HELP with renovations

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Blob Mckenzie
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Re: HELP with renovations

Post by Blob Mckenzie »

[mod edit] $500 is a lot cheaper than 100K.
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Chef Boi RD
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Re: HELP with renovations

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Hockey Widow wrote: Tue Sep 15, 2020 9:47 pm Removing half a wall in the kitchen. I don't need top of the line finishes or appliances. Simple laminate flooring, simple appliances. I do want a walk in shower, well the bathroom is a total gut but I don't need top line stuff, just new and nice. Anyway, I am asking him for a more detailed scope. He has just given an estimate by room but no real breakdown. For example, bedroom, two screens, new blinds, new closet door and new bedroom door, $5500?? like wtf, for what.
Yeah I don’t do it by room, in fact most normal renovators don’t do it by room. I had one guy a long time a go ask me to price by room, he was a flake. I didn’t follow up.

From the sounds of it your not expecting top of the line finishes, so getting that budget down to a happy medium isn’t challenging. What’s challenging are the clients with a champagne taste on a black label beer budget. It’s always the choice in the finishings that moves the budgets.
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SKYO
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Re: HELP with renovations

Post by SKYO »

HW needs Leave it to Bryan.

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pick 3 rooms, he'll decide which one is best to renovate on your budget, most imperative to fix, while the other rooms can wait or fix up a bit on your own or in the future.
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Re: HELP with renovations

Post by Cousin Strawberry »

Leave it to Chef....the CC edition

Chef will pop over and drop a bunch of tools off then start billing....meanwhile hes downstairs in his van doing rails off of an old piece of drywall
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Re: HELP with renovations

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SKYO wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 9:31 am HW needs Leave it to Bryan.

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pick 3 rooms, he'll decide which one is best to renovate on your budget, most imperative to fix, while the other rooms can wait or fix up a bit on your own or in the future.
Pricing by room is complete bunk. So you put new floors only in certain rooms? That’ll look nice where it meets the old floors. Replace only couple doors and blinds. Nothing like a house with different style doors and blinds. Where does the new paint stop? It’s only 600 square ft. Repaint by the square is around $4.00 a square materials not included

Trust me it doesn’t work. It’s a waste of time and money. If you just want to replace the cabinets fine but if it’s a full gut you price by line items:

- Doors (Door package, all doors and hardware)
- floors entire suite (square ft prude supply and install)
- Tile Product - custom shower - floor and walls, bath floor, kitchen backsplash
- tile setter
- cabinet/millwork - (done by one shop) Kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanity
- countertops - vanity and kitchen
- appliance package
- plumbing fixtures
- bathroom fixtures
- window coverings
- repaint
- paint materials
- Drywall
- electrical
- new duct work if required
- light fixtures
- Demolition Disposal fees
- general labour (framing, trim, demolition, cleanup site prep
- building materials (framing, trim, fasteners etc)
- permits
- drawings (designer, engineer)
- abatement
- sprinkler work potentially


You don’t break it up into rooms. Stop watching the unrealistic world of the tv home renovation world, SKYO
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Re: HELP with renovations

Post by SKYO »

lol dang was just having some fun bro.
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BCExpat
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Re: HELP with renovations

Post by BCExpat »

Chef Boi RD wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 11:45 am
SKYO wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 9:31 am HW needs Leave it to Bryan.

Image

pick 3 rooms, he'll decide which one is best to renovate on your budget, most imperative to fix, while the other rooms can wait or fix up a bit on your own or in the future.
Pricing by room is complete bunk. So you put new floors only in certain rooms? That’ll look nice where it meets the old floors. Replace only couple doors and blinds. Nothing like a house with different style doors and blinds. Where does the new paint stop? It’s only 600 square ft. Repaint by the square is around $4.00 a square materials not included

Trust me it doesn’t work. It’s a waste of time and money. If you just want to replace the cabinets fine but if it’s a full gut you price by line items:

