It’s stories like this that makes my happy that not only did we build my dads house ourselves. But that everybody in my family inside and outside of immediate are contractors and construction people and we don’t have to deal with worthless contractors
I’ve definitely wished more than once that we had more skill & faith in our own “handy man” capabilities. 😅😅 Although time is another issue for us, unfortunately.
Just got out of an 8,000 sq ft home a couple years ago and couldn’t be happier! The house was only 12 years old, but was one problem after another. It’s not necessarily the $$ to fix/update, etc., it’s finding someone who wants to do the work and can actually complete it!! Best of luck, you guys seem much more patient then I am, fortunately.
Just know, your not the only ones going thru this nightmare right now. We closed on our loan in July of 2021, the house was supposed to built and done by fall of 21. We are still waiting for it to be finished. Apparently contractors only work from 11am to 2pm, if they even show up.
I know how you guys feel. I bought a house 15 years ago that was built in 1963. I'm still working on it. Although I work full time construction and I am doing all the work myself. But the list is just as big today as it was the day I bought the place. Never ends.
We bought a house last year and I have been doing the whole remodel. It takes so much time and the mess motivates my wife and I to get it done. Still gonna take 2 years.
I still love the shower and that mirror! You didn’t show the mirror off enough. Last time I was there the spot where Chris’ door was looked sooo terrible. It’s looking a ton betting now, hopefully contractor number 4 can finish things up. He should know you guys would make for a good recommendation.
I had a friend with a three level house that was about 5,000 square feet on each level. They wanted work done around the property and in the basement level. The contractor who took the job really screwed it up. So she took on the project herself. When it was done it looked like the finest contractor you could ever hire had done the work, and the basement was gorgeous. I hope you finally get someone who has a brain and the skills you are looking for. As you have found out, they are hard to fine.
I worked as a sub contractor through the V A and whenever I would bid on jobs the Vets would always tell me that they would set up dates for the Contractors to show up they never would. I love that shower, no problems with drainage 😁. I hope everything works out great for you guys. ❤❤💯🤙
57th! Its your fault - I thought y'all were still vacationing. Ah, the Joys of Home Ownership! You have one asset that most don't have: Money! At least some. I spite of it all, y'all have a beautiful home, and when its done to your satisfaction it will be a real gem. Brit, what a wonderful rant! You do that so well. Poor Kevin, just smiling away with all the troubles. Welcome back, and Good Bye again! LiteBriteNationBuildsFrustration!
I am an appliance repair technician, I would really recommend avoiding Samsung, LG and GE when purchasing new appliances. Always stick to Bosch for dishwasher, cooktop, oven, range and refrigerator, if you cant find that then just stick to cheaper Whirlpool or Maytag but they wont last as long as Bosch. For washer and dryer stick to Speed Queen (seems like you already have a speed queen dryer) and if you cant find Speed queen then get Bosch. Below as a reply is my full appliance brand list in more detail for major home appliances
Washer & Dryer _________________________ Avoid Samsung and GE and try to stick to top load instead of front load if possible Best to buy in this order: - Speed Queen - Bosch - Whirlpool (cheapest you can get) top load - LG (Lower end unit either front load or top load) Other brands: - Maytag (inside it is the same thing as Whirlpool, it is manufactured by Whirlpool but it just looks nicer and has some extra features people rarely use) - Midea (manufactured by ge) don’t buy - KitchenAid (inside it is also same thing as Whirlpool but much more expensive and looks nicer) - Amana (made by whirlpool) good to buy, just won’t have some extra features Refrigerator _________________________ Avoid bottom freezer refrigerators, stick to side by side and top freezer. Avoid Samsung, LG, GE, Hisense, Haier, Insignia Best to buy in this order: - Sub Zero (very high end and different size than standard refrigerators) - Bosch - Whirlpool (cheapest you can get, because it wont last) - Frigidaire (cheapest you can get, cheapest you can get because it wont last) Other brands: - Maytag (inside it is the same thing as Whirlpool, it is manufactured by Whirlpool but it just looks nicer and has some extra features people rarely use) - Midea (manufactured by ge) don’t buy - KitchenAid (inside it is also same thing as Whirlpool but much more expensive and looks nicer) - Amana (made by whirlpool) good to buy, just won’t have some extra features and some parts are a little worse