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Lazy Man Forces Wife to Hire Out

 
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WanMan




Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 10273



PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 1:37 pm    Post subject: Lazy Man Forces Wife to Hire Out Reply with quote


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After many years of waiting, being side-tracked by other emergencies and projects, etc., the wife decided we are going to hire someone to finish out the basement. While I have a 5' tall stack of drywall down in the basement, we are going to hire the subcontractors to come and do the basic wiring, the HVAC to replace the 2nd floor unit and add a heatpump to the basement, painter, finish carpenter, concrete stainer, plumber for the basement bath, etc.

This is what happens when you install a 'temp' solution upstairs and have it decentize you from doing any DIY work.

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garyfritz




Joined: 08 Apr 2006
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Location: Fort Collins, CO


PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah yes, but it's magical how quickly things happen once you bring in a team of pros... Smile
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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah

TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010


PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 5:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Besides, aren't there much better things you could be doing with your time than pulling electrical and hanging drywall? Watching movies, perhaps?

Smile

SC
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whats6x7




Joined: 04 Oct 2006
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PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 5:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ecrabb wrote:
Besides, aren't there much better things you could be doing with your time than pulling electrical and hanging drywall? Watching movies, perhaps?

Smile

SC


Not hanging - finishing. There are very few things in this world I hate less than finishing sheetrock.

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Last edited by whats6x7 on Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:01 pm; edited 1 time in total
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AnalogRocks
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Joined: 08 Mar 2006
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Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G


PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Lazy Man Forces Wife to Hire Out"

I thought there was a much different punch line comming to this one.

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jkruger




Joined: 24 Oct 2007
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Location: Carlsbad, CA


PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

AnalogRocks wrote:
"Lazy Man Forces Wife to Hire Out"

I thought there was a much different punch line comming to this one.


Yeah, me too. I had a couple of replies started but just couldn't submit them. I'm sure half the people here are sick of my stuff already. Twisted Evil
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AnalogRocks
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Joined: 08 Mar 2006
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Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jkruger wrote:
AnalogRocks wrote:
"Lazy Man Forces Wife to Hire Out"

I thought there was a much different punch line comming to this one.


Yeah, me too. I had a couple of replies started but just couldn't submit them. I'm sure half the people here are sick of my stuff already. Twisted Evil


Self censorship. LMAO

If I didn't self censor I'd have a pretty bad series of post's. That, and my post count would be wayyyyy higher. Wink

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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
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PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

AnalogRocks wrote:
...and my post count would be wayyyyy higher. Wink

As if that's even possible!!!

Wink

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ronholm




Joined: 26 Jan 2007
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PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

garyfritz wrote:
Ah yes, but it's magical how quickly things happen once you bring in a team of pros... Smile



Thumbs Up Thumbs Up


My crew typically takes a basement from nothing to done, flooring and all in under 4 weeks.

If the customer knows what they want, and keeps changes to a minimum, three weeks start to finish is no problem.


The only thing that slows us down is when the project has already been "attempted"


LMAO..

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WanMan




Joined: 19 Mar 2006
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PostLink    Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ron, all that and a bag of chips for how much per SqFt? Problem is that I really only know of people that have finished their basement as part of the original purchase, as part of a HT deal, or not as a complete basement completion project. Trying to 'search' reveals a gross range of figured from under $17/SqFt to well over $34/SqFt for just finishing the basement (no appliances, some no fixtures/mechanicals).

But my biggest concern, really, is trust. My water infiltration issue (where its entering the study on the 1st floor) only illustrates the condition for which the current state of contractors exist in Atlanta, GA, USA. I went through ~30 contractors to try to solve that problem, with 90% not accepting the blank check to solve, and the 10% that attempted it gave up.

So, with the depressed construction industry around me, the county trying to remove the illegal infestation in the workplace, and every contractor association and publication full of lies for advertising dollar, how the heck does one find an honest contractor around here on such a small project such as finishing my basement? Even the reputable organizations are littered with crooks.

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ronholm




Joined: 26 Jan 2007
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PostLink    Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

WanMan wrote:
Ron, all that and a bag of chips for how much per SqFt? Problem is that I really only know of people that have finished their basement as part of the original purchase, as part of a HT deal, or not as a complete basement completion project. Trying to 'search' reveals a gross range of figured from under $17/SqFt to well over $34/SqFt for just finishing the basement (no appliances, some no fixtures/mechanicals).

