Home remodeling show coming to town

Home remodeling is an important decision with expensive ramifications. A number of research options will be available to home and property owners at the 16th Home Remodeling Show April 21 and 22 at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza in Thousand Oaks.

How many bids should you obtain for your kitchen, spa or bath project? Is the contractor licensed? Do they have references?

"It's important to entrust your home to someone you can count on for your remodeling needs," said Robert Weich, executive director of the Ventura County Contractor's Association.

"With such high demand there is danger of unlicensed contractors trying to take on your project, despite the financial danger they could place you in," Weich said. "We know people who tell us stories all the time about their experiences with unlicensed contractors." Take precautionary steps

The most important step in a remodeling project is to find a reliable, qualified contractor. The following guidelines are recommended when choosing a contractor:

+Determine whether you need a general contractor or a specialty contractor. General contractors oversee jobs that require more than one type of work on a building. If your kitchen remodeling job requires plumbing, electrical and carpentry, a general contractor should be hired.

+Check the contractor's license. Any contractor performing a job more than $500 must be licensed by the Contractors State License Board. Ask for additional identification to make sure the names match.

+Ask for a list of references, including past clients and building materials suppliers, to see if the contractor is reliable and has a good reputation.

+Make sure the contractor has workers' compensation and liability coverage. Ask for a copy of the certificate of insurance.

Home remodeling strong

Sales of new single-family homes fell 3.9 percent in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 848,000, the lowest level since August 2000, according to figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department. The February fall-off continued a three-month decline in the sales of new homes.

Remodeling activity, however, remained steady in the fourth quarter of 2006, according to the National Association of Home Builders' Remodeling Market Index. The index increased slightly from 47.8 to 48.2 on a seasonally adjusted basis and future expectations moved up to 46.0 from 45.4.

"Remodeling retained strength across most of the country compared to late last year," said association Chairman Mike Nagel of Chicago.

"Certainly regional economies and housing markets play an important role, but overall we see maintenance of high levels of remodeling activity and solid future prospects," Nagel said.

The remodel index for the rental market indicated a strong increase in activity for that sector in the forth quarter of 2006.

"Though the substantial reductions in home sales and new housing production have impacted the remodeling market to some degree, we feel that remodeling of both owner-occupied and rental housing will remain strong compared to other areas of the industry," said Dave Seiders, association chief economist.

Bill Parisi of Bill's Home Service in Agoura Hills has been repairing and remodeling homes in the area for 36 years. He said as residents remain in their homes longer, they are paying more attention to upgrades.

"They're doing a little more cacooning," Parisi said. "They're remodeling to make it more cozy. . . .We're finding a lot more molding, trim and jacuzzi work."

The Thousand Oaks home remodeling show runs from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. on both April 21 and 22.