About
North River Renovation Management helps homeowners plan and execute a remodel from start to finish. We work directly for the property owner, not for architects or contractors. We are not contractors ourselves, but we help you hire the best skilled tradespeople to do the job and work with them to see a project through to quick and hassle-free completion.
For that reason, we bill by the hour or offer set-fee package deals, and we invoice monthly, like any professional consultant. We do not base our fee on a percentage of the job; that way there is no conflict of interest in representing the homeowner with design and contracting pros who set the scope of a job.
Alex Bandon
Principal
Before moving full-time to project management, Alex had a long career as a writer and editor, including 17 years with the home improvement brand This Old House. There she learned hands-on all about houses—how to fix them up and keep them running—and gave workshops on the basics of kitchen design and renovation. She also wrote several stories for the New York Times about the buying, renovating, and history of New York real estate.
Even while employed full time in publishing, she constantly worked with homeowners who asked for help with their renovations. As a consultant, she guided clients on everything from a simple kitchen design to a year-long structural repair. Alex has lived in New York’s historic West Village since graduating from Colgate University; she renovated several of her own apartments, including single-handedly designing and building a full kitchen in her current home, a cozy 1915 carriage house.
Our name
The North River is the historic Dutch name for the Hudson River. It was in common use through the 19th century, and survives as an alternate name for the southern part of the river on nautical maps and in infrastructure related to the river, such as the North River piers or the North River rail tunnels. North River Renovation Management specializes in the needs of older urban buildings, like those found in the historic neighborhoods up and down the former North River.