quality than Whirlpool Dishwasher _________________________ Avoid Samsung, LG, GE, Hisense, Haier, Insignia Best to buy in this order: - Bosch (even if you buy the cheapest one, I think is series 500 it is still the best) - Whirlpool (cheapest you can get, no fancy features unless you really want them) - Frigidaire (cheapest you can get, no fancy features unless you really want them) Other brands: - Hotpoint is ok to buy, it is manufactured by GE but they are much more simple and inexpensive so often can be a good buy - Maytag (inside it is the same thing as Whirlpool, it is manufactured by Whirlpool but it just looks nicer and has some extra features people rarely use) - Midea (manufactured by ge) don’t buy - KitchenAid (inside it is also same thing as Whirlpool but much more expensive and looks nicer) - Amana (made by whirlpool) good to buy, just won’t have some extra features and some parts are a little worse quality than Whirlpool - Miele (great German brand but still would stick to German brand Bosch ) _____________________________ Stove and microwave pretty much just stick to Bosch, Whirlpool, Maytag and Frigidaire. Avoid induction, stick to gas or electric and avoid fancy features like steam in oven and avoid using self clean features in a wall oven as it gets to extreme temperatures and often causes problems with other components due to that extreme temperature
My experience is do what ever you can to be there to oversee the contractor work. I've always been disappointed in the work when I wasn't there to get it corrected in a timely manner before too much was done, or they move on to other commitments.
All this is pretty normal, it happens to all of us. It took me about 3 years to have my house ready to move in. That was about 20 years ago but some things are not done since today, a lot of new "nice little catastrophys" happens since than AND since our kids have been born about12 and 10 years ago these two littel monsters did A LOT of (permanent) chaos... so the bad news is: It never really ends! The good news is: You accept more and more things and stop to get angry... 😀
But, location, location, location! I love that area where you live. It is awesome how the Kolob Fingers appear as you drive west of the freeway, and how those red buttes light up at sunset! And, of course, you are close to so much awesome off-roading and amazing country. Best of luck finishing it off the way you want.
Finding a good contractor is like finding an honest mechanic (you don't need to worry about that), but with the growth in that area and all the new construction the good ones have plenty of work.
Hey kids... that was interesting! I'm a 73 yo tile installer / 40+ years exp., & still love it. I've seen worse per upgrading projects & swapping out contractors. "It happens"... The before & after tile areas not surprising. The new goods? Nice! That shower "mud" floor's pitch not too bad, but the wrong tile goods. I mix m'grout w/ grout calk for those wet areas. It stays longer & flexes w/ thermal changes & time. Never polished marble or glossy finishes on wet surfaces! The new wood looks great too! Chris & Beck has real nice digs up there! The kitchen wall cabinets doors...? I would replace w/clear "water-glass" infields post the distressed white finish structures. But hey, that's just me. As always..., be safe out there & I love the whole Lite Brite Nation thing! America First! 🙂🚙
Yeap, home ownership can be great and a royal pain in the butt at the same time. Seeing Peanut Butter at the end reminded us of our dog Tuffy. He loved to be vacuumed. He would follow Christine around the house while she was vacuuming until she vacuumed him.
I work for a roofing contractor and we show up when we say we will. It’s sad that is the standard to beat, but that’s one of the largest reasons we get the jobs.
Other than the issue with contractor #1 and the bad luck with injuries/family problems of the other 2, you're not doing so bad. The place basically looks nice, no walls falling down, no leaks or mold, and everything is pretty new. Yeah, it is a work in progress but look how long it took to get the Step Child where she is today. Wisking you all the best luck with the remaining work. obtw, when it's installed, that faux beam is going to look rad - go Bec!
She didn't say you couldn't eat crackers Kev !!!! LOL That could've turned into a TMI moment !!!! Welcome to the Wonderful world of Home remodeling !!! Another thing once a home is finished it is time to move !!! Simple fact owning a home is a never ending project but with ownership can come a world of great memories and pride !!!
Glad you finally found a good contractor!!! Hold on to him and treat him well because craftsmanship and pride of work is virtually impossible to find today. Everyone is the best, does perfect work and has 20-years of experience, until they start and you discover that they are clueless, uninsured and 15 outstanding court judgments for crap work in the past! Looking good tho!
