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October 17, 2007
Going it Alone and it's scary!
Recent brownstone owner here and single female.
There's alot to do in my old fully vacant home (new plumbing, electrical, heating, woodwork, plastering blah blah blah...the whole works).
I use this and other sites for referrals, but I still feel a bit powerless in the decision process right now (I am a very independent lady - but can't help but feel my defenses are down a bit now!). Any recommended services or sources for trusted consultation (at least until I get my legs)?
Comments
Hi, i think in this situation,(you walk into your house and the amount of work seems daunting) it may not matter if you're a single lady or in my case a married guy who's kinda handy. After we closed on our 4 story limestone i became paralized with fear on where to begin the renovation. Long story that ends great. We had a guy named Dan Giddings - 646-209-3291, do our house. I can honestly say he may be one of the only contractors i've delt with that will actually listen to you. To add to this reccomendation - the job was done on time and didn't go over budget. I can't say enough about him...
Good luck !
Posted by: d8 at October 17, 2007 6:12 AM
Seconding the first poster about finding it daunting no matter who you are.
I have no real advice re: resources.
But I can tell you to be very easy on yourself. I am doing this with my husband, and we are both builders, both extremely handy, and we are finding it incredibly daunting. Anyone would, it's a big expensive project that takes over your whole life!
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 7:23 AM
I do have some advice and it is close to the others. Relax. It is a big project and you will learn a lot as you go forward and you will make mistakes. Everyone does. You will need to learn all you can about the care and maintenance of your home from plumbing, heating, electrical, windows/roofing etc. etc. It is extremely important to pay attention to your gut and your common sense in choosing contractors, workers etc. You will need to do lots of research on what you want to do with the house. Talk to everyone. Get to know your neighbors. If somebody seems like a sleezeball or a crook, he/she IS. Always always try to get recommendations from friends, acquaintances who have experiences with a particular contractor. Never pay a lot of money up front - in fact you should always be paying workers a litte at a time, commensurate with the work they do. Don't be afraid to fire people. Always take the high road. Always. If you have tenants, become an expert in tenant landlord law as it relates to the leases you have. Know your rights, screen tenants very very well, demand your rent when it is due and then treat your tenants like gold.
Keep the apartments in good repair, respect their privacy, don't try to be their friends, only their respected business associate who cares about their well being and safety. Take no shit.
Actually, take no shit from anybody. It is your house, you bouoght it and even though you have a lot to learn, you managed to be capable enough in life to scrape up the significant amount of cash to buy this thing, so know that that same competance will inform your owning the brownstone.
Go to the Forum for info but even take this with a grain of salt.
Congratulations, best of luck and have fun.
Posted by: donatella at October 17, 2007 8:18 AM
Well, you found this site, and I'm sure that you will receive lots of valuable information and support right here.
Congratulations and blessings on your new home, and as the previous poster stated,
"relax"!
Posted by: bren at October 17, 2007 8:24 AM
Hi,
I am starting my second renovation and while I am not immune to frustration and occassional fear - I have collected an enormous amount of information and experience along the way. I would be happy to share resources and insight, as a neighbor, not an employee. 917 620 4084- Jessica
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 9:03 AM
Take no shit is great advice!
Most of the people you talk to about working on your house are going to try to sucker you.
*Get a minimum of five quotes before doing anything.
*Do independent research so that you can tell when people are lying to you.
*Never, ever work with anyone who tries to scare you.
*Never, ever work with anyone who doesn't give you time to think about it, who gives you a deal for signing right away, etc.
*Trust your gut! You don't have to have a reason not to work with someone!
And know that even if you follow all these rules, you might wind up working with someone who is not so good. When that happens:
*Write down exactly what the problem is and exactly what it would take to fix it.
*Straightforwardly ask for what you want. State the problem and offer the solution. Don't make anyone read your mind, and always give someone the chance to fix the problem.
*But don't ever tell someone to fix the problem without telling them exactly how, and what the problem is.
