The New Trend in Do it yourself Home Remodeling: Hosting a Demolition Party
In a recent article by the Los Angeles Times, a couple undergoing a Los Angeles home remodeling project enlisted the help of their friends to cut costs on demolishing their patio by hosting a demolition party. The event was complete with party invitations, soda, food, snacks, safety goggles, gloves, several sledgehammers and one rented jackhammer. Arnie and Lily Richards, along with their 6 friends, who were happy and eager to help, did so successfully after a light lunch and several hours of work. The idea has since been reproduced by several other Los Angeles homeowners, hoping to save a little extra cash on their remodeling projects. Jim Vanderveen hosted a demolition after his Los Angeles general contractor suggested he could save money by removing an old covered patio in the back of his house himself. So he hosted a demolition party in which 8 people showed up to help out, and has since held 2 other parties, one of which was to remove an entire wall from his house to make space for a Los Angeles room addition. He suggests that it is important to be aware of all the safety precautions as well as the skill levels of your friends before hosting any sort of demolition party. The idea has worked marvelously for Vanderveen, who said, “Many of these things can be done without professional help, but you do have to read and research the information before getting started.” The parties have become such a hit trend that even HGTV is looking into creating a show tentatively called, “House Party” based on the very same idea.
It is also important to be aware of the risks involved, from accidental damages to injuries of you or your friends. One couple who had recently hosted an event to help with their Los Angeles kitchen remodeling project had new tile installed, but a friend helping to paint accidentally spilled an entire 5-gallons of paint on the brand new floor. Handyman Paul Maceyka was called in to remove and replace all the tile grout, which cost the homeowners around $4,000. On the other hand, a good party with less clumsy friends could save some good money. Vanderveen estimated that his parties saved him up to $6,000, while the Richards’ party saved them roughly $900. In the long run, the cost to hire a professional may be less than the cost of using inexperienced labor, but if you plan right and enlist the more experienced of your friends for the right projects, the end results could be just as effective at much less cost.
