Home renovation requires resilience
Like much of the rest of the East Coast, we in Connecticut are being inundated with rain. It started Sunday afternoon and has kept up a steady, strong patter on the roof since. It鈥檚 Tuesday, so we鈥檙e talking Day 3 of what鈥檚 beginning to feel like Noah鈥檚 flood.
As a result, Frank and Dale, our carpenters, are only able to clapboard the porch-protected parts of 鈥� our green renovation experiment.
And since there are only two porches, we鈥檙e getting behind on our clapboard schedule 鈥� which means we鈥檙e going to have to delay putting in the , which means shifting the sheet-rockers a week or two forward, which means the house may not be finished by the fall.
Ah, construction.
The first lesson anyone should be given when taking on a large renovation project is to expect delays, unwelcome surprises 鈥� like a rot in a wall you thought you could save - and yes, lots of extra costs.
My advice to anyone involved in building or renovating is to maintain a wry sense of humor, and 鈥� probably more important 鈥� get educated.
I must confess that initially I didn鈥檛 take my own advice, at least about the latter. I just plunged willy-nilly into turning Sheep Dog into the home of my dreams.
Fortunately, I've had my fianc茅 Martin, a savvy businessman, along for the ride. He has forced me to keep a close watch on every penny and counseled me on how save some.
He also is wonderful in recognizing when things are going too slowly and headed for a disaster 鈥� and brilliant in getting them moving again without bruising any egos 鈥� including mine.
Since not everyone has a 鈥淢artin,鈥� I鈥檝e put together a reading list of sorts 鈥� books and blogs I wish I had read before I started this process.
鈥� At the top of the list is a book that I should have bought years ago, if only because a friend of mine in Vermont wrote it. It鈥檚 titled: 鈥溾�� and is a guide to building a new home. But it鈥檚 also an invaluable tool for renovators.
If I were smart, I would have taken the time to do all of the planning and research that Amy Johnston recommends. I also would have understood better many of the mysteries I encountered, from the myriad of Town Hall players involved in permits and approvals to how one contractor can honestly bid $27,000 for a project that another insists can be done just as well at $18,000.
鈥� Another good book is 鈥�: How to Save 25% Without Lifting a Hammer.鈥� It isn鈥檛 as witty as Ms. Johnston鈥檚 book, which includes chapters such as 鈥淩eady, Set, Think鈥� and 鈥淭he World鈥檚 Second Oldest Profession: Choosing a Contractor,鈥� but it does give a more market-oriented approach to the nuts and bolts of building.
It includes insight gems such as: The bigger the house or renovation, the bigger the overhead and profit for the general contractor.
鈥� On the Internet side, there is the , which is brought to you by the . The testimonials on the site, including one from The Los Angeles Times, call it a 鈥渕ust read鈥� and include comments like: 鈥淚t really puts the hazards of dealing with contractor-bozos into chilling perspective...鈥�
I do have a few problems with the site. First is its negative perspective. I may have been fortunate in my choices of contractors, but I truly believe most local builders are good people who not intentionally out to make your life difficult.
The second is the cost. The one-month online course is $67. Now it may be worth it, but I鈥檓 not willing to cough up the cash to find out since I already know there are very good, affordable books out there. (Yes, I make no apologies for my Luddite preference for the printed word over the cyber one.)
I was going to rattle off a few more sites and ides, but I just heard a loud thud from the basement here at Little Pug Farmette, my current residence. I went down to find an inch of water in the laundry room. When I investigatedI saw that the sump pump was working just fine, but my hot water tank had burst.
Yikes! Here鈥檚 another reason to go for .
I have to take care of that now. More on this topic Thursday.
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Journalist blogs twice a week about her green and budget-friendly restoration of a 1902 farmhouse in Connecticut. Click here to find all her blog posts and articles.
