All Forum Posts by: J.R. Gutierrez

@Brian Garrett the same applies to a GC. Ask him how many people he plans to have working on the project at any given time. If you feel his answer is not enough for your needs, let him know. Question why he only has two guys working on a job that requires 4+. Maybe he's not equipped to handle a project of your scope. Or maybe he doesn't value your project and is more focused on other work he has. 

Another important thing to ask your GC is if he's planning on using any subs for any of the work. A lot of GCs will typically sub out the electrical and plumbing work. Take note of this and request the subs information. If the GC decides not to pay the sub, the sub can come after you and place a lien on the property. Ask for lien releases anytime you give anyone any payment. Protect yourself! Too many stories about shady contractors out there. 

Sorry for posting again, but like I mentioned; I'm a total nerd when it comes to this stuff.

Another thing to ask or look out for is the size of the crew that is performing the task. For example, say you're trying to decide which painting company to use. You get two bids: one from Company A and one from Company B. Company A is a father and son team and they charge you $1,000 and will take 7 days to complete. Company B is a 5 person crew and they charge $1,600 but can complete in 3 days. Is a $600 savings more important than getting the task done 4 days earlier and shortening your overall project timeline? Also, have multiple trades working in the house at the same time when possible. For certain tasks, like painting, you'll only have the trade performing it working in the house alone.

@Brian Garrett you can learn how long things will take by asking the contractor/tradesman. Sounds silly but this is how you'll learn. On your first project you'll have to take them on their word when they tell you it'll take X amount of days for Demo. After three or four projects you start to understand how long things will take. Granted there are variables to each project. A kitchen remodel for example: demo can take 1 day if all you're doing is removing the existing cabinets and top. But if you're removing the floors and opening up walls, now you're looking at 2-3 days or added manpower to accomplish it a day. You'd then have to weigh the cost of both options. 

Eventually you'll get a good grasp on coordinating the projects to the point where you will dictate the schedule and any reliable GC will be able to work with the schedule you present them. This will also weed out the slow/lazy contractors that want to charge by the hour/day and milk it to charge you more. By the way, I'd stay away from anyone who wants to charge by the hour or bids you a day rate.

Because I'm a nerd and actually enjoy managing remodels, I went ahead and made a super simple sample calendar in Google Sheets. Of course this is just a visual sample. You'd have to create your own based on the scope of work. There are software programs that let you create more elaborate schedules but for quick reference, Sheets or Excel work great. You can even search for templates created for project management in both programs.

Hi @Joe Armstrong 

I've coordinated several home remodels in the past and found that the best way to stay on schedule is to make one. Sounds silly but it works, for me at least. Do it in any format that you want, but put it down on paper. Create a schedule that shows what task is happening when and how long it will take. Plug in all your trades and this will give you a better idea of a completion date too. Once you have it all laid out, share it with your GC or tradesmen and hold them to it. Just make sure you're not allocating 2 days for a task that typically takes a week. You can even include payment dates in your schedule so that you have it all in one place and again; everyone knows the schedule. Unexpected issues may come up that will affect your schedule, but having a laid out schedule will allow you to plug in this extra needed time and shift everything else over accordingly and see how it affects the project as whole. 

I hope that helps a little bit. If I didn't make any sense or you have any other questions, let me know. Always happy to help. If you need a mock schedule, I can send you one too.

Good luck!

Thanks Jim Shonts I'll definitely run the numbers through a calculator to get a much better grasp on the final numbers

Hi Brad Kesell and welcome! I'm a fellow newbie. Just joined last Tuesday. I totally get the nervousness of going after the first deal but I'm also anxious and excited! I've met some people through BiggerPockets already and I'm actually going to start checking out potential flips with them. Just make sure you do your homework and ask questions! Some people may be rude, mean, jerks in their responses but you'll find that most are extremely insightful and helpful

Leave the ceiling a different color. Painting the ceiling the same grey may make the room seem smaller and darker.

Thanks Jared Bouzek ! That's definitely something I did not take into consideration. This little study/exercise is helping me learn how to approach something like this when I'm ready to pursue it. Much appreciated.

Great, thanks for the insight @Bill S.