Homeowners and Investors!
Do you really want contractors walking on your new hardwood floors? Workers dropping their tools, painters spilling paint, and paint seeping in between the boards. Causing the floor crew to come back out and re-do it - costing you money?! When rehabbing or remodeling, there is an order that everything should be done in. The purpose is to save you time and money.
Special Notes or Tips:
- One of the first rules to live by, is once you finish the closing process and after you are done celebrating, SECURE the property. If there are broken windows and doors that have been kicked in or broken into, secure them to stop any further intrusions. This also lets people know there is current activity happening which decreases the odds of intruders.
- If you did not take the time during your initial walk-thru, then now is the time to determine which wall is the load bearing wall. Should you remove the load bearing wall, you will have immediate structural damage at the very least. You can make changes to a load bearing wall, such as a new doorway or archway, just make sure to have a professional do it.
- When you are choosing certain items for your rehab or remodeling projects, careful thought should be paid attention to the following. When deciding on your new kitchen cabinets, find the SINK you want, and then find the base cabinet that will support that particular sink. Do not buy the base cabinet and then hope that the sink you want will fit into it.
- This goes for windows as well. A brick house doesn't have this problem, but a wood frame that you would want to add siding to, should be purchased with windows that already have the J-channel on them. This will make your life easier and the cost of having siding installed quicker and less expensive.
- When dealing with much older homes that have plaster and lathe walls, consider that a lot of the old plaster and the old insulation may contain asbestos. Also, most of the old paint, under the layers, probably contains lead. So remember this when it is your turn to disclose this information when reselling or deciding if you need to remove it from the property.
Rehab/Remodel Procedures in Order:
Exterior improvements and upgrades such as tuck pointing, siding, landscaping, and soffits, can be completed during almost any phase of this rehab process. Although, it is recommend that any problems with the electric and plumbing be addressed before you have professionals doing any of these improvements.
Roof – This needs to be addressed first, it does not make any sense to repair anything on the interior of the structure if the roof has a leak and will damage anything you have done. And if it is a hot roof, you definitely don't want professionals working on the interior where some of the hot tar could leak through onto somebody. The tar is 450-500 degrees. Yes, it's hot! So if the roof is fairly new and has a minor leak, then patch it. If you know it will need a new roof, then replace it. This should be done first before working inside the building.
Demo / Gut Out – This process removes anything that is damaged or needs to be replaced, then get it out of the way. This will usually expose any problems that may have been hidden out of site. Doing the demo work in the beginning will make it easier and possibly less expensive for electricians, plumbers and HVAC crews to do their jobs. It will also make it easier for the framing crew to tie in any new walls to the older, existing walls. This will make it more affordable to change the layout.
Framing / Carpentry – Now is when you want to frame in any new walls, windows, doors or generally change the existing floor plan. This needs to be done prior to having any of the Electricians, Plumbers or HVAC crews come in since they may need to run some of their services through the new framing that has just been installed. Otherwise, you may find yourself having to call them back out to do that and possibly redoing what they did to make it all function properly.
Windows / Doors – Installing new doors and windows at this point will make it easier for you to keep the property secure. This is also another obvious sign to potential intruders of current activity on the property, which is a major deterrent. This also makes it easier for drywall professionals to get their edges smoother and cleaner at this point. Of course, you won’t be installing the trim around the windows just yet, that needs to wait until after the drywall is properly in place.
Electrical – Updating or upgrading the electric in a house is very important. Not every house needs the electric updated, check it and see when it was originally installed or last updated. There may be a need to upgrade the circuit panels and breakers or re-wiring the entire building. In many cases, simply just updating the outlets, switches, and covers is all that needs to be done. But consider this, would you want to sleep at night knowing there is 100 year old knob and tube electric behind new drywall?
Plumbing – Updating or upgrading the plumbing is another important factor. Again this item is not required in every property that you decide to rehab or remodel. Check and see when it was originally installed and when it was last upgraded. These upgrades may just be renewing the PVC pipes under the sink drain, adding Hammer Arrest to certain supply lines, or updating sewer lines. If the house was really cheap, it may be because thieves stole ALL the copper. Now you're looking at an entire new system to the whole house or building. Many municipalities have adopted a new PVC Code to help combat this problem. Check with the local inspector's office concerning the local regulations.
HVAC – Updating or upgrading the HVAC system many times is simply having it checked and cleaned. In an older building that is still operating off the old radiant heater system, using a boiler. Check to see if it has been updated recently. Sometimes, however, you may need to replace and upgrade the furnace or central air unit. However, one thing to remember to check thoroughly, is the duct work and vents. Especially, if there is a mold problem inside the building. Mold can live inside the duct work and people replace the drywall and insulation but overlook the HVAC system. This allows the mold problem to resurface at a later time.
Drywall – Now is the time to start hanging new drywall, this may be as simple as hanging it over the old plaster and lathe, possibly patching holes in drywall or plaster and lathe. Either way, now that the major components have been upgraded or replaced it is time to put the visible finishing processes together. This shall include the taping and mudding to have walls ready for the painters.
Painting – Painting needs to be done after the drywall process for a couple of reasons. This allows the drywall professionals to see any potential problems un-noticed previously. Additionally, the floors are still bare, when painters don’t have to worry about the floors or covering furniture this allows them to proceed faster. This can reduce your painting expenses. This even gives them the option to spray the entire place in just a few hours only leaving touch-up and some of the trim. (This excludes baseboards as they will be installed after the floors are completed)
Flooring – The flooring can now be installed in the kitchen and bathrooms first, since they are usually tile or vinyl. Hardwoods, laminates, and carpet follow thereafter. The goal is to keep the hardwoods and laminates scratch free until all flooring is completed. This is done prior to cabinets, vanities, toilets and appliances so they are all on the same level surface. Once the floors are laid, it is strongly recommended to cover them with plastic followed by a painter’s tarp to protect them during the final stages that follow.
Cabinets / Countertops – Cabinets, countertops, backsplash, sinks and disposals can now be installed. These are some of the final finishing projects. Make sure you get the cabinets secured in place and leave ample space for the appliances. You can do this simultaneously or even after the bathroom toilets or vanities. Either one can be done first, it all depends on your personal preferences.
Toilets / Vanities – Make sure the toilet is seated and secured properly and has no leaks. Secure vanity accordingly, install sink, mirrors or medicine cabinets, and shower doors.
Appliances – Get your appliances in their appropriate places and hook them up, test them and clean them up.
Clean the entire place spotless, get it ready for tenants or buyers, use staging if needed.
To summarize, use some
common sense, analyze each property carefully and determine what your
intentions are for that particular property. Then follow the suggested
guideline to reduce headaches, problems and cost.
Special Note:
These are strictly recommendations that consumers should consider when selecting and hiring any professional for services.
It is the sole responsibility of the homeowner and investor to decide how to proceed with a screening process that meets their own specific needs and requirements.
Author Bio:
This article was written by Walter Sanderson, founder of this website, STL Home Rehabbers. He has more than 15 years experience in rehabbing and remodeling homes. For more information about him, you can check out http://waltersanderson.stlhomerehabbers.com/.
Article Source: http://www.stlhomerehabbers.com/
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