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He wanted to remove the steel door frame!

By
Real Estate Agent with Jameson Sotheby's International Realty

Today, I was sent by a colleague to meet a vendor who was delivering a refrigerator at one of our listings at a condo during the wee hours of the morning.  My colleague told me that she had notified John, the maintenance man, that we had permission to use the freight elevator.

The truck arrived, they loaded up the fridge and took it up the elevator without issue (John was nowhere to be seen, but I had access)... when we got up to the condo, they removed the old refrigerator without incident, but surprise, surprise, the new fridge would not fit through the doorway. (Murphy's law, right?!).  We tried a number of solutions... removing the refrigerator doors (still too big)... maybe we could go in through the front door - yes, that would work, but we still couldn't get through the door from the dining room into the kitchen.

In the end, the answer was, the new fridge had to go back, and we'd have to order a smaller fridge, by 3/4 of an inch.  Ah, well... the best laid plans of mice and men, right?

On our way out, I ran into an irritated John, who complained that "nobody told me that you'd be here... and nobody asked for permission... blah, blah, blah".  I apologized profusely... explained that my colleague had told me that we did have permission... but long-story-short... we're going to have to come back, because the refrigerator didn't fit through the doorway... the only way it would have fit would have been if we'd removed the steel door frame and we sure as heck weren't going to do that, because that would have cost us more than the cost of the refrigerator.  We both had a good laugh over that, and we parted buddies.

Later in the day, I returned to the condo to meet the photographer for MLS photo shoot.  I was waiting by the front door and could overhear John talking to a resident of the building saying "... you should have been here... I had a guy deliver a refrigerator, and it wouldn't fit through the door... heck.. he wanted to remove the steel door frame, and I said to him... what!?  Are you insane!?"...   As he finished that statement, he turned the corner and saw me standing there, and realized that he mis-speaking about me...  the color drained from his face, and he turned on his heel, and quickly walked in the opposite direction.

Yeah, the story had changed quite a bit in the retelling.

-27

Posted by

 ALAN MAY, Realtor®   
Specializing in Evanston Real Estate and North Shore Real Estate

Jameson Sotheby's International Realty, 2934 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201
Office: 847.869.7300      Cell: 847.924.3313      Email: Almay@aol.com

Evanston Real Estate & North Shore Real Estate
Licensed in Illinois

   

Comments(5)

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Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Oswego, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Good morning Alan. Oh the size of doorways! Measure twice. Once had a customer who found the perfect furniture for their newly finished basement recreation room. Even took off the stair bannister before they concluded it would not fit. Enjoy your day. 

Aug 18, 2023 04:03 AM
Alan May

I actually asked my colleague if she'd checked to make sure if the refrigerator would fit... and her response was that it was only a 30" refrigerator... well, lo and behold it was only a 28.25" doorway.  Surprise!!

Aug 18, 2023 08:57 AM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Ugh! Getting furniture and appliances into a home can be a real pain in the butt.

As for John, at least he looked embarrassed. He should have been.

Aug 18, 2023 04:48 AM
Alan May

He really should have been.  At least he didn't 'name' me in his tirade.

Aug 18, 2023 08:58 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Alan,

It's always interesting to see how a story can be repeated! John was embarrassed as he should have been....shame on him! The size of a refrigerator can always be a problem and so sorry you had to go through all the aggravation!

Aug 18, 2023 07:45 AM
Alan May

I'm glad, at least, that the faux-pas wasn't my own.

Aug 18, 2023 08:58 AM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Associate Real Estate Broker

I lived part of that story as our new refrigerator required the removal of our door as well as the door to the refrigerator to get into the house.  As for the storyteller, he may well have you on your butt the next time he tells it.

Aug 18, 2023 08:26 AM
Alan May

I like the way, in his 'telling of the story' he really told me off... "are you insane!?"

Aug 18, 2023 08:59 AM
Doug Rogers
RE/MAX Coastal Properties - Destin, FL
Your Real Estate Resource!

People are crazy, should be the first real estate lesson :)

Sep 12, 2023 05:17 AM
Alan May

and maybe the second lesson, too.

Sep 12, 2023 10:38 AM