My goal on the rehab was to use a single contractor for the majority of the work.  I wasn’t too concerned with the timeline as I paid cash for the property, yet I didn’t want to manage a half-dozen contractors.  Sadly, a week before my interior rehab would have begun, the contractor I generally us died of a heart-attack.  A good buddy of mine gave me the name of another contractor so I called him as well as two other contractors I found in craigslist.

I created a complrehensive checklist (below) of all tasks required so I could compare the bids apples-to-apples. My plan was to request bids on the labor and then add the materials.  Looking back, I probably should have included some basic materials (drywall, texture, paint, etc…) in the bid. 

Demolition 
 bathrrom tile
 bathroom vanities
 wood paneling
 kitchen countertops
 flooring
 remove half-wall in entry
 kitchen cabinet doors
 remove crown molding

Construction 
 Install 6 panel doors & knobs
 Install bifold closet doors

Drywall/Paint 
 new drywall in kit/fam room
 repair all drywall (inc garage)
 texture all walls/celings
 paint all walls
 paint all trim
 paint cabinets and doors
 install new registers
 touchup outside trim
 repair garage drywall and spray

Tile 
 tile in bathrooms (floors/shower/bath)
 kitchen countertop granite tile
 kitchen backsplash tile

Electrical 
 Replace plugs/switches
 Replace light fixtures
 move plug in master bath
 install cooktop/range/dishwasher

Plumbing 
 Replace kitchen sink and disposal
 Replace bathroom vanities and sink
 Replace bath/shower faucets
 Pressure check

The first contractor, Don, I found in craigslist.  We walked through the property and he gave me a few some ideas on some additional improvements.  I asked him for a bid and his response was “I’ll beat any other bid.”  I told him I needed a price and he said probably 7k-8k but he’ll need to go through the checklist and run some numbers at home.  I could tell he didn’t really know how to bid the project as he was attempting to determine how much potential profit I had in the house - a bad sign.  Also, he only had one other worker so I knew the rehab would take quite a while.

Alex, the contractor recommended by a friend showed up and looked through the house.  He gave me some great ideas on easy improvements including spraying the – which was a great idea.  He had two crews working two projects simultaneously but he and his father handle the detailed work in the kitchen, bath, etc..  Alex walked through the house one more time then took the list and said he’d get back to me on a quote.

I called the third contractor, also found on craigslist. He was a one-man shop so I decided to pass as I knew it could take way too long for one person to do all this work.

A few days later I called Alex and he gave me the price of $8500.  I called Don and his price jumped to $12k.  I told him that I’d pass as I had a much lower bid.  I called Alex and scheduled the start after the foundation had been leveled since that’ll cause more problems with the drywall.  A few days later the house had been leveled (still fishing concrete, etc..) and Alex and his team were ready to start demolition.  I had a 20 cubic yard “roll off” delivered to the front yard.  Looking back, I should have paid a few extra bucks for the 30 yard as it filled quickly.  Within one day, the demolition was complete including the entryway, bathrooms, flooring and old crown molding.  I gave Alex $3k to start the next phase.

Unfortunately, when the house was leveled a couple walls were slightly damaged.  One wall became detached 3” off the floor and another was completely off square.  A potential buyer would have been scared off thinking there were more foundation problems.  Alex suggested they pull the drywall and repair the walls for $200.  Once they pulled it they found several of the studs were completely twisted so they replaced them, dry-walled and everything looked good as new.

One week later, new drywall was completed in the bathrooms and areas that were originally wood paneling, 50-60 areas have been patched and the old texture had been sanded.  Apparently the ceilings were a little uneven from the foundation movement so they fixed as much as possible then suggested popcorn texture on the ceilings as it will hide much of the unevenness.   I said him we’d stick with knock-down and risk the uneven look.  Obviously $180k buyers prefer knock down vs popcorn. I gave him the paint colors I had chosen and as well as $3k for labor and $700 for materials.  I made it clear that the remainder would be paid on completion.

Meanwhile I was working on locating new cabinet doors.  Fortunately, a friend of mine turned me on to a cabinet maker that charges $11 for custom MDF cabinet doors and $3 for drawer doors.  The cabinet doors included square molding, nice edges and “punch holes” for installing hidden hinges.  I also found a hardware store with hidden door hinges for $1.60 each.  Just add paint for good-as-new cabinets at just $600.

More to come…