[00:00:00] Eric Goranson: It's around the house and we're talking about building codes and rules and that kind of stuff and one of the things exterior wise it really gets people tied up and it's something that's pretty common out there are those easements on your property now what that easement is you might own a a quarter acre lot and you know where those boundaries are but you could have a gas utility roadway there's a ton of different easements where they say hey you own this land you could Can't build in this area.

[00:00:33] Eric Goranson: And it's a great example. My little brother lives on the Eastern side of the U S I'm of course out here in the Portland, Oregon area. And we were talking and building code in my area says that as a certain size shed, I can build that and put it around my property. As long as it's three feet off a property line and there's other rules and regulations and stuff like that, but it's something I don't need a permit for to put a shed on well in my brother's township [00:01:00] over there on the East coast.

[00:01:01] Eric Goranson: He has a completely different thing. He needs to have a zoning thing, basically a zoning permit for him to put that shed on his property. When it comes to remodeling and renovating your home, there is a lot to know, but we've got you covered. This is Around the House. Around the House show is brought to you by Pyramid Heating and Cooling.

[00:01:22] Eric Goranson: Serving in Oregon, the Portland metro area, and Bend, Oregon, they are your one stop shop for heating and cooling and indoor air quality. To find out more, head to pyramidheating. com. Roommate heating.com Oregon CCB 5 9 3 8 2 and Baldwin Hardware. For over 75 years, Baldwin Hardware has been supplying luxury door and cabinetry hardware for that person that is looking for bold, handcrafted quality for their distinguished home.

[00:01:48] Eric Goranson: To find out more information, visit Baldwin hardware dot. Welcome to the around the house show. The next generation of home improvement. I'm Eric G. Thanks for joining me today. We have got a great [00:02:00] set of shows for you today. Hope you everybody's having a great father's day weekend out there this weekend.

[00:02:05] Eric Goranson: Thanks for joining me. And we're going to talk a lot about some projects coming up here, but first. I want to make sure that you know how to get ahold of us head over to around the house online. com, or you can give us a call here in the studio at 833 239 4144. That number again is 833 239 4144. Now, if you don't want to come on the show, that's okay.

[00:02:27] Eric Goranson: You can also send me a message over there at around the house online. com. And we've got so many videos over there as well. It doesn't matter what you're trying to tackle out there. I probably have a video showing you how to do it. Cause we've got over 400 of them cruising our way towards 500 over on the around the house, Northwest playlist.

[00:02:46] Eric Goranson: And we've got that link over there at around the house online. com. So we've got so many things there from interviews to test it's where we test out cheap products on Amazon. To of course, those big projects and show you how to tackle it from start to [00:03:00] finish. Well, talking about tackling projects today, we're going to talk about how to tackle major projects from planning to finishing touches.

[00:03:07] Eric Goranson: And the best way to do this, like how a contractor would. So if this is your first project or you're trying to fine tune your processes, this is how we do it. Now, the big thing here is no matter if it's a big one or a small one, create a plan. And this is basically your blueprint. You're driving directions for this project from start to finish.

[00:03:31] Eric Goranson: And this is going to help you on a lot of things. One, it's going to help you create a budget. It's going to help you answer the material questions of what you need and all of that, including following up on some other stuff. And we'll get into that here. So what I want you to do is create, start from the finished product project of it.

[00:03:49] Eric Goranson: So what do you want this to look like at the very end? Is this a bathroom model? Is this a kitchen remodel kind of write down on a notepad? Okay. What do I want? I want new countertops. I want new fixtures. [00:04:00] I want this. I want to upgrade this. I want to do that. So create a picture and hack, go over to Pinterest, grab the pictures of the stuff you like and create this.

[00:04:09] Eric Goranson: And this doesn't matter here, guys, if this is going to be. A DIY project, or if you're hiring a contractor, the same rules apply. So create your own Pinterest is easy because it's free. You can go over there, create your account, create a, a folder or an album, jump in there and start grabbing those pictures of what you like.

[00:04:27] Eric Goranson: Then you can start working that backwards. So I want you to start with that finished project, what you want it to look like, and then start working your way backwards. Okay. If I want to do this. Here's what I'm going to have to do. And then start creating a list of the steps that you have to make for each piece.

[00:04:43] Eric Goranson: And that's really the way to start doing this. Now, if you're having a contractor, it's not so much about the steps. Then you're going to want to go figure out what these material costs are going to be. So you can get an idea to see if it's even in the budget before you call that contractor, because here's the [00:05:00] thing you might go, oh my gosh, I've got to have this toilet.

