Kitchen remodel (dang, here we go)

[hostler]

Well, both my wife and I are cheap asses and we've been putting this off for about 4 years now, but we are finally talking seriously about updating our kitchen, flooring and closing in our breezeway. It's all work I could probably do myself but I know what happens when I do large projects, they stretch out for months. This is going to be a big one (honestly, could take me a year), we are doing new cabinets, counters, appliances, lighting, changing a window out for a smaller one, widening a doorway, enclosing our breezeway and new flooring through half of the house. I don't want the kitchen and flooring torn up for months, so it's contractor time. I wouldn't normally do it all at once but it's all kind of tied together and interdependent.
My luck with contractors is about 50/50 so I usually end up doing most things myself just to avoid the whole contractor thing (yes, I have trust issues). I do it to save money also, but mainly so I'm not paying someone else to screw stuff up when I can do that myself.
I've done all kinds of home repairs and changes throughout the years but this is my first big full kitchen project. For those who have done a full kitchen renovation, any advice?

 

[Engineer1911]

Not much help either

I've worked for the contractor who did major kitchen renovations (It's a long story.) and they always take time for good work. Strip the kitchen [disassembe cabinets, not sledge hammer], prep walls, paint, new floor, hang cabinets, install base units, sink, dishwasher, etc. I have also done new cabinets in houses we lived in.

Get references from prospective contractors and go talk to the people in person. Inspect their work and find out what the problems were. I would get 4 bids and discuss two middle bids with both contractors. Low bidder is poor work, high bidder is greedy. Don't make any down payments until cabinets are delivered.

I have installed standard Lowe's cabinets - reasonable quality, Lowe's special order 'all plywood' cabinets a little better quality and much heavier, custom built cabinets top quality wood & finish but $$$$. All were square, plumb, and true with a little wall / floor shimming to mount true to walls. Wavy floors can be a real challenge.

Six weeks of construction turmoil with a contractor is miserable. A year of construction dust is hell on earth for the do it yourselfer. Your get tired of the job, 8 hours of flooring is painful, and your wife is really tired of the inconvenience.

A third option is talk to your winning contractor and see if he will hire you to help on the job and deduct your pay from the final bill. Somebody has to clean up the daily mess, cut material, and be job gopher. Warm bodies are $9, a skilled helper is $15 to $20 an hour and worth every penny.

Sorry, I'm working full-time on my retirement and am not available.

 

[chief38]

We live in our home for 23 years now and when we moved in we expanded the home to twice its size and gutted the entire house. The good part was since everything was brand new, for 18 years or so I did not have to do any major repairs, replacements, etc. but now over the last 5 years we have since installed a complete new Kitchen, 3 new Bath Rooms, a new Hot Water system, repainted the entire house twice, installed all new interior and exterior doors, replaced A/C units, installed a new driveway and we are currently ripping off the roof to replace it along with new Gutters and Shutters.

It never ends!

A home requires constant maintenance, constant updating and over the last 5 years I've found that it is best to tackle one major project a year. This way your home always is "up to date", nothing is in jeopardy of failing from age and you can do it a little at a time. If one waits till everything goes all at the same time - not only is it a financial burden but it is overwhelming as well.

 

[H Richard]

When we built our condo 14 years ago, it was with an unfinished basement. We wanted it done right away and we knew a contractor we trusted. He agreed to let me work along as a "helper", and I did a lot of the work which saved him time and me money. (Did the job on time & material). He was there about two and a half months, did crown molding in all the upstairs, built steps down from the deck to the patio, laid tile in entry foyer, studded and dry-walled the entire basement into bedroom, bathroom, family room, storage room, workshop, and gun/loading room. He is the kind of contractor you can give a key to and let him work while you are out of town. He has since done many small jobs for us.

 

[arjay]

Hire someone with excellent references and a very long track record
Do expect a few snafus but don't let them slide.Communication from you to the contractor to his subs to the guys doing the work can be like a game of telephone.Take your bp meds;-)

 

[BearBio]

We hired a local "handyman"==he was the husband of a friend. He did cabinets (I assembled), new floors, hired an electrician and I did plumbing. He also extended the flooring into the hallway. Has granite counters installed. I covered the closets and re-stained them.

Wife and I did main and master baths. One was re-tile floor and surround, moved shower head (higher), wainscoting, painting, new vanity, etc. Hired an electrician and a plumber (due to age of house). Did a walk-in shower in the master bath. Had plumber move drain and raise shower and install surround. We tiled floor and around install.

Took about 6 months to do both baths and the same for the shower. Working on tiling the bedroom floor (we put in barn doors for closets and master bath). Bedroom is taking longer because we are "dogging it" a little.

Just last night, we arranged with another friend's son to put up a cedar gazebo for us.

Tips: Do what you can. Don't be afraid to stretch a little and don't be afraid to hire out what you need to. Sometimes speediness is worth the cost.

