If you think that you had problems remodeling, consider the plight of Richard Hermann. After giving up his CPA practice to focus on real estate development, he found he suffered from short-term memory loss and muscular problems. It took repeated visits to different physicians to find one who diagnosed his problem as chemical sensitivity to fumes from certain paints, finishes and building products.
Though Hermann has continued his development business, he lives in a “safe” older house in Michigan where no new work has to be done.
Or, consider the plight of Fred Lynch, a government professor at a California college, who felt compelled to pick up a paint roller to help his contractor in the wee hours of one morning to get the job done–and the contractor out of his home.
“He had a host of excuses why he had to come late–his car broke down, a family member had a black widow spider bite, he promised to spend time with his son,” Lynch says.
While Lynch suffered angst, his cat suffered from a stress-related disease and eventually died, he adds.
Remodeling a house can result in unlimited horror stories, including the proverbial divorce. Yet, they don’t seem to deter most homeowners. About 40 percent of Americans were planning some type of home improvement project this year, according to Fannie Mae, the country’s largest source of home mortgage funds. Many homeowners even find their experiences challenging and satisfying.
Why the difference? Some owners were inexperienced. Others, who previously remodeled and sometimes multiple times, tackled new sorts of projects that led to new kinds of problems.
Who’s at fault? Sometimes the architect, sometimes the contractor and yes, sometimes the homeowner.
The more pressing question is what can you do to avoid a disaster? Experience may be the best teacher, but so is doing your homework and getting as many written guarantees as possible. The following list cites common reasons these nightmares occur. We can’t guarantee smooth sailing, but by reading them you may be less likely to repeat them:
– Inadequate research. This gaffe covers many errors, from not checking references of crew members to not inspecting building materials and workmanship. If you don’t want to put in the time upfront, you’ve got only yourself to blame if problems arise later.
Homeowner Greg Matusky, who runs a communications firm in the Philadelphia area, had a huge headache just before he was ready to move into his 70-year-old house. The home passed inspection but he discovered the house was infested with termites when he wanted to have some paint touched up before the closing.
“The inspector said he wasn’t at fault because of a clause that did not cover wood-eating insects. The family of the seller, who was going into a nursing home, put $25,000 in an escrow account to cover the work and ensure the closing. But we had three months of mess.” His advice: bring in experts. “We should have hired a carpenter to inspect the house since it was so old.”
Professor Lynch would add an additional caveat. In redoing his house, his contractor offered to do tiling and painting. “He hadn’t done that kind of work in a while but I figured why not?” Why not was that he was slow as molasses. “His work was good, but he took too long. I should have asked not just about quality but timing.”
Lynch, who studies employment conditions, felt he was put in a bind.
“I tried to be nice because he was so nice. He now wants to redo my kitchen cabinets. I’m not sure about independent contractors. You don’t have control over them. If he had worked for a company, I could have called and complained.”
– Insufficiently detailed blueprints. Your architect or designer may be creative, but unless they can detail ideas in elevations and plans, your contractor cannot translate them for real life. And if your architect isn’t at the job site when questions arise, your contractor may decide to take liberties and make decisions about what he thought the architect meant to do, says Evanston architect Paul Janicki.
The more detailed the better, adds Wilmette designer Lisa Godsey of GD Interiors. “Best of all, the plan should list brand names,” she says.
– Construction surprises. Work may often progress nicely, then whammo, a surprise occurs. A supposedly decorative column turns out to be a structural one that can’t come down. A redesign adds expense and time. Often, such examples are nobody’s fault, particularly if you have a professional do advance detective work. “I warn clients when we work on an older house that unforeseen conditions can occur,” Janicki says.
– Low-ball prices. Everyone wants to save, but be sure you compare apples and apples–the same materials, craftsmanship, timetable. If bids come in high, don’t assume that the contractor will reduce his profit. “He may resubmit plans to other tradespeople and the caliber of work may change,” advises Godsey.
– Overscheduled work crews. With remodeling at an all-time high and good workers as scarce as a snowball in September, be prepared that your project may take longer. If that concerns you, consider waiting. Some owners seek to write in a financial penalty clause. Not all contractors will agree.
– Excessive change orders. In this case, homeowners are often to blame, changing their minds as a project progresses. While they may get the design they want, they’ve typically increased tensions by raising costs and delaying work. “Once contractors are on a job, they’re in the driver’s seat. I try to be the watchdog for a client, but when a house is torn apart there’s less room to negotiate,” Janicki says.
In one case, an owner decided after a master bathroom redesign was under way that she had to have a bay window. The plan had to be redrawn and tests had to be made to see if the roof could support the extra weight. The additional charge: $10,000. “She balked but insisted,” Janicki says.
– Living amid the rubble. Living on the site instead of renting another place saves money, but it can lead to rancorous relationships. Decide which is worse.
Carol and Chuck Smoler learned that lesson firsthand in remodeling their Chicago house. “It was designed for a single hairdresser, and we are a family of four. We decided to gut almost everything and live there to save money. We put most furniture in storage and used a bathroom sink to wash dishes. It was horrible. We got on each other’s nerves,” says Carol, who tests recipes and styles food for companies. In this case, there was a happy ending: The job got done early and the results proved perfect.
– Misunderstandings regarding the level of finish. Quality is difficult to define, so it’s critical that you and your professionals are on the same page. The best way to get there is to see examples together of finished work.
Grace Tsao-Wu, owner of the tableware shop Tabula Tua in Chicago, didn’t do so and paid a price when she redid her kitchen. Her architect, a brother-in-law who lived out-of-town, specified open cherry veneer shelves between maple kitchen cabinets. The contractor installed plastic shelves that resembled cherry, which he had not shown her. “I don’t think he meant to be deceitful. He simply didn’t understand the quality we expected.”
Sometimes, materials may be fine but the installation poor, as New York home furnishings writer Mary Kelly Selover learned. An experienced remodeler, she was persuaded by her architect to choose cabinets that she wasn’t familiar with. The cabinets came in late, but worse, were the wrong size and had to be sanded to fit, then resprayed. Her contractor spent an extra $3,000. After a lot of arguing, the cabinet retailer agreed to pay.
– Too-chummy relationships. While you want your architect and contractor to get along, you don’t want them so buddy-buddy that neither questions the other’s work.
Hiring each separately can be a safeguard, says Chicago designer Leslie Stern. She was brought in to help clients whose cabinets had not been measured properly. “The architect and contractor were friends and covered up for each other. The money my clients thought they were saving will pay me to fix the problem.”
– Poor relationships. What was supposed to take six months took three years when Carol Sperco and husband Steve remodeled their Chicago condo. Their floor subcontractor temporarily walked out to take a job at a department store. “It obviously represented a bigger job and repeat business. He came back, but the delay made me crazy,” Sperco says.
Checking references wouldn’t have guaranteed success, she says. “He did good work, but wasn’t here.” She recommends a written guarantee regarding the schedule.
– Adhering to the right sequence. Like a good story, remodeling should proceed in a certain order to make sense. In one of Stern’s client’s houses, floors were refinished before plumbing and electrical work were completed. “Workmen scratched the floors. They should have covered them or waited,” Stern says. “Now, the floors will have to be resanded and restained.”