[00:05:03] Eric Goranson: It's automatic. It's a bidet. It's everything I want it to be. And then you look at it and go, Oh, it's 6, 000. I can't afford a 6, 000 toilet. Then you need to work back and see, okay, what can I afford? Maybe it's a 500 Toto bidet toilet seat. Got it. Maybe it's not the 6, 000 toilet. So these are things that you can work through and go, wow, okay, that's more than I want.

[00:05:27] Eric Goranson: Instead of going through a month of questions and answers with a contractor and them getting you the numbers and you going, oh, wow, I over got on my skis on this. I don't want to do this. So that's where that really helps out. So by figuring that out as an overview, as part of this plan, this is what you need to figure out.

[00:05:46] Eric Goranson: You need to figure out the scope of work. You're going to want some drawings of what you've got going on. Maybe you're building a deck. You're going to have to draw it out to figure out what you've got going. You're going to have to figure out what code requirements are. What do you need a building permit for?[00:06:00]

[00:06:00] Eric Goranson: And what are you going to be forced to upgrade along the way? And what I mean by that is you think, Oh, it's no big deal. I'm going to be replacing my kitchen cabinets and putting a new sink in and new countertops and just doing this. Technically at that point, you need to pull a building permit because if you need a vent hood in that kitchen, many homes that were built before code changed, they have a recycling vent hood or not even one at all.

[00:06:25] Eric Goranson: And in most areas, a vent hood that exhausts to the exterior of the building is a requirement of current code. So you'd have to upgrade that. And then many times that kitchen has got receptacles that go behind the countertop, they're tied into the lights, that needs to be a GFCI circuit on all the countertops, not only to what's next to the water, but all of them.

[00:06:43] Eric Goranson: And then those lights need to be on a separate circuit. So by the time you go in and fix the dedicated circuit, so your refrigerator, your dishwasher, your garbage disposal, your microwave, all these things need to be on separate circuits, you can add 3, 4, 5 circuits to a kitchen. [00:07:00] And so that's part of that remodel costs that you need to take into account.

[00:07:04] Eric Goranson: And those are all things that you want to take care of as you're doing it. Maybe you get into it and you go, Oh, wow, I know this house has galvanized pipe. While I'm in there, I better get as much of that out of the wall since I've got this open. So those while you're at it are important to tackle while you're tackling that projects.

[00:07:20] Eric Goranson: And then of course, can it be done? Hey, I want to do a, I want to build a deck out the back and you're like, Oh, wow. I can't do it like this because building code won't let me do it that way. Or, Oh, wow. I've got an ease, but right here, I can't put the deck over there, or I got a septic tank. Can you actually do what you're going to do now?

[00:07:38] Eric Goranson: You can sometimes cover up that lid of the septic tank, and I've seen people successfully do this, but they have to leave a access cover in the deck where you can remove that and get in there and have access to that. So you never want to really put it over the drain field needs to be out there. And you don't want to actually build over the top of that.

[00:07:54] Eric Goranson: That's going to cause other issues. But that's one of those things that you can really take a look and figure out [00:08:00] on your own. But this is all part of that planning process, what you can do, what you can't do. And then of course your budget and your schedule. Do you have a hard date that you're trying to have this done?

[00:08:11] Eric Goranson: Hey, my, my kid's wedding's going to be here in September. Can you get this project done in time? That's always a key right now. I've got a big event over at my house here. Father's day weekend. Was I going to install all my cabinets and stuff for my outdoor kitchen? No, because I'm going to be doing other stuff out there.

[00:08:28] Eric Goranson: So that outdoor kitchen project is on pause until I get that knocked out. Cause I want to get through the party and not have that completely under construction. Is it prep for it? Sure. But is it going to be a construction zone while I'm cooking pizzas in the pizza oven? No, it's not just because I don't want to have that whole thing tore up for a big party.

[00:08:46] Eric Goranson: So What are you doing around those events and how is that going to change your lifestyle and how you're doing it? And then sometimes you've got to have engineering done if you're to pull a building permit You're changing exterior walls or you're or [00:09:00] building a deck and you're cantilevering it or you're hooking a deck Into something that's already got a 6 10 12 2 foot cantilever on it.

[00:09:07] Eric Goranson: That could be a problem It might need to be freestanding. So these are all things I want you to take a look at Because this is where these things can really go sideways. You start going and somebody goes, Hey, by the way, you can't do that. Oh, and in most cases, when you get over 30 inches high, you've got to have a permit pulled for that.

[00:09:25] Eric Goranson: And it really depends on where you're located. When we come back, we're going to talk about that. Kind of what the rules are. And how different they can be across the US for these kind of projects. We'll do that just as soon as around the house returns. Don't go anywhere. If you wanna find out more about us, head over to around the house online.com.