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 9:33 AM
Keep a construction/renovation diary. Painstakingly detail all the progress you witness, numbers of workmen in the house per day, GC's promises re when certain tasks will be completed and when various sub contractors will be working, etc etc. Not because you are inherently distrustful or because your GC is inherently a ****-up, but because this is a complex juggling act and if you want to keep it on schedule and running smoothly you gotta keep all those balls in the air. Sorry about the simple minded metaphor. It will also help you resolve issues down the road and prompt you to create a record, eg. "Nov 2: discussed replacing the bathroom skylight with Dan. We agreed not to purchase the standard bubble dome model from Home Depot but instead to spend $... on the xxx traditional model." You might even consider creating a project notebook where you can both write notes to each other (including change orders) and thus keep on the same page -- literally! You may not be installing that new sheetrock ceiling in the kitchen but you are responsible for maintaining clear channels of communication and that is a huge role.
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 10:36 AM
You might try taking a class through Neighborhood Housing Services, their home maintenance training class is great, and you'll meet other people in similar situations. You still may not feel comfortable doing some of the repairs yourself, but the more educated you feel talking to contractors, the better. I'm taking a class now and even though I'm super handy, it's a good refresher and I'm learning a lot, and feeling less daunted! Good luck! Congratulations!
http://www.nhsnyc.org/
Posted by: honeycut at October 17, 2007 10:53 AM
Sit back and relax I also did my brownstone from top to bottom so what ever you have to do in your new home I probably done it already just post it here on Brownstoner and we will do our best to guide you through it Good luck with your new home .
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 11:30 AM
Congratulations!!! I have been renovating my home for some time and it can definitely be overwhelming. I must say that one of my saving graces has been my contractor. It's a great feeling when everything is else is not going as you plan (e.g. the construction loan, permits from landmark, permits from DOB, etc.) and the only constant is that your contractor is going to show up and do the work that you both agreed on. I have recommended Thahal Beer (Beer Home Improvement) on other threads. He's dependable, honest, fair, licensed & insured, very skilled and knowledgeable when it comes to the complexities of a brownstone. I'm a married woman, but I might as well be single throughout this whole process because my husband is not involved at all (that's a different matter!) -- I must say that I feel totally comfortable with Beer. Prior to choosing Beer, I did meet other contractors that I felt were condescending. I never felt that way with Beer. I could go on and on! His number is 646-358-6118. If you'd like you can call me @ 917-696-4125 and you can ask me any questions you would like, since we are currently in the same boat.
These old homes are very beautiful, but they do needs lots of upkeep.
Posted by: faithful at October 17, 2007 11:36 AM
Learn as much as you can about your house so nobody can take advantage of you. Google is a wonderful thing. You can have answers in 5 minutes. I deal more with DIY than contractors, but I may have a few recommendations (and Donatella will tell you I give good recs).
infoATreclaimedhome.com
Good luck!
Posted by: rh at October 17, 2007 1:21 PM
I bought and renovated a 1920's house in L.A. in my 20's as a single woman, and though I'm married now it's sort of like renovating our 100 year old house by myself because my husband has no skills or inclination to oversee renovations or do home improvement. I actually have noticed with most couples, it's the woman who takes the reins, makes most of the decisions, and is the most picky when managing work in the home. So you are not alone and it's not unusual to be taking this on as a single woman. Good luck!
FYI, don't know if anyone covered this here yet, but your workers will of course learn you are single and living alone so take precautions. Change your locks immediately after the work is completed, and if you are going to be living in the house while the work is being done, give the workmen the key for only one lock on the front door. So when you are at home alone in the evening you can lock both locks and no workmen could enter the house with their key.
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 1:40 PM
Yes, Ms. rh, formerly known as Yente, does give great recommendations. I am very grateful to her as well as other generous souls who have helped me through the process of choosing good contractors. I try to share here myself, tradespeople who I think are good, so post any issues that arise and I will do my best to share my experience.
Posted by: donatella at October 17, 2007 1:43 PM
You are my hero! I'm in the same position as you: single girl who is also really independent, but I dream of owning and restoring my own brownstone one day. Even though achieving that goal is going to take some time, I still feel a bit dizzy about the mere prospect of actually doing the work, whether I end up doing it with a partner or not. I can only imagine how overwhelming it is to actually stand there, thinking, "Oh, hell, now what?"!
