Need some home remodeling advice.

[Broodwich]

Thought I'd start a thread about something that I think about pretty much all day now Just bought an older house that needs some love and care. Probably around Jan - Feb I'm going to have some work done in the kitchen and would love some advice from anyone who has hired professionals to do a remodel before!

Just curious about the differences between local companies that do remodels exclusively and walk you through it step by step, helping you pick colors, materials, style, etc.. Or going with a company like Lowe's or Home Depot. Is the price difference going to be HUGE or is it just worth it to have the extra help from a designer? If I go with Lowe's type will I have to pick it all myself or will they be able to help, what kind of workers do they send out etc..

I want to spend around 10K but could scrounge up some more. The basic plan is to remove some cabinets and add a nice oven, remove an old (small) oven and replace it with a floor to ceiling cabinet, get new counter-tops, tile the floor, new refrigerator, dishwasher, and faucets. So it's not a complete gutting, the electrical and plumbing should stay in place as well as all of the other cabinets.

Any help appreciated!

 

[Hypnophone]

Dang, I do everything meself.
Sounds like you have some serious woik to be done.
Do your research. Check out your local contractors. Don't let them push you around!
Do NOT tell them what you want to spend!

You have some work to be done. Get as many offers as you can.

Your instincts will tell you when there is a scammer.
Do NOT PAY ANYONE until you are happy with the work.
...and that means get someone you trust to verify the work.
Hey! It's your money!
...just my two-pennies...

 

[Broodwich]

Cool thanks for the tips!

 

[JayTater]

Do your due diligence when choosing a contractor!!!! I'm a licensed plumber in Florida, and around here, Lowe's and Home Depots plumbing subs are... sub-par..

Check AngiesList, BBB, even search negative reviews on the candidates through Ripoff Report.

I would recommend hiring a GC, that way, you have ONE payee, and the different trades are the GC's responsibility. Write up a contract that limits the amount of change orders, that way you can't be hit with hidden charges for any unseen issues.

MAKE SURE THE CONTRACTORS PULL PERMITS, AND CALL IN THE INSPECTIONS. EXPIRED PETMITS BECOME YOUR PROBLEM IF THE CONTRACTOR GOES BELLY UP

If you want to be completely covered, contact your local building dept, and find out what building projects require permitting in your area, that way you don't get BS'd by tradesmen/contractors.

 

[Broodwich]

Do your due diligence when choosing a contractor!!!! I'm a licensed plumber in Florida, and around here, Lowe's and Home Depots plumbing subs are... sub-par..

Check AngiesList, BBB, even search negative reviews on the candidates through Ripoff Report.

I would recommend hiring a GC, that way, you have ONE payee, and the different trades are the GC's responsibility. Write up a contract that limits the amount of change orders, that way you can't be hit with hidden charges for any unseen issues.

MAKE SURE THE CONTRACTORS PULL PERMITS, AND CALL IN THE INSPECTIONS. EXPIRED PETMITS BECOME YOUR PROBLEM IF THE CONTRACTOR GOES BELLY UP

If you want to be completely covered, contact your local building dept, and find out what building projects require permitting in your area, that way you don't get BS'd by tradesmen/contractors.

This was very informative. I didn't even know about change orders and would never have thought about the permit thing. Thanks much!

 

[JayTater]

Its my business. I go behind these crooks on a daily basis and have to fix their mistakes.

 

[FantWriter]

I'll throw in my 2 cents . . .

If the house is more than 30 years old, before you do anything else, you might want to hire a handyman who's qualified to do electrical and plumbing and have him check what you have. It should only take about an hour, so the cost shouldn't be extravagant, and he can give you a clear idea if there are any major problems lurking. (Don't use a "home inspector" for this -- you want someone who actually knows what it's like to work on such things.) Many years ago, I had a modest kitchen and bath remodel done -- it ended up costing 14 times what it was supposed to because the existing wiring was so bad that the whole house had to be rewired, and so much of the cast iron sewer pipe was rusted through or cracked that it was cheaper to run a new line. (A house inspector gave the property a clean bill of health before I bought the place.)

And I'm sorry to rain on your parade, but for what you've listed, $10K probably isn't enough. I'd guesstimate around $15K for mid-range appliances and cabinets, which means you should have $18-20K available. One of the reasons for that is remodeling nickels and dimes you to death. Another reason is that there is always a hidden problem which has to be fixed.

My suggestion, for what it's worth, is to break it down into separate jobs/sections. Get the cabinets removed and the new oven installed first. If all goes well, do the tall cabinet, etc. This will give you a realistic basis for evaluating what things really cost to get done, how long it takes, and whether the workmen are any good. In the end, it'll take a lot longer than doing it all at once, but all your money won't disappear in one swell foop, and you'll be able to get the best you can afford.