[00:09:41] Eric Goranson: We'll be right back.

[00:09:46] Eric Goranson: Should I?[00:10:00]

[00:10:13] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to around the house show. The next generation of home improvement. Hey, if you want to find out more about us, head over to around the house, online. com. You can find out so much over there. And if you're listening to us here. In, uh, June and early July here on this radio show or podcast is father's day weekend.

[00:10:30] Eric Goranson: But if you're catching the show later on the podcast, we are doing a giveaway over there. And if it's still going, it'll be up on the website. We are giving away a awesome generator. You need to check out. And that goes through July 3rd, 2024. If you're hearing after that, sorry, guys. You're missing it, uh, but you want to check that out.

[00:10:47] Eric Goranson: Now here's the thing. If you want to give us a call in the studio, 8 3 3 2 3 9 41 44. And that number again is 8 3 3 2 3 9 41 44. If you're listening on the radio, that's awesome. We do have our podcast, which [00:11:00] has more content during the week than what you're going to hear on the radio and just look for around the house.

[00:11:05] Eric Goranson: Online and you can go over and find it over there as well as our premium content where we're getting ready to, if you want to hear the show early, you can catch it over there. And then we're going to have some here in the next month or two, we're going to have some really great premium episodes for you to check it out.

[00:11:19] Eric Goranson: And it'll be for members only that you can hear. And that has some other benefits as well, as far as me helping you with projects. As far as consulting and that kind of thing, if you're trying to tackle those projects. So check out our premium membership and around the house online. com. We've been talking today about how to tackle major projects from plannishing planning to finishing those projects.

[00:11:38] Eric Goranson: And we were talking about building codes and rules and that kind of stuff. And one of the things exterior wise, it really gets people tied up and it's something that's pretty common out there. Are those easements on your property? Now, what that easement is, you might own a quarter acre lot and you know where those boundaries are, but you could have a gas utility [00:12:00] roadway.

[00:12:00] Eric Goranson: There's a ton of different easements where they say, Hey, you own this land. You can't build in this area. And it's a great example. My little brother lives on the Eastern side of the U S I'm of course out here in the Portland, Oregon area. And we were talking and building code in my area says that as a certain size shed.

[00:12:19] Eric Goranson: I can build that and put it around my property as long as it's three feet off a property line. And there's other rules and regulations and stuff like that. But it's something I don't need a permit for to put a shed on. Well, in my brother's township over there on the East coast, he has a completely different thing.

[00:12:36] Eric Goranson: He needs to have a zoning thing, basically a zoning permit for him to put that shed on his property. And then of course he just figured out that he had about a 30 foot utility easement across the back of his property. So of course he couldn't put it on that, which was going to put his shed in the middle of his backyard, which was not something that he was too excited about.

[00:12:57] Eric Goranson: So we ended up going around and figuring out what the rules and [00:13:00] regulations are and figured out that there was on one side of the property, he could put it. The other side had another drain drainage easement there where they had a below grade drainage line that they need to have access there. So we found a suitable place for it.

[00:13:12] Eric Goranson: But it completely changed his shed location. And even though he was going to put it right next to his neighbor's shed that was grandfathered in, he of course, didn't have that opportunity. So these are those things that you need to figure out just because your neighbor could do it. Doesn't mean that you can do it.

[00:13:28] Eric Goranson: And that could be a deck. It could be anything else. It could be a fence. All those things are, there's some big rules with that. Fencing is huge. I was looking around when I did my front fence and that's where the troubles arise because many times you can only do a three foot or a four foot high fence in some areas.

[00:13:44] Eric Goranson: I was that way, but then I figured out when I talked to the city because I lived on a little more busy road, I could put a six foot fence in, but I had to stay 10 feet back from the property line, no permit needed. And that's exactly what I did. I just made sure I knew where the pins were and measured back and it worked out [00:14:00] really well.

[00:14:00] Eric Goranson: So dive into those details. They can really change your thought process of the design and help you get through it. And that way, you know, that, uh, you're into it without having to do something twice. Cause that can be super expensive if you have to do this over. And the same thing goes with engineering.

[00:14:16] Eric Goranson: Make sure that early on, if you've got a plan, you got something drawn out and you have to have engineering, get that done early. So you understand what the scope is because that's going to drive the price. They might come back and say, Whoa, you've got to change this and this. You need to know this before you hire that contractor or before you get into that budget cycle of you trying to figure out how to do it, that engineering is going to be key.

[00:14:36] Eric Goranson: And usually when there's engineering, almost always there's a building permit associated with it that you need to keep track of. So make sure you know all those things and that'll save you a lot of headaches down the road because here's the thing. When it comes to permits and stuff, people go, oh, it's my property, I'm going to do it my way.