Obviously, finding a kick-ass contractor and educating yourself about home maintenance/repair are crucial. There are classes for neophyte homeowners that teach the basics of renovation and repair. . .even if a job is too big for you to do alone, and you have to hire help, having some working knowledge of how everything works will make you more confident (and deter less-savoury craftspeople from fleecing you). It's run by Neighborhood Housing Services, a not for profit profit housing organization. The class is completely hands on and meets once a week ten weeks. The classes are offered multiple times during the year, so don't worry if you check their website and see that you've just "missed out". The NHS of East Flatbush number is 718.469.4679. The NHS of Bedford Stuyvesant is 718.919.2100. www.nhsnyc.org
Good luck, and please keep everyone here in Brownstoner-land posted about your progress.
Posted by: nellymikhaiel at October 17, 2007 2:40 PM
Renovating a brownstone can be very hard and stressful. Just keep a level head and ask as many questions as possible (esp. from contractors.) Never pay all the money up front to contractors.
Check out my site: http://renovatingonthecheap.blogspot.com/
I was scared at first and went through many bad contractors. Hope you can get some good pointers from my experience.
-Mr. Renovation-
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 3:32 PM
Hi - OP here - I posted as "guest" originally as not to be potentially identified - but here I am - getting my legs!
THANK YOU for your encouragement and feedback!
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 11:00 PM
whats your email
Posted by: guest at October 17, 2007 11:51 PM
Hey-
YOu might try using Wright Management, I have to say they were superb. They came in did an eveluation put everything in writing, twice! There workmen were great and they finished on time and UNDER BUDGET.....I am so pleased i am going to post the pictures. Their number is 9175446791, ask for john taylor or kijana wright. Good luck there are good GC's.
S. Hirsch
Posted by: guest at October 18, 2007 9:10 AM
The key is to prioritize the sequence of renovations. Once you've done that, TAKE YOUR TIME. Sometimes it is easiest to do one floor or even just one room at a time to keep your sanity.
1. Start with the roof - make sure it is structurally sound and absolutely leak-free. It makes no sense to install new drywall or new woodwork or even fresh paint if your roof leaks.
2. Basement is next - do whatever it takes to make it bone-dry. Sometimes this means that french drains need to be installed. It is totally worth doing. Make sure that the grading around the house diverts water away from the house. Remember this advice from the This Old House guys: (the same thing said three ways!)
a. keep water away from wood
b. don't let wood get wet
c. if wood is getting wet anywhere you must find the source of the moisture and eliminate it. Replace any wood that is rotted, wispy, or has dry rot (a misnomer).
At this point you will also want to rectify any structural issues w/ masonry/framing/foundations, etc. Now is the time, because nothing else you do will hold value if your house is settling, leaking, or is structurally deficient.
3. Next would be to ensure there are no plumbing leaks anywhere in the house (supply lines or, (ewwww) waste lines. Both are not uncommon.
4. Next is electrical - be sure the house has adequate power and modern fuse breakers (not screw-in type fuses) Have a LICENSED electrician do a thorough inspection to be sure that all previous work has been done correctly and that no dangerous conditions are present. Sometimes old, original electrical wiring (often rubberized w/ a cloth cladding, called "loom") has, over many years, been subjected to higher than rated electrical loads that overheat the rubber and cloth, sometimes breaking it down and making it unsafe. Only a licensed electrician who is honest can make this determination. It might be necessary to replace the electrical system but this is money well spent.
5. Next would be heating/cooling upgrades...
6. Cosmetic renovations/plaster repair/woodwork restoration/kitchen/bath upgrades/extensions should all be done only after the first 5 items have been taken care of.
Have a great time, and enjoy it.
Posted by: guest at October 18, 2007 10:27 AM
all really supportive and good advice above ... the only thing I would add and I think the most important thing ... is to set a budget for the renovation. I mean really dig deep and name the absolute most you can spend on this and over how much time. if you don't set limits, you will truly be surprised to find yourself doing this for years and overspending beyond belief!! that said, set your budget and aim for a scope of work that contractors tell you can be done for 70 - 80% of that number. if you set clear, realistic goals, and then do everything mentioned above you'll get through this fine. (and fine does mean experiencing a good deal of anxiety here and there!)
best of luck to you ... you're in good company!
Posted by: guest at October 18, 2007 7:19 PM
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