Hello:::: Well looks like built big but a little well used. WOW the Master Shower !!!! Love it. The cracks in shower floor will Rot what ever is under it, but you know that. Good luck !
We did a remodel while planning a wedding. Talk about stress. The house was broken into mid remodel all my and brother in law tools were stolen. If you can make it through a remodel you can do anything. 😅
Sorry, guys! My wife and I are dealing with some deferred maintenance problems on our home that we bought less than two years ago. Good luck with your situation!!
Decades ago, we would put an ad in the paper looking for a construction company to take on projects like this. Allow them to bid the job and let them manage the many contractors and the headaches of labor issues. Most of the little contractors have small jobs in mind and they fail to bring enough help to get a project done.
house is looking good,,, hope u guys have a good time on ur trip and have some needed time by urselfs, lov ALL -U-ALL, lov the videos as well keep it up!!!!!
I had issues with contractors who would come out to give me a bid but never talk to me again. They would rather do big jobs for the City or County. My little residential job was too small. It was so frustrating. Your house is very nice. I know you may not like little details but do projects one at a time. Do them room by room rather than texturing the walls in the whole house. I know you think it saves headaches by doing it as a big project, but little projects get done. Big projects prolong the headaches. Thanks for showing around and telling us about the problems you've had. It's not the typical subject matter but it was interesting none the less. Kevin, don't eat in bed dude. 😆
I have been working on my house up here in SL County and still working for my clients the last 6 years. My wife is always asking when I am getting our projects done for our own house🤣
My wife found her dream home before we got married and we bought it and started remodeling. We changed a lot on the house when the school we lived next to wanted our property. We decided to buy 5 acres and MOVE the house. After staying in an RV for 5 months, we finally moved out of the RV and into house. But we only had 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom. We gutted everything else. I’m in construction and we did everything except the electrical. And that’s where we feel you sister. We got bent over so many times by electricians it was painful. Finally made it our home and we love it. House was built in the 40s 22:42
25:08. Y’all are so cool.. I remember your first videos . That summer yall was in Gatlinburg TN we was at Ripleys aquarium Gatlinburg Tennessee on vacation .. Mad ram 11 .. ? I really like the rock bouncer
It will be a beautiful Home! All do time not always in our time frame. It took us well over 20 years to do everything Close to what we want. Can't wait to see when it's all done! I would love to have a shop like yours Just don't have the space or the money lol.
Good luck Welcom to the area and the Usual Problems Of home ownership and the Contractor isues of the area I made a alot fixing Mistakes But Now I can no longer do it, 4 wheeling Accident and other fast living Caught up situation. Again, There are Some great contractors out there. Keep at it you will find your One Go to.
Wicked bummer going through so many contractors . Need to find a RU-vidr that is a contractor, could have done a whole build series on the house , yard and shop !
Too bad my buddy Zach isn’t close to y’all… he’s building out my camper, but I’ve seen his work on home remodels and he does really good stuff. Good luck!
That's why I do all my work by myself. This way, if it fk up, there's no one to blame but me. And I don't fk up. I do it once because I don't like doing it twice. The popcorn wall has to go bye-bye if it is me. I love your shiplap.. that's what I want to do..
You think you have problems checked out the Irritated Travelers channel and the problems they've encountered with a home remodeled. You'll feel better about yours trust me. looking great and being as young as you both are it's just a minor speed bump.
Ya.....My sister bought a "new" place(built in 1999) a couple months ago....and it's hard to find somebody to show up. The quotes are also ridiculously high. Finding good help is hard but once you do make sure you latch onto them 👍
Sorry I was fighting off a 3 year old when I was writing this! I was specifically talking about the bathroom! The steamy showers can become an issue. It’s not a always an issue but we did have to remodel our bathroom because of this issue.
