When we recently closed on our 1805 Repurposed Idea House, the list of what needed to be done was so long that it would even scare Santa away… and Santa knows how to read long lists. 😂
We knew that we COULD do most projects on our house, but SHOULD we do most of the projects?? We started by deciding what should be passed off to someone else because of time or risk. We’ve learned over time that often leaving a project in the hands of a professional really will save you time, stress, and often money. It sounds expensive up front but if you were to count in the time and cost for trial and error, often you can come out ahead by hiring a professional.
So… we looked through the list and decided on dumping all our rehab loan money into the roof, concrete slabs in the workshop, electrical work, windows, and new furnaces. Sometimes projects like that can be hard to to invest in first because you don’t see much of a difference after all the money is gone, but it’s so important to make sure those types of projects are done first so the more cosmetic jobs are being built on solid, safe innards.
Lots of people have asked me how we’ve finished so much on the house already so I wanted to share a few tips we’ve learned along the way.
1. Once the inspection on the house was done, I started making calls for quotes on all of the major projects.
I booked all of the projects to start the day of closing. That’s a little risky if anything fell through but we were pretty confident that this was a solid sale and didn’t see anything that would delay or stop the purchase.
2. Get a couple quotes per project – it’s always good to know the pricing differences between contractors.
I don’t always go with the cheapest contractor. Some projects are worth risking that, but I weighed experience and recommendations over cost. To be honest… The cheapest contractors caused the most headaches and had finished products that were problematic. The most expensive contractor was the absolute best one we worked with. He showed up on time, had helpful recommendations, and was professional. He was worth every penny.
3. Take time to ask your contractors what they would do if it was their house.
This was something I’ve learned from owning an interior design and contracting business. Often a client doesn’t really want to know what would be best, they just want us to do what they think would be good or cute. I’ve learned how helpful it can be to ask contractors their opinion before the work starts. On the first day of the project, before anything was ripped out, I walked through with most of the contractors and said, this was our game plan but what do you think would be best. In a couple cases, we changed the plans and it worked out really well.
4. Follow up – a lot.
Another thing about some contractors is that they don’t show up on time. Or at all. So we needed to be a little persistent to follow up and follow up and follow up again.
5. Scope changes – ask to be notified of price changes.
One thing we didn’t do well was asking ahead of time to be notified of price changes to the original scope. That meant on the final day of some projects, we had sticker shock because we didn’t realize some of those changes cost significantly more than originally quoted. Sometimes a contractor won’t tell you and you’re stuck with no options to keep it within budget.
6. Don’t finish paying until the work is done.
Most contractors (FunCycled included) requires some type of deposit to start the work; that’s fair and expected. We paid one contractor in full before the job was done and that was a big mistake because he didn’t care that much about coming back and finishing the job. Lesson learned there, too!
7. Try to have as many projects as possible done at the same time.
I know budgets often restrict multiple projects, but if you are getting a rehab loan for the work, plan to do as much as possible at once. You have to be there so often to check work, answer questions, pay contractors, and do other projects, it’s just easier to have everyone there at the same time.
Another overall tip for projects… If you’re redoing a house with your partner, go out on a date with a pen and book to write down all of your priorities and make a list that you both agree on to be the priorities when you start. It’ll change a bit as unexpected projects come up but it helps clear up so many differences you may have and it’ll hopefully avoid an unnecessary fight. For example… my first priority was removing the gross black carpet from the bathroom. Barf! When I said that, John said… no way. Our priority is the kitchen! We each made our lists and then decided on which things we could compromise on and agree to do in order. Side note, the carpet is out of the bathroom. Hahaha.
I hope this helps you with your future projects!! Thanks for following along on this journey with us! You’re the best FunCyclers I know!! xoxoxo
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If you like what you’ve learned here, I’ll also be speaking on March 5th at the Wonder Woman Luncheon for the Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce. “Learn how to amplify your voice and be heard. Join top women professionals as they share their experiences at this popular event. Attendees will get to experience three 20-minute roundtables, sparking lively and candid conversations about career challenges and solutions. You get to select mentors to meet and discover their strategies for success. Learn from other professional women to discover the wonder woman in you.” Register here.
Happy FunCycling Friends,
Sarah ;)
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