Home gut renovation

[Hornin Hong Kong]

I jsut bought a place and am having it gut renovated - from soup to nuts what do I have to be on the lookout for.

In HK you gt an architect and he is the project manager and arranges for all the contractors.

Assume they want to cheat the white guy. Any advice is helpful. I'm a suspicious bastard.

 

[random horn]

make sure you get a good feng shui guy

 

[NCAAFBALLROX]

Yeah, I would be extremely suspect of anywhere that you HAVE to get a local guide of some sort.Can you post a photo of what the building / structure looks like? Is it an apartment / condo type unit or a solo structure?

When was it built?

What type of construction? Brick / stone, stick built, brick / stone veneer over stick frame?

Do they have any kind of pre purchase examination available? If so, wre you required to get "a specific guy" or did you have free choice here?

What's the soil or underground situation like? Are you in an area that can be mudslide like (think SoCal with houses washing down the hill) or Hill Country where it's nearly impossible to even build a basement?

I would pay particular attention to the roof, the foundation, the wiring & the plumbing as your primary components & the rest much more minor (although still important) details...

What is the scope of your remodeling? Do you have any particular time frame in mind? What about a specific budget?

I say that if you respectfully but firmly let it be known up front that you have specific goals for time & expense that it will serve you well near the end, even if you intend to play a bit loose with the time issue... just don't let them know you're more flexible than they think.

 

[Summerof79]

Know what you want and be there EVERY DAY!!!!!

The subs don't always give a ****, and if you are not there every day (at differing times!) they figure you either don't care or or not knowledgeable enough to feel comfortable on site. Niether of which is good from a quality standpoint from your subs.

Most of it is basic ****, is the door put in the right place, does it swing the right direction, are the electrical outlets in the right spot, do you have excess capacity for future additions in your breaker box, same for plumbing if you ever wanted to add on. Buy a book aon basic home building and READ IT just to have a lay of the land. then be there every damn day and tell your contractor immediately if there is ANYTHING you don't like the look of.

 

[Hornin Hong Kong]

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[CaptainEd]

i love the irony of your communist sig and your profession.

 

[NCAAFBALLROX]

79, I don't know if you are aware of this or not but the "normal rules" don't apply to his question.

His ID explains where he's located & this means he (more than almost anything else) needs some help in how to work within the local customs & how to work with the "system" already in place (& believe me, it ain't there to protect the consumer).

 

[l00p]

Dear Commie Pinko Making Deals With The Devil,

I wish to see pictures before and after. Do not mess with the pool.

Sincerely Bonkers,
Your Internet Stalker (the one in gest)

 

[Hornin Hong Kong]

will do - ill post pics.

 

[Summerof79]

Normal rules are..... workers that feel they are being watched ....(no matter where in the world) tend to do better work....

 

[NCAAFBALLROX]

Let me tell you that if a customer is watching every move we make & asking questions in a way that shows they want to be educated, that's OK.
HOWEVER.

If they start telling me what to do & asking questions in a way that makes me think they are micromanaging & second guessing every single thing I do, that's a problem.

I was hired as a contractor for a reason. Again, there is also a diference.

& There is a vast difference between the two, not a fine line.

 

[Fried JJ Pickles]

Be sure to have a 4x8 closet for your servant

 

[Hornin Hong Kong]

Hah JJ - the original design had her in a v small box on the second floor - I'm making a room 2x the normal size with her own entrance on the ground floor.

It's horrifying but lots of people over here have an aluminum adjunct on the ROOF.

 

[ScoPro]

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[NCAAFBALLROX]

No Servant Stories At All.