How do you find someone to do all all house renovation?

Question

Hi,
What do you call someone who takes on a house renovation project? Basically i want to use one person to do my entire house including building work, decorating, fitting kitchen and bathroom, plumbing and electrics.
I dont want a property developer i want someone to organise it all and do it themselves or hire their own people to do it.
By chance we've found someone who will quote for it but we want comparison quotes. I dont know what to type into google to find someone!
Afterall its not just a handy man i need. I need someone who is properly trained and skilled to corgi standards etc.

Thanks

Im in Leeds in England.

We dont need a designer as it is already designed. We just need someone to do the work and dont want to pay for designers or project managers. We just want a 1 man band and his colleagues to do all the work.
thanks

Answer 1

Try 'askyourneighbour.com', 'tradestamp' one will get you referals from local people, the other genuinely vet the companies, remember these things, you need a 'general builder', handymen tend to be untrained in anything in particular, take no notice of logo's, except for trade things like corgi, niciec, city and guilds, any of the others are a paid membership and don't regularly check the work of the 'holders'.

Answer 2

You need a contractor who specializes in home remodeling. A contractor is a company or person who coordinates all those different activities and oversees all of the work. The contractor MUST be licensed and bonded and very experienced. Whole house remodeling is no doubt even more difficult than building a house from scratch, because it is innovative, very compicated, and the work must dovetail with an existing structure, and not compromise the integrity of the structure. E.g. it must maintain or replace load-bearing walls. It all must be done according to code, and be inspected at each major step.

And, you must be able to easily and regularly communicate with the contractor. Lots of contractors are lousy at communication, and what do you do if you see some work that you think is not right, or you want to change a design along the way, or when problems arise (which they will)?

You may also want to hire an architect to help you develop the plans for your remodeling, especially if it is extensive. That way, the contractor has an exact blueprint to follow.

So how do you find these people? Recommendations help a lot. Do you know of anyone who has had extensive remodeling done? Or maybe someone in your neighborhood with a sign out front that says the home is being remodeled by X contractor?

In a planned community there is usually an organization that will supply recommendations if you call them. Otherwise, look for big adds in the Yellow Pages under Home Remodeling, or something similar. But whomever you consider, make sure to get references and contact several people who have had work done by the contractor. You can learn a lot that way. Ask about promptness, accessibility, communication, quality of the work, and how well they resolved any problems that arose.

Whole house remodeling is not for the faint of heart. Even if you hire a contractor, you will need to stay involved and look over the work regularly to insure that the job is getting done according to your expectations and standards.

But the result can be beautiful and well worth your effort! Good Luck!!

Answer 3

You understand there is no way in the world that anyone can give you a reasonable answer here. Yours could be a 1600 square foot bungalow in Silicon Valley or 5000 square foot farmhouse out in Podunk, Oklahoma. Investigate the contractors (current licenses, local reputation, turn-over with subs), get three estimates, and then figure the final figure will be 15%-25% over the bid due to hidden damage. No contractor can see through walls, and sometimes there is crazy stuff where you can't see that must be remedied. If the house is in fact in the condition you describe, it is not unheard of for renovation to cost as much as the house's worth. That said, the best way to keep down future renovation costs is to carefully and regularly maintain your house so that small problems don't develop into big ones. It wouldn't hurt to hire an interior designer for a few hours of consultation time before calling the contractors. He or she can give you ideas for things to do in the kitchen and bathrooms that are cost efficient and appropriate for the value of your home in your neighborhood, saving you money down the road. The designer can also suggest minor changes that will substantially increase the value of your home.

Answer 4

You can hire an Interior Designer to coordinate this entire project. Make sure the designer is licensed in your state or has a bachelor degree in interior design. The designer will subcontract the work out and usually has a contractor, plumber, electrician, etc. that he/she uses regularly.

Here's the formal explanation of what exactly a Designer is qualified to do:

The Professional Interior Designer is qualified by education, experience, and examination to enhance the function and quality of interior spaces.

For the purpose of improving the quality of life, increasing productivity, and protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public, the Professional Interior Designer:

*analyzes the client's needs, goals, and life and safety requirements;
*integrates findings with knowledge of interior design;
*formulates preliminary design concepts that are appropriate, functional, and aesthetic;
*develops and presents final design recommendations through appropriate presentation media;
*prepares working drawings and specifications for non-load bearing interior construction, materials, finishes, space planning, furnishings, fixtures, and equipment;
*collaborates with professional services of other licensed practitioners in the technical areas of mechanical, electrical, and load-bearing design as required for regulatory approval;
*prepares and administers bids and contract documents as the client's agent;
*reviews and evaluates design solutions during implementation and upon completion.
************************************************

You can get on the ASID website to search for designers in your area. (ASID) American Society of Interior Design www.asid.com or (IIDA) International Interior Design Association.
Good Luck!!

Answer 5

well, depending on where you're located at you call me. Lol. My boyfriend owns a construction company and does interior and exterior framing and finishing - I do interior design, lay out, detail work. we both do Electric and plumbing. So... Where do you live? e-mail me if you'd like [e-mail]

Answer 6

a builder ..its as simple as that ..im a builder and that type of work is all i do ..look in yellow pages ..or ring your local building control office ..they will point you to a reputable builder .. don't go to these so called federation of master builders as its a club for the boys ..a proper builder will be vat registered

Answer 7

General Contractor

He will hire everyone or has everyone hired already.

Answer 8

not very hard look in the yellow pages