But my biggest concern, really, is trust. My water infiltration issue (where its entering the study on the 1st floor) only illustrates the condition for which the current state of contractors exist in Atlanta, GA, USA. I went through ~30 contractors to try to solve that problem, with 90% not accepting the blank check to solve, and the 10% that attempted it gave up.

So, with the depressed construction industry around me, the county trying to remove the illegal infestation in the workplace, and every contractor association and publication full of lies for advertising dollar, how the heck does one find an honest contractor around here on such a small project such as finishing my basement? Even the reputable organizations are littered with crooks.



My last basement finish was completed for about 30 bucks a sq ft. It included a full bath and wet bar.

I just completed a "basic" attic finish 1000 sq ft 2 bdrm, lvingrm. kitchen, and full bath for 25 dollars a sq ft.


This guy worked on the COIN manual Wink Job done under 30 per sq ft





Heck I don't know how you not hire a crook. I am the only guy I would hire Thumbs Up You just nailed my business right on the head though. It never really is ever about price at the end of the day. It is all about personal relationships with the customers and contractors. Since I started my little adventure all I have ever done is what I said I was going to do, when I said I was going to do it. Sometimes that has been hard because even though I pay very well, help is hard to find and keep. That is if they even show up to work at all... So my job since I grew bigger than just one guy with some tools has been babysitting grown men. (yeah I am having an off day Wink ) What has made my whole world spin is I found a couple very hardworking, honest, and ultra dependable guys that always take up the slack whenever it is needed.


NARI is a decent place to look for guys

http://www.nari.org/





To STOP your water infiltration 100% guaranteed you need to make sure your know for sure your home is not sitting on a spring or that the water table isn't to high...

Sump pump is the cheapest fix for that... Make sure it has backup power of some kind.

Then if it is just a rain water problem you dig the foundation out all the way around the home. Clean the foundation... CLEAN ... install proper drainage/drain tile at or just below the footing... Make damn sure water can get AWAY from the house... Then you apply any one of a number of spray-on membranes to seal it up... Throw in some insulation to shield the membrane from rocks that you are going to fill the hole with to aid in drainage. (the insulation should also be of the type that it will also move water) . Then cover it all back up..
Look for something like that to run in the ballpark of 8 to 15 thousand. It is not the cheapest way to go... But it is the only work I would guarantee...


Anything short of the would leave me in the same position as the rest of the men you have talked to. There are just to many unknowns.

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Last edited by ronholm on Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:34 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Clarence




Joined: 08 Mar 2006
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Location: Smith Mtn Lake, VA


PostLink    Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ronholm wrote:
I just completed a "basic" attic finish 100 sq ft 2 bdrm, lvingrm. kitchen, and full bath for 25 dollars a sq ft.

Did you mean 1000 sq ft (i.e. $25K project)?

100 sq ft would be tiny for even a single room (10'x10').
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ronholm




Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Posts: 12111



PostLink    Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Clarence wrote:
ronholm wrote:
I just completed a "basic" attic finish 100 sq ft 2 bdrm, lvingrm. kitchen, and full bath for 25 dollars a sq ft.

Did you mean 1000 sq ft (i.e. $25K project)?

100 sq ft would be tiny for even a single room (10'x10').


Yes.... Embarassed

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garyfritz




Joined: 08 Apr 2006
Posts: 12023
Location: Fort Collins, CO


PostLink    Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

3+ yrs ago we had our basement done. Don't know the exact square footage but I just paced it off and it's right around 1000 sq ft. No bathrooms &etc (that was already done in an earlier project), but one big open area and 3 major rooms including my HT and my office. We got quotes from 4 people that looked good. Most were in the $25k-32k range. One guy (a moonlighting sherrif's deputy and his buddies) bid $17k and came in at $18k after a few changes. I was amazed. There's no granite or tile or anything top-end like that, and only a little custom cabinetry in the HT, but they knocked out walls, built about 45' of interior walls & about 60' of exterior walls (against the foundation), etc, and still came in something close to $18-20 a foot. And they did good work.