Feel your pain!…We had 1 more than u so far.One did our main roof,2nd tore down then rebuilt Florida room/2 season room addition& it’s metal roof.He had another job he had to do & said he’d come back.3rd took our hinged barn like garage doors off so he could reslab the garage floor,then rehung them crooked(how when the hardware holes were still there.then #4 started the doing windows & never showed back up finally #5 did that work but never came back to rebuild cement slab porch w/stairs & finish the free stack stone retaining wall he started. F it at this point We’re mentally done. All we wanted was a finished home so we can adopt a German Shepherd rescue. Good luck fingers crossed for you 🤞🏻
It sounds like you guys had more than your share of mishaps and unlucky contracts and purchases, but it also sounds like you guys are winning and getting closer to the light at the end of the tunnel. It's really crazy to have to live in a construction site for a year. But then again it sounds like you guys were well prepared for it after living on the road, and in some ways your continued travel is a nice break from the work. A lot of contracters today have a "good enough" attitude and for a surprising amount of people, they get away with that lower standard. But you definitely have a nice house, and you were getting minimum wage apartment complex maintenance guy quality work with contracter number 1. I am not even in the business and have done far better work under less suitable conditions. I like the Ikea closet. It doesn't look cheap, it looks nice and functional. Personally I like Ikea stuff. The shower grade can be fixed, it's puzzling why they did that. Were they too lazy to bring up two more buckets of mix? Something went wrong there, and they decided to just hide it and do it that way. Even at an angle, grout shouldn't fail like that, so not sure what happened there, but I'm betting the foundation underneath that area is flexible and not well footed and supported. You might need to dig all that out and start over with somebody who knows how to prep a material floor. Or, just caulk the heck out of the cracks with a good flexible adhesive caulk, use your wooden stand, and call it good enough for now. I like it. It's better than MY shower. But yeah, that is disappointing. It's easier to do stuff right the first time than try to fix it later, and cheaper too. But you definitely need to caulk and grout the cracks and gaps before you get corruption underneath those areas. Databyter
I live in the Phoenix Arizona area and like you have had all kinds of sketchy contractors, it took us four years to get our work done and a dozen contractors all for the same job of landscaping in our back yard. Contractors have gotten really bad, it’s like they don’t want to work. Some show up for a day or two and then just never come back. Others you make appointments with and they never show, others just do shitty work and want to be payed for it and then you have to try to find someone else to redo what they screwed up. It’s awful and I’m glad we are done with it. Thanks for the update on your house, I feel for you and know what your talking about because I went through the same shit. Love you guys!
Oh the joys of homeownership. It seems like it’s always a pain to find and keep a contractor. Hopefully #4 is the charm?… Liking the improvement though and wishing y’all the best with the next projects. P.S. I like the RV slots in the back. I can charge my Rivian at one of those spots. 😁
No idea if you guys will actually ever read this but if so I’d love to hear where you got the tile on the walls in your master bathroom shower bc I’m fixing to remodel my bathroom and love that tile.
I understand where you guys are coming from, me and my dad live in Virginia Beach in a homeowners association and they are making us move are fence in 5ft, as it backs up to the road, we have lived here for the past 23 years, we moved here in May of 2000 and I was just learning how to walk, although I hate the homeowners association we have such awesome neighbors that are like family to us, and it would be very hard to move.
We can all relate…I’ve been trying to give a year’s salary to a concrete contractor to have a 400’ driveway and lift pad installed and can’t get anybody to show up for quotes!
Probably the worst time ever to try to remodel. Between the huge glut of work dumped on contractors because everyone on earth is remodeling for some reason right now and have been all thru the corona virus bullshit, then lack of ability to get certain materials, extreme over price of materials, people not wanting to work because they have been getting free money to do nothing for a few years, lack of qualified people to do the work again due to volume...it is just a real nightmare. I am not a general contractor, I am a subcontractor and design and install cabinet packages. I have been doing this for 26 years and have never seen so many hacks calling themselves "contractors" going around taking on way too much work then just running in circles trying to put out fires when they realize there is no way to do it all or stick to any kind of reasonable timeline. even the GOOD contractors that I deal with are struggling keeping to any kind of reasonable timeline . In my particular business it isn't too bad especially now, we are able to supply the cabinets on time and get the installs done but I have been hearing peoples nightmare storys for the past couple of years and feel for them, I have had a couple clients who I honestly think have PTSD because of their remodel experiences no joke, like when its time to put in cabinets they are so on edge and ready to just rip my head off for anything. I am extremely reliable but things do happen and sometimes I cant make it at the time or day we plan on and I'll tell ya I have never experienced such extreme disrespect and craziness as I have from people lately if ANYTHING goes wrong. by the end of it I am always told I am the most reliable and easy to work with person they have dealt with on the entire project but I have been off to some rough starts with very angry people who are just fuckin done with it. Keep that in mind people , if you go thru a slow/bad remodel, when you get to the end and are dealing with people who have not done anything wrong try to find it in you to give them a chance and not immediately be an absolute tyrant and or arrogant piece of shit. we aren't all bad and its best not to run off those who will actually do good things for you. I do get it though which is why I am very patient and spend extra time talking to people , follow up to texts and emails as soon as I possibly can, let them know if I am running even like 10 minutes late ect because some of these folks have been thru it. I am feeling burnt out though, just tired of the tight timelines and impatient people , by the time I get to them they are just fuckin done. it is stressful and miserable to work like that and I am getting to the point of just being fuckin done and wanting to take like a year off.