 

[RaceGun59]

Have you done any type of preliminary work? Measured the kitchen and then gone to Lowes or Home Depot to see if stock cabinets will work or will it require custom ordered sizes? Will color choices be stock or custom order? How will new cabinets match any that don't get replace? There's alot of work that you could do before you even think about hiring a contractor. if you go with a company to help you pick all this out you will be paying for that and it leaves less to spend on the actual remodel. Have you budgeted for eating out during the time the kitchen is unavailable for use? Weather delays could cost you money as well. Materials are stuck someplace because of a blizrad etc..etc. Just a few thoughts

 

[JayTater]

I'll throw in my 2 cents . . .

If the house is more than 30 years old, before you do anything else, you might want to hire a handyman who's qualified to do electrical and plumbing and have him check what you have. It should only take about an hour, so the cost shouldn't be extravagant, and he can give you a clear idea if there are any major problems lurking. (Don't use a "home inspector" for this -- you want someone who actually knows what it's like to work on such things.) Many years ago, I had a modest kitchen and bath remodel done -- it ended up costing 14 times what it was supposed to because the existing wiring was so bad that the whole house had to be rewired, and so much of the cast iron sewer pipe was rusted through or cracked that it was cheaper to run a new line. (A house inspector gave the property a clean bill of health before I bought the place.)

And I'm sorry to rain on your parade, but for what you've listed, $10K probably isn't enough. I'd guesstimate around $15K for mid-range appliances and cabinets, which means you should have $18-20K available. One of the reasons for that is remodeling nickels and dimes you to death. Another reason is that there is always a hidden problem which has to be fixed.

My suggestion, for what it's worth, is to break it down into separate jobs/sections. Get the cabinets removed and the new oven installed first. If all goes well, do the tall cabinet, etc. This will give you a realistic basis for evaluating what things really cost to get done, how long it takes, and whether the workmen are any good. In the end, it'll take a lot longer than doing it all at once, but all your money won't disappear in one swell foop, and you'll be able to get the best you can afford.

There is no such thing as a Handyman that is electrical and plumbing qualified, unless said handyman is AT LEAST licensed. Handymans "license" does NOT qualify a Handyman to perform plumbing beyond changing a faucet, rebuilding a toilet, etc. With electrical, the handyman is not qualified beyond changing switch plates..

IN MOST STATES, HIRING AN UNLICENSED CONTRACTOR AND UNLICENSED CONTRACTING ITSELF IS ILLEGAL

 

[FantWriter]

There is no such thing as a Handyman that is electrical and plumbing qualified, unless said handyman is AT LEAST licensed. Handymans "license" does NOT qualify a Handyman to perform plumbing beyond changing a faucet, rebuilding a toilet, etc. With electrical, the handyman is not qualified beyond changing switch plates..

"Qualified," when it comes to these professions, includes having the appropriate license(s). I've lived in several states, and none of them allow a handyman to advertise that they do electrical or plumbing unless they hold the proper licenses.

States vary -- here, a handyman without an electrician's license can't advertise they do electrical work or make any claims when talking to you, but they can replace wire, boxes, and outlets/switches, etc. They can't replace panels or run new circuits. Where I used to live, they could replace outlets, switches, and lighting fixtures, install a ceiling fan where there was only a light fixture, etc.

 

[Broodwich]

I'll throw in my 2 cents . . .

If the house is more than 30 years old, before you do anything else, you might want to hire a handyman who's qualified to do electrical and plumbing and have him check what you have.

And I'm sorry to rain on your parade, but for what you've listed, $10K probably isn't enough. I'd guesstimate around $15K for mid-range appliances and cabinets, which means you should have $18-20K available.

Yea it is an older home. If I went with a general contractor instead of a Lowe's/Home Depot would they check this type of thing out for me before hand?

Thanks for the tip to plan to spend more, it is definitely better to be safe than sorry. I want to pay cash, not minimum interest

Have you done any type of preliminary work? Measured the kitchen and then gone to Lowes or Home Depot to see if stock cabinets will work or will it require custom ordered sizes? Will color choices be stock or custom order? How will new cabinets match any that don't get replace? There's alot of work that you could do before you even think about hiring a contractor. if you go with a company to help you pick all this out you will be paying for that and it leaves less to spend on the actual remodel. Have you budgeted for eating out during the time the kitchen is unavailable for use? Weather delays could cost you money as well. Materials are stuck someplace because of a blizrad etc..etc. Just a few thoughts

No I haven't done any preliminary work yet but I will be sure to. I will not call anyone until I have an idea of the types of appliances/cabinets I want. I am definitely learning a lot here! As for budgeting to eat out, I was thinking that since the kitchen wasn't being gutted I would still be able to get to the the fridge and do TV dinners; am I wrong about that? Should I budget to eat out???


Thanks again for all the replies, you folks are going to save me a lot of *banging head against the wall* time!