4:02, i'm not sure, the guy said it included everything. maybe your house is bigger than mine, hence a bigger boiler. his numbers were based on my house having roughly 20 radiators on 4 floors...

Posted by: d8 at August 24, 2007 6:21 PM in response to keyspan boiler quote

windows we are replaced 28 windows in our house in crown heights about a year ago - they were fast, clean and the price was good. talk to bruce (i think he was the one who did our quote).

Posted by: d8 at October 17, 2007 6:02 AM in response to Window Replacement Recommendations

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 in response to Going it Alone and it's scary!

hey be careful with burners putting out btus in excess of 275,000. i found out the hard way that they require architect plans and yearly inspections, had to rip out a brand new boiler and install a new one.

Posted by: guest at August 28, 2007 12:54 PM in response to keyspan boiler quote

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 in response to Going it Alone and it's scary!

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 in response to Going it Alone and it's scary!

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 in response to Going it Alone and it's scary!

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 in response to Going it Alone and it's scary!

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 in response to Going it Alone and it's scary!

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 in response to Going it Alone and it's scary!

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 in response to Going it Alone and it's scary!

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 in response to Going it Alone and it's scary!

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 in response to Going it Alone and it's scary!