HELPFUL ARTICLES
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Renovating in New York: Let ’Er Rip? Not So Fast
“Robert and Debra Liano thought their renovation plans were straightforward, but it didn’t take them long to discover that very little about New York City construction is simple, easy or inexpensive.” ― New York Times
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TRIM–OUT: GETTING YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER
“Incidentally, this is a good argument for monitoring the payment process carefully, even if you have a general contractor. The subs will come back if they have a contract, but if the pay was slow the first time, they may put your job on the back burner. Persuading reluctant subs to come back and finish work can be a major delay, even a major hassle. (In most states, subcontractors can file a lien for non-payment, even if you paid the general contractor.)” –The Baltimore Sun 09.15.1990
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WHY SHOULDN’T I ACCEPT THE LOWEST BID
The issue is the spread. If you have bids within at most 15 percent of each other, there’s probably no reason not to go with the lowest bid. On the other hand, if one bid is 25 percent lower than the rest, there is a problem. It should set off alarms… — New York Times 04.06.08
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HOW TO AVOID REMODELING DISASTERS
As veterans of two home remodeling projects, my husband and I approached an ambitious renovation of our latest house with some street-smart tactics. The contractor said the new kitchen could be completed in four weeks — six weeks, tops. We doubled that estimate and started work in June… — New York Times 03.11.95
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THE PRICE THE CONTRACTOR QUOTES
In a recent letter to her readers, Dominique Browning, the longtime editor of House & Garden magazine, wrote about the agony of renovation, but suggested her experience was so painful that she preferred not to give details. “I’m still in shock and note ready to talk about it,” she wrote… –New York Times 02.22.07
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IMPROVING HOME IMPROVEMENT
“Nobody trusts contractors,” said Jim Quinn — a contractor himself — the co-owner of Thomas Murphy Associates in Port Washington, N.Y., which has been in business 15 years, “and the process of getting contractors is sometimes a dicey game, because homeowners woder if they can trust them.” –New York Times 03.07.04
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TRULY, MADLY: COURTING THE CONTRACTOR
When the tank of Dale Burg’s toilet cracked last February, she thought it would be as good a time as any to redo the two bathrooms in her Upper East Side apartment. Like so many other people contemplating modest renovations in these boom times… –New York Times 07.15.99
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Is New York Ready for Solar Power?
