DAY 1 Renovation Log

I just gave a couple of guys in flip-flops I met for 15 minutes several thousand dollars, the keys to my brand new house and it’s not the first time.

I left town, heading 1800 miles away.   All of my hopes and dreams for a new house fell into these contractors' hands.  One of them, I can’t even remember his name.

What do you think is gonna happen?

• Did I hire the right guys?
• Do they know what they’re doing?
• Am I gonna get ripped off and kiss this money goodbye? 
• Will I come back to the house stripped for crack money?

These are the questions and thoughts you may have every day when you hire somebody to work in your home.  It’s personal and it’s different from hiring somebody to fix your car. They’re in your home!

 I’m crossing my fingers and I’m hoping that it all goes well.

There’s a leap of faith that you take when you take any big step, when you spend a lot of money, when you step into something unknown. 

How do you know if you’re making the right decision? How do you know anything in life: find the right cereal, the right deodorant, the right house, the right contractor?

I got a handy dandy checklist I give to my clients so they can interview CONTRACTORS when they go out to start a project.

It’s a bunch of questions that you wanna know about somebody that you’re about to hire. 

• details about their procedures, experience, knowledge their licenses
• how to call 
• how it works 
• how to pay 
• how to make changes, vacation, policies 

It covers important stuff that you need to know. But in the end, knowing all of these things, it looked like I did exactly the opposite. 

Not that I ignored these things.

I was aware that I had checked off some of these boxes and I had answers to some questions and others answers would come.  It was a calculated risk.

I was hiring them initially to gut a space, tear it apart which is really hard labor with not as much complex measuring or decision-making involved.  A great first date.

Don’t be mistaken.  A small job can cause major headaches.  You don’t want anybody smashing the wrong pipes or cutting the wrong wire so they do have to be able to make smart decisions so your house doesn’t get destroyed in the process.  More damage is done taking it apart a home in demolition than putting it together.

DO A TEST PROJECT 

A smaller job or a gut job is a good way to test out a contractor because it is ‘small potatoes' to some, or so I was told.   It’s also hard work.

If  they’re willing to do it, they're giving you an indication of 

• how they work, cleanliness, skill, problem solving abilities
• what kind of work ethic they have
• what kind of prices they charge 
• how quickly they get the job done 
• how well they work on your property 
• with your neighbors 
• with the noise 
• with your local constraints 

When you’re building a house or renovating, you’ve got to do a combination of interviewing, checking references, checking their work and getting to know them by meeting with them more than one time.  You may not always have the option of a test run.

Before you write a check, go on a few dates!  It just takes a bit of checking and doing your homework to save you from a renovation gone wrong story!  

In my checklist, there’s also a link for questions to ask your contractor’s references so you ask the same questions to compare notes later.  I don’t know about you, but I get distracted when I go into other people’s homes.  I’m playing with the dog, checking out the view.  You want to get the answers you came for in the first place.  The PDF’s will keep you on track, so go get them both!

In the end, I made my decision based on if they could show up when I needed them to, if they would do the work that I wanted to get done and did I like them, did I trust them with my keys to my home? 

That doesn’t come with a guarantee and that's the hard part.

That's the part where everyone feels like they’re getting screwed because there are no guarantees in life, love or construction. Watch my video based on this blog.

But, there’s telltale signs you can look for in a contractor that will make your day.

Think about anyone you need to have/want in your life in some way.  What are the qualities you look for, respect and what don’t you value? 

I knew these guys were local. They didn’t want to see a dissatisfied customer at the breakfast spot every week. 

I knew they answered my texts right away. 

I knew they did good work, repeatedly over the years for another customer in the neighborhood. And I knew “she was a lot”, like me! So they could handle a pain in the ass.

These are facts that weighed heavily in their favor. 

I called last minute, as I often do, to interview them.  We had just closed on the fixer upper and the smell was killing us!  I was headed back home soon and needed to hire someone in a matter of days, hours.

They showed up after 4pm the next day. 

That didn’t take time off their work day, they took it off the end. Their play time. 

That tells me they are ready to work and when they do, they don’t get distracted by the next shiny object (you or the next job) till they have fixed the one they committed to!

