Contractor Advice - Myhomeus.com?
We are just getting bids on contractors- I’ve looked at all the other posts on the site- I’m curious: has anyone come across myhomeus.com ?? they are a full-service contracting, build and design company in nyc…. They seem to do everything. I am concerned about hiring a ‘random’ contractor- my husband and i are pretty…
We are just getting bids on contractors- I’ve looked at all the other posts on the site- I’m curious: has anyone come across myhomeus.com ?? they are a full-service contracting, build and design company in nyc…. They seem to do everything. I am concerned about hiring a ‘random’ contractor- my husband and i are pretty novice at this stuff, and we just want to quickly re-do an apartment in a building we just bought (in Ft. Greene) so we can move in within a month or two- what we’re doing: new bathroom, new kitchen (quite small), sand/re-do floors, paint walls, install washer-dryer, and some small other fixes (like pulling out tiles around fireplaces and replacing wood there, fixing deck MAYBE…) Does anyone have a really good, affordable, reliable contractor who they could recommend??? Or tips on how to go about this process- we’re looking at IKEA kitchens- but how to coordinate everything? How much do we have to have picked out/figured out before getting estimates from the contractors???
THANKS for any help/advice
Hi we were fixing an apt which needed new wiring everrrywhere,all the walls needed to be broken, and all of them needed to be skim-coated… I originally heard about My Home at a real estate “talk”, al long time ago and forgot about them.After calling a 4 independent contractors (they all came in around the same price- exhorbitant) but that’s Manhattan!–We were terribly conflicted about who to use. My husband looked at their site, and after seeing it at least being professional decided on My Home, reasoning that at least they had a REAL Office and secretarial staff- so they would answer their phone, and and could be worked with or complained at… Luckily Not only were they professional, but acurate on timing of how long it would take!!! They were Great!
Regarding myhome, we had a (mostly) lovely result at the end of a long, bumpy road. Be sure to get an estimated completion date in your contract. Make sure they do a materials inventory early on so you don’t get stuck waiting weeks for a critical item, with all work halted. Double check the designer’s measurements.
It’s imperative you evaluate ALL the mechanical systems in the house before starting your reno. Not just plumbing, but wiring too. It sounds like you’ll want to skim the walls in the apartment. But even if you just paint, you don’t want to have to go back later and open the walls to run pipes or cable. So many of the unforeseen costs of a renovation come because of inadequate planning. Remember too that you can discuss the big picture reno with a prospective contractor even if you only plan to start with the apt. Interview as many contractors as possible — not just to figure out who you want to work with but also to hear their ideas. You might also consider hiring a structural engineer for a one-off consultation. An engineer can advise you about the most critical/pressing issues to be considered for your renovation. There are referrals on this site for engineers. Anyway, breathe deeply, be patient, do tons of research and bear in mind that a few months of discomfort while you find the right GC will seem like nothing once you’ve gone through a reno you can be happy with.
since you don’t seem to know what you’re doing, you may well regret any work you do.. I’d say move in as it as, and slowly build up the knowledge of what you want.
one issue I see right away: if nothing has been done for a while, there is a good chance that you’ll want to redo the internal plumbing, and if you “just” redo one bath, it might make it harder to do it right later.
Hi-
THANKS for your comments/advice: I realize I am being optimistic on the move-in within one-two months. However, we are NOT moving any fixtures- apartment is actually in “livable” condition, but hasn’t been spiffed up in 25+years… so no building of walls etc… And yes, we ARE feeling overwhelmed!!! Again, names/references/recommendations ** or warnings! are all welcome- THANKS!
I would make sure whoever you hire as a GC has all the paperwork required – check for a license number, make sure he will get proper insurance, and don’t forget to add a contingency to your budget. It’s ok to tell the contractor what your budget, but it’s not necessary to tell the contingency (10% of budget is a safe number)
sorry, but I can’t help with a GC, but when you’re ready for some deck work, give me a shout. I live in Clinton Hill, and have done about 50 decks in the area.
Steve
http://www.urbanexteriors.biz
Be prepare to make decisions, lots and lots of decisions. Daily. You probably need to allow more time for the work to finish. I’m just wrapping up my 1st floor renovation after 10 weeks. It’s a gut renovation: new bathroom (moving heating pipe, water pipes, etc), relocating entrance door, new kitchen, leveling floor and adding hardwood floor, moving walls (that’s the easy part, new doors, moving/changing light fixture.
If time is tight, you need to manage the delivery of cabinets, floor, supplies, scheduling contractors,etc just right.
I agree that your time frame is unrealistic. Also would not hire from internet (or elsewhere) without recommendations. You sound a bit overwhelmed, so take it step by step:
Below on this page to the left Brownstoner has grouped trades under “Categories.” Read through all the General Contractors, call up those with good recommendations and then check references on those you think you might want to work with. If you are working without an architect or designer, you need to have a GC you can trust. They will coordinate the work for you, that’s why you pay general conditions. Tell them your budget – a lot of people are hesitant to do so, but a good GC can then tell you what you can realistically do with that money – granite counter or formica, skim coat walls or just prime & paint, etc. I used Ikea cabinets in one of my rental units and while they were inexpensive, they took longer to install than others I have used and so probably were not the best choice. Again, your GC can guide you based on experience. The more info you have, the more accurate the bid will be. And particularly if you are in a hurry to move in, you need to be ready to make decisions on paint colors, tiles, floor stains, etc. You don’t want to pay the crew to sit around waiting for you to make a decision and some items have long lead times. Good luck!