December 2nd

What I've learned about remodeling a home:

1.)It all sounds good...in theory.

2.)The people that originally built your house cut corners that you probably aren't aware of until you rip down a cabinet or cut a hole in the wall.

3.)Its all "Yes we can!" and "That'll work!"...until you get started. Then they turn in to, "Well, we're gonna have to change this" and "We now see that this won't work that way."

4.)Hope and pray that your contractor is really REALLY good at math. Cause those cabinets being made off site somewhere better fit in the hole they just cut.

5.)I have been watching too much HGTV.

6.)Granite is impossible to match. Matching tile is impossible to find.

7.)One week means two weeks.

Don't let me fool you into thinking that I am discouraged. I am still very happy with the changes going on. And we have worked out a compromise on the things that needed to change once we started. Many of them are minor details anyway. I just think it is funny how on "Demo Day" everyone was go go go with a "can do" attitude about the plan. And now that there is a hole in the wall and 3 sets of cabinets ripped down, things about that plan were forced to change...once we were passed the point of no return.

One thing I am very pleased with is how controlled and contained the mess has been. They have been cleaning up as they go and I have yet to see any dust or mess outside of the remodeling area. I was expecting sledge hammers and clouds of saw dust. That was when the contractor pointed out that I had been watching too much HGTV. He used an exacto knife to cut out the hole in the wall and I was grateful.