The East End has seen a lot of changes recently as residents convert their second homes into full-time residences. Many people are spending more time at home as home offices, home gyms and movie theaters expand or expand. While high interest rates are increasing the cost of buying homes, they are also fueling the renovation boom in the East End.
A renovation renaissance is underway as Long Island residents invest in improving their homes, from tiny homes to $40 million mansions.
Joe Vella, president of Calverton-based All Island Handyman & Construction, has never been busier as expansion continues in the East End.
“When Covid hit, we noticed people giving up their places in Manhattan and making their summer homes their forever homes,” Vella said recently. “Renovations are happening everywhere. At the moment, building or renovating is cheaper than buying.”
He said home equity loans continue to fuel this trend in projects large and small as the value of homes rises.
As a full-service interior and exterior construction company and general contractor, Vella's business has, at least metaphorically, gone through the roof. His company, which specializes in Suffolk including the East End, is currently carrying out renovation and construction work in Hampton Bays, Southampton, Watermill, Hands Creek in East Hampton, Nissequoge and Northport.
“We do a lot of work on Dune Road and a lot of properties in East Hampton,” Vella added. “I’ve never lost a customer.”
Celebrity Renovations
General contractors, along with architects and building contractors, are important, if often overlooked, players in the East End. Vella is an example of someone who left his mark on the East End of Long Island.
“I still work with my hands every day,” he said. “We are at several locations. I am on site at each one.”
Vella is a good person to first understand the role of GC in real estate. A Dan's Hall of Fame honoree, his company was named Dan's Best of the Best 2010-2022, including Best Contractor, Best Remodeler and Best Tradesman.
He began construction as a young man and helped his father renovate his own home before entering the profession. “He renovated every room inside and out, from the roof to the siding to the kitchens, bathrooms and hardwood floors,” Vella said. “I would always help. That's when I knew it was what I wanted to do.”
By age 16, he was rebuilding chimneys, rising to lead six four-person teams and then managing construction projects. In 2002, he started his own company, operating throughout the East End.
“I love improving neighborhoods,” Vella said. “I love turning something into a masterpiece.”
Vella and his company continued to carry out projects for Secret Celebrity Renovations on CBS, including a complete renovation with kitchen, HVAC, hardwood floors, trim, painting, basement and plumbing.
“We worked around the clock. I had an army of men in the house,” Vella said of how he met deadlines. “We ended up finishing in five and a half days.”
They did another renovation for the Maryland show, which he also directed. “I didn’t have to replace anything,” Vella said of a second-story deck extension with a roof they made for the show.
One stop shops
While some residents are trying to complete renovations, general contractors like Vella are leading many projects. A good GC needs good craftsmen who can repair what they can't do on their own.
“Nobody has a better team,” Vella said. “I've been in business for over 20 years. Our customers don't need to hire a carpenter, plumber or electrician. We do it all.”
They use subcontractors they have previously worked with in plumbing, electrical, and HVAC to complement their skills.
“This is the problem that a lot of companies struggle with. People give the job to a not-so-good plumber,” Vella said. “We are very experienced.”
Vella said his company has enough workers to fully staff projects and move them forward as quickly as possible, while some other companies are struggling.
“When we build a house, we have 15 or 16 people plus me,” Vella said. “When we build the frame of a house, we have at least ten people. When we build a roof, there are no fewer than nine.”
Everything in timing
While having enough workers is critical, it is important to provide materials in a timely manner given supply chain shortages and disruptions.
“A lot of critical timing goes into a project,” Vella said. “All the materials have been hard to come by lately. A lot of planning goes into it. We order materials before we start work.”
General contractors must manage logistics and order earlier than in the past.
“If we are doing an addition or a complete renovation and need windows and approval for the renovation takes two to three months, we still order the windows,” Vella added. “We know it sometimes takes six to eight weeks to get the windows ready. We have everything on site so it's ready to go.”
They work with a lead architect who prioritizes their projects rather than causing delays.
“He’s very, very good,” Vella said. “It can take anything. We never have to worry about that.”
From the ground up
Low inventory means more people are buying homes and then building, extending or renovating them, rather than buying dream homes.
“It seems like Full House Muts were popular,” Vella said. “We have stripped many houses down to their foundations. We are giving them a whole new footprint.”
They recently completed a gut renovation of a home in Hampton Bay following a fire. “We remodeled and expanded the two-story house,” Vella said.
They are also working on a complete interior renovation with an extension and a complete gutting of another home, both in Southampton.
They often expand homes by adding floors, value and space, which not only results in more real estate but also helps make dreams come true. “A lot of people buy houses and we update them,” Vella added. “We did a lot of second stories, expansions and additions.”
Cooking change
Vella said kitchen renovations are especially common these days as owners modernize. “We’ve done a lot of kitchen expansions, probably more than ever before,” Vella said. “We are removing load-bearing walls and adding kitchen islands to enlarge the kitchens.”
They used to renovate kitchens in the same footprint with new appliances and cabinets, but Vella hasn't taken that approach in years.
“It all leads to kitchens becoming larger and more functional, with more usable counter space and an island,” Vella said. “It seems like a lot more people are setting up kitchens to entertain over the holidays.”
He said in addition to hardwood floors and tile, they also installed radiant heat in underfloor heating systems. They have also done siding and roof replacement work, recently replaced a roof and installed Hardie plank siding in Montauk.
Offices, gyms, cinemas
They have also built or expanded home offices, gyms, saunas and movie theaters in the East End.
“We built movie theaters with folding screens recessed into the ceiling,” Vella said. “There's been an increase in this since Covid. It seems like people are trying to enjoy every square inch of space in the house.”
He said basement renovations are “almost like adding a whole other floor to your house, which a lot of people didn't know they had.” A pool was even installed in a basement.
“We do some high-end work that other people couldn’t handle,” Vella said, including a pool installed in a basement. “I didn't bat an eyelid. I said, 'If that's what you want, we can make it happen for you.'”