The holiday season is officially over and thank goodness says your stomach.
Whether it’s losing weight, quitting smoking or improving our fitness routines, this is the time when people all around the world vow to stick to their New Year resolutions. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, those resolutions often fall flat within a few weeks because we tend to set the goals too high making them overwhelming and unattainable.
As our Top Five New Year Resolutions list shows, the focus is on staying fit, weight loss, and leading a healthier lifestyle.
And weight loss and personal fitness is a huge billion-dollar business. Diets and programs that promise rapid weight loss are everywhere — on the television, in magazines, newspapers and websites.
Dieting broadcast personalities and testimonials are prominent tools to win us over.
Each December and January, weight-reduction programs beef up their advertising and before-and-after pictures are at the heart of that advertising.
Nutrisystem buys huge amounts of air time with Marie Osmond being its current celebrity presenter.
And doesn’t she look great? She has allegedly lost 50 pounds using Nutrisystem products and those belly fat buster shakes to get rid of those annoying love handles.
Weight Watchers’ celebrity presenter and investor is Oprah Winfrey. She claims she has lost 40 pounds following its points system and attending meetings.
Then there’s Jenny Craig diet plan. Like Nutrisystem, it uses prepackaged meals to limit calories, fat and portions and allows you to satisfy your sweet tooth without worrying about overindulging.
Most of these plans also include supportive counseling sessions to help members through their weight loss ups and downs.
Many of the ad campaigns don’t actually disclose the prices and even though discounts and coupons are offered, subscribing to these plans can cost a pretty penny.
Basic Protection
Obtaining a contractor’s license protects the contractor and the homeowner. While the Building Department does not recommend specific contractors, it does maintain a list of those who are licensed. A licensed contractor is required to participate in arbitration hearings if any disputes arise. In addition, if enough complaints are received, the contractor could possibly lose his license.
Protecting Property Values.
Home projects often require permits to perform the work, but unlicensed contractors cannot apply for and obtain the proper paperwork for these projects. This could be a serious problem for the homeowner. When selling a home, specific facts must be disclosed to the buyer. Often, the title company or the buyer’s realtor will not close the sale if unpermitted improvements have been made to a home.
Unpermitted work, especially if it is not to code, could impact the value of the property and failing to disclose information could lead to a lawsuit against the seller. In addition, since an unlicensed contractor most likely will not have liability insurance, any property damage will be at the homeowner’s expense.
Injury Protection
An unlicensed contractor may not have workers compensation insurance. If hired, the homeowner then becomes responsible for injuries to the contractor and his workers for accidents that occur on the property. A simple home improvement project could turn into a much larger bill than expected.
Protection from Damage to Third Parties
Not only does hiring an unlicensed contractor come with risks to the homeowner’s property and injury to workers, but it can also make the homeowner liable for the contractor’s negligence while employed. A contractor that is negligent of a nearby property where damage occurred or an individual was injured could result in the homeowner being held responsible.
The most important thing for homeowners to remember is to hire a licensed contractor to protect themselves and their assets. Visit www.HernandoCounty.us/bldg or call (352) 754-4050 for a list of licensed contractors.