The cats are very upset. Everything is not where it's supposed to be. Not to mention, two of them were locked in the bedroom all day yesterday. The other cat spends most of his time in a 4 x 4 pen because he has kidney disease, plus a touch of senioritis. He was pretty oblivious to the goings and comings around him. After all, he had cat food, clean water, fresh litter and occasional pets. He was in seventh heaven.
Which is where I wished I could be. But not. You see, you absolutely cannot do a major home remodel and go away on vacation. At least I can't. I have to be home to say, "That doorway is too narrow to fit that piece of furniture you're trying to jam through." Or, "Hey, you better put a bucket under that leaky shut-off valve or you'll be replacing my flooring."
No job is without its surprises. Such as wow, wood boards are behind the sheets of glass of my walls, and all that wood has to be removed. Didn't count on that. But then, I've never owned a home where the walls were covered in glass.
The demo crew wasn't thrilled with that development. OK, I have a hammer and a crowbar, I'll help. I took out a wall and a half by myself. Get with the program, you guys.
Oh, so that old water heater vent in the ceiling I asked you to remove is covered with asbestos? Well, look, don't keep chipping away at the asbestos. Now it is airborne and you could all die a slow and painful death. (Well, wishing won't make it so.) No, don't yank it out from the roof and leave a hole in the roof. Just cut it off at the ceiling.
Ouch, is that a live wire? Why didn't you save the little screws and fasten the outlets back on the wall instead of leaving them dangling? How am I supposed to turn off the kitchen light? BTW, do you have Workers' Comp?
Hey, where are my baseboards from the laundry room? They were sitting by themselves in the family room. Did you throw them away? Well, thank goodness I bought extra baseboards because I know what I'll be doing on Tuesday -- painting them.
Yes, folks, somebody has to stay behind and make sure the work is done correctly. My lucky husband is away on a two-week vacation. This is my vacation. Staying home and yelling at contractors.
But I have to admit, there is a certain sense of accomplishment after everybody has gone away and I'm left to vacuum up the mess because they say, "The drywall guys will make a mess so we aren't cleaning up too much. Besides, we don't have a vacuum." Guess what? I do. I vacuumed up the mess and washed the floor. And then I retired to the Jacuzzi to sooth my aching muscles after hammering and yanking and tossing wood all afternoon.
I'd say yesterday went rather well. Despite the little annoyances, so far I've managed to avoid the Top 10 Do It Yourself Mistakes.
Of course, the cats are getting treats and attention. I know who really rules the house.
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Certified HAFA Specialist
Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
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12 Comments on Don't Assume That Professionals Know What They Are Doing
Elizabeth, I took two bathrooms to the studs in my 1914 house and egads! What a mess! I had to move the cats and the Labradoodle and myself to the basement apartment in my house - lead dust. Good luck! And stay sane! And remember the cats lick fur, so if you have lead paint, keep them away from the construction.
Elizabeth, yes cats really do rule the roost. I thought I had it bad supervising a complete new construction of my current house, but I think you have it much tougher overseeing this remodel job. Good luck to you and reward yourself with that Jacuzzi early and often : )
Lucky you have the Jacuzzi, you would have been beating those guys with a 2x4. :)
You will get through this and love your new kitchen.
All the best!
Ooh! It kinda makes me think twice about hiring contractors! I guess you can't assume anything these days. I hope your experience with this gets better! :)
Lucky husband to be gone during this. They sure changed that kitchen in a hurry. I like the windows. They look like replacement windows which are so expensive but so energy efficient.
Hi Patricia: My house most certainly has lead paint, which is why I washed the floor last night. It wasn't to keep it all nice and clean for the electricians and plumbers today, that's for sure. I was worried about the cats walking through the area. You make a very good point!
Hi Gary: Female cats rule the male cats, too. My little Pia is the youngest, and she was very frightened when she came to live with us. Her entire 18 months were spent breeding, and she was petrified when she arrived. Now, she bosses everybody around.
Hi Kevin: I don't know if I would have hit them with a 2x4. A sledgehammer maybe.
Hi Debi: The contractors who are here today have been excellent.
Hi Barbara: This is a 2 week project, if you can believe that. From start to finish. It's a miracle, actually. And yes, those are replacement windows. You lose a couple inches of glass space with them but they are easier to install.
Elizabeth, I agree about sticking around to oversee the work being done - but, since I have long nails, I would never deign to knock down a wall. ;-)
Elizabeth ~ No pictures of you taking down the mirror wall? : ) I hate renovations, I always feel displaced in my own home. Thankfully, we don't have any more planned!
That's why you wear gloves, Teri. Protects your long nails and manicure. I even wear surgical gloves inside the leather gloves to avoid scratching my polish. :)
Glass walls, Kathy, not mirrors. LOL. You know, I hear glass walls are coming back. These are big sheets of glass, about the size of Sheetrock, 4 x8. The glass in the kitchen was peach. I still have gray glass walls in my guest bath.
I don't feel displaced, though; it's like home to me when building materials clutter the living room floor and dust is everywhere.
Elizabeth, I am sooooo loving this post. I can hear your voice in my head while reading every single word, and I have to say I am still laughing about this! You are too cool, girlfriend! You should come with me to Lizette Fitzpatrick's house. I bet we could get our construction groove on! She's throwing a bring your own tools party for the garage renovation. You have got to go read her blog! :-D
P.S. I enjoyed your post, especially the contruction eye candy! Watching the work evolve has me glued to your posts! Keep 'em coming, sweetie! This is awesome!
Hi C: I'll post more photos tomorrow, time permitting. We're rocking and rolling with Sheetrock today. Hey, tell Lizette I've built a garage, so I could give her tips, if she likes. Built it from the ground up with my own two little hands. I borrowed my husband's hands, which he was none too happy about, heh, heh.
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