Outside on the Devon Hill grounds, spring is in full swing. Flowering trees in pink and white look beautiful against the new green grass and spring blooms abound. Inside Whit and Joanne’s condo, renovations are also in full swing.
After the walls came down, parts of the cement floors were jackhammered in order to move plumbing – a large and loud undertaking. New walls have gone up, and the new layout is obvious in a way that it wasn’t when it was just framed out.
This week the bathrooms are being tiled and the new vanity from Restoration Hardware is in place in the master bath. Joanne purchased the vanities, bathroom fixtures and kitchen appliances herself, rather than go through the contractor. It wasn’t so much about saving money (which she did by using her architect sister’s accounts) but rather her perfectionism that requires her to be very particular about her decisions. Boxes have been piled up in the Devon Hill living and dining rooms for months awaiting installation when the time comes.
Many contractors prefer their customers to purchase these items through them, however it is not a requirement, and if your contractor is insistent, then you may want to rethink working with them. Your contract should be very clear about whether it includes labor only, or a materials allowance that includes items you would rather buy yourself.
“ The conventional wisdom is that ‘But it Yourself’ jobs are a royal pain for contractors and should be avoided if at all possible. These days, however — with more clients supplying more and more materials than ever before — remodelers are finding it harder and harder to say “no” to them.”
The importance of being flexible. Click here to read full article.
