Frank0

Hi!
I have a house that needs repairs and updating before I can sell or rent it out. I know nothing about houses or repairs so I am thinking to find a real estate agent who can tell me what needs to be done to make the place presentable and then hire a handyman and pay them by the hour.

House needs-
Kitchen- new vinyl flooring, counter tops, cabinet faces, sink, paint
Bathrooms and laundry room- new flooring, counter tops, paint
All other rooms- new paint and carpet
Exterior- paint

Would this be a resonable plan?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

CallMeVilla

Having done cosmetic fix-ups for house flipping, your list is a great start. A good handyman can do all of this at a reasonable cost.

-- Obviously, if you are installing a new sink, you must replace the plumbing, e.g., p-trap and angle stops. Replace water supplies in sinks, toilets, washer and water heater with braided metal lines. This will prevent expensive leaks.
-- If you can afford it, replace all outlets and switches. Upgrade light fixtures so the house does not look dated.
-- Replace towel bars, toilet paper holders, and medicine cabinets for modern, finished look.
-- Check gutters for blockages and repair as needed. This can cause roof, wall or other damage if ignored.
-- Check water shutoff from street. Replace with ball valve if it is still the old gate valve type.

Good luck!

Frank0

Thank you Villa. This is a big project for someone like me with no experience. I want to make sure I get it done as cost effective as possible. I feel like this house is a big vacuum cleaner aiming for my wallet!

CallMeVilla

Tips:

1. You do the materials buying. Don't pay for a handyman to buy easy stuff like outlets, switches, paint, etc.
2. Buy in quantity. A box of 10 outlets is a better buy than individual outlets. Get more paint, not less.
3. Shop for carpet and tile. DO NOT buy from upper end shops. Check close outs, discontinued, and end of year materials.
4. Try a fixed price handyman bid instead of an open ended hourly rate. Remodeling can get time consuming.
5. Inexpensive labor is available on Craigslist.com Just insist on pictures of past work and references with phone numbers.
6. Inspect the work daily. Keep a log of work done. Find a friend who can advise you an quality of work being done.

Go for it!

nealtw

If you find lower cost labour, likely the hand will be out for payment before the job is done. That's not unreasonable just talk about that before you start work and agree on a payment plan.
Villa's posts are good.

Frank0

I was thinking to buy the materials especially stuff like paint because I dont' want someone getting inferior stuff, but charging me for high price material.

The reason I was thinking about hourly is beacuse I dont' know what a resonable price for each job would be, however; I could get a few bids.

My plan is carigslist labor, but making sure they have insurance and some kind of reputation or some way to know they are not going to rip me off.

Thank you Villa!

CallMeVilla

Well . . . a lot of guys with skills are on Craigslist but lack insurance. Homeowner's insurance can cover you in case of injury. If you insist on license/insurance, the price will go up significantly to cover State mandates.

I see CL laborers at $10/hour and ever very skilled journeymen at $20/hr. Do the math

Frank0

The license does not concern me so much, but what if someoe fell off the house painting it or something, the liability could be huge. Do most people just go for it?

oldognewtrick

Workers who are injured on your property and are not covered by work comp can go back to the property owner for liability. A lot of people roll the dice, some are lucky, some are not.

BridgeMan

I don't think anyone can answer the "Do most people just go for it?" question with any degree of accuracy. As others have said, if you feel lucky, and aren't worried about your homeowners insurance premiums skyrocketing after a huge claim (or several) are paid out to finance the lucrative retirement packages of Craigslist Klutzes who fall off your roof, then yes, you could just go for it.

I know I'm not that good of a gambler. Do yourself a favor, and give your homeowners' insurance agent a quick call, and tell him/her about your plan to use uninsured people working on your house. You may learn some interesting things from them.