[00:14:52] Eric Goranson: I get where you're coming from there. But the problem is that I've seen way too many people come back and red tag because they didn't do the right permits on [00:15:00] that stuff. And they can get you on decks from satellites. They can get I'm not allowing them in my backyard. Guess what? They can jump on a satellite and take a picture and see what your house looked like four years ago and see what you did now and see that you added on this big, huge, massive thing out back.

[00:15:13] Eric Goranson: And then they can nail you on it. Cause they know exactly when you did it going off Google maps guys. So that's one of those things you got to be careful with. It's hard to get away with doing additions and buildings and stuff like that, that you're seeing out there and getting nailed on that. So something to consider.

[00:15:30] Eric Goranson: All right, here's where I want to get into some of the bigger details. Does it make sense to even tackle the project? Now, sometimes you'll go, Hey, I want to do this. But I want you to take a holistic look at the project and say, do I need to get my money back on this? Are you doing this for you? And this is going to be the house that you're going to die in.

[00:15:49] Eric Goranson: And you don't care what the value is, or are you doing a project because you're going to do it and you want to see that value in five years because you're going to sell it. So [00:16:00] these are things to consider in sometimes those projects that you spend big money on, don't give you the, that value back at the end.

[00:16:08] Eric Goranson: Kitchens and bathrooms can be deceiving like, Oh yeah, I'm going to get all this money back. If you don't do it right, you might only get 30 or 40 percent of that money back. If you do it right, you could get a lot more. And really the only projects that are pretty good at giving you all your money back pretty quickly.

[00:16:28] Eric Goranson: We're going to be curb appeal, like a new garage door, a new front door, front sighting, landscaping out front. Uh, or the other one is some of the home improvement ones that deal with energy, like insulation or, or a heat pump, water heater, some little things like that. Those energy efficiency ones that save you a ton of money right off the bat can give you money back.

[00:16:47] Eric Goranson: But many times that a hundred thousand dollar bill for doing some new windows and sighting. And maybe starting on a roof project, you might not get all that back. So these are things that I want you to take a look at [00:17:00] with that. And then the next one on this, is it going to add the value where you want it to?

[00:17:04] Eric Goranson: That's up to you and your project. So make sure that this fits the house and the neighborhood. So it's not out of place. I've seen people take Old farmhouses and put an Italian contemporary kitchen in it. And you walk in, you're like, Oh, this is a beautiful, wow. That looks straight out of Milan. And that can be really distracting to buyers out there that are looking for the old farmhouse that want that old farmhouse kitchen.

[00:17:30] Eric Goranson: So if you're doing it for you, God, love it. Go enjoy it. Do what you want to do. Let your kids figure it out. When you're off and gone, let them put the house up for sale or whoever does and enjoy it. But these are things I really want you to think about when you're tackling these kinds of projects. Does it make sense to do this?

[00:17:48] Eric Goranson: Is this something that you're going to do that's going to make sense? Is this going to be something that's going to give you money back? Make sure that doing it from start to finish makes sense for your budget and for the value of your home. And that way you can make some better decisions [00:18:00] going forward.

[00:18:01] Eric Goranson: So that's a big one. Now we come back, we're going to talk about some of these different types of projects and where they make sense and where they don't, and where maybe you need to start over. Sometimes that can be a hard pill to swallow, but it can help you in the long term. If you wanna find out more about me, head over to around the house online.com.

[00:18:19] Eric Goranson: That's where the show is, and you can catch everything over there and as well as message us with your questions or comments. Round the house, be right back. Don't go anywhere[00:19:00]

[00:19:12] Eric Goranson: to the around the house. Show the next generation of home improvement. Want to thank you all catching us on the national radio show and talk media network, Aaron, across the country. I think we're in five time zones now. I appreciate all of you tuning in. If you want to find out more about us, or if you've got questions that you think we haven't covered, I always like suggestions head over to around the house, online.

[00:19:32] Eric Goranson: com. And of course, all you. Checking it out, streaming or on the podcast. I appreciate every single one of you tuning in, share up the show on however, you're listening to it. That's how we help more people out there and help them with those home improvement questions, and hopefully we can save them some money along the way.

[00:19:49] Eric Goranson: Today, we've been talking about how to tackle those major projects from planning to finishing touches. The whole thing from start to finish. And I hope this is going to be something that really helps you tackle that summer project that you're getting, [00:20:00] whether it's inside or outside, or if it's a small one or just a major remodel, hope this helps you get along the way.

[00:20:06] Eric Goranson: And here's one that we had a couple of requests on, and I appreciate you guys send a request in for these kinds of things. What is the difference between tackling an old house project and tackling something that's like on a mobile home or a manufactured home? And here's where the difference goes.

