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January 21, 2009
Looking for GC to do a walk-thru
Hi, I am a first time home buyer looking to buy a small building in NYC that will work as live/work space (my partner is an artist) and also have units that we can rent out to help pay the mortgage. We are semi-experienced builders and our dream is to find something below market that we can improve with sweat equity. I have found a likely candidate but would like to hire a GC to walk-through with me and give me a pro's opinion about how much work this place would really need and a rough cost estimate before I submit my first bid. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good Brooklyn GC (maybe someone who is used to dealing with homeowners who like to do the work themselves)?
Thanks!
Comments
Don't know about the GC question, but submit a bid first, then get the place inspected. If the inspection finds problems (they always do -- be realistic about what work is really necessary) ask the seller to fix it and/or reduce the price accordingly.
Posted by: mopar at January 21, 2009 1:01 PM
in which part of brooklyn are you looking
Posted by: eman1234 at January 21, 2009 1:20 PM
I am currently working with Matt DiFrancesco
(http://newyorkcitygreenroof.com/)
in a similar way, and I think he is GREAT at this!
We found him after doing a lot of work ourselves. He did some trim and other finish work for us in our rental unit, and is now framing out our owner's duplex.
We love working with Matt. He is very interested in eco-stuff, cares a lot about quality but not to the point of being boutiquey about it, is a good communicator, is very flexible, understands a fixed budget, and is fine with us doing work ourselves, offers advice, etc.
Posted by: vanburenproud at January 21, 2009 6:42 PM
Looking in various neighborhoods in Brooklyn 1:20--Mainly Sunset Park, Clinton Hill (I have noticed places are listed as "Clinton Hill", but are actually just on the East side of Bedford Ave--hmmmmmmm) Prospect Heights, and South Slope.
Thanks for the rec 6:42!
Posted by: landofenchantment at January 22, 2009 1:31 AM
try a walk thru with an architect. they see everything and have ideas that you might not think of.
Posted by: wine lover at January 22, 2009 3:19 PM
That is a great concept, in theory, and one I have though of as well. But execution could be tricky. Not sure too many reputable GC's would find providing that service worthwhile for a fee that you or I would find reasonable. Same for an architect. Unless you pre-commit to either, which is probably not a good idea. Also, it would be very hard for a GC to provide even a rough guess of cost without knowing what were "the plans". No recs for you but good luck, and if you find a good GC who does this, pls post on it.
You might search these forums for rough estimates of cost by sf or by type of room. When we were at your stage, we kept hearing "rule of thumb of $200/sf (for gut level work)". I thought that was nuts bc I thought what I wanted to do was a "small job". Guess what, it's coming in at even more (altho we did go with lots of "premium" stuff). My main point is, if the bloggers here say "$x/sf" is "normal" or what they paid, don't assume you'll come in at half of $x. Good luck.
Posted by: renoishard at January 25, 2009 12:42 PM
http://www.brownstoner.com/forum/archives/2007/05/gut_renovation.php
Here's a good post on it.
Posted by: renoishard at January 25, 2009 12:56 PM
I have worked with J Thomas Construction based in Brooklyn. My experience with them was nothing less than amazing - efficient, reliable, dedicated and the best customer service I've received. The owner is JT Stewart and the website is www.jthomasnyc.com. The portfolio section speaks for itself...Give them a call.
Best of luck with your remodel!
Posted by: VF at March 12, 2009 12:39 PM
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