Industry Snapshots: the d5R Dish
random gleanings from under the remodeling radar
The Little Engine House That Could
When asked by Rebuilding Together Montgomery County to create a playhouse for a spring fundraising initiative, the team at Anthony Wilder Design/Build didn't have to look far for inspiration. The company's office, in a 1930s fire station in Cabin John, Md., is the model for "The AWDB Engine #7913."
"We held a design contest in January," said Elizabeth Wilder, the firm's CEO and co-owner. "Four designs were selected and then we polled our clients and prospects to ask which one they liked."
The winning design, shown below and by architect Sean Mullin, will be displayed with seven other custom playhouses in a nearby shopping center throughout May.
The playhouses will be auctioned off in online bidding that begins May 1 and culminates in a live auction May 31 (see all playhouses here). One playhouse will be donated to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
“It's been an incredibly gratifying process to see the way our entire team has collaborated on this project," said co-owner Anthony Wilder. Though he expected the project to be challenging, "we had no idea how much fun we were going to have in the process."
Construction began about a month ago, at a property across the street from the AWDB office. That's Britt Cave (left) and Pete Cave at work below.
As of yesterday, the playhouse was painted and the team was working diligently toward its April 30 deadline. "It has to be done by then -- we're unveiling it that night!" said Mary Beth Wood, marketing director.
Shown below: photo: Sean Mullin (top), Pete Cave (left), Dannye Ayre (center) and Britt Cave (right).
The starting bid for AWDB Engine #7913 is $9,000; its fair market value is estimated at $15,000.
Anthony Wilder Design/Build
Rebuilding Together Montgomery County
Leads slipping through the cracks?
Go through your prospect list, remodelers. Who is on it who has received a proposal from you but has yet to sign a contract? In this post on the ServiceMagic ProConnection blog, remodeling marketing consultant Kyle Hunt offers excellent advice on why, how and when to always follow up.
Request a free lead-tracking spreadsheet from Kyle.
Free webinars: building in historic neighborhoods, emerging marketing strategies
Looking for free design inspiration and marketing strategy? Our friends at BuilderLink welcome you at two upcoming webinars for building and remodeling professionals:
- 2-3 pm EST, Tuesday April 24: Building New Homes in Historic Neighborhoods. Speaker: architectural designer Lynn Taylor. Register here.
- 2-3 pm EST, Thursday April 26: The New Age of Marketing. Speaker: Ilan Cloud. Register here.
Learn more about BuilderLink, a growing online community and social network for building professionals.
Green building haikus
A creative consequence of overlapping National Architecture Week and National Poetry Month: a Green Buiding Haiku contest. Held on BuildingGreen.com, the contest attracted "too many good ones" to publish, wrote Paula Melton. Two standouts:
No one ever asked / When they built the Taj Mahal / "What about payback?" -- Andrea Lemon
Green workplace? Big whoop. / Wait -- productivity's up? -- Suddenly I care -- Craig Bloomfield
More green haikus at BuildingGreen.com.
Just in time for grilling season
Looking for useful content to share with your clients and prospects? Tell them that May is Deck Safety Month, and share with them the handy infographic here from Fiberon, a composite decking manufacturer. The 9-point checklist covers areas from flashing to lighting and electrical. They'll appreciate the tips.
Click here to download a PDF of the infographic.
See last week's d5R Dish -- a spring step in remodelers' footsteps, top kitchen appliances for the year, an RRP refresher video.
Have tips or stories to share? Want to announce programs or opportunities? Post in the comments below, or send an email to snapshots@daily5REMODEL.com. Type "d5R Dish" in the subject line.
