Hi Jec

Try selling it your self:

Ad on Domain ( only that will let private sales) $295 for 30days & you can load 5 photos on this site
A sign for out the front of the property $300
a couple of ads in sat / sun paper directing them to the domain site
$200.00 2-3 weeks worth if small ads.
and then you can either do home opens $ 80 for 2 surb signs for this. or do by appointment.

If you are not in a hurry give it a try.

Celeste
I hate the fees to the agent as well.[blush2]

Hi all

Just to add to the granite transformation conversation.

I just stopped working for a granite company who used Granite and ceasar stone /stylestone and others(reconstituted granite peices in a resin base – looks similiar to granite but the pattern is more conforming). Ceasar stone is being used on most of the high rise apartments and most of the builder are now using it, the company I worked for did Raffles redevelopment and tower 1 at burswood in ceasar stone.
I meet the owners of GT in Perth at a wedding last year, 4 months ago I quit work and I am now a full time renovator / trader and just yesturday stopped in to check out GT for my reno’s.

The material they use looks exactly like ceasar stone just thinner,
they stick it over the top of your original bench tops. even over tiled bench tops if they are straight. They will even stick some over wall tiles for splash backs. If you put in new cupboards all you need is 30mm MDF on top to fix the GT to.

The finished look is exactly the same as the kitchens my firm did with the 20mm thick ceasar stone.

This week I will be emailing them my plans for my next reno for a quote to check out the cost.

My last reno I used the solid beech bench top from IKEA, $230 2.4mtr. They have other bench tops cheaper.

Ikea have a web site with a kitchen planner/costing program which is really good for planning a kitchen renovation.

celeste[biggrin]

Hi Guys

I cannot believe whats going on here.

Firstly, I also will get work done with out a quote. my last project I just called in the plumber and gave him a list of things to do, mind you as we went I changed my mind and did more than I originally planned (I am female) at the end of the job he wrote up the bill and commented that if he had quoted the job it would have been $1800.00 (if that was his quote he would not have done the job, I had budgeted $1200 – 4 days at $300.00) but when he did his calculations on actual time spent and material it was $1036.00
so I said see you on the next job but DON’T quote me[biggrin]

Any way getting past the cost, as for mess and due care, I am a senior bookeeper by trade and have dealt with the courts on many occassions for debt collecting for various industries.

Firstly, judges are not stupid they will take into account that a trademans has a responsibiliy to exercise due care. and I must say my plumber cleaned up his mess to an extent and placed down a canvas drop cloth (which he had with hin) on the wooden floor that was already there b4 he smashed into the wall to move around my plumbing, he also put down a piece of plastic on the carpet outside the bathroom, he also installed a new toilet on the new tiles without fowling up the tiles/grout. (white grout at that)

So donot say that tradesman cannot minimise the mess he makes.

and I hope the electrician is not in Perth, I would not use him either.
bad work ethic.[thumbsdownanim

Further to this, my husband owns an airconditioning company and he insists his trademan clean up after installations / services / repairs to the extent all cars have a vacumn clean and a dust buster. His tradesman even take all the packaging etc with them. This could be why he gets lots of call backs and recommendations from [exhappy][exhappy][exhappy] happy clients.

Celeste

Hi

you can do a title search at DOLA, you can log on to the DOLA web site and do it online, if I rember rightly is costs about $20 if not, I am positive it is under $50.00. I have done this to check the ownership of a property that a fellow was living in, who owed me money b4 I took him to court.[biggrin] I got paid in full + costs[biggrin][biggrin]

Celeste

HI

Tiling – as for removing – hammer and chisel I find best.
Bunnings have water proofing kits for around $70.00.
A tile cutter for straight cuts about $ 40.00
You can get an adjustable attachment for your drill for round holes
(you should find it in the tiling section at bunnings)
any tricky bits mark and take to a tile shop or a concrete cutting firm.
ring around not all tile place etc will do it.
also bunnings have kits you can use to fix levels on floor.

finally hunt around the net on the DIY sites, I found info on them on how to.

one tip don’t dut corners checking levels on all 4 floor to wall sites, I did and got into a bit of bother, luckily I could fix it easily, but I know better for the next one.

Its a big job in Bathrooms, on my next one I am hiring some one to remove them and straighten the walls. most of the concrete came off with the tiles around the tapes in the shower and it is very tricky filling the gaps and getting the wall straight around taps.

Good luck and have fun[biggrin]

Celeste

I read one piece of advice re business partners, that the guy I was working for at the time should have read b4 acquiring his new partner was:

” treat a partnership as a marriage, or keep it at arms length”

A solicitor I worked for said it is very rare for any sort of partnership to work especially between family members & or friends. He made a lot of money cleaning up the mess.

I have been giving it a lot of thought, I am thinking an investment type arrangement with a flat % for monies invested. something along the lines that Motgage brokers use.

Celeste

Hi Arthur

I have just launched my new business buying, renovating and selling apartments. I started it to cover my part time wages, work less hours and have less stress of idiot bosses.

I quit work and put an offer on my 1st property the next day. they had just signed up a new teneant, as I didnot want one I put an offer in matching their price with a 6 month settlement date. It was accepted. [biggrin] I then went and put an offer in on another with a 21 day settlement ( I had already established and equity line on our home so I had cash)

It settled 4/6/06 sold 24/8/06. I did all the work my self except plumbing/electrical. I also went on holidays fro 2 week during this

I have finished the reno and it took 2 weeks to sell with a profit (job profit of 30000.00 net after admin $25000.00 .

the one with the long settlement has already increased in value by a least 30000 [biggrin][biggrin][biggrin][biggrin][biggrin] I originally planned to make 20-30000 a year guess I am well on track

the 1st one I put an offer on settles monday.

I treat this as a business I set up a discretionery trust and I operate as a construction business (not company), I can draw wages equivalent to my part time job and will make contributions to super of about 30000.00 per year any thing left over gets distributed to any one I want.

One thing to check b4 you decide on what reno to do – to much reno can make the porperty a new property and subject to GST.

celeste