Need a carpenter for several small jobs in Moultonborough

offmycloud · 10-14-2009, 01:08 PM

This is great. I have already used a number of contractors who have either needed way too much handholding, ripped me off, disappeared on me, gotten divorced mid-job while wife was also working on my site and totally flaked out and put me in the middle of their problems (true), etc.!!

I need someone solid and mature who can go get it done and also won't use my house as a bachelor pad, second home or ice-fishing headquarters!

Really hard to be absent and get stuff done.

ARV · 10-15-2009, 01:40 PM

OMC: I know what you mean and it's a real shame that this sort of work and relationship can happen between contractors (if you will) and clients.

I know you will find everything you are looking for with Bumble Bee. Not only is Ray a great, hard worker, he is also an officer on the Moultonborough Fire Dept. and has a good, solid head on his shoulders. May I ask where your property is in Moultonborough? I hope I'm not being too forward!

jmen24 · 10-15-2009, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by offmycloud

This is great. I have already used a number of contractors who have either needed way too much handholding, ripped me off, disappeared on me, gotten divorced mid-job while wife was also working on my site and totally flaked out and put me in the middle of their problems (true), etc.!!

I need someone solid and mature who can go get it done and also won't use my house as a bachelor pad, second home or ice-fishing headquarters!

Really hard to be absent and get stuff done.

It does not have to be.

These are the types of stories, we here all to often from our clients of past projects they have had done. It casts a shadow over the entire industry. Not everyone operates this way, you will find someone in the area that can perform these tasks and not take advantage of you. Working with out of state clients takes tons of communication and can be stressful for the customer.

Are you serious about people using your home as if it was theirs! I can tell you that would be the last day of employment for any one on our team. That just blows me away. I have had to stop in on clients property after hours while out with the family and the family stays in the car, period. Client trust is a very difficult thing to obtain and to throw that away just to show off to family and friends is completely unprofessional.

Good luck with your search, always get a reference list and call everyone on it.

offmycloud · 10-15-2009, 02:56 PM

It's incredible - many of these guys I just put up with it because they were doing a good job, reasonably priced and it was impossible to find anyone else (this was back when the real estate industry was humming). I once gave some painters permssion to spend the night there - I showed up unannounced at night and they were all sprawled out in front of my big TV, beer cans everywhere with their 150 pound dog roaming the house. They would also have lunch, relax and smoke on my deck over the water during the day. They were cheap and did a good job but they took advantage of the surroundings. Other guys were worse - I've gotten "verbal" bills, "just send me $40K", and when I ask them to detail it out I get something scrawled in pencil.

ARV - my house is on the water near Clark's Landing.

jmen24, are you a contractor?

boo · 10-15-2009, 06:13 PM

i being a contractor have heard similiar stories from clients and like jmen said it does put a cloud over the industry.

I have been doing a large scale project on sleepers island over this summer, where the homeowner has been away for most of the summer and believe me there is nothing but work going on and if i found any of my guys doing anything remotely similiar to what you've outlined that would be it for them, fortunately I have a good group of guys that I do not worry about.

Good luck with you projects and if I can be of any assitance please feel free to contact me

offmycloud · 10-15-2009, 07:32 PM

Thanks Boo - I will. My problem is I am not tough enough on people and I have zero time to manage people, especially remotely.

jmen24 · 10-16-2009, 09:33 AM

Yes I am a contractor, but we only venture in that area from time to time, we are pretty exclusive to the Lake Sunapee area.

You do not have to be a tough person, its about respect. I will say that sitting on the deck or dock for lunch can be a pretty harmless thing. Using your grill to cook lunch would be different. We typically do not have an issue with the guys wanting to sit outside for lunch and as long as they are not sitting in a clients chair or using the owners things, its fine. It is nice to have lunch near the water, but it is a fine line.

I cannot believe they even brought the DOG, I just cannot get over that.

Same thing as Boo, we have worked our crew down to a really good group of guys, that issues like this do not come up.

offmycloud · 10-16-2009, 11:33 AM

jmen24 - it is a fine line. That day I wanted to eat with my kids out on the deck but those guys had taken the prime deck table and they were out there smoking and eating so I couldn't - it sounds petty now that I describe it! But, they sort of creep into your lifestyle like that.

The dog freaked me out, too, but my kids loved it so what do you do. Those painters were the best and cheapest so no complaints in the end - I can't hire them back now as my wife has told me to, "never have those hillbillies back!"

