All Forum Posts by: Bruce Woodruff

Do NOT be afraid to go to good (high-quality) thrift stores. You'd be shocked at what you can find for pennies on the dollar! New sofas for $100. Armchairs for $25, buy some leather and get them recovered - Boom! You can furnish a place for a couple grand. Up grade later if you must!

I have a couple SF buddies. I send them in the back door while I go in the front. Never fails.

No kings in my properties. All queens. Makes the sheet thing easier. We just buy tons of queen size sheets. For a short term stay, who really cares? I personally prefer a King, but when travelling I don't care. And both of our places are in high(er) demand, so no one complains.

A couple questions come to mind.......

a) How are you going to qualify for your license? You will need a provable 4 years at Journeyman level or higher (a licensed contractor of the same category must sign for this)

b) How are you going to pass the test? Sounds like you'll be going for a General Contractors license...? Not easy to get in most states.....

c) If you manage a and b, how are you going to run your first job? You can lose everything as a GC...say you get an average remodel job at $500,000. If you are off by 10%, that's $50,000 out of your pocket. Been there, done that.....

Look before you leap......

Naw, I would never do this. You're going to turn off the best guys. And you DO NOT WANT the best price....ever!

So you're doing this as an Owner/Builder? Why not hire a GC and pay him the 25% to provide his trusted crews...?

What they said.......you should not have paid for work that wasn't 100% complete. And inspected. Every change order should have a) the current contract amount b) the requested changes and c) the new revised contract amount. The CO should also have a line for the extra time this change will cause.

Live and learn. No court will be on your side, and it will cost you more than you will gain.....

I've been a GC for a long time....did Home Inspections for a couple years to supplement income. I would always use an inspector who's actually built something......

Just my .02

What do you mean by 'itemized contractor list' ?

I've been in the biz for 40+ years and have no idea what you're talking about....

SuperHost and Premier Host. Didn't see a single bit of difference from either one to be honest. As was said, it's all about reviews and ratings...which means be hospitable and friendly...and keep your place spotless....!