Seeking A Recommendation for Home Remodeler -Any Ideas? (West Lake Hills, West: credit, loan)

[curious1111]

We are trying to find someone that will work with us on home remodeling. So far, we have been unsuccesful. The companies we have found on web with just a search, etc. only want to undertake really big remodel jobs and all at once.

I am sure that over the next few years we will spend a lot of $$ remodeling, but we cant afford to spend all that at once. Ideally, we are hoping to find someone that is willing to outline a plan with us, but then do remodeling in phases. This month, covert our wetbar to a kitchen pantry, next month, new flooring in the entry way, the following month, wainscotting kitchen ceiling, etc. You get the idea.

If anyone knows an individual or company with a great reputation that would be interested in a long-term relationship where remodeling projects could happen in phases, pay as you, I would be interested in referrals. thanks!

[centralaustinite]

it will be hard to find a professional general contractor who will work like that. You are thinking in terms of how it would work for you living in the house -- but that's not how the system (or the house is set up). It would be a very slow very expensive process to do as you outline.

Lets start with converting wet bar to a pantry, that will involve three trades, maybe four. Plumbing, carpenter, electrical, and drywall/painting. Everything has to be done in a certain order (demo the plumbing, demo the cabinets, rip out wiring. Then rough up new walls, rough in the new electrical outlets, install flooring, drywall, install cabinets, install light fixtures, paint. A general contractor will choose and schedule all those trades for you. But this is a teeny-tiny job. So the best subcontractors won't even bid on it, or they will send someone for a few hours at the end of the day, or send their worst or least experienced crew (because the best guys will be reserved for the biggest jobs). Since you are the smallest and lowest priority job, scheduling will be nightmare. The plumber comes to demo but then needs something electrical done before he can continue the job but it is a teeny-tiny electrical job and a bigger job ran long. Your project will sit unfinished while you wait for that trade to become available. It is a mess and a headache for everyone.

You might be able to work with a single "handyman" for some of these projects especially ones that won't need a permit (new flooring, wainscotting). Start by asking your neighbors, neighbor list serves are a good resource. Or search on line for handy men.

Another option would be to wait and save up the money to do it all at once.

good luck!

[curious1111]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

it will be hard to find a professional general contractor who will work like that. You are thinking in terms of how it would work for you living in the house -- but that's not how the system (or the house is set up). It would be a very slow very expensive process to do as you outline.

Lets start with converting wet bar to a pantry, that will involve three trades, maybe four. Plumbing, carpenter, electrical, and drywall/painting. Everything has to be done in a certain order (demo the plumbing, demo the cabinets, rip out wiring. Then rough up new walls, rough in the new electrical outlets, install flooring, drywall, install cabinets, install light fixtures, paint. A general contractor will choose and schedule all those trades for you. But this is a teeny-tiny job. So the best subcontractors won't even bid on it, or they will send someone for a few hours at the end of the day, or send their worst or least experienced crew (because the best guys will be reserved for the biggest jobs). Since you are the smallest and lowest priority job, scheduling will be nightmare. The plumber comes to demo but then needs something electrical done before he can continue the job but it is a teeny-tiny electrical job and a bigger job ran long. Your project will sit unfinished while you wait for that trade to become available. It is a mess and a headache for everyone.

You might be able to work with a single "handyman" for some of these projects especially ones that won't need a permit (new flooring, wainscotting). Start by asking your neighbors, neighbor list serves are a good resource. Or search on line for handy men.

Another option would be to wait and save up the money to do it all at once.

good luck!

I see a business opportunity! I estimate that we will probably spend $500k on upgrades over the next 2 years or so. I would be shocked if there are not smaller outfits out there that would work at that kind of pace across a few different houses at a time. If there arent, I see a market opportunity. I havent done the research/analysis, but I would be willing to bet that there are hundreds of houses in our area (West Lake Hills) or downtown central with the needs and incomes to support "light" remodeling projects with a more phased approach vs. all at once. For families like us that like to do things on cash not credit, there are only a small few that can just pull this kind of cash out of their pocket all at once in one sum (or willing to dip into retirement, etc.)

The only other option as you suggest is to wait and do it all at once. Is there no one out there interested in taking a portion of my monthly/quarterly income steady/guaranteed over the next couple years?

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by curious1111

We are trying to find someone that will work with us on home remodeling....

The best way to go about this is to scope out the entire project as if you were going to do it all at once.

Then, once you know the entire project, you start peeling back the components that need to be done in each phase. You separate these not by area of the home but by trade.

For example, I just completed a major remodel of my own home in phases. But when we had the tile done, we had ALL the tile done which was in both baths and the laundry room. The laundry room wasn't a "must do" and I didn't do anything else in there, but I'm not going to have a tile guy out a bunch of different times - once for one bath, again for another, later for the laundry.

Choosing a "small" thing to start with that involves multiple trades makes it a lot harder, as CA pointed out. Single trade vendors don't mind doing small jobs to fill the cracks, but if you need a bunch working on top of each other, it's a pain.

That said, I'm going to PM to you some "handyman" vendors I know who will do things in whatever phase or order you want, if you want to go area by area instead of trade by trade.

Steve

[curious1111]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

The best way to go about this is to scope out the entire project as if you were going to do it all at once.

Then, once you know the entire project, you start peeling back the components that need to be done in each phase. You separate these not by area of the home but by trade.

For example, I just completed a major remodel of my own home in phases. But when we had the tile done, we had ALL the tile done which was in both baths and the laundry room. The laundry room wasn't a "must do" and I didn't do anything else in there, but I'm not going to have a tile guy out a bunch of different times - once for one bath, again for another, later for the laundry.

Choosing a "small" thing to start with that involves multiple trades makes it a lot harder, as CA pointed out. Single trade vendors don't mind doing small jobs to fill the cracks, but if you need a bunch working on top of each other, it's a pain.

That said, I'm going to PM to you some "handyman" vendors I know who will do things in whatever phase or order you want, if you want to go area by area instead of trade by trade.

Steve

What you have described is EXACTLY how we are looking to do it. Perhaps my examples I gave weren't good ones. Thanks for the PM.

[Exiled Texan]

We used Watermark & Co (not Watermark Construction) for a full, down to the studs reno. Would use him again. The owner is flexible, would do small jobs in phases. (I assume) PM me for more details. My house is listed in his slide show of renovations. Called 5 of his references.

FYI- Frost Bank has a good home improvement equity line. You get a bid, they will loan you X percent of the cost of the work.