English-speaking renovations contractor?

berrymerry · 18-09-2006, 02:28 PM

Hi, we recently bought a flat in North Point and have some renovations work to do (floor, walls, some piping). However, all the contractors recommended by my agent don't speak English! My cantonese is passable, but not good enough to explain what needs to be done to make the apartment into a true home for us. Would greatly appreciate contacts to english-speaking and reliable, professional contractors for renovations.

Thanks very much,
Tracy

KnowItAll · 18-09-2006, 02:34 PM

Check this guy out ..

www.elitemovers.hk

As far as I know the owner is Indian and speaks good english. ( The wife is a member on here .. )

berrymerry · 18-09-2006, 05:03 PM

Thanks, this guys seems great! And yes, almost perfect English He'll be returning my call shortly so keeping my fingers crossed that he works out.

Thanks Mr. Know It All!!

Tracy

KnowItAll · 18-09-2006, 06:44 PM

Tracy, Let us know how it goes. We've not used him... would be good to know if it works out, as many folks here need a contractor who does not go overboard with gweilo rates.

berrymerry · 27-09-2006, 02:15 PM

Mr. Know It All,

Here's an update for you and interested readers:

Elite Movers charges $250 for an inspection and quote. He was very professional and seemed knowledgable. Also, they are a moving company, so could potentially be a one-stop shop for new homebuyers.

However, they are definitely on the pricier end (we compared 4 different quotes and they were highest). In addition, he cautioned that the actual quote given could be higher due to unknown factors (that may occur during renovations). It was good he was up front and honest about that!

For comparison purposes, for our 880 sq ft. flat (3 bedrooms), it was $40,000HKD to redo our walls (replaster + repaint), excluding kitchen and bathrooms. (We also asked for additional work, but list is too long.

In the end, we decided to go with a local contractor who is cheaper ($28,000 for walls) and they claim to be able to complete the work in 1/2 the time (2 weeks instead of 4), so can't comment on the quality of their work.

Thanks again for your help!

KnowItAll · 27-09-2006, 03:23 PM

berrymerry : does the local contractor speak reasonable english? Can you post his contact details here?

It is a bit of a struggle to find someone who we can recommend who provides competitive pricing and decent service.

berrymerry · 28-09-2006, 10:02 AM

Unfortunately, no, the local guy does not speak very much english at all. My brother-in-law has had to help us out.

In addition, when we met him, there was still a lot of "charades" going on (we didn't know terms like ceiling trim, etc...)