Getting a contractor to appear on your doorstep to initiate or complete work can sometimes be a terrible hassle. Whether you live on Fire Island or any where else, competent, professional contractors are not easy to come by.
Here on the beach, the problem is especially acute because there are a limited number of contractors providing services. There are a number of factors at work which make it very difficult for new contractors to set up shop. The permitting process includes the county, the Federal government, the local town government and the incorporated villages. The regulations for each jurisdiction combine for a labyrinth of paper work and headaches. The logistics of running a business here are overwhelming. Although a great deal of building materials may be easily transported by ferry, sending over a new mirror or a live tree is another matter entirely.
As homes have been improved, the demand for services has increased. Forty years ago, the need for wallpaper installers was unheard of. Now Fire Island homeowners want window treatments, high end kitchen appliances, air conditioning, heating and sophisticated audio equipment. As real estate prices climb, the desire for a comfortable summer home with every amenity has become the norm.
So the question becomes, how do you know if the contractor you hired is competent? First and foremost, you want to talk to your neighbors and friends to see who they are using. Word spreads like wildfire on the beach about who is good and who is not. Word also spreads among the contractors about customers who pay on time, and those who do not.
When we built our home, we decided to get a Thermador duel fuel range. It was important because I liked using gas to cook with and electric to bake with. From the beginning, choosing this stove was a mistake.
The expression, "Keep it Simple, Stupid," should dictate every appliance purchase you make. The repair people who can most easily service your appliance can only repair the less complicated appliances. Unfortunately, we learned this lesson the hard and expensive way.
Even though we live here year round and know most of the contractors personally, like other Fire Island homeowners, we have had our share of frustration. The saga of the repair of this stove was a painful lesson.
After countless pleadings, two different Fire Island repair people showed up to get my stovetop working. I had two working burners for about one year. The first repair person looked at the stove, scratched his head and said he would come back a second time with parts to repair the stove. I never heard from him again. The second repairman came twice, directed me to order $200 worth of parts and gave me a lecture about buying a high-end range. He never returned to install the parts.
It turns out that the parts were not needed.
In sheer frustration, I happened to mention to Ron Fuzia, a builder and a friend, that the holidays were approaching and that I still only had a two burner stove to cook on. If you know Ron Fuzia, you know that he knows everything. Really, he does. He directed me to an off- island business, R & E Appliance Repair, who would come to the beach to fix my stove.
The problem was quickly diagnosed and the stove is now working. After more than a year’s worth of frustration and wasted money on needless parts, at least the stove works. I never should have bought it in the first place.
I learned two lessons. Simple is always better on Fire Island. Talk to someone you trust and who really knows about all things Fire Island. It really is a very different world here.
Grace Corradino lives year round in Saltaire. She is a NYS Real Estate Broker and owns Fire Island Living, Inc.