OK, Give Me Your Top 3

For those who have done gut renovations on townhouses in Brooklyn I want to hear the *top three learnings* you have from the experience. Yes, I realize that there are undoubtedly _hundreds_ (thousands?) of learnings you accumulated during the experience but the challenge is really trying to limit it to three. No constraints otherwise on the area of learning – budget, talent, materials, design choices, mental health, materials, DOB/LPC. Could be positive experiences or frustrating ones. Whatever you want.

Just imagine you could go back in time, sit yourself down, and tell yourself three things that were learned. What would you say?

Guest User | 4 years and 3 months ago

23

Please log in, in order to post replies!

23 replies

Newest Oldest

workisfun | 4 years and 3 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4970 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4958 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "184143"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(9) "workisfun"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(63) "$wp$2y$10$WQ7cvFJ/BapQzmyDHsbfwO6.oRueZUywsQazRK8/lmnDb7IIxjr0W"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(9) "workisfun"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(21) "joshsimilar@gmail.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 13:28:04"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(9) "workisfun"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(184143)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

We were forced to do our repair/renovation over the course of about three years because of lack of money. I am actually grateful, just in retrospect, for this elongated process. We were working full time and growing our family. It gave us time to assess water infiltration throughout the 4 seasons and again. So before closing walls, we were assured our interventions worked.

Not many regrets. We carefully selected pros for narrow jobs and did the rest ourselves. Of course, the GC walked out on us, leaving the final $5k on the table. I guess he was losing money during all the slower finish work. Maybe we should have withheld more.

The OP’s questions is the theme for a great BK coffee table book, as well as a primer for newbies embarking on the journey down the vortex.

m_holmes925

in General Discussion 4 years and 3 months ago

string(1) "2"
object(WP_User)#4968 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5139 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "189692"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(11) "m_holmes925"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BxIvmKOjo4Sus0NNFvSb/hzae9WpTW0"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(11) "m_holmes925"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(25) "linaholmes925@hotmail.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2024-02-22 16:46:39"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(27) "Malina Holmes Malina Holmes"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(189692)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(3) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

We decided to do our renovation in phases because we could not afford everything at once. In retrospect we should have taken out a construction loan to do all the work before occupying the house.

Lurker | 4 years and 3 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4970 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5138 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "113126"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(6) "Lurker"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$Biam83uc193o8.v5qK1VChb9yjJ5vu."
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(6) "lurker"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(22) "jcjedi_10003@yahoo.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(21) "/forums/users/lurker/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2011-01-19 18:44:20"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(6) "Lurker"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(113126)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

Don’t go with the low bid. Fast, cheap, good: you only get two.
Minimize official scope and do whatever non-permitted work as much as possible outside of the DOBs view.
Have an engineer as designer who knows the system who uses savvy expediter.