There are some things cupcakes just will not accomplish...it was determined that a new expense would require me to sell some more company stock. It became evident that I needed an estimate to relocate/offset the existing Washington Gas natural gas service to my home. Washington Gas needed to inspect the home. J.R.'s appointment was set and my architect joined us as well. He and his team received a dozen cupcakes from me for his Perry Mason skills at City Hall. Kim, my architect, loves cupcakes.
There are many new requirements for moving a gas meter, which include just some of the following: 10 feet from any powered air intakes; 3 feet from any door; 3 feet from an operable window; 3 feet from dryer vents; 3 feet from ignition sources (i get that one). you get the picture. J.R.'s fee for the visit was $78, which was acceptable. Then, he had to write up his estimate. The yellow piece of paper said it all. I now hate yellow.Cost of work, including labor but not the plumbing costs, is $1,699.00. Just say $1,700 because we all know that any type of work on a home has two zeros at the end of the work order anyway. Cupcakes could not fix this unexpected expense.
Depressed, I went for a run afterward and felt better. Thank goodness I don't have to clothe or feed a child.
Other unexpected expenses: my seemingly respectable budget for the addition & renovation must have seemed to be a STARTING point for the contractors. Two of them responded with estimates $13K and $28K over my budget. One contractor decided to verbalize his cost to my architect...no written document. Bye bye. The other contractor has not responded and has four other proposals in the queue. Bye bye. Fortunately, my boyfriend and one of his business partners will be reviewing the two bids and assisting me with the process. This is their area of expertise. I see cupcakes for their office.
Last night, I had the pleasure of working with my bathroom designer to help choose my tiles and flooring. She asked me what my "style" was. After looking like a deer in the headlights, we determined I was a "transitional" gal...a cross between contemporary and clean lines. Yes, I am going for the "spa" look in my master and bolder colors in the half bath. This will be fun. I promised you a picture of my current "half-bath", which shares the space with my HVAC and golf clubs. It will be such a joy to have a bathroom that has a pocket door and cool flooring and a Duravit toilet!
Stay tuned. The next blog should be after I have chosen my contractor. My mom will be flying up from SC to assist during the entire project. She will have a blast and I am going to get her a hard hat too.
