All Forum Posts by: Colin L.

 A triplex in north park for 550k is a steal!

 i feel like i've had this exact conversation w/ clients!  looking forward to see how this turns out.  care to share any of the numbers behind the deal?

Hey Vincent,

It sounds like an exciting project.  I work in Coronado so I'd be happy to sit down over coffee and walk you through the steps involved.  

Regards,

Colin

congrats on diving in and getting started.  i'm hoping to travel down the same path as you.  how did you fund your first project? 

i agree with everyone here, drought resistant landscaping can add a lot of curb appeal.  check houzz or pinterest for ideas.  i'm no expert but my understanding is that new sod requires a lot of water, so if you go that route definitely check w/ your city and see what is allowed under the new water restrictions. 

here are a few options: 

-check that all wall penetrations and gaps have been properly sealed, including outlets and other electrical boxes.  this is probably the cheapest and most likely to get results.  i can't remember where i read this but a 1" x 1" hole in a wall is the same as having no wall, acoustically speaking.

-add fan or ac for white noise and ventilation while windows are closed.

more expensive measures:

-if there is no wall insulation, insulate walls with fiberglass batt.

-add 2nd layer of drywall over existing drywall.

-new windows.  depending on what type of windows you currently have, you do not necessarily need to buy "soundproof" windows to decrease outside sounds. if the existing windows are old or single pane, upgrading to your standard home depot vinyl will be an improvement.

On one hand its impossible to give an accurate bid without a full set of plans and spec's and that's part of why he is being coy with his estimates.  On the other hand his general attitude and lack of transparency throws up a lot of red flags for me.  What does your architect say?  I'm assuming he brought the guy into the fold (but maybe not).  If you trust your architect, his thoughts on the contractor should help you decide.  If I was your architect and this contractor was my buddy I would still tell you that if you are concerned about getting the best price, you should have this guy and 2 others competitively bid the job.  In the future, it would be best to be clear that this is your intention from the start.  In my experience, the contractors who we have the most success with have no problem being 100% transparent, and usually have no problem when the client wants to use a specific sub to save money (although we discourage this as it often leads to issues for the client).  

welcome!

Hi David,  congrats on the site, it sounds like a great project.  In regards to finding an architect, I would recommend researching and selecting a few that are experienced in similar projects and you like their style.  Bonus points if they are local, as they will be able to work through the permitting process more easily than someone that has not worked in your area. Narrow it down to a few and meet with them, bring a list of questions, and there is no reason that they would overcharge you or not take you seriously.  Let them know you are looking at several options (same for when you are looking at builders) and this will help you get the best price.  

$30k-60k for construction costs seems crazy low.  most builders i see on bp quote around $100-120 SF.