Category Archives: Neil Parsons

Design Build Planners Receives 2016 Best Businesses of Red Bank Award

This entry was posted in Neil Parsons, Remodeling Industry Information and tagged architect, award, Design Build Planners, designer, Neil Parsons, Red Bank on August 15, 2016 by Andrew Parsons.

Red Bank, August 08, 2016 — Design Build Planners has been selected for the 2016 Best Businesses of Red Bank Award in the Architects category by the Best Businesses of Red Bank Award Program. This marks the third year in a row that this Red Bank business has won this prestigious award.

Each year, the Best Businesses of Red Bank Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Red Bank area a great place to live, work and play. Continue reading →

Remodeling Industry Joke

This entry was posted in Neil Parsons and tagged Neil Parsons, painting, Pope, Vatican on August 30, 2015 by Neil Parsons.

Recently, conducting a sales training class made me think of one of my favorite jokes related to the remodeling industry. Joke telling is actually an exercise that I apply to my training. Telling a joke well requires the same attributes as a good sales presentation: knowledge, confidence, timing and delivery.

I apologize in advance if any part of this joke offends you based on your heritage, religion…or profession.

Here is the remodeling industry joke: Continue reading →

Are Remodelers Taking a Fresh Look at Siding Options?

This entry was posted in Neil Parsons, Remodeling Industry Information and tagged cement fiber, exterior, hardi-plank, professional remodeler magazine, remodeling, siding, stone, tess wittler, vinyl siding on March 27, 2015 by Andrew Parsons.

Are Remodelers Taking a Fresh Look at Vinyl Siding?

Recently, Tess Wittler wrote an article for Professional Remodeler Magazine examining the decline of vinyl siding. According to the article, “Vinyl siding has lost traction in the exterior cladding market every year since 2007. While vinyl siding is still the top choice across the U.S. and Canada, its market share fell from 39 percent in 2003 to 27 percent by 2013.”

While vinyl siding is the first thing to pops into your head when considering an exterior remodel, the fast emerging option is Hardi-Plank cement fiber. Including installation, vinyl siding is approximately $100 less per square foot.

So how do Neil Parsons and the Design Build Planners accommodate the desire to move away from vinyl, but still be cognizant of the budget?

Continue reading →

Ice Bucket Challenge: Design Build Planners Edition

This entry was posted in Home and Family Lifestyle, Neil Parsons and tagged ALS, Design Build Planners, Ice Bucket Challenge, Lou Gehrig's disease, Neil Parsons on August 15, 2014 by Andrew Parsons.

If you’ve been on social media lately, surely you have seen short videos of people dumping buckets of water on themselves. In these videos, after completing the “Ice Bucket Challenge”, the participants nominates friends to do the same, or gives their nominees the option of donating $100 to the ASL Association. A number of high profile figures have dumped ice on their heads, like Chris Christie, Justin Timberlake, and Mark Zuckerberg. On the other hand, President Obama chose just to donate. Continue reading →

6 Tips To Improve the Home Remodeling Experience

This entry was posted in Home Remdodeling, Neil Parsons, Tips for Selecting a Remodeler and tagged budget, project schedule, timeframe on July 15, 2014 by Neil Parsons.

Homeowners and Remodelers – Have you ever had a sub-par experience with a home improvement project?

If you’re like most people, you have.

For homeowners and remodelers alike, the remodeling experience often falls short of expectations due to a lack of communication before the project begins.

Without both parties establishing ground rules for the project, assumptions are made Continue reading →

Design Build Planners Receives 2014 Best of Toms River Award

This entry was posted in Jason Parsons, Neil Parsons, Remodeling Industry Information and tagged 2014 home remodeling award, Design Build Planners, Jason Parsons, Neil Parsons, New Jersey, Toms River on July 11, 2014 by Neil Parsons.

TOMS RIVER July 10, 2014 — Design Build Planners has been selected for the 2014 Best of Toms River Award in the Home Remodeling category by the Toms River Award Program.

Each year, the Toms River Award Program identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category.These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Toms River area a great place to live, work and play. Continue reading →

Common Remodeling Project Complaints

This entry was posted in Jason Parsons, Neil Parsons, Remodeling Industry Information, Tips for Selecting a Remodeler and tagged Design and development, home improvement, Jason Parsons, Preferred Remodeler, remodeling experience, Remodeling Project on June 19, 2014 by Neil Parsons.

Almost without exception, each homeowner that Design Build Planners meets with has either had a bad, past remodeling experience or knows someone personally that has. The seven most common remodeling project complaints that DBP hears begin with:

“The project took way too long…”
“My house and yard were a mess…”
“Too many surprises, extra costs…”
“I couldn’t communicate with the workers…”
“They would not call me back…”
“No project schedule…”
“I had to manage the project myself…” Continue reading →

8 Desirable New Jersey Home Features

This entry was posted in Home and Family Lifestyle, Neil Parsons and tagged aging-in-place, Design Build Planners, Design Build Remodeling, eat-in kitchen, level entry shower, mud room, Neil Parsons, reading nook on May 29, 2014 by Neil Parsons.

In a recent interview, Neil Parsons, owner of Design Build Planners, was asked about 8 desirable New Jersey home features that many buyers are seeking. These features add value in selling a home and provide comfort and enjoyment for the current owners. Below are the items posed to Neil and his thoughts on them with relevance to current homeowner design build remodeling project requests. Continue reading →

NJ Wine Cellar Design Ideas

This entry was posted in Basement Remodeling, Neil Parsons and tagged tasting room, wet bar, wine cellar, wine room on May 27, 2014 by Neil Parsons.

Building a wine room can be a very exciting proposition for just about anyone. The commitment to build a wine cellar usually means you’ve already built up your wine collection to a point where you need a place to store all of those bottles, and having that many bottles of good wine is a joy all on its own. Of course, having all those wine bottles also means that you’ve spent a great deal of money on all of them, so you probably aren’t looking to skimp on costs for the wine cellar itself. All that said, you definitely don’t want to overspend when it comes to building your wine cellar either.

Continue reading →

A Guide to Evaluating NJ Kitchen Contractors

This entry was posted in Kitchens, Neil Parsons, Tips for Selecting a Remodeler and tagged kitchen remodeling budget, kitchen remodeling timeline on May 19, 2014 by Neil Parsons.

Is it time to start remodeling your kitchen? You’d be surprised at just how much happier you are when your kitchen is a place you actually enjoy spending time in. Think about it – you prepare your family’s meals in there, the stuff that keeps them well-fueled and healthy. Isn’t it in your best interest to make that space into an area where you actually want to spend time in? We certainly think so.

Continue reading →