ARV · 10-16-2009, 01:20 PM

OMC: We are right down the road from you!

offmycloud · 10-16-2009, 03:43 PM

ARV - Hey neighbor! ping me a private message and we'll get exact coordinates.

10-14-2009, 01:08 PM	#1
offmycloud Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Chicago IL and Moultonborough Posts: 165 Thanks: 3 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Thank you all! This is great. I have already used a number of contractors who have either needed way too much handholding, ripped me off, disappeared on me, gotten divorced mid-job while wife was also working on my site and totally flaked out and put me in the middle of their problems (true), etc.!! I need someone solid and mature who can go get it done and also won't use my house as a bachelor pad, second home or ice-fishing headquarters! Really hard to be absent and get stuff done.

10-15-2009, 01:40 PM	#2
ARV Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 53 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Where is the work ethic? OMC: I know what you mean and it's a real shame that this sort of work and relationship can happen between contractors (if you will) and clients. I know you will find everything you are looking for with Bumble Bee. Not only is Ray a great, hard worker, he is also an officer on the Moultonborough Fire Dept. and has a good, solid head on his shoulders. May I ask where your property is in Moultonborough? I hope I'm not being too forward!

10-15-2009, 02:56 PM	#4
offmycloud Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Chicago IL and Moultonborough Posts: 165 Thanks: 3 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	ARV and jmen24 It's incredible - many of these guys I just put up with it because they were doing a good job, reasonably priced and it was impossible to find anyone else (this was back when the real estate industry was humming). I once gave some painters permssion to spend the night there - I showed up unannounced at night and they were all sprawled out in front of my big TV, beer cans everywhere with their 150 pound dog roaming the house. They would also have lunch, relax and smoke on my deck over the water during the day. They were cheap and did a good job but they took advantage of the surroundings. Other guys were worse - I've gotten "verbal" bills, "just send me $40K", and when I ask them to detail it out I get something scrawled in pencil. ARV - my house is on the water near Clark's Landing. jmen24, are you a contractor?

10-16-2009, 01:20 PM	#9
ARV Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 53 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	We're practically neighbors! OMC: We are right down the road from you!

The Following User Says Thank You to ARV For This Useful Post:
Bumblebee (03-08-2010)

10-15-2009, 06:13 PM	#5
boo Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 55 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	i being a contractor have heard similiar stories from clients and like jmen said it does put a cloud over the industry. I have been doing a large scale project on sleepers island over this summer, where the homeowner has been away for most of the summer and believe me there is nothing but work going on and if i found any of my guys doing anything remotely similiar to what you've outlined that would be it for them, fortunately I have a good group of guys that I do not worry about. Good luck with you projects and if I can be of any assitance please feel free to contact me

10-15-2009, 07:32 PM	#6
offmycloud Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Chicago IL and Moultonborough Posts: 165 Thanks: 3 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Thanks Boo - I will. My problem is I am not tough enough on people and I have zero time to manage people, especially remotely.

10-16-2009, 09:33 AM	#7
jmen24 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,139 Thanks: 223 Thanked 319 Times in 181 Posts	Yes I am a contractor, but we only venture in that area from time to time, we are pretty exclusive to the Lake Sunapee area. You do not have to be a tough person, its about respect. I will say that sitting on the deck or dock for lunch can be a pretty harmless thing. Using your grill to cook lunch would be different. We typically do not have an issue with the guys wanting to sit outside for lunch and as long as they are not sitting in a clients chair or using the owners things, its fine. It is nice to have lunch near the water, but it is a fine line. I cannot believe they even brought the DOG, I just cannot get over that. Same thing as Boo, we have worked our crew down to a really good group of guys, that issues like this do not come up.

10-16-2009, 11:33 AM	#8
offmycloud Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Chicago IL and Moultonborough Posts: 165 Thanks: 3 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	jmen24 - it is a fine line. That day I wanted to eat with my kids out on the deck but those guys had taken the prime deck table and they were out there smoking and eating so I couldn't - it sounds petty now that I describe it! But, they sort of creep into your lifestyle like that. The dog freaked me out, too, but my kids loved it so what do you do. Those painters were the best and cheapest so no complaints in the end - I can't hire them back now as my wife has told me to, "never have those hillbillies back!"

10-16-2009, 03:43 PM	#10
offmycloud Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Chicago IL and Moultonborough Posts: 165 Thanks: 3 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	ARV - Hey neighbor! ping me a private message and we'll get exact coordinates.

The Following User Says Thank You to offmycloud For This Useful Post:
Capt Bart (11-10-2009)