I was buying and hauling construction supplies and talked to more than two dozen men in plumbing, heating, electrical, masonry, hardware, landscaping, barn, outbuildings, fencing, flooring, decking, siding, furniture, and appliance business.
If you ever want to know more about human nature first hand, try overseeing a remodeling/renovation project.
First lesson learned: Most people will steal from you. I mean not just taking some supplies home with them but also not returning supplies that belong to you. They will pretend and deny but you know better. Solution: Don’t confront them while the project is still going on. Watch them more carefully and make a mental notation that you will never ever deal/hire these people again. Pray for them as well.
Second lesson learned: Very few people “care about what belongs to you” by that I mean, they will not purposely try to save you money by being careful with your supplies/materials. They will try and make the job easier for them by using up whatever supplies you have even if there are other ways like re-using and or recycling.
Third lesson learned: Most people get mad when they don’t get what they want. As the owner/employer you have the right to tell the builders what you want and how you want it done. They will suggest an easier route for them, or a most costly route for YOU. IF you insist on what you want, they will get EVEN. They retaliate by doing several things; a. you will find that most of your materials have been sabotaged; b. you will check on the finished job and find that it sub-standard and has to be redone; c. they will stall time wise on commencing the next job so much so that you will not be able to finish on the timeframe that you expected.
Next lesson learned: If you can handle the aggravation, frustration, hard work, and long hours, you could save a substantial amount of money by overseeing and buying the materials yourself.
We did accomplish the following by going this route. *Converted one car garage to a Master bedroom with walk-in closet and full bath with full wood-laminate flooring, ceiling fan, tract lighting* updated entire house electrical power to 200 amps* updated entire house electrical GFS (grounding)* added/gained 9 by 9 formal dining room,*updated all window treatments* expanded entrance to living room from main hallway* installed one skylight in the kitchen* moved, set -up, hooked up washer/dryer in the basement* repainted, re- papered some walls and some ceiling* added 18 by 22 back deck with railings, steps and posts* cleaned, repaired some ceiling and roofing* front yard fenced in (treated wood with three railings)* organized, partially cleaned the big barn* organized partially installed cabinets for washer/dryer area.* cleaned, re- painted all windows exterior* saved, stained, refinished and reused old furniture and fixtures* regrouped reorganized redecorate all paintings* reorganized, redecorated Abby’s room* reorganized computer room, Ray’s den* converted old Abby’s room to small study area for Tina’s use.* reorganized entire house closets space* upgraded, organized, main bathroom* upgraded, organized sun room* paid surveyor to do property boundaries* made, put in place house address* fixed both storm doors/painted entrance doors/added kick plates* installed all electrical fire alarms in all rooms* installed baseboard electrical heating system to new bed and bath* replaced, installed new dishwasher* replaced, installed new kitchen sink* rechecked, repaired all plumbing problems*rechecked, repaired all gutters and spouts* installed new attic access* repaired basement crawl space* installed shelving in basement/dry area for storage* updated, replaced, broken, non-working lightings* replaced some vinyl tile floorings* installed coat rack/hooks front door entranceway*received bids/quotes on siding all three outbuildings and big gambrel barn.
Payback? You will again fall in love with your house by knowing each and every corner of it; you will add value to your property; you will find fulfillment in seeing the finished work; you will feel like you are in a new house; you will discover and apply your own creativity; you will find more things to do and projects to finish all around your property; you will have disagreements and silent nights/days with your spouse while the project is ongoing; you will be very grouchy, tired and feel unappreciated; and you will discover your own faults, humanity and you will question yourself constantly.
The most important lesson learned: Putting all of these activities in proper perspective: I start my day at six in the morning. The moment Abby’s bus picks her up around seven I am a busy bee until three thirty in the afternoon when she is home again. Then we eat our snacks, check her backpack, do her school work, converse, play a little bit, clean up a little bit, fix dinner. After family dinner if there are no outside extra curricular activities for her, we help her clean up, get ready for bed, read to her, pray with her. Lights are off for them two around eight thirty on school nights.
I linger around and finish up for another two to three hours depending on what needs to be done. On these quiet two to three hours I purposely squeeze in my spiritual readings. In retrospect, we can really be more of a Martha than Mary if we are not consciously aware that we can pray and converse with God while we are doing all of these seemingly mundane things.
Finally, The people you meet through this project will help you see yourself in a new light. By light I mean, you will be enlightened by knowing that, a. there is no part of the path of your life on which God is not willing to shed the light of His Grace, Mercy and Love; b. He came all this way to make your heart His home, your physical home should likewise be a reflection of what is in your heart. Love. Making your home a comfortable place is a way of expressing your love.
Signed:Tina Munoz Wenger finished two days after Thanksgiving 2010.
