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Our first month as homeowners has been hectic to say the least!
Being homeowners is exciting! After closing on the house, we wasted no time in starting demo. We ripped up the old carpet, took the bathroom back to the studs, opened up a few walls, and scraped wallpaper until we wanted to scream (and we’re still cleaning up the glue). We started out strong and now it’s been a struggle to keep things moving. Mostly because we’re running out of things we can do on our own right now.
It took some time to get our plumber and carpenter for the bathroom remodel and the wall removal. We initially set up for a general contractor to come in. However, his estimate was out of our budget (and actually quite ridiculous). We then decided that we would need to manage individual subcontractors if we wanted to keep on budget. Honestly, our project is manageable, so this isn’t much of an issue. Luckily, my uncle knows the plumber we’re going to use and we have a friend that’s a licensed electrician.
I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to find the right “fit” with contractors.
I’m usually the one meeting with the contractors to get estimates (since I can podcast my lectures later in the day) and first impressions matter. I found that I felt more comfortable with the subcontractors that we decided to go with, even on that first visit. Our plumber and carpenter understood our vision and even more importantly our perspective with this property. I felt I could express my thoughts fully and get honest feedback. With others, I have felt my thoughts were stifled (or even been flat-out ignored). Now that we have the right people, I feel confident going into this project (even with some anticipation waiting for the bid to come back).
Keeping sane has been difficult.
Between working on the house, keeping on top of school, and managing everything else that comes along with being homeowners and landlords, I feel that I’ve fallen out of my normal routine. With all the running around I’ve been doing lately, I need to remember to take time for my mental health. I’ve definitely been slacking on my good habits, so I’m making an intention this month to get back into them. I’m simplifying how I use my bullet journal, starting my morning off with meditation, and finishing off my night with reading a few pages of my current book Other Minds
We are so anxious to get this project done and move in. We’re trying to remain patient and keep everything organized. Even though it’s so hard! Things are starting to pick up again though, meaning we’re getting closer!
