How to approach our renovation project

We just bought a 4 story brownstown. It is need a full gut job including the following:
1\. Changing the electrical to get rid of the knob and tube;
2\. Re-doing the plumbing;
3\. re-configurations for all 4 floors;
4\. installing kitchens on the parlor floor, 2 and 3rd floors;
5\. Installing bathrooms on all 4 floors;
6\. Installing forced air heating and AC;
7\. Updating the staircase;
8\. Painting the entire interior Anyone recommends an architect and a general contractor to help us out. Also has anyone done such large gut job and what is the approximate cost you believe we should expect. Thank you in advance.

brooklyn72

in Architecture 12 years and 10 months ago

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z-astudio | 12 years and 10 months ago

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Our firm has a decent amount of experience with large gut renovations and personally understand the importance of not exceeding budget as well as keeping costs down. Heres our brief: We are an award winning multi-disciplinary design firm with extensive experience in renovating and redesigning brownstones. We have just completed a gut renovation of a Brownstone in Prospect Heights, which we would be happy to provide more information on. We would love to talk with you regarding your project and discuss possible opportunities for us to work together. Please contact us at info@z-astudio.com or visit us at www.z-astudio.com

bkmatthew | 12 years and 10 months ago

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Once you actually get started, the worst thing you can do to your budget is change your mind about something. Make as many decisions in the design phase as you possibly can and allow at least 10% for contingencies, i.e. you open a wall and discover the previous owner’s Kryptonite collection requiring a full Hazmat cleanup. Changing your mind costs big bucks – the GC will have already contracted to purchase stuff and you will end up having to pay for it and new stuff. E.g. you change your mind between a Subzero and Viking appliance – you’ll end up paying for both.

allrenovation | 12 years and 10 months ago

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Brooklyn72, Pietro here from All Renovation Construction (http://www.allrenovationllc.com) we currently have two in-progress brownstone “gut” renovations projects – one in Park Slope (16th St.) and the other in Harlem (149th St).  Both are 4 Story, the Harlem project includes a Penthouse addition.  It would be my pleasure to walk you through any of these projects as we are in the framing, plumbing, electrical phase currently.  Additionally we have a recent finished 4 story browstone (also with Penthouse addition) in Manhattan that we can also visit if you like.  We mostly work with Frank Martarella of Think Design as our Architect.  It’s best I come in and take a look at the brownstone to properly estimate the costs.  Give me a call or email me if you have any specific questions. Best, Pietro Calabretta 718-351-4099 pietro@allrenovationllc.com http://www.allrenovationllc.com

Augustiner | 12 years and 10 months ago

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don´t rush in the beginning. Take your time to shop for architects. Don´t go by sympathy alone.
Choose someone who can provide you with numbers in collaboration with a GC, right from the first drawings.
You are looking at a full gut renovation.

architensions | 12 years and 10 months ago

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Check out Architensions work.  The firm expertise varies from Architecture to interior design and product design, with extensive international experience on residential and cultural building. We have recently completed a brownstone in Brooklyn and 2 others are underway. we are very careful about cost management. Check the Willoughby townhouse on our website. The entire revonation has been done with an extremely tight budget and timeline.   We can send a portfolio.  the principal  of the firm is very detail and design oriented. Worked for 4 years with Steven Holl architects. www.architensions.com info@architensions.com Ph/Fax 917-438-6831

deano | 12 years and 10 months ago

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…I should add that costs can be controlled by carefully selecting what doesnt need gutting.  In my case, i’m refinishing existing parquet for about half the flooring and refinishing existing plaster walls and ceilings wherever it makes sense.  There are new joists and headers where needed, all-new gas boiler, plumbing and complete electrical, but steam heating system remains, as do the 1980s windows for now.  As a result, this is coming in at the 100s per square foot, not the 200s.

Silvermax | 12 years and 10 months ago

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I went through a similar renovation, completed  Dec. 2010, 4 stories, three new kitchens, 4 new baths, new plumbing, heating, a/c, electrical, plus a 14 X 16 addition on the back and solar panels. I could not have done it without my architect, who walked me through all the planning and bidding stages, stayed on through the construction, taking much of the burden of negotiations with the contractor throughout, also helping with all the avalanche of small decisions that have to be made (paint colors, tile choices, flooring, knobs, faucets, appliances, etc. etc.) The renovation itself was about 7 months — we lived in the house for about 4 of those months. Allow many months for the planning, design, and permitting stage (ours may have been longer than some because of the addition plus solar). My architect was also very rigorous about keeping me on budget — though not always successful. And he had a very good sense of who we were, didn’t try to impose his own design prefs. on us, but did help us explore avenues we might not have done otherwise. Small firm, lots of personal attention: David Cunningham, dcap pllc, LEED certified, david@ dcapny.com T: 718 208 0815

deano | 12 years and 10 months ago

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I am about 75% complete on a similar project, on a similar house.  My architects have been a huge part of this, helping me arrive at efficient layouts for each unit, clarifying the consequences of my decisions and suggesting finishes and design that are looking snazzier than my actual budget.  They also guided me through the bidding process and are now supervising the entire construction process (a really huge help, since this is my first time at this and I’m still in the very steep part of the learning curve). They’re at www.bparc.com and I’d totally recommend them to anyone – especially wide-eyed newbies like me – for this kind of work.

builtinstudio | 12 years and 10 months ago

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I agree with curated’s numbers for the most part but as said, it does depend a lot of finishes.  It also depends a lot on existing conditions of the building.   We are a design firm and can help you with the entire process as well as introduce you to some contractors.  I would recommend talking to a few architects/designers and scheduling some walk throughs with them and contractors.  From there you can get ballpark figures and you can decide who you feel the most comfortable working with.  Please feel free to call or email if you’d like to discuss in more detail.  Gary Eisner
BuiltIN studio, www.builtinstudio.com
347-599-1054

curated | 12 years and 10 months ago

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You are looking at around a years worth of time (between blueprints, permits and construction) and depending on finishes your starting point will be around $250/sf. I have worked with the architect Jock Deboer many times on projects such as this. He’s a good first call to make. Jock – 718-354-7926\. He should also be able to recommend you contractors.