Case-in-Point:

Corrie is a savvy real estate agent, very knowledgeable in all that it takes to prepare a home for 'resale'. In this case, Corrie was updating her own home, built in the 1970's. The overall project scope, at first blush, was straightforward: a new master bath, new kitchen cabinets, exterior and interior painting, new carpeting in the bedrooms and re-finished wood floors in the family room and hallway.

Since Corrie wasn't knocking down walls or adding rooms, she made the decision to serve as the "general" on the project...hiring all of the sub-consultants, including the contractor (friend of her brother's). She purchased cabinetry, counters, sinks and fixtures from Home Depot. With her daughter off to college, and busy with everyday work in her home office, she chose to remain in the house during construction.

Things started to go sideways shortly after the work began. For the purpose of keeping this epistle to the point, I won't go into all of the woes that beset her. Suffice it to say that, by the time I was contacted, the contractor was long-gone, the electrician wouldn't leave, and the plumber had totally botched the master shower (plumbing for fixtures that weren't compatible). Corrie, living in what I will call a simulated 'war zone' had lost track of the original budget, as well as a tally of work completed and money spent-to-date.

Correcting the Course:

After gathering all of the information, I called one of my colleagues to help Corrie out. Since Corrie's contractor was indeed gone for good, I felt comfortable asking him to take over another project...normally something I would refrain from doing. The contractor, Mr. W., walked through the house, taking note of all the problem areas and made a list of tasks to perform. He sent Corrie a proposed fee estimate and timeline to finish the work.

Next, Corrie and I sat down and reviewed the original 'to do' list; checking off the completed tasks/payments, adding the new items and reconciled with Mr. W's list/costs. Corrie would assume responsibility for the painting and purchasing of some of the materials (approved by Mr. W.). I won't say that things hummed along smoothly, (troubles with the paint contractor and warped kitchen cabinets from Home Depot) but the major problems were solved and the project was successfully completed with the utmost quality and client care. The home was put up for sale (at the onset of the economic downturn) and sold immediately for well over the asking price. Several of the homes in the neighborhood remain on the market even after eight months!

Consider this:

So, now you know Corrie's story. Let me point out a few things that may have eliminated some of the nightmares she experienced:
--Step one...Hire the remodel consultant and coach. But, of course!
--Don't take on the responsibility of the general contractor unless you are prepared to drop all other duties.
--Pack up and move out if there is considerable work to be done. (Or, put all belongings in a 'sealed off' room(s) not affected by the construction.)
--Refrain from hiring 'a friend of a friend' without conducting a thorough interview and investigation of his/her background and experience.
--Have your say, then "get out of the way". Let the contractor supervise the work. If problems arise, call the coach and solve them together.

The moral of the story:

It's never too late to 'right' the course! In a perfect world, homeowners call upon me, before they hire the professional design and construction team. Together we lay the groundwork: setting project goals and preparing a 'pre-project plan' comprised of a program, budget and overall design direction, THEN we hire the professionals.

Hire me as TUTOR...and transition to TOUCHSTONE...using me for as much time or as little time as you need.

 

 

"Elaine and Ed came to the table well-informed and ready participants. They had set their overall goals, design direction and budget. They asked the right questions and listened openly to new ideas and approaches to planning and construction."
Chas Voorhis, President
Abacus Group Builders - Corte Madera, CA