house update since i can’t sleep: i’ve been meeting with construction/remodeling companies for the past two weeks to discuss things i want done to the house. i expected these companies to be pricier than hiring a bunch of different people myself to do each job, but i expected a 20% markup and was honestly prepared to just bite the bullet for the sake of my own sanity. since i didn’t buy a house, i have some cash and am willing to put a portion of it into remodeling.
well it’s much more of a markup than what i expected. i have two walls that are basically cardboard (non-load bearing, drywall only) that need to come down and did some research online. seemed i should be able to take em down, even in pricey CA, for $3k or less.
well the latest company told me it would be 8-15 per wall. i figured she meant $800-1500. nope, she meant $8000-15000 EACH for two walls i could probably take down myself if i wasn’t paranoid about messing stuff up. $16-30k for drywall demo????? EXCUSE ME????? when i told her i expected $3k, she just said they might not be a “good fit.”
i didn’t like most of the other people we talked to. they ALL asked how old i am (they were all men), and one even made a comment about teachers “not wanting to do their jobs.” several resisted giving estimates. all seemed skeptical that i would be the point of contact. i am a 29-year-old professional who’s had a steady salary job for 7 years. the money is coming from my parents because it’s their property, but they got a lot of that money from me. :)
my parents had made all the contractor appts so far, so i started making my own. the so-called “convenience fee” of having a company do everything for you (permitting, scheduling, etc.) is waaaay overblown. 10 minutes online told me all i needed in CA is an asbestos report and a demo guy. got the asbestos lab done same day. have a licensed and insured demo guy telling me the two walls will be $2200 and meeting with him tomorrow to discuss. i’ve been talking to anyone who gets back to me within the hour. you don’t respond quick enough, i don’t meet with you, and so far that seems to be working out.
so now i’m also meeting with flooring, electrical, and bathroom people. most of what we want to do is just some cosmetic sprucing up (glazing tubs, changing some really smelly carpet, etc.), and we’re all chipping in to achieve it and even doing certain things ourselves. i hope i can get a handle on everything soon so we can really get going. i’ve taken control at this point and i don’t want to lose it.
my dad wanted to go balls to the wall, but the whole reason we’re all relocating is to save money so why pour it all into this house????? i know he’s chomping at the bit, so this next week is about showing him that i can get enough done to make him happy at 1/3 the price.
hence my Task Master Mode being off the rails rn.