[00:20:23] Eric Goranson: Working on an old home, as long as it's structurally sound, you're gonna Tackle that project. And it's really not that big a deal, but where it gets interesting is when you get before the 1980 on manufactured housing, because before you get into the, probably in the early nineties is when you started to see manufactured housing companies across the U S start to standardize things and really change over from what you would see in RVs into Materials that were typically used in building regular homes.

[00:20:53] Eric Goranson: And instead of going from the weird plastic pipes and the RV products and all of that, they really changed [00:21:00] over. And that's where it starts to make sense. So if you're into that 1980 and before sometimes remodeling, those don't make a lot of sense. And it's, you're not going to get that extra value out of it.

[00:21:12] Eric Goranson: If you've got. Now there are exceptions to that. There are plenty of exceptions that if you've got a view property and it's grandfathered in as a manufactured home and you can't replace it, totally get it. There are exceptions to this, but generally speaking, if you've got that nine seventies single wide and you want to go drop 60, 000 into it, you might not get that back.

[00:21:35] Eric Goranson: And so that's something that I really want you to consider in. Sometimes these things get expensive. If you're going to do an average kitchen remodel out there. And let's say that's 66, 000 across the U S here's where that doesn't make sense. If you're going to do that on a single wide from 1972, probably not going to get that money back unless you're in one of these exceptions.

[00:21:53] Eric Goranson: So this is where that kind of stuff makes sense. You might be better if you can get rid of that, [00:22:00] move in a brand new manufactured home for a couple hundred thousand dollars. And have something that's put on a foundation and all of a sudden that home these days can be treated like a regular prefabricated home that goes on your site.

[00:22:14] Eric Goranson: So now all of a sudden, instead of depreciating like a manufactured home of old, you can now have a project that appreciates like a regular home does. So that's where you can start to look at it. And there's some hefty things to consider there, zoning, all that other stuff. But anytime that you're starting to spend money on a project that it's not going to make sense financially, that's where you start to take a look at it.

[00:22:37] Eric Goranson: Might be time to save up and do that and swap those two out. And it can be done pretty quickly in many cases. You're only a week or two out there. I've seen where they come in, you move out of the place, they disconnect everything, drag it out, come in. Or what I've seen them do too, is they'll put it right next to it, but they'll put a foundation right there.

[00:22:57] Eric Goranson: They'll get you going. They'll get that. They'll get it moved in close to [00:23:00] it. If you got a little piece of property, you can do this. If you're in a park or something like that, different story, but there's ways to work around it and talk to your manufactured housing dealer to see if they have something that they can do to help you out in that situation.

[00:23:12] Eric Goranson: It could be. More cost effective and give you a better investment down the road and get that thing going down the road. Because a lot of times when you've got those extra thin walls, the metal roof and the metal walls on the outside, it's like dealing with an old RV and it's just not cost effective to spend a ton of money on it.

[00:23:31] Eric Goranson: So one of those things to take a look at and what makes more sense for your value. And that's the key. So now if you're going to be tackling these big projects, let's get back onto the project side of things here. If you're going to be getting bids, and this is one of the things that this is not a DIY project.

[00:23:48] Eric Goranson: So for this, if you're going to be hiring contractor, and let's say it's a kitchen project, for instance, if you're going to be remodeling a kitchen here, this is where I would want to have already gone through, designed my [00:24:00] kitchen, met with the Kitchen designer, a certified kitchen and bath designer, a certified kitchen designer, NKBA certified is who I recommend for kitchen and bath design.

[00:24:08] Eric Goranson: They are the experts out there. They're certified through the national kitchen and bath association. And that's where you know that they've passed basically an eight hour test of the basics of design, and they've had the experience to do it. Where I don't recommend many times is going into the home center.

[00:24:22] Eric Goranson: Cause that could be really hit and miss and it's really tough. So unless you're going to be financing those cabinets through the home center on their credit card, you're probably going to be better off going to a kitchen about dealer. You'll get a similar price and you're going to have somebody that's probably more.

[00:24:41] Eric Goranson: They've got a lot more experience doing this and are really good at laying that design out. So figure out who you're going to work with, get that design done so you can start to figure out what those things are. And then you can start working on the contractor. Now it's okay to bring the contractor in early, but really that contractor [00:25:00] until they have a design that they're based off really can't give you numbers because they don't know what they're putting in.

[00:25:04] Eric Goranson: So having that design done and working with a designer, That can get that done for you is a key. And so that designer also has to work with that contractor. So you can talk to both teams and say, okay, can you guys work together? Many times the contractor has a few designers that they work with that have a great relationship and vice versa.

