Prime Junta
RPGCodex' Little BRO
- Joined
- October 19, 2006
- Messages
- 8,540
Okay, so I got commended for derailing a News thread -- I get the picture. But what the hey, let's talk about home improvement anyway.
We're doing our kitchen and bathroom. It's our biggest home improvement project thus far, although I've seen far bigger ones fairly close, since my parents are home improvement nuts and always seem to have some project or other going on.
Here's what I've learned so far, from this and previous projects:
* It'll go over budget. And over schedule. The only question is, by how much.
* You're far more likely to regret not spending enough than spending too much, as long as you don't actually go bankrupt.
* There's an insane amount of detail in a kitchen.
* Full-service kitchen shops cost more, but not all that much more -- and they're pretty good for risk management, since they're responsible for the screw-ups.
* Given the choice between a dedicated craftsman and a contractor committed to staying on-budget and on-schedule, I'll take the craftsman. 'Cuz the only way to stay on-budget and on-schedule is to cut corners somewhere (see first bullet above).
* You only know what needs to be done after living somewhere for a year or two. And even then you'll probably make some stupid mistake.
* If you don't, somebody else will.
* Building inspectors are a PITA, bless their little hearts.
* The builder will always bitch about the tiles, even if you asked him first what kind of tiles he prefers, and based your choice on that. They'll be too hard, too soft, too thin, too thick, too small, too big, the wrong shape, or too irregular, or at least the seams will be the wrong width. Or else they'll be out of stock and you'll have to wait two months for them. Or all of the above. Consequently, you'll go over-budget and over-schedule (see first bullet point.)
* There will be at least one mistake in the kitchen delivery, which will take at least one more week to fix. Or a month, if you're unlucky.
* When the electrician says "Oh, no need to write it down, I'll remember," write it down. He won't read it, but you'll have something to point to when he forgot to put in the cable for the oven.
* When the contractor, plumber, and kitchen designer all say "No problem, that's easy," take it in writing. Else see the first bullet point above.
* Everything produces incredible amounts of dust.
* Builders never take into consideration that things need to set, dry, or harden, nor that some things have to be delivered. (See first bullet point above.)
* Cables and pipes aren't where you expect them to be, and are where you don't expect them to be.
* Expect to be asked to weigh in on things that are completely outside your area of competence.
* "Do it the way you'd do it for yourself" generally works in such situations. It'll probably mean you'll go over-budget and over-schedule, though. (See first bullet point above.)
* There's a whole world of countertops out there. People make them out of everything, including recycled glass, recycled plastic, reconstituted stone, and concrete. Subsequently they fight bitter flame wars over their relative merits. People will sever old friendships if you choose anything other than granite/hardwood/local wood (oiled)/local wood (heat-treated)/recycled plastic/recycled glass/quartz/Corian/stainless steel/laminate/marble.
* Induction hobs rule. Mine isn't even installed yet, but I know it rules, because if it doesn't, all this will have gone to waste, and I'm not ready to face up to that prospect.
* If you're not patient, home improvement will teach it to you. It takes patience to draft preliminary plans. It takes patience to take them to contractors and suppliers in order to choose one. And boy does it take patience to survive the process.
My recycled-plastic Durat countertop just arrived today, by the way, and it's looking pretty good. The seam still needs to be sanded down. The guy who installed it will do it on Monday, first thing.
I'm just not quite sure which Monday.
We're doing our kitchen and bathroom. It's our biggest home improvement project thus far, although I've seen far bigger ones fairly close, since my parents are home improvement nuts and always seem to have some project or other going on.
Here's what I've learned so far, from this and previous projects:
* It'll go over budget. And over schedule. The only question is, by how much.
* You're far more likely to regret not spending enough than spending too much, as long as you don't actually go bankrupt.
* There's an insane amount of detail in a kitchen.
* Full-service kitchen shops cost more, but not all that much more -- and they're pretty good for risk management, since they're responsible for the screw-ups.
* Given the choice between a dedicated craftsman and a contractor committed to staying on-budget and on-schedule, I'll take the craftsman. 'Cuz the only way to stay on-budget and on-schedule is to cut corners somewhere (see first bullet above).
* You only know what needs to be done after living somewhere for a year or two. And even then you'll probably make some stupid mistake.
* If you don't, somebody else will.
* Building inspectors are a PITA, bless their little hearts.
* The builder will always bitch about the tiles, even if you asked him first what kind of tiles he prefers, and based your choice on that. They'll be too hard, too soft, too thin, too thick, too small, too big, the wrong shape, or too irregular, or at least the seams will be the wrong width. Or else they'll be out of stock and you'll have to wait two months for them. Or all of the above. Consequently, you'll go over-budget and over-schedule (see first bullet point.)
* There will be at least one mistake in the kitchen delivery, which will take at least one more week to fix. Or a month, if you're unlucky.
* When the electrician says "Oh, no need to write it down, I'll remember," write it down. He won't read it, but you'll have something to point to when he forgot to put in the cable for the oven.
* When the contractor, plumber, and kitchen designer all say "No problem, that's easy," take it in writing. Else see the first bullet point above.
* Everything produces incredible amounts of dust.
* Builders never take into consideration that things need to set, dry, or harden, nor that some things have to be delivered. (See first bullet point above.)
* Cables and pipes aren't where you expect them to be, and are where you don't expect them to be.
* Expect to be asked to weigh in on things that are completely outside your area of competence.
* "Do it the way you'd do it for yourself" generally works in such situations. It'll probably mean you'll go over-budget and over-schedule, though. (See first bullet point above.)
* There's a whole world of countertops out there. People make them out of everything, including recycled glass, recycled plastic, reconstituted stone, and concrete. Subsequently they fight bitter flame wars over their relative merits. People will sever old friendships if you choose anything other than granite/hardwood/local wood (oiled)/local wood (heat-treated)/recycled plastic/recycled glass/quartz/Corian/stainless steel/laminate/marble.
* Induction hobs rule. Mine isn't even installed yet, but I know it rules, because if it doesn't, all this will have gone to waste, and I'm not ready to face up to that prospect.
* If you're not patient, home improvement will teach it to you. It takes patience to draft preliminary plans. It takes patience to take them to contractors and suppliers in order to choose one. And boy does it take patience to survive the process.
My recycled-plastic Durat countertop just arrived today, by the way, and it's looking pretty good. The seam still needs to be sanded down. The guy who installed it will do it on Monday, first thing.
I'm just not quite sure which Monday.
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2006
- Messages
- 8,540