Smiling! The same story anywhere you go. Contractors will leave your little job hanging to do a bigger one if it makes them more money. I have called up to 5 contractors to give me a bid on a basement pour and none that said they would come out, came, didn't answer the phones when I called. Couldn't get the basement dug anyway no one showed up for that either. I just sold the land and bought a house. I used to do it all myself but now days at 72 don't have the get up and go to do it.
It's weird that ikea wouldn't deliver some things. My grandparents just got closet stuff for their new addition from them, and ikea delivered it all. I know they had 4 shelving system things to put in that ranged from 8 to 11 feet. Up until a couple weeks ago I didn't even know ikea delivered because we were planning on using my truck to take them to my grandparents place.
So, in some places in the US, there is an appraisal scam. If they charge to come look, and also if they want upfront payment before they even show up on the first day. You might be getting scammed. A way to save yourself from scammers, is to tell them to make a list of materials they need to do the job. You order it and pay for it. They just show up and do the work. You only pay them hourly for the work. You also work out an expectation aka markers they need to meet. If the work is really intensive, have phases inspected by a private inspector. You can actually save a lot of money and headache this way.
What a frustrating nightmare! Home renovations are stressful even when things go to plan! In the end, you’ll be able to sigh with relief and enjoy the finished product! 😉
My wife and I worked a couple of years ago with a "reputable" contractor in our area of Georgia who was doing a whole house renovation for us. What we learned was he rarely came to the job site, and instead liked to go fishing. He typically left the job site in charge of his #2 guy who had the mindset that close enough is good enough. Whenever we'd point out mistakes or things that were not completed to our expectations they'd get mad and tell us they were the experts. Toward the end of the project, I told the contractor I didn't want his #2 guy to return to the job site due to consistent problems with his work. Mind you, this was all going on with my wife overseeing the project while living in an RV out back. Ultimately the project was completed mostly to our standards, but we still question how much of our money actually went into the finished product and how much just went into the pockets of the contractor and the employees. We learned contactors need to be under constant scrutiny to make sure they doing quality work and aren't hiding mistakes. You have to let them know you're paying attention and will call them out if you notice something isn't right. Good luck completing your renovation.
I've built two houses over the past 25 years. Each was a learning experience. Luckily I have friends that are in the building trades, so if there was a task I didn't know how to do, they did and it cost me a meal and some beer, or trade in labor. First house was 1800 sq/ft, 3 bedroom, 2-1/2 baths. All in for materials, permits and labor I had to use due to licensing was under $80k. Hardwood floors, ceramic floor tiles and tub surround. Mid priced appliances with gas forced air heating and AC. Second house was 2200 sq/ft, 4 bedroom, 3 bath. Budget was $125k. Spent too much on the kitchen between cabinets, appliances and quartz counter tops. My builds have all been homes I planned on living in for a life time, but demographics change, government uses eminent domain to steal land you thought was in the middle of no where. No way would I purchase in a HOA. Using a high end long established builder doesn't insure a good outcome. See too many builders go toes up. Get to know someone in the back office of a local lumber yard and pick their brain for who they would use and who pays their bills on time. Anyone with suspect payment history, stay away from. The same goes for the local plumbing supply and electrical supply house.