Most importantly,

You have to like and respect somebody you are giving all that money to, gotta like talking to them.  I don’t mean chatting over tea, I mean, not being afraid that you’re annoying because you’re going to call them again to ask a question.  Or curious about an idea and want to see if it’s possible.

No!  

You want to hear joy on the other end when you call.  “What do you need?  It’s coming along great! etc etc…  

My clients are usually overwhelmed at the start of a project, definitely mid project if they just hired me!  

But, remind yourself, most people don't design and build houses every day.  You’re not supposed to know it all, but you’ve got to be comfortable with asking and getting answers. That's part of their job, not all.  You have to be knowledgeable or get knowledgeable. After all, an "educated consumer is the best customer!"  Any New Yorkers remember that commercial?

Practice.

“Can you explain that to me again?”   

• What is happening and WHY?

• What are the costs and options?
•  
• Are there other options that can fit in my budget?

• Have you done it a different way? 

BTW, that list above is a wish list.  Most contractors might hit a few of those without asking, but you have to be proactive and fight for what you want, find out what’s available and how it can be done within your budget and constraints.  

It’s your home.

No one will ever care as much as you and no one else has to live with the consequences of your decisions.

For me….

it’s great when I find someone who says

“Hmmm, I don’t know, sure, let's figure it out, maybe, this way might work because…”

Then I know I have someone willing to work with me.  I find these the most valuable CONTRACTORS because there’s nothing you can’t do when it comes to building a house.

NOTHING is IMPOSSIBLE!

On homes with ridiculous budgets I've worked in and on over the years, I have seen some crazy money and design and engineering feats. The roof slides away to reveal the night sky in L.A. or floors open to basketball half courts below the kitchen in Brooklyn.  Rock climbing walls 3 stories high, pools on the roof, 5 story waterfalls with streams to adjacent homes.  It can be done!  

But, back to reality, there’s nothing that’s stopping you from including something custom that changes everything for your family.  A good contractor has seen enough to have ideas and be open to make your house special in a small way that makes a big difference in your life. 

If there's something you want, find out what the options are.  Be your own advocate for what you want.  It may not be a three story closet, but it might be an extra walk in closet that wasn't on the original plans.

We squeezed in a nice, big walk-in pantry with my contractor's help. It ended up being the most used part of the kitchen with a butcher block countertop, storage for days and appliances hidden, off the kitchen countertops.

You need to be self aware about who you are going to be confident in, comfortable with, and able to bring your own weirdness to the table.  

I know I’m a lot on the job site. I hire people that can handle a lot!  Know yourself and what you need.

HIRING

Contractor interviews may not take place in the corner office with A/C or heat or whatever civilized people have indoors.  

Hiring a contractor happens at your dining room table, in someone’s office or on a job site. It doesn’t make for the controlled interview process.  Even model home builders will have a different way of doing things from one new development to the next.

Each may be different, so it’s important to compare apples to apples with the answers to hire with confidence.

Don’t forget to ask the same of each contractor you might be considering.

It can get distracting once you start talking about your dream house. 

You may realize when you get home that you forgot to ask if they know how to swing a hammer!

I need the answers to the specific questions when hiring a contractor listed in my checklist.  After you've covered;

• their credentials
• their work
• their vibe
• availability
• cost

it comes down to simple questions, Do you have the equipment, the manpower, the time, experience, availability and desire to complete the job?

After that, it’s a beauty contest!  I hope they can sing!

Here's a peek at how it's going with flip flops…

Best,

Liz

Bonus:

NEVER, EVER, EVER SIGN A CONTRACT IN THE SHOWROOM OR OFFICE.  

Take it home and read it over.  Or not.  Just take it out of the offices and sign later.

By signing in the showroom/ model home offices, you are locked into the contract. 

If you sign it at home, there are some wacky laws (check your state and local laws, I’m no expert!) that favors the homeowner.  If you want to get out of the contract, you have 30 days or more to cancel with no consequences.  

Again, check your local area for laws concerning building contracts and have a lawyer look it over before signing ANY contract.