"Before" Pictures

Here are some pictures of the two bedrooms as they are now.  They looked pretty much this way since we moved in back in 1993.  I guess it's time...

Good Meeting

We had a good meeting with Sara yesterday.  We had to make a change to the window in the guest bedroom (technical details that I won't get into) and discussed closets and colors.

Sometime next week Tom, their main designer, will stop over to discuss paint colors for the walls, trim, etc.  Then we can choose the hardware for the windows.  Once that's done, they'll order the windows.  We can then nail down a start date that will be about the third week in July.  Our goal is to be done by the first Packer game.

When you're in a project, you get involved with decisions like the color of your window hardware.  What color is it now?  Who knows.  What do your sister's cabinets look like?  Exactly.

It's Official: Project On!

We signed the contract and put a down payment with Sazama LLC!  (pronounced “Saz-ma.”)

On Monday Sara, our designer, or Rhonda, the production assistant, will come over with the window guy to measure the windows and get them ordered.  The windows will be the critical path and could take up to six weeks to arrive, but probably not.  We’ll know that sometime mid week.  They’ll also install blinds on all seven windows.

First item will be electrical followed by windows and dry wall.  Floors are last.

In addition to the two bedrooms we will also  have the stairs, landing, and hall refinished and a new runner installed on the stairs only.  We’ll buy a runner for the hall on our own.

We decided not to do the air conditioning.  That would be an additional $13K, and it’s just not in the 2015 capital budget.  But that will be an easy stand alone project when and if we decide to do it.

The closets are still undecided.  We’ll probably end up with something fancy in our bedroom like a couple sets of shelves and three poles, paint, refinish the floors, and a new light fixture.  The geometry in there is a little complicated because of the roof line, but it will work out.

The guest bedroom (we’ll need to come up with a new name for it.  The “boy’s room” doesn’t work anymore and the “guest bedroom” sounds too cold) will be something simpler.  We’ll eventually take some of that closet and make it part of the one in Laurie’s dressing room, so we can’t get too carried away  TBD.

I’ll take the official “before” pictures this weekend.

I’m not looking forward to the process, especially clearing everything out of those rooms.  We’ll take Uncle Milty’s bed out of Heather’s room and move the double bed in there for us to sleep.  That will be strange.

The whole project should take 6 weeks.

Sara's Answers

Hi Matt,

I will answer the questions below in red.

As soon as I hear back from the bids I’m waiting for I will let you know.

Sorry for the mistakes.

Sara

Sara:

A couple things:

11.1 I assume that the "stairs" adder include removing the carpeting.  What would installing new carpeting cost? I am waiting for a bid from the carpet place.

11.1.  I am having a hard time getting my head around $5k for two closets.  What other options do we have? I know. I understand. I have 2 other options.

1. We could do no painting in closet and just add in a shelf and a pole. $2565

Or

2. We could just take out the painting for the closet. $3100

11.1 AC.  I assume that the electrical all was adequate?  I am so sorry I totally missed the electric part. I’m so glad you caught that. I have a bid request into the electrical people.

You were right about the cost of the stairs and hall floors - not that expensive.

9.1, third bullet point should reference the 7 windows, not 6 done

8.1 Let's discuss the hardware.  I don't recall what it looks like, but we may want to replace it. We can add a hardware allowance of $40. The hardware there is often seen in old houses. It is hard to find and thought maybe you might want to keep it.

7.1.  I assume that includes removing any miscellaneous carpet remnants, tacks, etc. yes

Laurie and I will discuss over the weekend.  Looking forward to hearing back from you.

--Matt

Second Contract Review

We haven’t signed a contract yet, but we are close.

We met with Sara, our designer, to review the initial contract and made a number of changes.  After contacting her subcontractors she made the appropriate changes.  She also came out with an HVAC guy to get a quotation to add air conditioning to all 5 of the upstairs rooms.

I really need to think of that as a separate project that’s being done in conjunction with the remodel.  But somehow my brain can’t help but adding those two sums together.

We got the revised contract.  I still have some open questions to Sara:

Sara:

A couple things:

11.1 I assume that the "stairs" adder include removing the carpeting.  What would installing new carpeting cost?

11.1.  I am having a hard time getting my head around $5k for two closets.  What other options do we have?

11.1 AC.  I assume that the electrical all was adequate?

9.1, third bullet point should reference the 7 windows, not 6

8.1 Let's discuss the hardware.  I don't recall what it looks like, but we may want to replace it.

7.1.  I assume that includes removing any miscellaneous carpet remnants, tacks, etc.

Laurie and I will discuss over the weekend.  Looking forward to hearing back from you.

--Matt