Friday, March 14, 2008

The Secret

I now know the secret to getting your home renovated quickly: Money! This way, you don't have to shop around for contractors - you just pick the one with the best reputation and go for it. Oh, and you get to pick out the fixtures and appliances you "like" as a opposed to "afford". Bitter much? Um, yeah, a little. Anyway, hiring a contractor is great, but expensive. Also, hiring a contractor in a city is expensive. While a contractor in a rural area would be happy making 60k a year, one in a city wants to make 120k a year. Therefore, we are charged at least double for their services. Hmph.

When all our "charges" were added up for the renovations we want to do, we were looking a smidgen over what we wanted to spend. OK, we can do this. But, no we can't. Because on top of the tally you have to add in the contractors fees - which in this case were 25%. GOOD GRAVY!!!!!!!! I think we may have to be our own contractors for most things. I am also envisioning us not only demolishing our kitchen, but installing the cabinets as well. At this point the quotes for hanging the cabinets cost more than the cabinets themselves, and yes, I am looking at the right numbers.

I have also realized this "project" is going to take a very, very long time.

Another thing about renovations is that you have to worry about what to do with your pets. We have to cats, Dylan and Nina. Since we don't want kitty paw prints on our floors they will have to be out of the house for a while when they are being re-finished. Next week I have to take them to the vet for their shots so we can board them. I think they are going to hate me. I end this post with pictures of Dylan and Nina:








1 comment:

Jen said...

I feel for you. Been there, done that - oh wait, I'm actually still broke but luckily in this house there is no remodeling needed, just decorating.

I highly recommend Ikea kitchens for quality, price and ease of fitting. They have a great planning tool you can download. We've gutted and put in two kitchens and used Ikea units both times and been thrilled with the result (pics in my blog / bio - major renovations in my blog from May 2006 onward.)

Injuries Obtained

  • Sprained Toe/Foot: 1
  • Blood Blisters: 2
  • Splinters under fingernail: 1
  • Bird Shit on me: 1
  • Eye Injuries: 3
  • Burns: 0
  • Falls off ladder: 0 (this is because we don't have a ladder yet)
  • Headaches: too many to itemize
  • Broken Bones: 0
  • Bandages Needed: 5
  • Electric Shocks: 2
  • Stiches: 0
  • Bruises: way too many