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My Pozzi Jeld-Wen Windows Nightmare

In late 1999, Pam and I bought a "fixer-upper" near downtown Burlingame. I just couldn't pass on the location and poor Pam had to come along for the ride. All in all, the results are tremendous, but as a perfectionist, I wish I could do it over again. Brayer Construction & Design was the general contractor. Ray Brayer helped me tremendously during the project. The remodel involved adding a second story with master bed and bath, gutting the interior, full landscaping, tree removal, re-fencing, driveway, and garage renovation (roofing and shelving). Needless to say, we ended up about 300% over budget and will be paying for the rest of our lives. As you can see, we had little choice - either pass up a property in our first-choice location, or undergo major home surgery.

Before (October 1999):



During:



After (May 2003):

• Unless you've done a remodel before, you probably have no idea what you're getting yourself into. There are an infinite number of decisions to make. But the biggest challenge you're likely to face is communicating effectively and making sure the job is done right. Every conversation should be documented and the minutes should be sent to his or her office. Don't trust the workers to look at the plans! Talk with the person in charge of every major job BEFORE they start. Ask them what they plan to do. And make sure they're following the design. Don't make assumptions! Inspectors are useless and oftentimes the general contractor either forgets what you asked for or doesn't have time to tell the sub what to do.
• You're never going to find a more responsive, conscientious, and honest general contractor than Brayer Construction and Design. Ray has done a ton of free work for us. Four years after we've moved in, I still talk to Ray on a weekly basis. He has gladly repaired many items that have gone awry as the elements beat down on the house.
  • I hope you understand how unusual this is. If not, you're in for a very painful education.
• Stay away from Franke and KWC products - they're junk
• Buy Jado fixtures
• Wiring your media home — I can't stress enough how important this is!
• Remodels always take longer than you think, cost more than you expect, and it won't turn out as perfect as you hope (but it will be close)
• Remodels put one of the largest strains on your relationship with your spouse that it will ever endure
• It's heartbreaking to watch your beloved new home show signs of wear and age just as soon as you move in
• Don't blame your contractor. If something is wrong, it's your job to force your hired help to fix it. No matter how much money you spend, mistakes will be made, in design and implementation. Don't be afraid to speak up.
• Be grateful for what you have after the job is done. We're all going to die, and you can't take your house with you.
• If you install stone, granite, or marble: educate yourself on how to clean it. Murphy's Oil Soap is a great all-around cleaner. Everything else is likely to permanently damage your investment. And be sure to educate your cleaning staff, and pay them well, because they will know how to hurt you very very badly.

We could barely buy a house much less remodel it. But we - and probably you too - couldn't afford not to remodel in the area of our choice. Plus the accelerated added value to your property isn't bad when the time comes to - gasp - move somewhere else. What we have now is about 1,000,000 times better than we had before (very neglected and not very nice when it was brand new).

The bottom line: The Home Depot slogan is mostly bullshit. If you do it yourself, who can you complain to?

A major remodel project is very time consuming for the "point person." Although the result is usually worth it, you should be aware of the amount of time that the remodel will require from you, both in terms of interacting with contractors and subs, deciding endless details, and organizing your finances around multiple large payments.

A remodel is no less traumatic than childbirth. Ray Brayer helped us through the birthing process of our home, which involved a lot of hand holding and encouragement. And he's also our house doctor. There are plenty of things that have gone wrong, and remain uncorrected, that are beyond our control. For example, My Pozzi Jeld-Wen Windows Nightmare.

If I had the money, I would do it again, and better the next time. And I would only go to Ray to get the job done. I made a lot of mistakes the first time because I failed to educate myself before starting the project.

The endless problems associated with home ownership are payback for the folly and selfishness of spending so much when so many are so poor, and for living as a segregated nuclear family cut off from the rest of the world.

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