Transform Your Condo
Everything to consider before you begin.
There are a lot of moving pieces — literally and figuratively — when it comes to remodeling your condominium. Moorhead & Company Inc. excels in home projects of all kinds, but founder J.R. Moorhead especially takes pride in getting condo renovations done right.
Moorhead shares his advice for seeing your condo transformation to completion.
What is the best first step to a condo remodel?
Every condo has different rules, so before you get too far ahead of yourself, you want to take the time to talk to the building manager and make sure you understand the rules. Make sure questions like, “Do I need permits? When does the board of directors meet? What are the requirements of the general contractor?” are answered.
How can homeowners prepare themselves for a condo remodeling project?
The biggest difference between a condo renovation and a home renovation is when you do a condo, there are a lot of people who have a say in your project. This means that it can get kind of messy if you don’t know the rules. The first set of gatekeepers you’ll need to get through is the board of directors because they are the ones who typically give homeowners the approval to begin their renovation. The building director or manager is usually the one who’s going to tell you what the board of directors will need to approve your project.
What are some common concerns that you hear from condo owners?
A big one is finding a contractor that will work in condos. There are few because there are so many rules and people involved with a condo renovation. A lot of contractors don’t want to work in condos because we have limited hours to do construction. Some things we need to consider are elevator schedules to take up and down material, parking garages with limited height and access, and water shut-offs when plumbing is involved.
Does your company have a lot of experience in condo remodeling?
Yes. We would consider ourselves experts on condos even though we do a lot of houses as well. We know how to navigate and work with building managers, schedule elevators, figure out parking and move materials throughout buildings — these are also things a lot of contractors just don’t want to deal with.
What do you enjoy about these types of projects?
For me, condos can be much simpler. Once you deal with all the different people involved, it’s nice because you don’t need to move any load-bearing walls in condos as you would in a house.
Another thing that I like is that the client’s money usually goes to beautifying their home and unit whereas in a residential home, a lot of it can go to the house’s framing or foundation — a lot of their money can be spent but they won’t see it. In a condo, the foundation is good, and the walls are good, therefore the money usually goes into making it look nice.
Moorhead & Company Inc.
(808) 593-8000
moorheadbuild.com
