Building/Expansion Project Stymied

D

DrCue'sProtege

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
as i stated on another thread, i was hoping to expand my above the garage apartment, the "Fonzie Pad" as my buddies call it. also was hoping the additional 12 feet would give me plenty of room to have the GCIV moved back upstairs.

my builder, the guy who built the place in 1998, and who is usually the least expensive in this area, told me it probably wouldnt be as much as i thought. so, i was anticipating a lower estimate from him, and was thinking of all the other little things i might have done.

however, he calls and it turned out to be much higher than anticipated. if he would have been 5-6 thousand less, i would give him the go-ahead to start in october. if he would have been around three thousand less........well, i would have had to think about it. but at his price i'd says its most likely a no-go.

anyway, you guys out there that know anything about construction, builders, dealing with this sort of thing..........do you think its worthwhile to call him back and tell him that he's close, if he could come down about 10% i might just go ahead? and if so, how do i politely phrase those comments without offending him? or am i just stuck with his bid and thats it?

thanks for any help,
DCP
 
The way I would word it is asking him "What "options" can I forego to come down a little on the price? Right now, that amount is a little out of range in comparison to what I've saved."

That being said, how much did he quote, if I might ask? Somewhere between $70-$100 a square foot for new construction is not out of the question at all. That puts you at a minimum of $56,000.00. You might be better served going another route, and extending a portion of the house that is already there. In my house, I had a back lanai that could have been extended another 200 sq feet, but it turned out that that type of construction would have cost much more than converting the garage.

Good luck,

Russ
 
well, actually, his price is probably not too bad. i am sure if i went to another builder he would be anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 higher. i am just hoping i could get him down a couple of thousand or so, that would certainly be much more doable for me.

i am just looking for that catch-phrase to use on him that might persuade him to come down $1,500 or so.

DCP
 
Russ Chewning said:
The way I would word it is asking him "What "options" can I forego to come down a little on the price? Right now, that amount is a little out of range in comparison to what I've saved."

That being said, how much did he quote, if I might ask? Somewhere between $70-$100 a square foot for new construction is not out of the question at all. That puts you at a minimum of $56,000.00. You might be better served going another route, and extending a portion of the house that is already there. In my house, I had a back lanai that could have been extended another 200 sq feet, but it turned out that that type of construction would have cost much more than converting the garage.

Good luck,

Russ
Click to expand...
I would get some bids from another 2 or 3 builders. If you're going to spend another 50K, it might actually be better to sell your existing place and buy a larger house.
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
as i stated on another thread, i was hoping to expand my above the garage apartment, the "Fonzie Pad" as my buddies call it. also was hoping the additional 12 feet would give me plenty of room to have the GCIV moved back upstairs.

my builder, the guy who built the place in 1998, and who is usually the least expensive in this area, told me it probably wouldnt be as much as i thought. so, i was anticipating a lower estimate from him, and was thinking of all the other little things i might have done.

however, he calls and it turned out to be much higher than anticipated. if he would have been 5-6 thousand less, i would give him the go-ahead to start in october. if he would have been around three thousand less........well, i would have had to think about it. but at his price i'd says its most likely a no-go.

anyway, you guys out there that know anything about construction, builders, dealing with this sort of thing..........do you think its worthwhile to call him back and tell him that he's close, if he could come down about 10% i might just go ahead? and if so, how do i politely phrase those comments without offending him? or am i just stuck with his bid and thats it?

thanks for any help,
DCP
Click to expand...

The advice to get a few more bids is best. When you do this, make absolutely sure that the scope of work is exactly the same as the the first bidder. Have it written down when you present it to the other bidders.

In the meantime, tell the original bidder exactly how you feel about the price. His "market" situation may have changed in your favor since your last conversation. At the same time, if he is a reputable contractor that you fully trust, you might consider offering a slightly higher down payment to get the job started if the price is more within your budget. However, if you do this, make sure you have in writing a start date, (Within two weeks of recieving permit is a good starting point) and duration of the work.

Good luck!
 
guys, all this project is doing is expanding the garage/apartment out by 12 feet. it is currently 30x24, and i'd like to have it 42x24. this gives me a whole lot more room upstairs, gives me a 3rd garage stall, and allows the GCIV to go upstairs if i wish. also would like new carpet, new vinyl floor, bathroom made bigger, new garden/whirlpool tub, separate shower stall, new kitchen countertop, and inside steps.

we arent talking $50,000 here, more like around $26 to $28K. i'd like to have it down to around $22K or so, but i'd settle for $24 to $25K.

DCP
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
we arent talking $50,000 here, more like around $26 to $28K. i'd like to have it down to around $22K or so, but i'd settle for $24 to $25K.

DCP
Click to expand...

If that's the case, there seems to be some negotiating room, because in retrospect, you really aren't that far off from each other.
 
wtf

DCP,
I pm'd you regarding this and got no response. According to your scope,
ditch the garden/ whirlpool, new countertop, and/or a bigger bathroom and
you're well under where you want to be. Start phase two when you have
the money.
 
the only other solution here is to only expand the garage/apartment out by eight (8) feet instead of 12 feet. this should save a few thousand, and does a few things for me.

1) gives me a big storage room/area in the garage
2) gives me enough room upstairs to move the GCIV back upstairs
3) allows me to revert the poolroom back into a garage, and have room for both vehicles

but, as i said, while it will save some, it wont save 33% of the cost. according to my calculations it would save about 20% of the cost. but then again, spending $20,000 is better than spending $25,000.

DCP
 
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