 

[WardenRoss]

I made the mistake of letting my wife talk me into upgrading our kitchen (our old house) while we were living there.

I did all the work. She did not realize the mess it would make and how long it would take. My regular job has long hours so I worked on the kitchen at night and on the weekends. We finished it, but our marriage was in jeopardy during the process.


I guess if you sub it out and they move fast, it's much easier.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

A complete kitchen remodel job is going to take a week or two minimum, and that is assuming all of the different trades work together, show up on schedule, and have everything on hand when needed. When one subcontractor can't perform in a timely manner it throws off every other sub's schedule, and the result can be a couple of months delay while everybody reschedules your work around other pending jobs.

It will be a very stressful time for you and your family. You will not have a kitchen to prepare meals. There will be debris and dust everywhere. There will be people coming and going from dawn until dusk. There will probably be surprises found when the demo work is done, and your plans (and budget) will have to change.

If you can do the demo yourself you will probably save quite a bit of money. As others have mentioned, if you arrange with your contractor to do the daily clean-up work you can probably save a considerable amount.

More than anything else, I would insist on written contracts with every contractor involved (flooring, cabinets, countertops, plumbing, windows, etc), and those contracts should spell out the start and finish dates with penalties for failure to perform on time. Also, never give any contractor money until the work is done, and never front money for supplies (if the cabinets and other stuff must be paid for prior to delivery, then pay the suppliers directly, don't just hand the money over to the contractor; otherwise you might find yourself with a contractor in a financial bind and unable to pay his bills, so the suppliers might proceed with liens against your property to cover their bills).

Depending on your spouse and family (my wife is an absolute clean freak, couldn't handle a week of dust and mess), you might want to schedule a vacation somewhere else while the work is being done. A trusted friend or neighbor can keep an eye on things and keep you posted on progress and problems.

Best regards.

 

[mmaher94087]

hostler, good communications with each potential contractor is essential. Write down all the 'house rules' (start times, daily cleanup, no work on Sunday etc.). Write down what exactly you want done and the quality level of the flooring, cabinets and appliances. Specify as many of these products as possible as there is a very wide range in prices within the same category. As an example; Granite counter tops run from $3.50/sq.ft. up over $17 and that doesn't include the labor cutting the slabs. Also, each appliance, sink or faucet has rough-in dimensions that your contractor needs to know to successfully assemble your kitchen. I recommend plywood carcasses for the cabinets as pressboard will warp, expand and crumble if it gets wet.

Ask "How long will this take?". A good contractor should have a fairly accurate estimate. To keep the contractor focused on your project, I recommend having a 'completion' clause written into the contract based upon an agreed, reasonable end date. The completion date clause should also have a "penalty" clause that gives you money if the work is not completed on time as agreed. An example; 'The work will be completed on xx/xx/xxxx and $100/day thereafter will be deducted from the total after xx/xx/xxxx'. Expect the contractor to insist on a "hidden wall" clause to be added to the contract. The hidden wall clause protects him or her should any unexpected problems arise during the demolition such as an existing cast iron drain from the second floor running in the middle of a wall that is to be removed. The contractor can't be held responsible for things he can't control like cabinet delivery from a warehouse. Good luck. I've been on both sides of kitchen remodels.

 

[paulh]

One thing I can advise you from a servicers standpoint is make sure the floor guys/gals tile all the way under the appliance. If they don't when you need service in the future and you will you will pay an arm and maybe two legs to get it out. Oven, dishwasher. refer depending on brand

 

[GB]

I would make sure that if you are hiring a PRO., in addition to some of the good things others have stated:
1. The company/contractor be licensed and bonded.
2. Establish, at the beginning, who is paying for materials (you can probably save money if you can buy the big items)
3. Set a schedule for payment and do not make a final payment until the job is done, to your satisfaction, and the "Punch list" is completed.
4. Your contractor will need "subcontractors" (Electrical/Plumbing) Make sure they are also licensed
5. If you are acting as the "General Contractor" All of the above still apply + Make sure you keep all the paperwork - receipts, contracts, ect, in a secure place.
6. At the end of the job, make sure everyone has gotten paid and signed off on the construction liens
7. Lastly, or maybe first. Check with local Government about permits and fees (I know, a real pain but it beats the snot out of having to tear everything out and start over when the building inspector(or state electrical insp./plumbing insp.) makes you stop work and or tear it all out and start over.)

 

[max]

Just got done Friday with a 10 day replacing of the tile floor in the kitchen. Lots of dust and disruption. Had to go out the front door and in through the garage to get to my "office" in the basement. Also had to go around house to let dog out.

I woke Sat morning to the sound of running water and one of the fittings they installed new washer valves into had split. Big mess!!!!!

I just don't do well with change and disruption. At least it is done, but they start on new carpet Wednesday.