Back and forth with Bill Kelly

Bill Kelly is the owner of W.L. Kelly & Associates Inc., a construction management and development services company based in Carmel. Kelly took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to talk about the region's home renovation market.

Home sales are down. Should we see more people looking to

"I believe there's a strong market out there for people to stay where they are because of their jobs and their children's schools. There will be more of a focus on renovating and remodeling their existing home."

What are the most popular renovation projects today?

"The kitchen, family room and additional bedroom space above, if possible. The specific market I would be looking at is a couple with two kids who need a little more room. They may have bought their house a few years ago, but they don't want to move. They're invested with their children hi the schools, invested in their jobs, happy with their neighborhood and they want to stay where they are."

Why should people choose a project manager?

"Its a choice that they have. You can have someone that works on thew behalf and implementing their goals. For many people, the idea starts out as a fun project that they want to get some enjoyment out of. We're delivering a project with them and working as a team with an architect and subcontractors. Bemuse we're recommended, people have trust in what we're doing, and because we're a new company, we're working hard to build that trust every day."

What are the advantages of using a project manager?

"There are different markets out there and some homeowners would elect to do their projects on their own. When you have a project that's more involved and would typically have an architect, there are multiple trades involved and coordinating the trades is a skill. We are able to accurately project the costs up front in the form of a reasonable budget and throughout a time frame. With that, we work with the client and get the job delivered. In the end, it's the same as if a general contractor was doing it, but with us, the client participates more and gets a better product at a lesser cost."

How has the Internet changed the contracting industry?

"With the use of the Internet, we recognized how important streamlined information is for our clients. In the not too distant past, you would put a call into a general contractor for information on your project, but you wouldn't necessarily get your answer right away. Our clients have their own Web site and they can login to see the daffy progress of their home. We're on site, taking pictures and posting on the Internet immediately. We're allowing the client to be that much closer and much more involved with their project. Due to the ease of access, clients feel more comfortable."