Renovation Savings with Remodel Card

I was fortunate to have a chance to sit down with the owners of the Remodel Card to find out if my clients could benefit from their service. Olov Strole and Chad Commers provide contractor-style discounts on home improvement products for homeowners using their Remodel Card. As this article in the Star Tribune mentions, tough economic times mean more homeowners are interested in remodeling projects but have less access to credit or home equity. I also find many of my clients purchasing vacant or foreclosed homes have projects they want to do right after purchasing the home.


Olov and Chad explained that their buying service called Remodel Card allows members to purchase products at reduced prices from two dozen retailers. Many of my clients are doing just one project at a time, such as new flooring or new appliances. They explained that the average savings on projects so far has been an average of 29%. Here is our conversation on YouTube.  They have a discount right now on the membership so if you ae considering a project, check it out now.

Green Friendly Home Materials for Home Improvement

Looking to do some green friendly home remodeling and don't know where to start? I recently made a trip to Natural Built Home, a Minneapolis based home material store that sells only products that pass the U.S. Green Building Council's criteria for environmentally friendly and sustainable materials. Their focus is on factors of sustainability, recycled content, low to no toxicity and V.O.C.'s, and locally or USA made. They have everything you need for your remodeling projects - paints, flooring, insulation, counter tops, tiles, etc. I was blown away at the superior craftsmanship and design of the products - very stunning (I will attach pictures below). The metal tiles and the backsplash made from recycled wine corks were as nice as I have seen. They would make a sharp addition to any home. Along with doing good for the community, improving the quality of air in your home, and refreshing your current decor, these materials will make for a solid selling feature if and when you decide to move. :)

The Natural Built Home is located at 4020 Minnehaha Avenue S in Minneapolis. Here is their website.

Those looking to do an extensive "green friendly" or sustainable remodeling project should contact me for a referral to a local architecture firm that is doing some cutting edge green projects in town.

-Michael