Who Is Responsible for Repairs in a Co-op: You or the Building?
The radiator in your bedroom has been dripping for a week. You can call a plumber tomorrow and pay for it yourself, or you can send one email to the managing agent and find out whose repair it is. Which of those is right depends on a document most sh
Will Your Sofa Fit Through the Door?
The sofa you want is 86 inches long and 38 inches deep. Your apartment door is a standard 32-inch door. The showroom salesperson says it will be fine, the delivery company says they will try, and both of them are telling you the truth as they know it
What an Allowance in a Renovation Contract Really Covers
Most renovation contracts have a few lines that carry a number but no product: $4,500 for countertops, $3,500 for tile, $2,000 for lighting. Those are allowances, money set aside for things you have not chosen yet. They are also the single most commo
Where the Seams Go in a Stone Countertop
Somewhere between picking the stone and seeing it installed, the fabricator sends a drawing: your countertops drawn out on the shape of the actual slabs, with lines showing where the pieces will be cut and where they will meet. Approving that drawing
The Punch List: What Goes on It and Who Pays for It
Near the end of a renovation, the apartment looks finished but small things are still open. The crew is mostly gone, yet a door rubs on its frame, one cabinet door sticks out slightly past the one next to it, and grout haze still clouds the tile in t
What a Pre-War Building Adds to Renovation Cost
Two apartments of the same size, on the same block, can be renovated to the same finish level for very different money. The one in the pre-war building usually costs more, and owners often assume that means fancier materials. It does not. The differe
Can You Put Hardwood Floors in a NYC Co-op?
You buy an apartment with old wall-to-wall carpet, plan to pull it up and lay wide-plank oak, and then a line in the house rules stops you: 80 percent of the floor has to stay covered. Owners usually find that line after the closing, sometimes in a l
What a Contractor Needs From You Before Giving a Real Price
You call three contractors about your kitchen and bathroom, and each one gives you a range rather than a number. It can feel like nobody wants to commit. Usually the reason is simpler: none of them has enough information yet to name a price they can
Can You Live in Your Apartment During a Renovation?
Almost every owner asks this before the contract is signed: can we just stay in the apartment while the work happens? In a house the answer usually depends on how many floors you have. In a Manhattan apartment it comes down to two rooms and one door.
Can You Put a Washer and Dryer in a NYC Co-op or Condo?
Few things change daily life in a Manhattan apartment as much as a washer and dryer of your own. No more carrying bags to the basement on a Sunday, no more waiting for a free machine or a trip to the laundromat. It is also one of the most common thin