Thank you once again to all of our loyal customers who voted us “Best Of” the Main Line for the tenth year in a row. We are truly honored to be able to work with such wonderful customers in maintaining, updating and beautifying your homes.

It’s that time of year again. The 2011 “Best Of” the Main Line voting is now underway. Be sure to vote for all of your favorite local businesses, and help us keep our streak alive too. Simply type in “John Neill Painting” as the Best Painter under the Home & Garden Section. Many thanks to all of you who have helped make our business what it is today.

Cast Your Vote

On Saturday, March 26th, we will be participating in the 2nd annual Old House Fair, sponsored by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.

The fair will focus on the needs of homeowners when repairing and restoring older and historic homes. There will be over 60 booths showcasing products and services as well as demonstrations and presentations throughout the day. Be sure to stop by our booth and say hi.

Saturday, March 26, 2011
9 am – 5 pm
Germantown Friends School
31 W. Coulter Street
Philadelphia, Pa. 19144

For more information, visit Old House Fair II

Are you thinking of putting your house on the market this spring? If so, there are a few things you should be aware of if you’d like to get the maximum value possible for your home. Because of the real estate crash that accompanied the crash in the economy, buyers now have the upper hand.

As mentioned in a recent article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, little details that were often overlooked in the past are now being scrutinizing by buyers. Staging has almost become a necessity, and exterior maintenance and interior paint touch ups can make or break a deal. Updated kitchens and bathrooms still rank high on the list as well, so be sure to consult with a reputable real estate agent for professional advice if you’re planning on putting your house on the market this spring.

On February 1^st, one of my closest friends was married on the beach in St. Lucia. There was no way I was going to miss out on her big day, but the hotel they had chosen was an all-inclusive adults only facility. Since I was planning on taking my daughter along for the trip, I went online and began my research. I started with sites like Travelocity and Cheap Caribbean to find a good deal, and then I moved over to Trip Advisor to read real customer reviews before booking my trip. Turned out to be a good decision too, because the original hotel I was considering did not have such favorable reviews. We ended up at a quiet resort on the beach, the service was wonderful, and we had an amazing week. And as we headed back to the airport for our flight home, the friendly woman at the front desk reminded me to “be sure to log onto Trip Advisor and post a review about your stay”. I also received a follow up email from Travelocity a few days after my return asking as well to post a review.

In our current “Internet Age”, where everything you could ever possibly want to know is only a few keystrokes and clicks away, it’s no wonder that Google is the first place we turn when looking for information. And no matter what type of business you’re in, everyone knows that the best way to build a solid and loyal customer base is through word of mouth. Online reviews are quickly becoming the most powerful way to accomplish this.

So, if you’ve had a great experience with us, take a minute and extend us a compliment with a quick review. You can post it on our Kudzu page, or wherever you prefer to do your research. And remember, whether it’s booking a wonderful vacation or a home improvement project, it always pays off to do your homework first.

John Neill Painting Kudzu Page

Last week we spent four long hours at a very gracious customers home shooting a thirty-second commercial to introduce our customers to the “John Neill Painting Experience”. It will air on HGTV, Bravo, The Discovery Channel, AMC, Comcast SportsNet and select Flyers games starting tonight and running through April. So keep an eye out while you’re watching your favorite shows (and no flipping on commercials). If you don’t want to wait, we have also posted it on our YouTube page. Take a look and let us know what you think.

So several people (including myself) have asked my daughter what she wants for Christmas this year, and she’s given us all the same answer “I don’t really want anything.” Lucky me, right? Despite her current state of contentment, I’ll be sure to pick up some things that will make her smile come Christmas morning (and hopefully she won’t change her mind and hand me a long list two days before hand).

My wish list, on the other hand seems to be getting longer instead of shorter. I still have quite a few things on my carpentry to do list, and thanks to a leak in the roof I now have a spare bedroom that needs repairing and repainting. Not sure if Santa will be able to help me out much this year.

So what’s on your household wish list? With an interior designer, carpenters and painters on staff, there’s no project too big or too small. So make your list, check it twice, and then give us a call so we can take care of the rest. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season spent in good company.

Tis’ the season of giving, but what do you get for that certain someone in your life who already has everything or is a bit difficult to shop for? The latest version of an iPhone/iPad/Kindle, a gift card, an IOU.

Why not give them the gift of painting or decorating the room of their choice?

We all love choices, and for about the cost of an iPad you could repaint your entire powder room. If your budget’s a little bigger, for about the cost of a MacBook Air you could repaint the walls in your living room or install wallpaper in your dining room. And if you were thinking of splurging on a new big screen high-definition television you could refinish your kitchen cabinets for a fresh new look instead. Just a little something to think about as you begin your holiday shopping. It may even save you one dreaded trip to the mall.

So last week I was back on the road, this time for a residential painting conference in Charleston, South Carolina. Dad and I arrived on Tuesday evening and after checking into our hotel and grabbing a quick dinner, we decided to take a walk through the historic district of Charleston. As we strolled down East Bay Street and past Rainbow Row, I asked a question about capping on shutters and thus my lesson began (my father taught History for thirty years, so explaining things comes naturally to him).

We stopped in front of one of the colorful houses and he began by pointing out all of the different components that make up the shutter; stiles, rails, panels, frames, hinges, etc. Then he explained that shutters come in all sorts of varieties – flat, raised panel and louvered being the most commonly used. So, then he finally gets to the capping, which turns out is a piece of galvanized metal that is placed over the top edges of the shutter where the stile and the rail meet. The purpose of capping is to protect this joint from moisture damage.

Turns out that in Historic Charleston, capping shutters is not permitted. It would alter the look of the home from its original state, no longer making it “historically correct”, and on many of the homes we passed the shutters were worse for the wear. Luckily for us “Northerners” historic preservation is not a frequent concern when updating and maintaining the exterior of our homes.

Capping your shutters is an option, and a smart one at that. It will help protect against damage often caused by the elements (which is a common issue in our area). Most capping can be painted to match the color of your shutters, so unless someone is inspecting your home from up close (seems to happen quite a bit in Charleston), they will never see the capping, just your beautiful and fully in-tact shutters.