Sounds like you do even better, Ron. But you weren't around at the time. Smile
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Person99




Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 4901
Location: Flower Mound, TX


PostLink    Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah, seems like you are not as cheap as me. My wife has found my weakness, she knows that if she threatens (in a way that I believe she will really do it) paying someone to do something, I get off my lazy ass! Two recent cases:
1) The condenser fan in our 'fridge was going out. I didn't do anything about it for 2 weeks, and it was getting close to totally dying. On my way to work she tells me that she is calling someone that morning to come repair the 'fridge. That day at lunch I went and got the fan and put it in that evening!
2) Our house is 3 years old and out of warranty, but the roof was leaking and causing interior wall damage. I had planned to bitch at the builder until they fixed it, but had not yet. She says that she is sick of the water damage and will be calling someone to fix it. That day, I call the builder, start the bitching, 5 days later the roof and all interior damage is fixed for free.

My cheapness is my weakness! I thought we were all like that--a bunch of cheap ass CRT using SOBs (well, except Art and Gino)! Smile

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Last edited by Person99 on Tue Apr 22, 2008 8:08 pm; edited 1 time in total
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garyfritz




Joined: 08 Apr 2006
Posts: 12023
Location: Fort Collins, CO


PostLink    Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 8:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh, I'm cheap, all right. But I also know I barely know which end of a hammer to hold, and there is no @$#ing way I am ever going to do a project like a basement. I tried it once, in a previous house. My dad & brother came out to help me get it started, and we got all the framing and basic electrical in. And then it sat there for 9 months. I finally said "I don't know how to do this, I don't WANT to know how to do this, I don't have the tools to do it, and I have much better things to do with my time than spend it all by myself in a dank basement, only to end up with an amateur result that I'll probably have to pay somebody to tear out & do right." So I wrote a check and shazam! 2 weeks later I had a new basement.

Smaller projects I'll take on, but remodels? No WAY....
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ronholm




Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Posts: 12111



PostLink    Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

garyfritz wrote:
Oh, I'm cheap, all right. But I also know I barely know which end of a hammer to hold, and there is no @$#ing way I am ever going to do a project like a basement. I tried it once, in a previous house. My dad & brother came out to help me get it started, and we got all the framing and basic electrical in. And then it sat there for 9 months. I finally said "I don't know how to do this, I don't WANT to know how to do this, I don't have the tools to do it, and I have much better things to do with my time than spend it all by myself in a dank basement, only to end up with an amateur result that I'll probably have to pay somebody to tear out & do right." So I wrote a check and shazam! 2 weeks later I had a new basement.

Smaller projects I'll take on, but remodels? No WAY....


LMAO....


I have a 40x40 pole barn that I have wanted to make into a dedicated auto/mechanical shop since the day I bought this house. It is a very nice space with a 200 amp service and water... The only thing missing is the concrete pad. The guy I typically use for flatwork and wouldn't hesitate to use for a second on any paying job has quoted me a very decent price.... (less than 2.25 sqft done. the going rate is 3.00) but I just can't bring myself to swing the extra cash... Rolling Eyes


Hopefully I will talk myself into paying the man so I don't end up with 23 cubic yards of lumpy concrete... LMFAO...


I keep telling myself that if I do it 5 yards at a time leaving an hour and a half or so b/t trucks everything will be OK and I can save 1500 plus dollars...

He will come up with something to trade me soon though Smile

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WanMan




Joined: 19 Mar 2006
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PostLink    Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 11:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, for $30/SqFt I can pay someone to complete it with appliances and HVAC. Still, the problem is finding someone that is trustworthy and will not balk at my small-dollar project.
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Brian Hampton




Joined: 22 Apr 2006
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PostLink    Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can't believe you don't want to build you own theater.

It's fun.... Just do it.

(And don't put up some of the drywall backwords like I did. They put these makers on there so you know where to put the drywall screws and they put the makers on both sides even though only one side is supposed to get painted.)
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WanMan




Joined: 19 Mar 2006
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PostLink    Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 9:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I didn't say I did not want to build my own theater. I just do not want to finish my own basement. I am NOT looking to hire out someone to do the theater.

BTW, the HELOC was approved and paperwork signed yesterday. Now I just have to find a GC of the individual subcontractors that a) do good work, that b) I can afford, and c) are trustworthy. First up to bat is someone to handle some rough carpentry, then consult an HVAC before the electrician comes a calling.

But, I am having difficult finding someone. Anyone.

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