Is it easier to get your house worked on in the States?

Is it easier to get your house worked on in the States?

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Thankyou4calling

Original Poster:

10,595 posts

172 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
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I know it's TV but the US home makeover shows appear to make getting a new kitchen, bathroom, garden etc a lot simpler than here.

They call it remodelling and it involves ripping out the old and upgrading in a few areas.

Is it easier to get get firms/people to do this type of thing? Are the houses different and allow for more of a "Modular" design.

People also don't seem to be so obsessive over things there, happy to discard things.

is it just the TV that makes it look this way or is it easier?

Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
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I'm not sure. I live in the US and have done some quite extensive remodeling of my house, including replacement of all of the windows and doors (materials bought from a local distributor, I supplied the spec/measurements) Copper-Flex attic insulation and attic fans, entire kitchen upgrade - bought everything including appliances and worktops from Direct-Buy - had the stone supplier install the worktops (too heavy for me to do). Tore out all of the flooring and replaced with ceramic tile (bamboo in bedrooms), remodeled both bathrooms all materials bought from The Home Depot, installed 700 liner feet of board-on-board timber fencing (Fence Outlet), roof-mounted solar pool heater (Pinch-a-Penny Pool and Spa), replaced a/c compressor motor (had a local HVAC tech recharge the system), replaced water heater (bought unit from Lowes), replaced pool pump motor (twice), installed modular floor in garage.

The things I couldn't do were a re-roof, after a hurricane in 2004, removal of 5 trees, re-roof of flat lanai roof (wanted the warranty) and gutter installation (my house just had drip-edges previously), which I just couldn't be arsed to do myself.

I've also painted the entire stucco exterior twice in the last 12 years, by renting spraying equipment from Home Depot.

I suspect the main difference is that you can buy almost anything for self-installation here and there is a much more 'relaxed' attitude to building regs, codes and permitting - you're supposed to pull permits for almost any construction/remodeling work, but in reality, as long as you know what you are doing (that's kind of important), all permitting is, is money collection. I got permits for the re-roof, windows and tree removal - being visible from the street. Everything else I did covertly.

greg2k

291 posts

232 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
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Their houses are more often wooden which lens itself to serious internal remodelling. I think the bureaucracy and strictness of the building codes varies hugely from state to state. The coastal blue states are as bad anything in Europe I think, the interior red states are really laissez faire. There's a really annoying show on W called property brothers/dream home and the prices they quote to alter what are essentially big garden sheds clad in plasterboard are eye watering.

Edited by greg2k on Thursday 25th August 17:30

Thankyou4calling

Original Poster:

10,595 posts

172 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
quotequote all
greg2k said:
Their houses are more often wooden which lens itself to serious internal remodelling. I think the bureaucracy and strictness of the building codes varies hugely from state to state. The coastal blue states are as bad anything in Europe I think, the interior red states are really laissez faire. There's a really annoying show on W called property brothers/dream home and the prices they quote to alter what are essentially big garden sheds clad in plasterboard are eye watering.

Edited by greg2k on Thursday 25th August 17:30
That was the show i saw and I actually really liked them.

When you say eye watering i thought the prices were really low (well aware it is a TV show thus needs to appeal)

uluru

221 posts

107 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
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greg2k said:
I think the bureaucracy and strictness of the building codes varies hugely from state to state.
Not just state to state, will vary between counties within a state as well. The county I used to live in in the midwest had no building code 10 years ago - tornado country too.

Watched a load of US home improvement shows last year, killing time before our flight home. Owner says "I want to put a window right here" and they just get the saw out. Totally different to over here.

Thankyou4calling

Original Poster:

10,595 posts

172 months

Thursday 25th August 2016
quotequote all
Thanks for that.

It certainly feels to me that in the UK getting any kind of work done on your house is a complete and utter pain, a few tiles on the roof and they want to put scaffolding up, putting in a new kitchen takes numerous quotes and faffing about and don't even start if you want a garage built or a wall knocked down.

It just seems (albeit from the TV) that stateside you can get things done faster, cheaper and in a way that suits.

kilty2

226 posts

170 months

Friday 26th August 2016
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I remodeled our basement 3 years ago (States based and we have a 'split level' - Matt may be able to relate). Basically we ripped out our entire ground floor (ceiling included) and reconfigured it.

As mentioned previously we are timber framed construction - the exterior walls are load bearing and there are a few steel 'pillars' internally that support the upper floor. We removed 70% of the walls (plasterboard and 2"x4" studs).

I organised a big skip and we did all the 'demo' ourselves (quick and easy - but hard work). I did all the rewiring and network stuff, but I hired a 'handyman' to assist in the reconstruction (SWMBO wanted a swift completion) and his cost was @$30/hr. He had all the tools to do the framing and drywall work. He also was a gazillion times faster to do the plastering.

The project took 12 weeks to totally redo @135sq/m of living area into an office, bedroom, bar and living room.

Having tried to do the same in the UK, I would definitely say it is easier here, there are hoards of skilled tradesmen available at reasonable rates, and I only have to travel 2 miles to obtain just about any construction material I need 'off the shelf' at a retail outlet.



Edited by kilty2 on Friday 26th August 06:37

aspender

1,305 posts

264 months

Friday 26th August 2016
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Thankyou4calling said:
Thanks for that.

It certainly feels to me that in the UK getting any kind of work done on your house is a complete and utter pain, a few tiles on the roof and they want to put scaffolding up, putting in a new kitchen takes numerous quotes and faffing about and don't even start if you want a garage built or a wall knocked down.

