impact on the value of your home. The possibilities are innumerable, but what improvements will yield the greatest value? Here are some of the top-ranking home improvements driving the selling market today.

Growing Prosperous Through Paint
One of the easiest and least expensive ways to increase your home’s appeal, a well placed paint job can improve the visual allure of your home’s interior. While painting may not have a remarkable effect on the overall value of your home, it can have a significant impact on the likelihood of your home selling at your desired price.

Cookin’ Kitchens
If you’re considering remodeling or redesigning your kitchen, you’re thinking like a pro. A well designed, spacious kitchen is worth its weight in gold. Not only does it benefit those that live in the home, but generates some of the highest recuperation of remodeling expenses, as well as generating a 5-10% increase in the value of your home. A kitchen equipped with modern appliances, nice counter tops, and new cabinetry will certainly be an investment to pursue if you are considering remodeling or renovating your home.

Bathrooms Equal Bank
Bathrooms are another big player when it comes to home improvements. If you’ve watched any home improvement shows over the last couple of years you’ve no doubt seen many people turning a plain old bathroom into an elegant piece of tiled artwork; and for good cause. Bathrooms are a major consideration when purchasing a home. Adding a bathroom can also be a boon to those wanting to increase the value of their home, often yielding in a 5-10% jump. One word of caution before you start knocking down those walls, however. Replacing a bedroom with a bathroom is a definite faux pas, and can really drive down value.

Windows are a win
Aside from their obvious aesthetic qualities, windows add more perceived space to a home. A house that feels more spacious will sell as if it were more spacious. Windows are fairly inexpensive to install, and their overall impact on your home’s value can be quite noticeable.

Hit the Deck
Think of a deck as a way to increase your overall square footage without all of the costs and hassle associated with adding a new room to your home. More living area is an automatic increase in a home’s overall value. As a general rule of thumb, if you’re going to be adding a deck to your home, the square footage of the deck should never be more than one-third of the interior square footage.

Source: Jason Preece with Re/Max

Routine home maintenance is also a necessity for your home.  Just like changing the oil and regular tune-ups, your investment needs these more than you think.  We all seem to put things off until they fall off.  Ask about our “Home Maintenance Program” and how we can help preserve and maintain your largest investment, with quarterly visits you can select from multiple menu items to customize your plan.  Scheduled and routine maintenance to your home will also help the resale and help to minimize those costly repairs when it is too late.  Jimmy McKinney

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     These two words are not often talked about in the construction industry when it comes to your project.  Is it because your contractor or you think a remodeling project should be an in and out experience?  If you take a vacation do you plan it days or a week before you leave?  No, you plan that baby sometimes a year before you go.  So why would you try to have someone remodel your most expensive investment in a short period of time.  It might be better to plan for a year or more to really grasp what you are about to embark on.  Taking time to plan your remodel will get most of your, areas of concern, taken care of; and will start the communication/relationship process with your contractor, which will help the ease of concerns that will, did I say will, come up during your remodel.  A relationship with a contractor can be a wonderful experience, even if issues arise during the process, or it can be a “wonder when they are going to show up” experience and you feel uneasy when someone does show up.  With patience you can plan the process and really develop the persistence you need to complete and enjoy the finished product.  But, sometimes you need to get something done immediately, so start the interview process with a constructor you will truly enjoy and trust. 

     I invite you to ask about our “Home Maintenance Program“, that can help you develop a game plan for your biggest investment, estimate budgets and give you a realistic time frame for each project, and you will also get our ”One Stop Guarantee“, with discounted rates and your choice of a FREE upgraded service.

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When choosing a remodeler, don’t let just anyone work on your home. You wouldn’t visit a doctor who is not a member of the AMA or does surgeries in his garage… so why do business with someone who is not a member of the Remodelers Council, NAHBR. For most people, their home is their largest investment. It’s an investment that should only be trusted to a professional - a Registered Remodeler.Here are some questions that you MUST ask:

• Are they a member of the Remodelers Council?
• How long have they been in business?
• Do they have workman’s compensation and general liability insurance? If so, obtain proof of insurance from their carrier. (this protects you from accidents on your property)
• Can they provide references?
• Do they understand that your comfort during the project and its successful completion depend on effective communication and follow-through?
• Will they maintain a safe and reasonably neat job-site to prevent damage to your home or injury to household members and pets?
• Will they guarantee the quality of the work with a warranty?
• Will they respond promptly to service calls and inquiries?

Choosing the right professional remodeler is critical in saving both time and money by ensuring the job is done right the first time and the home owners vision is accurately translated into reality.

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Woodworking and custom building is a gift that fathers have been giving their sons in my family for four generations now.  My great grandfather, Marcus McKinney, started handcrafting custom furniture pieces, corner cupboards, and china cabinets from scratch after he was discharged from the army following WWI.  Then he bought his first sawmill.  When my grandfather, James W. McKinney finished his tour of duty in WWII, he worked for Marcus and they purchased a second sawmill.  One of their clients’ was the Blue Diamond Coal Company.  They serviced them with flooring material for the mine floors and wood to make their powder boxes.  James W. McKinney eventually became the soul owner of the mills and with a picture of a finished product in his mind; he began to construct beautiful custom pieces of furniture from rough sawn wood.  In the 1970’s, James’ son gave him his very first router and my grandfather began to make custom items such as pencil holders, grandfather clocks and multi-gun gun cabinets.  My father, James W. McKinney, Jr. was able to watch, work and learn from my grandfather.  He does his own handyman work on various projects for others and around his house to this day.  As you can see, the concept of J&R Construction Services, Inc. was started just following WWI. 

I found myself having a love of woodworking from a very young age.  In fact, at age 10, I constructed my very first club house in our back yard.  This became a popular place for the neighborhood kids to hang out because it was weather proof.  I began to focus my attention towards constructing and woodworking in high school by studying drafting and taking several woodworking classes.  After graduation, I went on to study business management at Eastern Kentucky University .  I then entered the Army Reserves and from there went to work at a lumber company and other construction companies.  I traveled around the US and learning as much as I could about the trade from others.  After several years of working and learning, I started my own company, McKinney Deck Builders.  I built the business by working full-time during the day at the lumber company, and in the evenings and weekends by working on building decks, remodeling and tile work.  The motto and foundation of our company was and still is “ Customer Service and Quality First.”

In 2003, my long-time friend Russ and I, partnered together and changed the name of my business to J&R Construction Services, Inc.  Our foundational beliefs of customer service and quality first stayed the same and we began to grow our business.  I bought Russell out in 2004, and he has since gone on to form his own company, Dreams International.  We have also co-founded Dream Sponsors, which is a non-profit organization focusing on educating people in building businesses of their own.  However, my main area of focus has stayed with J&R Construction.  This business is in my genes and my heart.  I truly enjoy serving my clients with the very best that I have.

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