[00:25:24] Eric Goranson: So talk to your friends and family. That's one of the best places you can go. Is talk to them. If you've got a best friend or a neighbor that had a great experience on a country model, talk to them. Same thing goes for decks. If you are not able to build a deck, check around, talk to your friends, who did the work for them.

[00:25:41] Eric Goranson: And then a couple of other places I would do for exterior project, like decks and stuff, go down and talk to your favorite lumberyard. Talk to the guys there and ladies, of course, talk to all those people, see who they recommend, because you know something, when things go sideways, they know about it. And so.

[00:25:58] Eric Goranson: It'll be one of those things where you go down there and they go, [00:26:00] Oh, talk to Carol over at blah, blah, blah. She'll get you taken care of there. They do amazing work. They know who the easy people to work with and who has the happiest customers. So talk to them. That's another great place. And of course, no matter what you do.

[00:26:13] Eric Goranson: If you're hiring somebody out there, make sure they're licensed, bonded, and insured. And I don't care if your area says we don't do contractor license. There are a few places left in the country that are still this way. So if they're not licensed, they don't have to be in their area. Make sure they have that insurance and that bond.

[00:26:31] Eric Goranson: And we've talked about on the show a lot, but I want to make sure that you are covered and that if they flake out, I was just commenting on a social media post. Today where somebody hired a roofer to come out and do this roofing project. And, oh my gosh, there was no attention to detail. They took the, the basic roofing and that was a, let's call it an architectural style roof, so it's not a three tab, but it's an architectural tabbed roof system.

[00:26:58] Eric Goranson: They went down and put it way [00:27:00] down into the flat. The flashings were horrible. They didn't know what they were doing. They did a hot mess. That whole thing's going to probably have to get ripped off and redone. Otherwise the flashing job up against the side of the house, look like it was done by children.

[00:27:13] Eric Goranson: But where I'm getting at is that you need to find the right people for the job. Now, if you have a product that's being installed, like roofing or HVAC, Or even decking, take a look online at the manufacturer that you want to use and make sure that you see and see if they've got some kind of a certification or some kind of a training.

[00:27:33] Eric Goranson: Many times roofing, for instance, they have their own certifications or training for roofers. And I think the manufacturer's websites are a great place to find it because That means that they've been through some level of training and they know the product. And I think that's a key right there, especially with some of these more technical trades.

[00:27:54] Eric Goranson: Roofing is one of them. Shingles and stuff can be put on the wrong spot. They can be put on incorrectly. They can be [00:28:00] nailed off correctly. And as a homeowner, there's a lot of places that you can't get up and see easily or don't have access to. So having the right people to go up and do that is a big key right there.

[00:28:09] Eric Goranson: But anyway, take a look at that. Make sure you've got the right people showing up. Same thing with the HVAC. You want these people to be certified in the system they're installing. So any of these products that are really heavily leaning on an installer that knows what they're doing, do your research, talk to the company and make sure that they've got the knowledge to be taking on that project.

[00:28:31] Eric Goranson: And so that's some of the keys to hiring a contractor and of course, making sure that everything is written down in the bid. So it's gonna show up on that job site and the level of work they're gonna be doing. We'll talk about more about that when we come back. Don't go anywhere around the house. We'll be right back.

[00:28:45] Eric Goranson: Don't change that dial.[00:29:00]

[00:29:08] Eric Goranson: I'll come back to the around the house show, the next generation of a home improvement. Thanks for joining me. I'm Eric G. If you're just tuning in, we've been talking about how to tackle those major projects from planning to finishing touches, all those things you're doing there. If you want to find out more about this show, if you're listening on the radio and you just joined us head over to around the house online.

[00:29:26] Eric Goranson: com and don't forget to subscribe to the podcast out there. Cause we have a, each and every week. Transcribed We have two episodes that air on the weekend, and of course a midweek that we do on Wednesdays that come out, and that is our weekday update. It's about a 10 minute on average weekday update, so make sure you grab that.

[00:29:45] Eric Goranson: I'll grab our breaking news recall, stuff that's happening during the week, so it's super topical and you can catch that right there. Now that we're getting into the four segment here, the last 70 hours, some stuff I wanted to just tidy up here on hiring a contractor and that is to make sure. That your [00:30:00] contractor is following all the state rules of what's the contract.

[00:30:03] Eric Goranson: And of course, I want to see a detailed estimate that is tied in. And so make sure that puts down all the materials on the list. If they're building a deck, I want to see the color. I want to see the type of decking. I want to see the materials for the framing, the brackets used. I want to see all that stuff, including all the permits and inspections listed down there.

