RENOVATING AN APARTMENT
As an experienced renovator, Ann thought she was so smart with her first apartment in Paris: After getting several bids, she hired the contractor that her concierge recommended! She figured if she could stay on good terms with the concierge, she’d have at least one leg up on the renovation. But what she didn’t realize was that the recommended contractor wasn’t up to the job. He was a great painter, decent tiler, but everything else was terrible and she was almost sued by the building for the plumbing problems he created.
Having the right contractor is so important! You need someone who understands your needs, asks the right questions, anticipates your needs, and is a problem solver. And no matter how well you’ve planned and how intricately organized you are, you need someone on the ground to visit the job site every week to monitor the progress and make sure that it’s all happening correctly.
For an efficient renovation, the contractor needs timely answers to all his questions, such as: Layout, electrical plan, plumbing decisions, tile, fixtures, lighting, moldings, windows, finishes, flooring, kitchen appliances, cabinets, countertops, backsplash, paint colors, knobs, handles, doors, decorative touches, architectural elements, niches, closet layout and more mind boggling details that if you waiver on, will cost you time and money. And all this needs to be done in French and in metric (and in euros!). This is the language we speak every day, with trusted and reliable contractors, who understand our needs and appreciate the work we give them.