Any home remodeling guys here?

[Kmot]

My wife has a bug up her butt, and wants to have the kitchen remodeled. It is pretty old, yeah okay. And we have a crappy old tile floor, and she wants a new floor as well.

We are talking taking down three rows of cabinets, an island that has a range top above and cabinets below. Plus the tile in the entry way to the house, the kitchen and breakfast area, and the laundry.

My question is, how long am I looking at having to deal with construction going on? A couple weeks? A couple months? :frown:

 

[pacerguy]

If you get rid of the wife, you wont have any construction wait at all. Lol

 

[penn25]

Really depends on whether you are doing it yourself or hiring a professional.

If you maybe a month doing it part time. A contractor could do it in two weeks or less. What's the square footage? Is money a big issue? Certainly you have heard "money talks". Get everything in writing, make sure it's a qualified insured contractor with insurance and is bonded. Check references and previous jobs and clients. Good luck

 

[dmccartney]

If you are doing it yourself, it really depends on the time you have to put into it. I think you could knock your cabinets out in a weekend, but the flooring is a completely different animal. I am going to agree with Penn on the one month if you only have a few hours a week to put at it. If you took a week off work or something though I think you could knock out a big chunk of it.

I have been working on finishing my basement for about a solid year now. I work a few hours a month on it though.

 

[gregg]

We did a couple of years ago: painted the cabinets to match the new counter top and the back splash.
Seems like to took all summer. Counter top and back splash took two weeks by a contractor!

 

[keepin'tyme]

Hey Kmot. Get a plan. Consider whether you have enough electrical outlets on the counter, undercounter lighting etc? Do you want to change layout in any way, i.e. sink dishwasher, fridge locations? A trip to your local Home Depot or Lowes to talk with one of their kitchen designer will be a big help even if you buy cabinets elsewhere. Should you , be sure to bring the length, width of your room, any window locations and ceiling height and locations of existing appliances. As far as time coordination is MAX. Get at least 3 bids from competent, licensed contractors and be double sure to ask for a certificate of the Work Comp and Liability Insurance before you sign. Go as far as calling the Ins. Co. who issued the cert. to make sure it's active. Don't expect to have your kitchen to prep meals from for a minimum of 4-6 weeks and that has to do with when you order and receive your materials. Be aware kitchen remodels are probably the worst room for things to go wrong/delayed. What I mean is things like cabinets coming in broken, different shades of color etc. Unless you find cab' on the store floor expect delays. Good Luck but shop your contractor but don't scape the barrel and ask for references. If they won't produce ref's move on. Only other alternative is give the job out to a place like Home Depot/ Lowes and at least you can scream at them when your kitchen isn't done on time. Kitchens and baths are by far the most expensive s/f wise of any room the average person has in there house. Again best of luck, you most likely will need it.

 

[Kmot]

We will be hiring pro's to do everything this time.

Thanks for the replies fella's!

keepin'tyme, thanks for your invaluable insight!

 

[mv5]

The old saying goes "it'll take twice as long and cost twice as much." So, there you go.:grin

Best of luck to you. Maybe some before and after pics?

 

[timetraveler]

Take it from someone who learned the hard way.. Hire the best you can afford, with a verifiable reputation for excellence. You'll still have problems, but they'll be minimal.

And remember the axiom... "Good, Quick, Cheap - You can have any two, but never all three."

 

[sota0003]

Bill is right! Fortunately for me when I lived near Bill I did the construction and remodeling work myself. I would say to pay medium to top dollar and get it done correctly by a licensed person whom pulls permits. The extra money spent is well worth the peace of mind. There is no hard and fast rule. I would meet with several different contractors and see whom you like the best. Get a written contract but also expect overage charges as no budget is ever set in stone. A good contractor should be easy to deal with and approachable . The Better Business Bureau is also a good resource. Also talk to friends that have had work done. Ask for a written contract and also ask for their credentials and insurance paperwork upfront. If they can't provide that easily with no problem then do not even speak another word to them