Rehab Scheduling Part II

The next subcontractor is the sheetrock man, who will come in to skim and repair any walls that are in poor condition. I typically schedule him for one week after the electrician and plumber told me that they would be done. He may hang some new sheetrock, or skim areas that are heavily abused. Many of the houses we rehab are in bad shape, and there usually is a good deal of work to be done on the walls. Make sure that absolutely no jacking is going on underneath the house when you reach the sheetrock stage. This jacking can crack the walls and/or ceilings that the sheetrock contractor/plasterer has already fixed. If you are going to replace all the trim and moldings in the house, these will need to be removed prior to the arrival of your sheetrock person. These trim items should be removed by your laborers at the start of the job.

Remember, at this point, rough plumbing, electrical, and outside carpentry are complete. Next, focus on the inside carpentry work. This means replacing doors, putting up new moldings, etc. The goal is to get everything ready to paint. It also should be about time to order your kitchen. I usually try to get my tile work done during this period as well. This would include new tiles in any bathrooms, and tile or wood floors in your kitchen as well. I usually run new flooring wall-to-wall in kitchens, and not to the base cabinets after the new kitchen is installed.

I schedule the painter for one week after the carpenter told me he would be done. If the carpentry is lagging behind, and the painter cannot change their schedule and come back a week later, I get them to start on the outside work first. This buys 3 days for us. After the exterior is completed, the inside is painted. Note that you always want to have in your agreement with the painter that he will come back for touch-up at the end of the job. I specify 16 hours of touchup. (2 guys, one day.) Hold back $200-300 until this is complete. Agree to this hold-back before the painting work starts.

When the painting starts, get an estimate for the amount of time it will take to complete. Usually, accounting for weather and missed days, it takes my painters about 10 days to really complete the job, inside and out. My wood floor contractors need two weeks notice, so I usually call them when the painting starts and line them up for 2 weeks (14 days) ahead.

Wood floors are refinished after painting. This process usually takes 5 days, depending on how quickly the floors dry. Notes on selecting the appropriate stain, and sheen are detailed in my course along with the color that I use to conceal old stains. I now put wood floors in my kitchens, so these are done at this time. My outside landscaping is being done at about this point. I never want to do it too early, because I don't want to have to water the plants for too long.

Next is the kitchen installation. Your kitchen contractor will handle his job for you. Always make sure that you don't have any outlets that will be covered by cabinets, or have a need for more outlets. Your electrician should have taken care of these needs at the start of the job. This is another good reason to meet with your kitchen designer early.

The plumber and electrician come back again at the end of the job. The plumber mounts toilets, sinks, and connects the ice-line in the kitchen, etc. The electrician hangs light fixtures, hooks up the disposal, etc. Your carpenter may also come back for minor items like door knockers, door knobs, and other final items. Finally, the painter comes back for final touch-up. A cleaning crew comes after the painter, and the house is ready for the market.

Note that I do not list or show the house until everything is done. Buyers cannot visualize what your completed product will look like, and you are far better off to wait.

If you follow these steps, I am confident that you will cut a good deal of time off your rehab time, and do more homes each and every year. Your subs will also thank you for building a flexible schedule that allows extra time for the inevitable delays that happen.