- Doors (Door package, all doors and hardware)
- floors entire suite (square ft prude supply and install)
- Tile Product - custom shower - floor and walls, bath floor, kitchen backsplash
- tile setter
- cabinet/millwork - (done by one shop) Kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanity
- countertops - vanity and kitchen
- appliance package
- plumbing fixtures
- bathroom fixtures
- window coverings
- repaint
- paint materials
- Drywall
- electrical
- new duct work if required
- light fixtures
- Demolition Disposal fees
- general labour (framing, trim, demolition, cleanup site prep
- building materials (framing, trim, fasteners etc)
- permits
- drawings (designer, engineer)
- abatement
- sprinkler work potentially


You don’t break it up into rooms. Stop watching the unrealistic world of the tv home renovation world, SKYO
Probably wouldn't need an engineer. Also, I can't imagine the layout is going to change much. For example, the bathroom will probably remain where it is now, just needs to be re-finished with new fixtures, finishes, etc. If you are moving drain lines for toilets for example, it might involve getting access to the space below your unit. Not sure how that will work with the tenant below.
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Blob Mckenzie
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Re: HELP with renovations

Post by Blob Mckenzie »

Chef Boi RD wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 11:45 am You don’t break it up into rooms. Stop watching the unrealistic world of the tv home renovation world, SKYO
How much is your bumps and booze tab?
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Cornuck
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Re: HELP with renovations

Post by Cornuck »

Hey Blobby.... the adults are talking... Do you need to derail every thread?
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Re: HELP with renovations

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BCExpat wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 1:41 pm

Probably wouldn't need an engineer. Also, I can't imagine the layout is going to change much. For example, the bathroom will probably remain where it is now, just needs to be re-finished with new fixtures, finishes, etc. If you are moving drain lines for toilets for example, it might involve getting access to the space below your unit. Not sure how that will work with the tenant below.
Depends, regarding the wall to be shortened, most likely not. The condo we renovated at 777 Burrard needed an engineer as we removed the wall between kitchen and dining (load bearing) but that building was ancient with its old drop timber beams holding up solid 2X6, flooring (no joist cavity...just solid 2X6 on edge side by side

You’d be surprised by how often I encounter designers who want to relocate the existing plumbing fixture locations in condo renovations “um you do realize that I order to move those fixture locations we will have to do it from the ceiling the suite below?” “Really?”. “Yes, Really?” “Hmmmmm, that’s no good, you sure?”. Yes and not only that we will to core holes through really thick concrete but before that we will need to x-ray the floors.”

“Long and short of it. Not happening”

BC Expat. Tile setters are charging between $4,000 - $6,000 to tile 3 piece bathrooms with custom showers. Tile not included. That just covers their installation, thin set, leveling, grout, silicone, schluter membrane etc

New tile for a 3 piece bath with custom showers can range between $1,200 and $3,000.

Custom Shower glass Between $1,500 and $2,000.

Mirror, tp holder, towel bar, robe hooks, hand towel ring $500

Toilet, sink, sink faucet and shower set between $1,500 and $2,500 depending tastes

Plumber to Rough in and finish $3,000 plus permit

Electrician to install new vanity light, GFI plug upgrade, pots, new fan $2,000

Vanity - $2,500 to $4,000

Vanity counter top - $1,500

Demo labour disposal fees clean up $1,000

Back framing, trimming, new entry door and install $1,000

Building materials

Mgmt fees

A new bathroom all in in a condo is well over $20,0000. Typically they are closer to $30,000.
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Blob Mckenzie
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Re: HELP with renovations

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100 K. That’s a lot of cheddar to renovate a 600 square foot condo. Wids you will be better to contract the jobs out individually. Find a flooring guy, an electrician, a drywaller and a painter separately. Do what you can afford. Dry walling and paint are cheap. The bathroom will kick you in the coochie. No doubt about that. A size 12 in the liarlemons. It sounds like you have your work cut out for you.

