All Forum Posts by: Laureen Youngblood

Start looking in the forum discussions.  There is a lot of information on this exact topic.  In addition, here are a couple of links to some blogs posts I wrote:

Contractors - The Final Frontier!

and

Characteristics of a Good Contractor

Hope this helps.  Good Luck

Having a functional Kitchen design for their outdoor space will take more than a GC or Landscaper.  Design services can range from $75 hr (little experience) up to $300 hr, or some will charge a percentage of the overall project.  Have a GC manage the project - that's what you pay them for.  Pricing here for designers is probably a little less than Southern Cal.  I freelance for $125 hr.  (mostly because I do it for fun not money).  A project like this, you might want to get a Kitchen designer and a Landscape designer (you can find landscape design build firms also) both involved - this would be the most expensive way to go, but would net a super functional and fabulous project on a 1/4 acre.  Good luck - my guess is you could spend a couple of hundred (and get what you pay for) or your could spend $3-5k for the design portion and get an amazing project.  I would shoot for somewhere in the middle.

@Emilio Ramirez is absolutely right.  Contractors are back to picking and choosing the jobs they want to do and getting paid top dollar to do it.  If you continue to beat them up on pricing rthey will move on to better paying work every time and not come back to you until they need a "paycheck" vs a profit.

I believe they are both right @Bill Plymouth and @Jim Goebel

Break it into the most immediate smaller single type project and try out your first contractor of choice.  If they work out well then you can continue to use them for the "next" small single project - until you trust them to take on a larger project or you move on to a different contractor.  If you have the timeline - this would work for the first two/three small projects.  Hopefully you find a great contractor and can work with them on the larger addition project.

If you have the time and are good with project management - you can definitely save some money by hiring the subs yourself and coordinating.  i.e. find a decent "handyman" small project guy, a plumber and an electrician and manage all three - maybe your handyman can do the painting, maybe you need to hire that sub also.  What you pay a larger general contractor for is the amount of time it takes to manage schedules, purchase materials and do quality checks.

HI Robert,

I have some great recommendations for both a home inspector and a free pest inspection.  Send me a PM and I will get you their contact information.  This is your best bet for checking the real situation.  Sometimes your Realtor will have some information depending on their relationship with the selling realtor or private notes that only realtors can see.

Good luck

So, this is what I do for a living.  The truth about Quartz countertops is that they do scratch and chip(although that is something that happened during fabrication and/or transportation).  He probably used an inexpensive off brand of quartz - and he is not a licensed fabricator so, unfortunately, you probably got what you paid for.  They are not heat or scratch proof - only resistant, regardless of brand.  

Your recourse is that he installed it scratched and chipped and should replace it with undamaged material.  Unfortunately, again, he is unlicensed which probably means you don't have much leverage.  If you can withhold a portion of payment until he has completed the project - then talk with him about the damaged material.  If he wants to continue to do business with you he will work with you on a discount or replacement.

This would be one of those lessons we learn and pay for in the process of Real Estate investment.  Using licensed contractors gives you much more leverage to make sure work is done right.

@Evan Griffin.  Selling sounds like a good financial decision.  I might think of diversifying your profit into 20% down on two smaller properties (ie. maybe a single family and a duplex) collect better rents and keep your cash flow up.  It would also give you the option to live local while still having a second cash flow property when that time is right.  Just my two cents.  Hopefully you will get more great ideas and find the strategy that works with your risk/comfort meets opportunity level.  Happy Hunting.

You should be able to send the invoices and contract with your payment receipts to the Insurance company yourself for re-reimbursement.  You should definitely contact an attorney if the contractor pursues you for additional payment.

Find it in the Podcast show notes

https://simplisafe.com/pockets

I will only confirm what @Frank Geiger has to say.  You can never have too detailed a scope of work.  "Demo" is not a description that will carry if they decide that what they agreed to demo is different than what you expected - no matter how many times you told them during the walk thru.  Until you get familiar - write your own scope during the walk-thru while they write theirs.  This way you can double check that they have the full extent of rehab in their contract - AND you can then determine if you are both speaking the same language.  "Trim" can mean a lot - Base molding?  Crown Molding?  Windows/Doors - Inside and outside?  Wood, Tile?  Having a detailed scope by room.  Having pre-determined benchmarks for payment.  Cabinets get paid for on delivery to job-site.  Install gets paid for when you have inspected the installation.  Frank is also correct that materials need to be paid for first, as the contractor also has to pay for them on delivery.  How often do you plan to walk thru the project with the contractor?  Weekly?  What day and time?  

Make sure your contract has clauses for arbitration and payment, that warranties are included according to the standards in your state.  Pay close attention to the exclusions.

Good Luck