[00:30:24] Eric Goranson: And one little thing that I always get worried about, and this is a tell for people that are scamming me sometimes on contractors is when I see the contractor not wanting to get involved in the permit process, that makes me get concerned. Now, there are plenty of legitimate contractors that say, Hey, you go pull the permits, but check the local laws in your area.

[00:30:45] Eric Goranson: Maybe it's something that you have to do, but I really like my contractor. If I'm paying for them to handle the permits. And to get it taken care of, because many times if that contractor has problems or has had problems with that permit office, they don't want to go anywhere [00:31:00] near it, and that can be a red flag.

[00:31:02] Eric Goranson: So pay attention to that. These are details that matter. So make sure you got that. Make sure you got the detailed bids. And then of course, get different bids from people out there. And if you have to pay for a bid, that's okay. I think it's perfectly fine for them to require some kind of a payment for a detailed bid.

[00:31:18] Eric Goranson: And as long as they're taking that off the project price at the end, Hey, we'll get, we'll charge you 300 bucks to do it. And if you go with us, we'll give you that money back. That's the cost of doing business. And I'm okay with that. That way you can get that detailed bid. And then the day you're going to sign that bid call and make sure that their license and their bond and insurance is valid that day you signed.

[00:31:37] Eric Goranson: So you're covered for that project. All right. The last segment here, I wanted to talk about creating a schedule. If this is a DIY project, because really, and this is something your contractor is going to give you anyway, but for all of you out there, they're going to tackle that DIY project. I want to make sure that you've created a project schedule with a completion date.

[00:31:57] Eric Goranson: And. I want to be able to build this schedule out [00:32:00] for milestones along the way. So if you're building a deck, you're going to go lay it out, get it all dialed in, and you're going to pour concrete. You've got everything mapped out. Everything's ready to go. Materials are showed up the job site. Kind of your first milestone is concrete's in ledger boards and everything's flashed correctly.

[00:32:21] Eric Goranson: All right, we're going to start framing. So as soon as you start that framing, that's going to be that first milestone. So as you go through this stuff, I really want to make sure that you've got this schedule and that you're checking off a punch list every time. Okay. So I got my concrete done. I'm getting ready to put the deck up for instance.

[00:32:44] Eric Goranson: And footings are done. I've got everything ready to go. Did I clean up around the job site? Did I get things dialed in? Is all the grading done around there correctly? Finish each benchmark to a hundred percent completion before you go to the next one. So [00:33:00] that way you don't have this big punch list at the end.

[00:33:02] Eric Goranson: And trust me, I'm the king of this. I am hard. It's hard for me to do this, especially when I'm filming TV or doing stuff for social media, because We need to keep going. We got to keep moving. And so for me, it's a little tough. I have to go back and do all these things at the end, but if you can do this along the way, it's going to be so much better off.

[00:33:19] Eric Goranson: So get each step at a hundred percent before you go to the next one and get that punch list there and get it dialed in. So make sure you got that. And to go back a little bit here, this also will help you with budgets because one little trick that I do when I'm figuring out budgets. Is I am mentally install.

[00:33:39] Eric Goranson: It's like a visual, right guys. So you go, okay, I'm going to build a deck. What's the first thing I'm going to do? Okay. I'm going to plan it out. The second thing I'm going to do is make sure that I can put it where I'm going to put it three. What are my materials I need? So I start to visualize the process.

[00:33:53] Eric Goranson: Okay. I'm going to have to tear it all down. Cool. I'm gonna need some saw blades. I'm gonna need a dumpster. I'm gonna have to haul it off. I'm gonna get all that stuff out of [00:34:00] here. What do I have to deal with there? Clean up. Oh, I need a poor new concrete footing. So I'm gonna have to plan for that. I need my lumber.

[00:34:06] Eric Goranson: I need my fasteners. Oh, wow. What am I doing for railings? Okay. So go through this start to finish and make sure you've got everything accounted for. And that's where those end pictures, cause you can look at it. Oh, I was going to do lighting. I got to do lighting. And that'll help you get that figured out in planned out going through.

[00:34:22] Eric Goranson: And so, you need to make sure and then start going through and planning out what's the process. Okay, are you getting things ready? After you've framed that deck, are you putting a kitchen on it, for instance? Okay, do I need to have power or natural gas or ventilation? What am I doing out there? Lighting? I gotta run stuff over that because you don't want to be covering it up with decking.

[00:34:42] Eric Goranson: And go, Oh, I got to run this again. So this is where that planning really comes into effect. And if you go through that, you can get it ready. Wow. You're like, Oh, I'm not doing that outdoor kitchen for a year. Great. Do you know what grill you're going to put in? Awesome. Run the gas over to it. Shut it off.