The Chef while having a good deal of knowledge is an Old Goomba who looks after his crew. His numbers seem a bit high and his insistence on doing the job all in one shot is a bit puzzling.
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Blob Mckenzie
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Re: HELP with renovations

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Cornuck wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 3:07 pm Hey Blobby.... the adults are talking... Do you need to derail every thread?
How rude! I hope Cornuck107 will remember that last question. ;)

Hargraves has got hit with the ruler twice lately. :)
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Re: HELP with renovations

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Doyle Hargraves wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 5:05 pm 100 K. That’s a lot of cheddar to renovate a 600 square foot condo. Wids you will be better to contract the jobs out individually. Find a flooring guy, an electrician, a drywaller and a painter separately. Do what you can afford. Dry walling and paint are cheap. The bathroom will kick you in the coochie. No doubt about that. A size 12 in the liarlemons. It sounds like you have your work cut out for you.

The Chef while having a good deal of knowledge is an Old Goomba who looks after his crew. His numbers seem a bit high and his insistence on doing the job all in one shot is a bit puzzling.
You can save a lot by being your own general contractor, but you have to know what you are doing. You have to schedule the work so that you are not delaying any trade. There is always the headaches of having one trade take longer to complete something (or to start something), which usually results in delays in trades that follow. For example - if your electrician is not there on the day he says he will be there or takes longer to complete his portion of the work for whatever reason, it affects the drywaller as he can't start until the electrician is finished his rough in. It could end up costing you more money and could delay your move in date. If you have never dealt with this before, it becomes a nightmare. Hence, hiring someone like Chef, who will deal with these issues. On the other hand, if you know what you are doing and if you can do some of the easier stuff like painting yourself, then I agree with what you are saying, you will save money.

On a side note - Chef - you mentioned that the tile contractor for a bathroom renovation was going to cost between $4,000 and $6,000 excluding the cost of tile. I had my whole winter house in Arizona tiled (1270 sf) including tile, for $4,000. The guy did a fantastic job. The house was slab on grade and it needed self levelling topping in some areas. I know, different market, and it was a few years ago. BTW - sold the place in Arizona a few years ago - good thing with Covid happening.

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Re: HELP with renovations

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Hey BCExpat, tile setters in Vancouver (Good ones) are making a killing, you can find a cheap one yes, but you get what you pay for. All the sub trades in Vancouver have set a ridiculous precedent on rates.

HW, word of advice. You might be able to do it yourself but you don’t have a lot working for you. All sub trades have a lot of work right now, they prioritize those who feed them the most work - Builders. They also discount their prices for their builders not when “working directly for a homeowner”. Unfortunately you will struggle finding good sub trades who will respond accordingly, I myself struggle with their scheduling, that’s half the battle. Not to mention the General contractor has vetted his trade network, you’re getting trades he’s worked with and trusted and those trades will respond to him, not so much homeowner. Not to mention the General Contractor is a liable for the trades he hired and supplies/products he buys if you put him in charge of buying In which you should. There is also an order of how to schedule, knowing what’s required in inspections, what needs inspecting. Don’t listen to Blob, he speaks like a hack and con artists

Also, whoever you hire ask for total transparency, ask for all the hard copy invoices on each invoice for every line item in the invoice and labour breakdown. Set aside a 10% hold back on each invoice that is to be paid back to your builder 30-45 days beyond the passing of final occupancy inspection to protect yourself against leans from trades and have written in the contract his warranty on all services and product for at least a year

Ask for job references, see his finished work on past jobs request to speak to his past clients and visit his finished job sites. If he hesitates - very bad sign
“Tyler Myers is my guy... I was taking to Scotty Bowman last night and he was bringing up his name, and saying he’s a big guy and big guy need big minutes to play, he is playing great for ya… and I agree with him… He’s been exceptional” - Bruce Boudreau
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Re: HELP with renovations

Post by 2Fingers »

I am curious.

My en-suite needs to have the shower stall replaced and I was looking at going with tile vs. the standard shower stall. The base would not be tile.

i currently have something like this.

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/maax-b ... 000161589

Is going with tile worth the extra work and money when you sell your place?
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