It just seems (albeit from the TV) that stateside you can get things done faster, cheaper and in a way that suits.
Wouldn't any George Clarke/DIY SOS type show in the UK give the same impression though?

Thankyou4calling

Original Poster:

10,595 posts

172 months

Friday 26th August 2016
quotequote all
aspender said:
Wouldn't any George Clarke/DIY SOS type show in the UK give the same impression though?
That is kind of what i'm asking.

I would say the UK shows of this type always seem to show the difficulties of getting reliable people, the costs are high, the work always seems to have complications.

Part of it may be that the buildings are older here and made of brick, as referred to above construction methods in the US seem to make changes easier and they are'nt precious about taking things out, at least not as much as here it seems.

No period features, no AGAS, often more space to work in too and things like windows seem much simpler.

Minemapper

933 posts

155 months

Friday 26th August 2016
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Having done extensive remodels on houses both in the US and UK, I'll say this. In Home Depot, anyone can buy proper 'trades' materials and tools, and get proper advice from staff, many of whom will be specialists in whichever department they work in. In B&Q, consumers get utter dross, and advice from monkeys without a clue. The contempt that trades have for customers in the UK is appalling, in my experience.

944fan

4,962 posts

184 months

Friday 26th August 2016
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You should watch Holmes on Homes. Its Canadian but is great. This contractor goes into peoples homes where a previous cowboy has bodged something. He is never happy unless its perfect and always ends up ripping everything down and doing it again. Its a good show and you learn a lot, some good characters in his crew as well.

Rosscow

8,723 posts

162 months

Friday 26th August 2016
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Minemapper said:
Having done extensive remodels on houses both in the US and UK, I'll say this. In Home Depot, anyone can buy proper 'trades' materials and tools, and get proper advice from staff, many of whom will be specialists in whichever department they work in. In B&Q, consumers get utter dross, and advice from monkeys without a clue. The contempt that trades have for customers in the UK is appalling, in my experience.
Maybe we don't have Home Depot but surely most towns in the UK will have specialist trade shops/distributors for nearly everything you'll need?

Our nearest town (not particularity large) has several of each - electrical, plumbing, roofing, tiling, building materials, etc. with plenty of people that know what they're talking about in each. I've never had a problem.

If you're going to B&Q and talking to their staff about how to build/plumb/wire etc. then you're doing it very, very wrong! hehe


Minemapper

933 posts

155 months

Friday 26th August 2016
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Well, given how they have modelled it so closely on the Home Depot experience (down to the same awful orange paint), I might be forgiven for expecting the same service. How swiftly we learned...

Yes, all the same stuff is available in separate places, but what a chore it is traipsing round them all.

greg2k

291 posts

232 months

Friday 26th August 2016
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We have Wickes, which is the most "tradey" of the standard, all purpose big box stores, but nowhere near as good as the specialist independents for any one particular category. Screwfix (owned by b and q) is another contender, but doesn't do the heavy stuff. Wouldn't ask for advice in them though. I don't think we're particularly badly served here. Machine Mart is always a fun way to kill 15 minutes.

Edited by greg2k on Friday 26th August 13:49

Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Friday 26th August 2016
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My home is constructed on a concrete slab (so no deep foundation) with stucco covered concrete block outer walls, trussed, hip roof and all the interior walls are sheet rock and stud. Much easier to work with than my brick built homes in the UK were. Interior load-bearing walls were always the limitation.

Esseesse

8,969 posts

207 months

Friday 26th August 2016
quotequote all
Thankyou4calling said:
things like windows seem much simpler.
This is my impression too. With windows they often seem to have an architrave/frame a little like we have a door frame. Appeals to me because it must be easy to make the reveals (?) neat than faffing around fixing plaster as we do here (or apply tacky edging). Wouldn't look right in the UK though.

Australian building seems to have some similarity to some American stuff. Also drywalling/jointing rather than plastering as we do here?

jimmyjimjim

7,329 posts

237 months

Friday 26th August 2016
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Its also worth pointing out that most newer homes in the US have more room to work in and with and are also very consistent in terms of construction - as an example my 10 year old water heater gave out a while back.

In the UK, replacing a boiler could be an absolute pig of a job, with limited access, different sized fittings needing adapters to fit the existing pipe work, the fittings on the boiler being in different locations, you name it.

Here it was a case of looking at the label and going to the store to get the same capacity heater.

Different manufacturer, but dimensions almost the same, fittings the same size and location, simple swap in and out using the existing flexible connectors.

Access? Well, it's in the basement with at least a couple of meters of free space in every direction (except above and below, obviously). Last time my dad worked on his boiler, half the work had to be done by feel...

The same goes for almost every job I've done on the house in the last few years; not completely plug and play, but usually simpler than doing the same job in the UK.

Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Friday 26th August 2016
quotequote all
I suspect that construction is more modular also. Every horizontal and vertical measurement in my house is divisible by 8" - all of my window/door apertures are a standard size - every stud gap is 16" center/center - makes things so much easier.

Everything just fits into the original holes - even a dumb-ass like me can do it.






Edited by Matt Harper on Friday 26th August 17:21

jimmyjimjim

7,329 posts

237 months

Friday 26th August 2016
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I had that ceiling fan smile

Finally remembered to throw it out a couple of months ago...

Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Friday 26th August 2016
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I sincerely hope you are not dissing my ceiling fan, Jim!