As my current home improvement project gets delayed, I realize it is all about getting the job done right. Issues came up. There were some unforeseeable hidden problems that were not revealed until the demolition process got under way. This means an added cost and more time.
I'm not mad. Perhaps the knee jerk reaction might have been to shoot the messenger. But, this is my house. My largest investment. I want the job done right regardless of the time involved and at whatever cost. Well, okay maybe I don't have unlimited funds, but I'm going to deal with this.
The only person I can really blame is the builder who I selected ten years ago to build my house. He cut corners big time. I even gave him two extra months to complete the construction of my home while I patiently waited in a hotel room and paid the additional cost of storage. I didn't rush him. And, still he did not get things right. So many issues have been discovered as I have upgraded along the way and even when I wasn't seeking improvements. Sometimes these surprises have not involved good timing with my finances or our schedules. Ironically, I even knew about some of the issues but did not have the construction expertise to really question the builder at the time. The most recent problem I am dealing with did involve initial dialog with the builder, but then I resigned from argument when I considered him to know more than me.
You live and learn. I have learned that a newly constructed house requires a home inspector. I speak from personal experience. The latest discovery just cost me an additional $600 on my home improvement project - money that could have been better spent on a home inspector who would have had more construction knowledge than me and the credentials to question things or give me reason to challenge the builder. Boy was I dumb. But, just for the record, I built my house before entering into the real estate profession. I do fault my Realtor at the time for not recommending a home inspection. I wish I could do things all over again. If only I knew then, what I know now.
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