All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

 It's a rare house that needs just cosmetic improvements. But it should be obvious, mostly from the age and condition of the house, if it needs a full rehab. 

Don't be the type of flipper that tries to do the least in order to make the most. That's a form of stealing, in my opinion.  Instead, legitimately earn your profits by giving your buyer real value e.g. upgrades and improvement beyond just cosmetic. Of course, this means buying low enough to allow you to do it, so never buy so high that you can't afford do a good job. 

Also, don't assume all contractors and tradesmen are dishonest or crooked. It's unfair and counter-productive.  Is your mentor a plumber?  Are you an electrician?  How can you cast aspersions on the advice of professional tradesmen unless you are qualified to assess what they say?  

If you intend to flip houses as a business, you are going to need them.  View them as a valuable asset rather than an enemy. 

 I think it's a mistake (and impolite) to tell the contractors that you're getting many other bids.  

First, it tells them that your main focus is on price, rather than quality, which invites the wrong mindset and often leads to many problems down the road. 

Second, it is irrelevant. My price is my price. It is based on my costs and the amount of time it will take me to do a job. It is the amount I need to earn to be profitable and stay in business. It can not and should not be lowered simply to come in lower than the next guy.  That is a sure recipe for going out of business. 

I suggest a better approach is to develop a relationship with a good contractor (your 2nd guy, for example) and use him for your projects, once he's proven himself.  It can take time to find the right one but that's like anything else. 

 It's certainly wise to get other bids (3 is plenty) but make sure you have a clear scope of work and a realistic budget. 

@Heather Shannon   You can not be a General Contractor because you are not one. If you want to become one you should pursue that course, i.e. work construction for a while to get practical experience, study building codes, get licensed, carry insurance, etc.  How will you pull permits without a license?

 Also, what good contractor would want to work for someone that has such a hostile, mistrustful attitude ("contractors suck") towards their profession? I sure wouldn't  

I suggest you make the effort to find and hire a good, professional contractor.  Be willing to pay accordingly;  in the long run, it will save you money and spare you many headaches  

@Faisal Farnas  Is the subfloor not damaged as well?  "treated for termites" doesn't necessarily mean any/all damage was repaired/replaced.  I would carefully go over the house and look for other damaged areas. 

Since he was doing this "on the side", you must have known he didn't have insurance. You took a risk by hiring him instead of waiting for your regular plumber. 

I think he was negligent to leave the stop valve off but again: you took the chance by hiring him. 

I'm glad you have insurance. I don't see what's gained by suing. You learned an expensive lesson but really, even when things are done properly, bad things can happen. 

It's no different than any other inter-personal relationship and often one must go through several bad relationships before finding a good one. That's part of the process as you grow your business and it takes time. 

In the meantime, make sure that you're a good client to work for. Be fair, honest, respectful and have reasonable expectations and budget. Have a clear scope of work and a good contract.  

It's also generally true that you 'get what you pay for' so don't go strictly by price when considering a prospective contractor.  The more reliable and competent contractors tend to be more expensive but it's usually worth it to avoid the kind of situation you're in now.   Good luck! 

@Kevin Cardinale  You should get a few estimates from different contractors. But the measure of what something should "really cost" can not be what you think it should cost nor what you can afford.  Intentional or not, your implecation is that the contractor was dishonest in his pricing and that seems unfair.

@Darren Sager, @Jeff F.  I applaud people doing their own repairs but please don't think or suggest that watching online videos qualifies one to do so.  "A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing."  There is much more to doing a good job than can be shown in a short video and you are dependent on the skill of the producer, which may or may not be good.

Also, it's one thing to work on one's own personal residence but very often investors work on what will [hopefully] be another person's personal residence. That buyer will pay their hard-earned money for the home and they deserve to know that the work was performed by qualified people. 

@Amy Ranae It depends entirely on the cause but in no way is it "easy" to correct, especially in a 100 yr old house.   Have an experienced contractor or structural engineer look at and assess it.  

@Larisa Van Valkenburg  What kind of countertop is it?  If laminate, there are usually screws at the corners from underneath. It may also be attached with adhesive, in which case you'll have to cut through it and pry it up. 

In any event, your picture shows two completely different size cabinets (height) and I don't see how you can make this work without altering one of them. 

@Eric F. I'm interested too, if you care to share via PM.