Housing and You…Supervising the contractor

Aug 18, 2013 News

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By Leonard Gildarie

Time and again, I have spoken about the critical importance of management when building your home. There is nobody that can manage your money better than you. It makes absolutely no sense to borrow millions of dollars in what would be your largest debt ever, and then flush it down the toilet.
Again, I blame the banks and other support institutions for not paying enough attention and lending some more advice. It is, after all, their money being lent. Too many homes are left hanging because of the inexperience of new homeowners. Too many contractors are walking away smiling to the bank after ripping off hapless homeowners. In the past, we have examined the need for you to purchase your own material and not depend on the contractors to do this.
In the US and other places, homeowners would hire a designer and contractor separately.
The designer is the one who works with the homeowner to come up with the layout which includes size and location of bedrooms and bathrooms, porch and types of windows and kitchen, among other things. The contractor is the one who will make it happen. Sometimes, the homeowner even hires a third party to supervise the works.
In Guyana, unless it is a large project, the scenario is totally different. The contractor, in all likelihood, is the designer as well. The homeowner, with little money to spare, is the one that supervises and, with the contractor, works out the designs. It is not a secret that most contractors learn their trade without attending formal training.
So, in addition to possibly working a full-time job, the homeowner in Guyana is left with managing the site, dealing with suppliers and making sure materials are ordered and delivered on time.
I do believe that in the absence of proper laws and the practice of having a loose, verbal arrangement with the contractor with no official agreement, it is the perfect recipe for disaster.
And I will tell you a little something that happened to me that has left me angry and upset to this day. It was all my fault.
While building my home in La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, three years ago, I went to purchase materials at Gafoors. The same day I picked up the roofing sheets was the same day that I also bought the toilet bowls, sinks and gutters. I was using a particular driver to pick up stuff and this day was no different. I left him to pick up the stuff and went back to work.
That evening I visited the site and the contractor pointed out that there was damage to the roofing sheets. The driver had packed the sheets in an angle with nothing to support them. There were cracks in a couple of them. Of course, I took the driver to task and had quite a mouthful to tell him. But I blamed myself. The materials were almost $1M. I should have been there to oversee the packing.
A few months ago, I got a few leaks in the home. It is a maddening thing. A new home with leaks? I bought some euroband and silicone and did some pasting. It was those cracks. The sun was hot at the time that I climbed onto the roof and it was an uncomfortable feeling in the heat. That mistake should not have happened.
Failure to monitor the construction can leave you with some nasty surprises. A neighbour left his workmen to install the wooden floors in his home. He is now refusing to pay them because there are spaces between the boards. The contractor is contending that the boards shrank because it dried after installation. The homeowner obviously did not know that floorings and wallboards have to be stored properly and allowed to cure. Some 95% of homeowners do not even know that it is better to order the oven-dried wood.
I still think the tiles in my home were badly installed. The grout seemed dirty and the spaces between are uneven. I should have been there more often. But then again, at that time, I was not too knowledgeable as to the correct technique that should have been used. I am a little better informed now.
For most persons, the contractor is the expert that they depend on to get it right.The reality is that in most cases, to speed up work and in order not to “bust” on the job, the contractor would sacrifice neatness and care. Silly things like leaks, badly hanging doors, sprained locks and sagging gutters occur shortly after the family moves in.
Perhaps the most annoying of these pesky problems would be a broken or leaky toilet bowl.
You or someone knowledgeable has to be present at critical stages of the work. If you don’t know whether a contractor is messing up on a particular stage, then get a few friends or family members who may know. It makes no sense to go back and correct it afterwards. Ask questions and clarify issues with the contractor at the different phases.
While in some countries the homeowner has what is known as a defects period, in which the contractor has to fix problems that crop up, in Guyana, in most cases, you are left on your own.
For heaven’s sake, work out an arrangement where a percentage of the money of the contractors can be withheld until a certain time has passed. It is standard practice for contracts in most developed countries.
I know quite a few homeowners – without any ideas about construction – are tough characters, unafraid to demand what they want. Others would go along with the contractor blindly.
It is simple. If you have a mortgage and money is tight…then pay attention. Sacrifice and visit the work site. It is your money. Nobody will pay attention like you do.
Enjoy the weekend and looking forward to your comments as usual at [email protected].

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