Remodelling off

[LadyGodiva]

Until further notice. However, I think my hubby might regret that :D

I've been doing a lot of reasearch on the net, and have decided that I'm going to be the GC on the remodelling of bathroom and kitchen next spring, BUT with some huge changes to plans.

Instead of that cultured marble deal Gerard wanted in the children's bathroom, I've convinced him that tile is the way to go but he can have his Swanstone pan. I thought that was very reasonable of me :D John's book was used to support my argument :bow:

Originally, we were simply improving the kitchen by getting new appliances, countertop and flooring. Now I want the entire thing gutted out and a new plan that is functional. It will mean spending more money, but we don't plan on moving so why not get a good kitchen (for a reasonable budget)? He did raise an eyebrow, but I'm a shrewd spender so he trusts me :D

What do you all think? Do I have the cajones to be a GC? :D

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[oma]

It doesn't take cajones, but it does require the ability to put up with lots of headaches and frustration. It's lots of phone work, scheduling, putting up with varying degrees of competence in various fields of expertise. We are currently building living quarters in about half of a barn-type building, and we are doing most of the work ourselves. I will tell you that on the parts that we have subbed out, we had a couple of major mistakes almost happen. Just be sure that you or your other half can be present to oversee everything that's going on. The construction industry has changed alot in the last thirty years, and you have to be choosy about who you let do the work.

[LadyGodiva]

Thanks for the advice. I've been chatting with several people who did this, and am gathering all the tips and advice I can get. I will be around to coordinate things, and I've been interviewing potential workers since August.

My tile guy has 12 years experience with a company and has been out on his own for 2 years, so he's trying to build his business. The plumber (I have three options for that) were recommended highly. Also have an electrician (possibly two options) lined up. I have one 'handyman' who will help with odds and ends. He started his own handyman outfit a year ago, so he's building up his business slowly. I'll probably go through HD for the ES, but I also spoke with a fabricator who could do some granite vanity tops from remnants when I'm ready. We'll paint, and do the demo (with help). As far as permits goes, I'm trying to learn about how that's done. I just feel that with 4-5 months planning, learning and talking to people, I might be able to pull it off. The other thing that I've been doing is talking to lots of kitchen designers at different places. I've also gathered info on carpentry and cabinets from several sources so that's another thing I'll have to work out. Even if I don't actually GC the whole thing, I would have learned enough to tell whether I'm getting a loser or not if I end up hiring someone. It can't hurt to educate yourself as a homeowner.

This forum has always made me feel I can do things. It must be John's book :D

[tileguytodd]

Keep in mind LG,As a general rule you will not get the same rate reductions from the trades as a full time GC will.You do save his cut however but you lose his project management experiance.
In all honesty,most folks that i see act as thier own GC would have been better off with one(most of these are new homes however and not remodels)
You will spend alot of time dealing with several differant trades.Be sure you know which horse goes before which cart or your going to have
#1- a Mess
#2=a lot of pissed off subs!! :)

Isnt general contracting fun!!! ;)

[Bugman]

LG, I think you could do it, but think long and hard about everything that goes into remodeling. It's a monster at times. :crazy:

I decided to go with a GC for our two additions and I am glad I did. I think Todd made a good point about knowing exactly the best scheduling order of things. We were fortunate in picking a GC who had a very good stable of sub contractors that he was able to rotate through very efficiently. We had almost no delays because of scheduling. The concrete work was started on June 9 and I was beginning work on the Kerdi shower by the second week of September. And, this was with nearly a month of rain in June and early July. We had everything done but trim work, tiling, painting, final installation of tub, fixture hook-up, etc.

A reference for one of the other GC's that we looked at told us that his workmanship was excellent, but an addition took over a year because he couldn't get his subcontractors to come in on time. This is something to consider what ever route you go.

If you get a GC, be sure he will let you use his suppliers at builders cost for fixtures, cabinets, etc. We were able to upgrade the bathroom fixtures and vanities this way and came out cheaper than buying directly from HD or Lowes.

Good luck and have patience! :laugh2:

[LadyGodiva]

I will keep an open mind about this, and as I said before, it can't hurt for me to educate myself whether or not I go with a GC. The problem we're having out here at this time is that there is a lot of construction going on, and many GCs are busy or just not interested in remodelling. I called at least five different people and were told they're not doing remodelling anymore. One guy who said he was booked up for the next two years, told me to wait until the winter time when they're 'hungry' for small jobs. Those that are not busy right now, kind of got me scared. I started to wonder why a GC would tell me to pass the word around because he needs work. He did come out to inspect the bathroom, but should he be smelling of alcohol at 10:00 a.m.?? He seemed pleasant enough, but that worried me. What if he's a drunk? :sick:

[Bugman]

The GC we used is primarily involved in new construction. He does like to have an occasional remodel/addition type job to take up the slack and to keep his subs busy.

Whether you go with a GC or are your own GC, BE SURE and get plenty of references and check them out. Also, be sure that everything is in writing as to what the contractor is going to do, what you are going to do, and who is paying for what. We had a little problem in this regard at the end, but were able to get it resolved.

If the construction business is booming in your area right now, I think I would be a little scared of someone without work, too.

10 AM and smelling of alcohol???????? Keep looking!!

[LadyGodiva]

Bugman, thanks for the additional advice. There is a company here that charges a fee for putting you on to different contractors. I have a friend who works there, and I was wondering if that's not a good deal. It's hard to get recommendations from friends sometimes because many of them either have new homes, or they had someone who they weren't thrilled with. The one I had last year was recommended by a neighbour, and he turned out to be someone I wouldn't ever use again. Those that have great GCs live far away :D

Anyway, check this out and tell me if you think it sounds okay.

www.viphomeowners.com

[Bugman]

Just took a quick look at the VIP web site. Looks like they send out their contractor for whatever the specific job is. I don't know if you get a choice of contractors or not. Might work out fine. Might not.

I would sure want to have several references for any contractor and check them out carefully, including making a visit to the customer to see the actual end job.

[RandyL]

I looked at the "how it works" page on the VIP site................. MAybe its just me but...........I'd pass.

2 things that I can think of off hand. MAke sure that the work is all orcastrated correctly, and being a renovation, expect the job to possibly take longer then expected due to the fact that you may be on the workers "To do list" in between their bigger jobs. Sounds crappy, but true!

The latest example I can give is the house I tiled about a week ago was supposed to close 3 monthes ago............its still not done.......He's a homeowner contracting his own house. A bit different then a reno but I'm sure you get the idea. God luck LG! :)