MowryJournal.com   Life's Passions

So, we bought it. We had our Unicorn. Now, what to do with it?

It was clear that we needed some transformation to make our forever home. I started making lists. Lots of lists.

What did we want?

1. New kitchen with island.
2. Custom cabinets throughout the house.
3. Creation of a new walk-in pantry between the kitchen & the hallway. Kudos to Kim, our superstar real estate agent, that saw the opportunity to build this pantry by converting a space that had a built-in television. We added found space on the other side of the back wall, that had some cabinetry in the hallway … delivering a space that is 4’x6′. Perfect for a pantry.
4. New appliances for the new dream kitchen.
5. New plumbing fixtures for the new bathrooms.
6. Recessed lighting + ceiling fans in all rooms.
7. Smart controls for appliances, lighting, thermostat, sprinklers … and more.
8. Finally, the home’s 3 car garage would become a 1 car garage for Mrs M, and a 2-car garage shop for me.
9. A new table saw. And, at long last, a miter saw to easily break down lumber.

So then I started making spreadsheets. Lots of spreadsheets.

We met with our first contractor before we had the keys. That didn’t work out. He was in a transition – building his new shop/retail location, we were still developing the plan, we didn’t have possession yet … no. Strike 1.

We met our 2nd contractor on February 28, the day we took possession. This was a big idea guy that had a particular way he wanted to do a big job like ours. Big job. Very professional presentation from the jump. I met all of the sub contractors he would recommend to us, and then the wheels started to come off. The cabinet guy was on vacation and could not meet with us for a week. And we lost a week before we even got started.

OK, that happens. But then this cabinet maker came back to meet with us, and couldn’t commit to a time he could begin construction. After several days, we got his quote (he accidentally sent it to us directly. Oopsie.) Then we got the entire consolidated quote from the general contractor a few days later.

The quote was over our projected budget, but more importantly, there was no promise of timing AT ALL. No projected date to begin. Just … approve this budget and we will talk about it.

Uh, no. I was in sales my whole life, and as we saw with Williams Homes, when sales techniques annoy me, I run for the hills. Strike 2.

I started to look for tradesmen myself. Then, I finally listened to our son-in-law. He knew a guy.

This guy, whom I met when Little Girl married son-in-law, was a childhood friend that grew up to be a contractor. And a groomsman, for that matter.

It happens. And life-long friends can be a wonderful thing.

Contractor #3 promised to introduce me to the right people. He would help & advise, but I would be left to supervise the process that we were oh, so invested in.

I began to stitch together a team. Some vendors were recommended to me, some we found on our own. All were available to begin work … soon. Very soon.

I created floorplans. Worklists. Ideas to be incorporated into each room.

We hired crews for garage door opener installation, epoxy floor installation, kitchen demo, plumbing, stone work, electrical, cabinetry, HVAC, roofing, chimney service, paint, carpet, and a keymaster. We bought appliances, plumbing fixtures, tile and stone slabs. We chose colors. We bought carpet.

We learned about bidets.

It’s a big world out there.

We were off to the races.

Next Up: Digging Holes & Filling Them

More:

Widening The Search

Finding Our New Home