A: You're smart to plan ahead. If you are going to redo the bathroom, it's the best time to put in a variety of features that can make her day-to-day living both easier and safer. Many folks opt for lever type shower and faucet controls. It's also a good idea to put in a device that prevents scalding in the shower. Plenty of grab bars and lots of floor space are a must. Light switches and supply shelves should be in easy reach. The door needs to be extra wide and located so that tight turns are avoided.

Q: It seems like every time I pick up a paper or turn on the TV I hear about another senior getting conned by some crook posing as a home improvement contractor. It's gotten so that I'm afraid to call someone out to work on my home. What can I do?

A: You're not alone. One of the biggest reasons why many seniors fail to keep up their homes, is the fear associated with hiring unknown contractors. In fact, the fear plays right into the con artist's hands. Nearly everyone (senior or not) has maintenance items that need to be done on their home. We put it off because of the fear and the hassle. But still, deep inside, we know we better get it done or we might have even worse problems. So what happens? A nice looking young man comes knocking at our door. He talks the good talk, he points out the risks of delay, he seems sincere and trustworthy. It looks like a perfect opportunity to get that nagging problem taken care of. Right? WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! Think about it, who'd make a career out of tricking people out of their money: a guy that looks like a gangster or a guy that looks like an eagle scout? You guessed it. But don't despair. There is a solution. It's a simple rule, but you have to follow it without exception. Never hire anyone to do work around your home if you don't know for sure that they are reputable. Practically every con out there can be foiled if you simply stick to the rule. Even if Abe Lincoln himself comes to your door, don't hire him and don't spend much time talking to him. For all you know, his accomplice is coming in the back door while you're distracted at the front. See the next question for more info on finding the good guys.

Q: All the consumer literature says to hire reputable and reliable contractors. Are there really any reliable contractors, and if so, how do I find them?

A: We are amazed at the number of firms who can't seem to keep the most basic of commitments, but things are getting better. In the past, the only way to really tell up front whether a firm was reputable was to spend a great deal of time checking its credentials. Verifying licensing and insurance, checking consumer agency records, interviewing references, and investigating past jobs could take you weeks. Who has the time? Now many communities have a better alternative. It's called a contractor referral service. It's basically a single organization that checks out contractors, develops a list of "approved" firms and provides consumers with referrals. The best ones also follow-up on each job and help the contractor and consumer resolve any problems that might occur. To see if there is such a service in your area, call your county office of consumer affairs or check under Home Improvements in the yellow pages.

Q: I read in the paper that a retired couple in Frederick lost $20,000 when a contractor skipped out on a job. Doesn't the Maryland Home Improvement Commission have a fund that guarantees that the work will get done?

A: Yes and no. Every contractor who becomes licensed in Maryland, pays into a fund that is supposed to serve this purpose. In reality, there are many restrictions and limitations on how and to what extent the guarantee applies. Claims can also take a long time to be processed. While the fund has helped many people reduce their losses, no one should go into a job with the idea that it is guaranteed by the state. Your best possible protection is to carefully choose the contractor you work with.

Q: I've been thinking about moving to a condo and I noticed in one of the ads that they made a big deal about "universal design." What exactly is it and what does that mean for me?

A: Universal design is an idea that has been around a while, but is only now beginning to take off. The idea is that houses, cars, furniture really, anything should be designed so that it is safe and useful for the entire population. In the past, most products were designed assuming they were to be used by a completely healthy adult with no physical limitations whatsoever. That rules out children, vision impaired adults, the deaf, folks with arthritis, the very old and all kinds of other significant populations in our society. The thinking was that people with special needs should be taken care of by specialized products. Universal design is changing that way of thinking. It recognizes that a huge chunk of the market now faces some sort of physical limitation. Now, many enlightened designers, manufacturers and builders are putting together products that are designed in such a way that everyone can use them with ease. Levered door knobs are a good example. They look good, yet can be readily used by children and folks with a wide range of physical limitations. It's common sense, really. You'll see a big change in products over the next few years, especially in housing.

Q: My Dad has a number of hip problems. At times, he's restricted to a wheelchair and my mother is finding it increasingly difficult to cope. Any suggestions?

A: It is probably time for your folks to consider some changes that will make both of their lives easier. Your father may be too proud to do it for himself, but may well get behind the idea if he thinks it's better for your mother. You can help them along, but make sure it is their decision. In general, you need to look at four issues.

• First is getting in and out of the house. You have to adapt at least one entrance so that it can be accessed without negotiating any steps.
• Second, you will need to facilitate room to room movement within the home. Much can be accomplished by reducing clutter, but usually some doorways and even some halls will need to be widened.
• Third, you have to arrange things so that all of life's activities take place on one level, or you have to provide a chair lift, elevator or some other means of moving from one floor to the next.
• Finally, you may well have to overhaul at least one bathroom. The bathroom is a place you don't want to skimp. It's very important that your Dad be able to be as independent as possible while at the same time be free of unnecessary risks. Slips and falls in poorly designed bathrooms are big causes of serious, independence-robbing injuries. For a more detailed information on the topic, call the Center for Accessible Housing in Raleigh, North Carolina at (919) 515-3082. They have sample layouts and other publications explaining your options.

Q: We're building an addition onto our home this fall. Someone told us to make it a "senior-friendly" addition. We have no idea whether we'll be here as seniors, but we're only in our early fifties now. Why spend the extra money?

