When AARP called...
I talk a lot about living in the moment but planning for the future. It’s how my wife, Sally and I have raised our kids and it works. That carries over into the business too except it’s really our customer who gets to live in the moment while we focus on the planning part - and that works too. At Woglom Construction, we ask questions to understand exactly what our customers are dreaming of for their home. Using all of those details we carefully map out the project, create a design that incorporates years of experience, innovative ideas and up-to-date techniques -- all with an eye towards budgets, schedules, and that customers' very specific dreams.
But sometimes, an unexpected opportunity presents itself and you just decide to go with the flow. So, when AARP invited me to be a part of their “Home Experts” article, I was happy to accept. They told me they were looking for six ideas/tips that the average consumer wouldn’t know but would benefit by having the insight from an industry pro. After 30 plus years building and renovating homes, that was an easy question to answer -- except that part about only giving them 6 tips!
The “adventure” for me began with a phone call from the hair and makeup stylist who was assigned to get me ready on photo shoot day. Really? Hair and makeup? What will my crew think about that? Next there were wardrobe choices to be made. A discussion of which color shirt would complement my features. Sally and my daughters still giggle at the thought of it. (Spoiler alert: a solid dark blue works best for me; apparently, I’m a “winter”).
On the day of the shoot -- after hair and makeup were done - it was several hours of taking shots of me in my shop. I was asked to strike several poses - cut some wood, measure a doorway; just stand there; wear the toolbelt; go without the toolbelt; etc. Every so often, between the camera flashes, my stylist would come in and fix a stray hair or puff some powder on me. I found the entire process very interesting, I’m just a guy building houses and I felt like a superstar. I was enjoying being out of my comfort zone --- a chance to live in the moment!
At the end of the day, I sat down with the reporter from the AARP Bulletin and shared some insight for consumers who might be hiring someone like me. “Install blinds to lower heating costs”, I said. “Curtains hang away from the wall, and that space between the window and the curtain allows heat loss through the window. Because the blinds are right up against the window, the blinds keep the heat inside.” I’ve spent my life improving homes with low efficiency. I understand the frustration at seeing a high utility bill, and I've got some tricks up my sleeve that I always include in my builds that make a home cost-efficient. Another tip I shared: attic hatches with drop-down stairs are likely not insulated. That’s a major heat loss! I always add a lightweight movable insulated box over the opening, this keeps the heat in the house and the money in the homeowner’s pocket.
At Woglom Construction, we build homes to support the whole family for their whole lives. So, I recommended raising the height of both outlets and toilets. “Electrical outlets are typically about 16 inches from the floor. If you are remodeling, have the outlets set at 24 inches. They’ll be more convenient when you’re forty and still easy to reach when you are seventy.” What about a taller toilet? The extra height is easier on the knees! And a comfort height toilet is the same price as a standard size toilet.
You’ll have to read the article for the rest of my ideas (and you might learn a thing or two from the other professionals they asked to participate). In the meantime, here’s the shot that will always make my wife laugh.
Suffice it to say, I was honored to be included in this piece, I had some fun having a stylist for a day, and it was an interesting turn of events for me to be the one who was going with the flow and living in the moment. I encourage you to switch to your opposite mode every now and again; who knows you might discover that you too are a “winter!”
