Planning
The Order You Remodel In Matters More Than the Budget
Sequencing is the quietest money-saver in home improvement, and almost nobody talks about it.
Ty Murray, The Home Guru
Straight Talk, Square Corners, and a House That Finally Works for You
Nine world championships taught me that nobody ever got tossed because they prepared too well. That same discipline now goes into kitchens, baths, and whole-home remodels, plus plain-English guidance for the projects you want to tackle yourself.
9
World championships, and every one of them won on preparation
7
Straight all-around titles, which is another way of saying consistency
1992
The year I helped found the PBR and learned to build something from nothing
0
Shortcuts taken on a jobsite, because shortcuts are just delayed problems
What the Home Guru takes on
Six Ways I Help You Stop Guessing
Some folks want the whole job handled. Others just want somebody honest looking over their shoulder before they swing the first hammer. Both are welcome here.
Kitchen Remodeling
Layout first, finishes second. A kitchen that cooks well is worth more than a kitchen that only photographs well.
See the approach
Bathroom Remodeling
The room where waterproofing beats decorating every single time. Get the substrate right and the tile lasts decades.
See the approach
Whole-Home Renovation
Big jobs live or die on sequencing. I map the order of operations before anyone opens a wall.
See the approach
Outdoor Living and Structures
Porches, patios, pergolas, barns, and the covered spaces that make a property feel twice its size.
See the approach
Garage and Workshop Builds
Floors, lighting, storage, and power laid out so the space actually earns its square footage back.
See the approach
Project Coaching and Bid Review
You hire the crew, I read the contract, walk the site, and tell you what the fine print is really saying.
See the approachThe Guru Method
Four Steps, In This Order, Every Single Time
Most remodels do not fail because somebody picked the wrong tile. They fail because the work happened in the wrong order, or because nobody said the hard part out loud early enough. Here is how I keep that from happening on your house.
01
Walk it before we price it
I want eyes on the crawlspace, the panel, and the ugly corner you were hoping I would not notice. Surprises are cheapest before demolition day.
02
Price it honest, in writing
Line items, allowances, and the exact places where a number could move. If a bid looks too good, I will show you what got left off it.
03
Build it once
Rough-in gets inspected before it gets covered. Waterproofing gets tested before tile. The boring steps are the ones that buy you twenty quiet years.
04
Sign off together
We walk the finished work side by side with a punch list in hand. Nothing gets called done until you would put your own name on it.
Who is doing the talking
From the Chute to the Job Site
People know me for eight seconds at a time. What they usually miss is everything that happened between the rides: the rope work, the equipment checks, the endless repair of things that had to hold when it mattered. Ranch life does not hand you a maintenance department. You learn to frame, wire, plumb, patch, and haul, or the work simply does not get done.
Somewhere along the way that turned into the part of my life I look forward to most. Friends started calling about their kitchens. Then their friends called. Then people I had never met were sending me photos of bids they could not make sense of. The Home Guru is what happened when I finally decided to stop treating that as a hobby.
I am not going to pretend a remodel is fun the whole way through. I will promise you the same thing I promised every bull I ever climbed on: total preparation, complete attention, and no pretending I know something I do not.
Read the Full StoryGuru Insights
What I Wish Somebody Had Told You First
Straight answers
Questions People Ask Me Before They Hire Anybody
Do you actually swing a hammer, or do you just put your name on it?
I am on site. On full remodels I run the job with a vetted crew, and I am there for the walkthrough, the rough-in inspection, and the final punch list. On coaching projects I am the second set of eyes, not the labor. Either way, you are talking to me and not to a call center.
What does a Guru consult actually include?
A walkthrough of the space, an honest read on what the work really involves, a realistic budget range, and a written summary you can hand to any contractor. If you already have bids in hand, I will go through them line by line and flag what is missing.
How do I know a remodeling estimate is fair?
Fair estimates share three traits: they list labor and materials separately, they name specific allowances instead of vague placeholders, and they spell out what happens when something unexpected shows up behind a wall. A single lump-sum number with no breakdown is not a bid, it is a guess.
Which projects give back the most for what they cost?
Boring ones, usually. Roofing, drainage, insulation, and electrical service upgrades protect everything else you own. After that, kitchens and primary baths move resale value the most, but only when the layout improves and not just the surfaces.
Can I do part of the work myself to save money?
Often yes, and I will tell you exactly which parts. Demolition, painting, and simple trim work are reasonable places for a capable homeowner to save real dollars. Gas, structural changes, and anything hidden behind waterproofing are not.
How far out are you booking?
Consults typically happen within a couple of weeks. Full remodels get scheduled by scope and season, and I would rather tell you a real date than a hopeful one. If your timeline is tight, say so early and I will tell you straight whether it works.
Tell Me About the Room That Is Bothering You
Send over a few photos and what you are hoping to change. You will get a real answer from me about what it takes, what it costs, and whether it is even the right project to start with.