Remodeling For A Pack Rat

Fuzzycram

I am doing a remodeling job for a giant pack rat. This lady has been living in her home since 1991 and its full of junk from 1991 until 2007. I can't believe it. I explained to her that it was her job to provide a clean and safe working environment and it was our job to make sure it remains that way, but she didn't get the CLUE and clean up! What is the recommended next step? I was thinking about charging her like $50 an hour for anything above and beyond moving couches and what-not. I mean dudes.. she needs help! SO DO I! Any suggestions from people who have experienced the same problem?

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Quality over Quantity

CheckmateOhio

Did an addition once for a guy who's house was so full of junk that there were just pathways in all of it to walk. BUT he paid all cash so I didn't mind.

Greg Di

Be honest and tell her that you cannot work (at all) in the current environment due to the clutter (yes, use that word). If she cannot remove the clutter ASAP, then I would reccomend either a mover or a rubbish removal guy to her.

Tell her that you will move on to the next job now, and will be happy to return to her job when the clutter is gone.

You know, she'll be the crazy nut that bitches that you left one speck of dust when you leave.

If I walk into a house that is a mess when I do the estimate, I usually pass on the job. If they don't respect their own house, how do they expect us to respect it?

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Fuzzycram

I appreciate the advice. We're just coming out of the slow time so I can't really pass on jobs because of clutter. heh

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Quality over Quantity

Mud Master

I'd even go as far as to offer your services to help her clean up and a certain rate per hour. Maybe not $50.00 but something to that point that won't freak her out, but still makes you money. If not, just put it in the backlog until she cleans up. Working in an unsafe enviorment is just bad with all parties considered.

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thom

You had to see the conditions prior to sale. Now you're pretty much stuck with them. You've got a contract and you knew what you were getting into, just move the stuff and bite your lip.

Mud Master

I would agree with you totally..BUT. Those conditions are not safe for himself, his workers, or that woman while the project is in motion. If moving/removing that debris was not in the contract than he is not responsible for it. It IS his job to provide a safe work enviorment for his workers, but not to remove 16 years of garbage.

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Teetorbilt

Ever here of PODS? http://www.pods.com/ It's a quick and easy way to store crap during a remod.

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You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

Mud Master

Yeah everyone here uses them. I know one guy, he does Roofing, he ownes a piece of land but does not want to build on it so he thinks its more cost friendly to just plop a PODS on there and use it as his shop. It's a BIG PODS container.

I guess it may actually be a good idea, I don't know.

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Teetorbilt

Wish that I would have thought of that concept. All of the contractors here use them.

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You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

MKamis

Working in a cluttered house is the worst! I once made the mistake of saying, we can move this or that out of the way. It was fine until they wanted me to do more and more work. Thank God I'm outta there!

Melissa

I'd say, either explain it more clearly - put her right on the spot and be nice and blunt. Or just say I charge this much to move things out of the way (and deal with rats - blech!). Sign here. (I've seen this type of thing before on Oprah )

My husband's had to deal with not so clean environments, but not as bad as you described. One time he showed up to a job (an expensive kitch remod), first day to completely demo a kitchen and nothing was moved out of the cabinets and there was a sink completely full of dirty dishes!

ch0mpie

I was doing an addition when I worked with my old boss. It was a second story over a garage. When we came to start work there was boxs of stuff in the attic where the addition was to go. My boss confronted the ho with a change order to dispose of all the stuff and he agreed to pay. When we started putting everthing into the dumpster we realized the boxes were full of brass statues. The guy was hindu and apparently used to own a store that sold statues of their gods. My boss got paid by the ho for the change order and scrapped nearly 1000pounds of brass!

woodmagman

No working in a house where the cat urianates on your tool bag is the worst, you better hope she does not have cat too......

Divine Design

If an enviroment is not safe to work in the end results may cost you more than you can imagin. When an elderly uncle died the family had to clean his place out and several ended up with a bacterial infection in their eyes, it was horrible and extreamly painfull.Not to mention expensive.I know you said you are slow But stand your ground and as you said you TOLD her that the place needed to be cleaned up.REITERATE THAT TO HER STRONGLY. If you do it wear eye and breathing gear and disinfect when done.Then charge appropriatly for the change order!

Stevo

You're right. That is the worst. I'd be pissed!
I have a extension ladder which goes by the name of cat p*ss.
The scent is gone now, but the name remains the same. Awful...

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Nothing like a nice piece of hickory. - Clint Eastwood

hughesracer

Clutter is bad, but, next to dead bodies and pet problems. I'm finishing up a job for the wife's aunt. It's a "Guardianship" deal,(gone to a nursing home) nothing done to the house interior in over 27 yrs. Except damage, pets, pictures, spills, and walkers. Including removal/trashing 22yrs of pack ratting. Had to get it on the market, not the best of timing. Selling price must be approved by the courts. But it did sell, a little less than we hoped. Now the attorney is complaining about the final cost of the repairs, typical, worse than a HO.
Once worked for "someone else" and was doing repairs in a 3rd story bath. Only the nanny at home. The 1st day found soiled underware (childs) in the tub. Called the office, had one of the workers dispose of it. (He was willing). 2nd day, actual turds. Walked out, called the office, "the super" came out to the site. Cleaned it up and finally spoke to the HO. On another occasion I was sent out to replace the flooring in a second floor BR. Come to find out, someone died in bed. Only to be discovered about 30 days later. The body melted through the bed, the floor/ceiling into the room below. Needless to say, I left the site. Gave a few choice words to the boss and...... I'd eat "cat crap" before I'd want to smell that again.

fathersonfab

Hey Fuzzy,
I'd love to hear how this turned out, since it looks like you posted this in March! Who did the clean up?

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"I cut it twice, but it's STILL too short!" singerREO.com

kiwi54

Hey CheckmateOhio, was that job over Winton Woods way. That guy had every bedroom in the house 3/4 full, wall to wall. Every room was packed with plastic shopping bags full of junk. I walked away))
Fuzzycram, if ya touch the junk, you own the junk, or might as well. You'll get blamed for damages, dust, disappearances and what all else. It ain't worth it. Put your foot down, you'll do the job, you'll arrange a PODS and a removal crew through local directories, but she pays them directly. That way you're absolved of responsibility.
I'm working on a water damaged home. The customer arranged for PODS and a crew they chose. Their possessions were loaded into the PODS wet 6 months ago, before we started. Now the moving company is paying out on 5 PODS of trashed furniture and possessions. Don't take the risk.

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