READY TO BEGIN
Fred (architect-left), Mimi (designer-right), and Ken (Contractor-middle) reviewing the final drafts
Great minds think alike… or do they?
There is so much work and planning that goes into renovating a home. So much more than what you see on TV. Although some shows take you through 1-3 choices of which house you want, what design style you want, and ask you how you want to live in the home that suits your specific family, there are hundreds of choices. Even the professionals listed above in the photo review numerous options in their heads that incorporate what they have to work with (in terms of existing structure), their experience, where they need to be (in terms of what will bring this old home into the 21st century and beyond), and how to make you, the client, happy. I know I sound like Captain Obvious, but everything and everyone is different. And, once you decide on something, it does not mean it won’t change. Shortly after we met on 5/27/2024 to review the plans above, Mimi called me and asked if Dan and I wanted a door from the kitchen to the front outdoor living area. YES! What a great idea. Then we changed our minds a few weeks later due to budget and design limits. So final plans don’t mean final plans. Thank goodness we selected professionals who are open to ideas and listen to each other. They also listen to us while effectively guiding us into what makes sense but will deliver the beautiful home we hope for.
Are we doing the right thing?
Not everyone will go through the monumental task or magnitude of renovating a 100+-year-old home that requires new electrical wiring, plumbing, asbestos removal, Mercer tile roof and gutter repair, adding a primary bathroom and bedroom suite, renovating two existing bathrooms, moving a kitchen, adding a powder room, 2 laundry rooms, closet space and more but never the less, each change requires careful thought, good planning, an open mind, and more patience than we can sometimes muster. I’m overwhelmed and tired just listing all of this here! In the past two months since we moved to Florida for the duration of the renovation, we have gone through many ups and downs in our thoughts and emotions. Are we doing the right thing? This is so much to take on! Some days Dan was OK but I wasn’t and some days I was OK and Dan wasn’t. We started going down a rabbit hole of negative thinking. The problem was we had too much time to think about it. Even though the architect's plans were finished, we still had to wait for permits, the builder's availability (which is not until August), and the demo preparation. I haven’t written anything about the Butterfly House in the blog because I was catatonic, emotionally constipated, and sitting in renovation purgatory.
The next big pill to swallow? The estimate to end all estimates.
This is going to cost HOW MUCH???
Near “final” schematic of proposed changes
A few short weeks ago, once we had architect-stamped plans, we set up a meeting with Ken on FaceTime. Once he had time to review the list of wants and schematic designs, he could itemize the materials needed and the labor costs for each room. Ken was very upfront about his billing process months ago when we were interviewing him for the job. For those of you who don’t know there are roughly 3+ methods of contract delivery. One is guaranteed maximum price, the second is lump sum delivery, and the third is cost plus fee. I won’t go into details here, because you can easily look up types of construction contracts on Google which is exactly what we did. Ken uses a cost-plus fee contract. This made sense to us since the scope of the work is difficult to estimate due to the age of the home. The job will be the cost of the materials plus 15%. Ken is not cheap, but his work isn’t either. You get what you pay for. At this stage of our life, we want quality, craftsmanship, and accountability. Since we saw samples of his work in person during the interview, we felt confident in his ability to deliver superb work. Also, unbeknownst to Ken, one of our neighbors confided to us that they had several bids done on a bathroom renovation. Ken was one of them, but they went with another contractor with the cheaper estimate, and they have regretted it ever since. Their contractor underestimated costs and over-promised results.
We knew this going in and we had been through moderate renovations in our previous home. We know that the reality of expenses is never like the deflated costs you see on TV. If they were, anyone doing reno would be on Xanax. We would choose to rent, live in tents, or buy tiny houses which is another show.
Tiny House option in the backyard if plans and finances go awry
Swallowing some big reality pills
Anyway, Ken sent us the estimate just before our call. This wasn’t intentional on his part, but I am sure glad it worked out that way because I think we would have looked like two screaming emojis and pulled out of this project as soon as we had time for the estimate to register in our heads. Without openly showing the estimate, I will just say that it was almost double what we predicted, and the estimate did not include the roof/gutter repairs that are looming large. So, we were quite somber on the call and Ken matched our emotion. This is probably the hardest part of his job. Getting the customer on board with the reality of what you want, what you need, and what it will cost. Especially with an old home that hasn’t been touched much in 100 years except minimally since 1963.
Fortunately, Dan is all business and has a great financial mindset and I trust him. We took a day to think about it, called our realtor, Rebecca Diamond, and discussed the market in that specific area of suburban Philadelphia. Bottom line question: What is the maximum we can spend updating and still get a reasonable return on our investment? This house is going to be lived in and is not a flip so it makes sense for us to spend money now, live comfortably, and enjoy. We also knew that Ken presented a worst-case scenario with his estimate meaning he considered costs that might be “unexpected” so we aren’t totally surprised later. Finally, we discussed continuing conversations with Ken related to needs and wants that may change if our budget doesn’t allow for certain items to be done now. With Rebecca’s, thumbs up and some review of our finances, we called Ken and gave him the green light to proceed.
Take a deep breath
Above and below are original photos previously posted on Zillow of the entrance to our home.
August 16, 2024, demolition will begin and there will be no turning back from this project. We have been active for months planning and consulting with experts in architecture, construction, history, roofing, window restoration, design, and landscaping before this. Our neighbors have been so welcoming, patient, and helpful. Our next blog posts will include room-by-room before photos, video plans, and inspiration pictures. There will be more to discuss about Mimi’s critical role in planning and design. Stay tuned! And remember to breathe…
Below: Sharing an inspo photo of what we want the foyer to “feel” like. Although the floor will be painted wood and not tile.
My first attempt at giving you a live tour. Obviously, Dan and I are not professional videographers.