[00:34:56] Eric Goranson: Cap it off. Be ready. Can I have electrical out there? Run the [00:35:00] electrical out there. If you're doing that kitchen. Kitchen remodel. Is there something upstairs? Is there a project upstairs? If you got a kitchen, you got a bathroom up above and you're gonna do the bathroom next year, do you need to bring a new water line up there?

[00:35:11] Eric Goranson: Do you need electrical? What do I have to do when these walls are open for the rest of the house? This is where those planning things in the schedule go. That's why many times when I'm remodeling a kitchen or bathroom, I like to start at the farthest bathroom and work my way back because it's a little bit easier because nothing's typically going beyond that.

[00:35:30] Eric Goranson: Okay. And so there's less projects as you go. Cause many times you go, oh man, I got to do this. I'm going to remodel on that next year, but it's okay. If I run a wire through there, or it's okay. If I have to tear something up there, you're not doing that project twice. And that's what this whole schedule thing and planning ahead thing is making sure that you don't have to do work twice.

[00:35:48] Eric Goranson: You don't want to have to tear up brand new drywall because you forgot to do something. And that can be a deck. It can be a. Interior renovation. It could be flooring, whatever you're doing. You want to make sure that you get in there and do it right. [00:36:00] So that's a good one. So make those steps, make those benchmarks in your schedule, like we were talking about, and then create a punch list as you go.

[00:36:08] Eric Goranson: And this is where your spouse, significant other friend can come over and go, man, Hey, how does this look? Somebody that's got an equal experience. What am I forgetting? Hey, you might want to put a couple more fasteners here. Hey, you might want to block between these joints before you put that up. Or, hey, did you flash this correctly?

[00:36:27] Eric Goranson: It's so much easier at the beginning of the project than the end of the project. So creating those punch lists and making sure along the way that those benchmarks are done are good. And then you got to make sure that you're following the city because many times your city, county building officials.

[00:36:45] Eric Goranson: We'll have different things, a framing inspection, a rough framing inspection. Maybe it's a rough electrical or rough plumbing inspection. Maybe it's a drywall inspection or a ventilation inspection or an insulation inspection. I have [00:37:00] seen them all. I've seen them where they want to check out the screws on the drywall to make sure you put enough in.

[00:37:05] Eric Goranson: Or did you put enough nails or structural screws in that shear wall? Did you build a shear wall? Did the engineering say there had to be a shear wall? You see where I'm going? Did you flash that window correctly? All of those things you want to make sure you've got dialed in because this is part of doing that project, right?

[00:37:22] Eric Goranson: And I know you want this thing to be done right at the end, so you can just get on, move on, and have a great time enjoying the place. So really, working through that schedule, and then having the flexibility when something goes wrong. And then adjusting your schedule if things go sideways. Maybe you're working outside and it's a dumping rain, you got a high wind, and it's not safe to be out there working.

[00:37:43] Eric Goranson: Great. Add some time in the schedule for make up days when you get behind. Maybe materials didn't show up. And that's a key right there on getting a project going. That deck have your material sitting on site before you do it. If you have to wait three weeks, because the decking is on back order. Cause [00:38:00] everybody in the summer ordered decking.

[00:38:01] Eric Goranson: That's where you can run into problems. So don't start the project and to get the materials, especially when you're talking kitchens and bathrooms and things like that, where many things are made to order. And I can't tell you how many times in my 30 years of kitchen and bath, Designing. Have I had husbands go in and say, my wife's out of town.

[00:38:20] Eric Goranson: I ripped out the kitchen. I want to put a new one in. What can we do? And then I go, you just ripped out the kitchen. Great. We haven't even ordered cabinets there eight to 12 weeks. And then the panic starts because they know that her spouse is coming home and. That kitchen's not going to be anywhere near done.

[00:38:34] Eric Goranson: And this is where those problems arise. So just understanding those lead times, getting all the materials there, starting the project and understanding it can make for that successful project. All right, guys. Hey, I want to make sure that you follow us over on social media around the house show. Make sure that you're catching my around the house, Northwest television show that airs on great television, and you can head over to the around the house online and catch it over there.

[00:38:57] Eric Goranson: It airs. 10 a. m. Saturdays on Fox [00:39:00] 12 plus in Portland. And of course it airs 6 p. m. on Sundays and 8 a. m. on Fridays. And of course you can catch it online or one easy way to do it is if you go over to your phone and go to the Fox 12 KPTV Fox 12 app, you can add it on right there and you can put that up on your phone.

[00:39:18] Eric Goranson: And then you can watch all the episodes you'd like right there and stream it away, no matter where you're at in the country. All right. I'm Eric G and you've been listening to around the house. I hope that helps you with your next project.