Home Renovation

Starting from your list

Most of the people who call us for a home renovation are not looking for a redesign. They have a list. The guest bath needs new tile, the stairs squeak, the windows in the back bedroom fog up, the trim in the hall was never finished and there is a soft spot in the kitchen floor that has been getting worse. Each item is too small to build a project around, and together they are too much for a weekend.

We walk the house with you and go through that list one item at a time. For each one we look at what is actually going on underneath, and we tell you plainly what it will take. Some items turn out simpler than you feared. Others are a symptom of something bigger, and you should know that before we price anything.

The result is a written scope that lists every item, what we will do about it and what is not included. If you want to put some items off, we will tell you which ones can safely wait and which ones should not.

Correcting what the last owner did

Every house we work on has a history, and a good share of that history was done by someone in a hurry. Bathroom fans vented into the attic instead of outside, which in a Massachusetts winter means frost and then water on the attic sheathing. Shower tile set straight onto ordinary drywall. A basement finished over a wall that takes on water each spring. Wiring added in a finished basement or attic with splices hidden behind the wall. A deck ledger nailed to the house with no flashing behind it. Rot covered with paint and caulk.

These problems do not go away when they are covered a second time. When we find one, we show it to you, explain why it matters and price the correct repair. Anything involving wiring or plumbing goes to licensed electricians and plumbers, and work that needs a permit gets one, with the inspections the town requires.

It is the part of a home renovation people tend not to expect, and it is also where an honest contractor earns the job. We would rather tell you about a problem now than leave it for the next owner to discover.

Some of what we find calls for more than a repair. A basement that takes on water may need drainage work outside before anything inside is worth fixing. Rot at a sill or under a bathroom may reach into the framing. We tell you how far a problem goes, and if it reaches beyond the scope you planned, we lay out the options so you can decide with real information.

If the walls in one room are being opened, any wiring you wanted moved in that room goes in at the same time.

Keeping the house livable while we work

Because you are staying home, the work has to fit around your life. Before we start we agree on hours, which entrance the crew will use, where materials and tools will be kept and which rooms are off limits. Dust is what most people worry about, so we close off the work area with plastic, cover floors on the path in and out and clean up at the end of every day instead of saving it for the end of the job. If you work from home, we can plan the noisiest work for the hours you are out or for the far side of the house.

If a kitchen or the only full bath is part of the work, we plan that item so the room is out of service for as short a time as possible, and you know in advance which days it will be unavailable. On houses built before 1978 we follow lead-safe work practices, which matters even more with kids or pets in the house.

We also keep the house secure. If the crew is working while you are out, we agree on how they get in and how the house is locked up, and pets are kept clear of open doors and tools. At the end of each day the work area is left safe, with nothing sharp or unstable within reach of a child.

Grouping the work so it makes sense

A list of separate repairs gets done faster and with less disruption when it is grouped well. If the plumber is coming for the guest bath, that is the time to replace the shutoff that has been dripping under the kitchen sink. If the walls in one room are being opened, any wiring you wanted moved in that room goes in at the same time. We order the work so trades come once instead of several times.

You also get a single point of contact. Steve holds an unrestricted Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License, runs the job and keeps you updated as each item is finished, so you always know what is done and what is next. If you add something partway through, it goes into a written change with its price before anyone starts on it.

Some items make sense to save for later, and we will say so. If you are planning a kitchen remodel in a couple of years, it may not be worth replacing the kitchen floor now. Spending carefully on the items that matter is part of planning a renovation properly.

What you hear from us as the list gets done

Steve went out on his own after years of working for contractors who lacked communication, and a renovation in an occupied house is where that matters most. You know who is coming each day, what they are working on and when they expect to finish. If a part arrives late or an inspection gets moved, you hear about it the same day.

When the last item on the list is done, we walk the house with you and go through each one. Anything that is not right gets fixed before we call the job finished. You also get a short note on what was done behind the walls, so you know what changed in your house.

See the rest of our remodeling work, or browse the gallery for rooms we have finished.