All Forum Posts by: Bill Kramer

@Joseph Milano

I used to do labor only bids. Although it made pricing jobs easier, it got really old waiting for a client to answer the phone or a text to confirm from home depot.

90% of the time i was waiting at least an extra 15 minutes to an hour as sitting around doing nothing. Even if i gave warning texts/calls.

So much more simpler on my end to buy materials myself now.

Start the day at home depot. Everyone makes a list for the next morning run.

All projects start with a massive order delivered to site. This way i can piggyback the bid room of the initial purchase. Generally each project has 2 large orders: 1st one covers mechanicals, roofing,framing and drywall/trim (delivered after demo us complete). 2nd one covers paint, cabinetry finish fixtures, etc...

The home depot app sucks for finding plumbing fitting, electrical items, etc... I'll spend more time on the app than in store. Plus i like to keep a watchful eye on that clearance stuff.

@Jake Pence

Be wary of you you choose in Evansville. Ask to see pictures of the inside of the properties they manage. A bulk of the property managers in Evansville will do shoddy repairs to maximize profits.

As a contractor who specializes working with investors, and fixing shoddy maintenance man work I've seen just about everything from companies you least expect it. (There is no motivation for a zero maintenance house)

This isn't to slam any particular company, rather to serve as a heads up. Regardless of who you choose, monitor their quality of work closely.

@LaTonya Snow

It definitely turns people away! Cleanliness speaks volumes.

I have some clients who dont do a final clean because they know that attracts the eyes away from other issues.

But, yes tenants know of you're too cheap to do a final clean, you're probably not gonna maintain the place or fix anything.

Design question:

Converting a 3 bedroom 1 bath ranch to add a 2nd bathroom in a bedroom to create a master bedroom. But im torn on a design question:

Should the master bedroom bathroom be larger or smaller than the public bathroom?

I will be dividing up a decent size bathroom to do this. Personally i feel the public bath should be smaller. So what seems to give tye most appeal?

This is an STR, but may eventually be a LTR if airbnb doesn't play out well.

@Miguel Castro

Demo was partially done in advance, and more will happen this week so we can see what were working with. Yes, lots of consulting going on for sure. Im gonna be erring on the side of caution, and will probably go overkill in the prep. But there's always that chance things go wrong. Theres alot of bad "contractors" out there giving all of us good ones a bad name.

It kill me to hear thay phrase "eff it, its a rental"...that's no excuse for shoddy work.

Also of note: theres alot of garbage licensed contractors out there as well. So just because they're licensed doesn't mean you shouldn't properly vet them. Next time, ask for pictures of similar work to what you want done. Whether thats digging out a basement or converting a house to open concept.

@Nwakaego Onike

The wall caved in due to HIS negligence. As a professional he should have understood what work was needed to be done (including bracing walls)

So that's a freebie on him. He cant charge for his stupidity.

Be prepared to fight a lien, but definitely dont pay either.

Now, if he did everything to code and industry standards, that would be a completely different scenario.

I have had to eat the cost of many of my mistakes, it happens. Soon as that wall collapsed, i would have made a claim on my insurance to help recoup my losses. Especially a $38k oopsie.

Im about to install a 24 foot beam on a project, and theres a good chance that if not done properly, the property will cave in. If it does, well looks like i just bought a house lol. If it works, its gonna be a pretty decent wide open concept building. But i understand the risks, and have prepped all i can to minimize them.

@Nwakaego Onike

As a contractor, As soon as he recognized additional work outside the original contract was needed he should have stopped all work and communicate with you. Then at least given you a ballpark price.

Dont pay him. At least not until he can prove he did the work. This happens alot in construction, projects go over budget. But you have to communicate that, or risk not getting paid.

The ball is in his court. Prove it or its free.

@Christopher B.

Yes. Property solution is good for color matches, thats why apartment complexes love it. But for color changes it is a definite 2 coats.

If your painting every year, go with property solutions. If your painting every 5 years upgrade to a higher quality paint.

@Jim Morris

If he is licensed he should be insured/bonded. When you hired him you should have received proof of insurance AKA a COI. If he is bonded go after the bond, or contact his insurance company and file a claim against them.

If you didn't get that insurance upon hiring him consider this a lesson learned.

Most investors I work for right out the gate require a W-9 and a COI for exactly this reason.

Try contacting Erie insurance they are the largest insurance company in America and insure a huge amount of contractors. If you Google contractor insurance you will find out there is really only three main companies that ensure contractors. Contact those companies and see if they have a policy for your contractor especially if he won't give you his insurance information.