It should be obvious to you all by this point, that the house needs quite a bit of work. With 4 small children, a full time job on my husband's end, and life in general, our spare time is very limited. We had a mutual understanding in buying this house that a LARGE (if not all) portion of the immediate work that needs to be done would be contracted out.
Enter Me. The new general contractor. Of sorts.
Since we know we are going to be spending a bit more money by paying someone, I have been meeting with tons of contractors over the last week and a half to get bids and hopefully get the best price for the best job. This process has it's pros and cons.
On the pro side, I have learned a ton and gotten a lot of useful tips and feedback from everyone who has come through the house. Everyone has an opinion on what you should do - and that's good and bad. It's good from the standpoint that almost every scenario is addressed but bad because it becomes a bit overwhelming.
On the con side, it takes a lot of time. We are a bit pressed for time on when we would like to move into the house so I feel a little heat on my heels. It takes a lot of time to go through what you'd like each individual to do and then it takes time for them to get you a bid. A few have given me bids on the spot which has been wonderful because it at least gives me a starting point.
I know a large part of this process is going to force me to be a good juggler and I'm up for it. I need to remind myself of that every once in awhile. I know I'll make mistakes, but that's ok. That's life.
To help make my life a bit easier, I have what I like to call, "The Command Center". Or if you don't want to be so for boding, "the command bag".
Here is a picture of what I have inside (contents may vary from day to day, but this is a general overview).
Let me explain everything for you:
1. The folded up white papers with blue trim are the blue prints of the house. We were super lucky and got them from the seller. They have been invaluable.
2. The HGTV magazine. I get my inspiration from everywhere so I love to grab a good decor magazine and look through it for good ideas when I have some down time.
3. My laptop. I use this for budget planning, writing this blog, and many other things.
4. To the right of the blueprints is a tape measure on top of two books. The blue one is my calendar where I write all appointments for the house and our lives in general, and the brown book is where I have every contact number from plumbers to concrete layers. I also write notes of things I need to do and bits of info I need to remember. If I lose either of these books come looking for me at the local hospital because I will be heavily sedated from a panic attack.
5. The purple striped binder holds receipts, bids, etc. that need to be organized and filed.
6. Last, but not least, the granola bar. I always carry something to get me through a long appointment or quiet one of my children.
Not pictured are a pen and my phone. My phone (swoon). I truly love it.
This is all a process and I'm still enjoying it so that is good. I can't wait to actually start to get things going. I'm just as excited to start to see a transformation as all of you are.
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