A: America is graying. Seniors represent the fastest growing part of the market and few of the houses in existence today are "senior-friendly." Besides seniors, there are younger folks who have survived injuries or diseases that would have killed them only a few years ago. Many of these people face physical limitations of one sort or another. If you are remodeling your home anyway, you want to design a layout and features that make sense for the widest range of people. It will make your home more adaptable to the changing needs of family members and friends. The difference in cost between a "senior-friendly" project and a run-of-the-mill addition is not substantial. On the other hand, the laws of supply and demand indicate that such adaptable environments will carry a real value premium in coming years.

Q: I called seven painters about painting the outside of my home. Four actually returned my call. Only two of those actually showed up for their estimate appointment and only one of those actually sent me a proposal. What's going on?

A: Unfortunately, you are not alone. There are really two problems. One is that most contractors are more craftsman than business people. They often don't understand how important it is to be responsive. Even when they get it, they may not have the organizational skills to keep folks from falling through the cracks. Second, most of the trades experience huge seasonal swings in business. The painter who may be starving and desperate for work in January may well be working 70 hour weeks and have a three month backlog come May. However, folks who don't return calls or keep promises are folks you don't want to hire anyway, so there is a certain amount of self-weeding going on. One way to streamline your search and be assured of dealing with competent firms is to get names from a contractor referral service. A reputable referral service simply won't recommend contractors who don't have the skills and commitment to keep their promises.

Q: The flushing mechanism on my toilet keeps breaking. The plumber has been here twice in two years and each visit has cost me more than $50. Am I being taken for a ride?

A: Probably not. Older toilets can require a lot of maintenance. Before you have the problem again, start looking at new toilets. The one you have is probably an older model that consumes a great deal of water. Newer toilets use only 1.5 gallons per flush, which is a fraction of what old ones use. If you add the potential water savings to the repair savings, you may find it less expensive to replace the entire toilet with a new model. (Shop around, though, as toilets can cost anywhere from about $70 to $700!)

Q: We're going to have an addition put on our home, and we've heard many stories about projects that go on and on and never seem to get done. Can we put a clause into our contract that says the amount we owe the contractor drops by $100 for each day after the promised completion date that the job goes unfinished?

A: Such penalty clauses often backfire. If there are delays in the job (and some delays could be legitimate), the penalty may remove the contractor's incentive to finish the job. For example, let's say that you still owe five thousand dollars on a $50,000 job. The job is already behind 12 days with a $100-per-day penalty clause, and perhaps can't be finished for at least ten more days. This means that, if things go perfectly, the contractor will get only $2800 for the last part of the job. If his expected costs are greater than $2800, he may be tempted to walk off the job. To avoid this situation, use completion bonuses for meeting deadlines rather than penalties for missing them. Ultimately, your best protection is to choose your contractor carefully before you hire him.

Q: I'm going to have the main floor of my home remodeled to accommodate single-level living for my mother, who lives with me. This will allow her to get around on her own without worrying about stairs. Just before I signed the remodeling contract, the contractor suggested that my mother and I stay at a hotel for a few days sometime during the job. Both my mother and I were alarmed. Do you think the firm will rob us? Why do they want us to go away?

A: It sounds like you don't have much trust in your contractor. If you are uncertain about the contractor, don't sign. Only sign when you feel certain they are worthy of your trust. As for staying at hotel, it is often a good idea to take a break during a long remodeling project. Remodeling will disrupt many of your daily routines. This can be stressful. Staying a few days at a local hotel can help you regain your sanity. If you take advantage of special weekend package rates, such a stay can be quite reasonable.

Q: I had my house painted four years ago and it's beginning to look like it needs it again. I'd like to install siding, but I just can't afford it. What other options do I have?

A: As a house gets older, it gets more difficult to maintain a good paint job, especially if paint has been allowed to deteriorate once or twice over the years. For most people, the siding option will ultimately be more cost effective. Getting financing for such a project shouldn't be difficult if you have equity in your home. Borrowing based on your home equity is an appropriate way to finance needed improvements and repairs. When you have the siding job done, make sure you have all the trim done as well. Most of your painting expense is in the trim, so failing to cover it, will mean your painting costs won't go down by much. Also, ask your contractor about adding more wall insulation along with the siding.

Q: I've seen ads saying that the contractors are bonded. Does this mean that their insurance company will take care of it if something is stolen from my house?

A: There are several kinds of bonds. The one you're thinking of is primarily there to protect the owner of the company. While it indirectly protects you by providing a pool of funds for handling claims, you won't recover unless there is clear evidence the contractor's worker actually took the missing item. Usually, the evidence is thin and such payments are difficult to collect. On the other hand, in most cases, the loss will be covered by your own homeowner's policy.

Q: I've been using the same handyman for years. I recently learned that he wasn't licensed. Is that important?

A: All service firms engaged in home repairs and improvements are required by law to be licensed. Your handyman is breaking the law. As a general rule, you shouldn't hire unlicensed firms because their disregard for the license law may indicate a willingness to disregard more important laws. But in your case, you already have an established relationship, so there is little risk in continuing the relationship. Licensing laws actually offer little of value to consumers. They come about because consumers are frustrated with shoddy service. Politicians, seeing an opportunity to do something popular, step forward with a government "solution." When the licensing law doesn't work, the perennial reaction is to make the licensing law "stronger." The result is a more and more onerous bureaucratic hassle for contractors that actually delivers almost nothing of value to consumers. Ironically, the hassles are passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. Maryland, which has one of the "strongest" licensing laws in the country, yet has the same contractor problems as every other state. It does, however, have some of the highest home improvement costs in the country. This is not a coincidence.

by David Hollies, reprinted courtesy of HomeAdvisor.com