I asked my neighbors

As my friend and I sit in my carport, playing Scrabble, we hear the popping of nail guns, the growling of saws, and lawnmowers eating grass.

I hate the noise with a passion, but I’m fiercely proud to live in a community – Admiral Heights – where people take pride in their homes and work hard to maintain and/or improve them.

With all the work going on around us, my husband and I decided to enter the fray and trim our trees which had been sadly neglected for too many years. I asked people who had served on the Admiral Heights Improvement Association Board and other trusted neighbors to recommend some tree trimmers. In alphabetical order, they recommended Arundel Tree Service, Buzzy Abbott Tree Service, Davey Tree Expert Company, Genesis Tree Service, H.E. Brady Tree Service, and Robinson. Most of the neighbors even provided contact information.

After that, my husband and I asked questions about references, scope of work, quality of work, cost, liability insurance, permits, start time, completion time, etc., etc.

This project turned out to be a fairly easy one. Other home improvements take considerably more time and effort, but whatever the project, a great way to begin is to simply ask your friends and neighbors. They’ll tell you about their experiences – both good and bad – and you can learn from them and from research.

It's just like being in school. All projects begin with research and learning.