On Our Way!
I have had many questions about the progress of our new studio, (thank you for asking!) and so I must share something that my real estate broker said to me a year ago about this process: "It's never easy, but it's always doable." That pretty much sums up every step along the way of our journey to a new home. We've hit a lot of bumps in the road, taken a few detours, and experienced significant delays, but in keeping our eyes on the destination and refilling the tank along the way, the doable is finally approaching "done".
Yesterday, we received approval of our construction plans, with no corrections. With this in hand, the inspector is now able to pay us a visit to give a thumbs up for the electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and framing work that has been done. At that point, we can get the insulation guys in, which will take a day and a half, and then start closing things up...with ceilings and drywall. This is a very exciting and major step towards opening our doors!
A Little Background - Why is it taking soooo long?
The scope of work that needed to be done was extensive, and more than we anticipated. Because the building was sitting vacant for so long, with an actively leaking roof, there were serious mold issues that needed to be addressed. Instead of cleaning the mold off of everything (and I mean everything!), we opted to completely remove and replace anything the mold had touched. This meant taking off and disposing of all interior walls, ceilings, ductwork, and insulation. We were left with the bare bones of a building, right down to the cinderblock walls, with a nice view of underside of the roof from indoors. The electrical system was a crazy mess, and many an electrician who walked through commented about how they can't believe "the place didn't burn down by now", and so we gutted the electrical systems and rewired everything from scratch. All of this extra work cost us time and money, but we feel strongly about creating a space that is healthy and safe for all who enter, and we take that responsibility very seriously.
Adding to this delay, was a contractor that, among other things, grossly missed his deadlines. They were to finish replacing the leaking roof by Week 2. Instead, it was not started until the end of Week 4, and by Week 8 it was still actively leaking. Total renovations for the building were to take 5 weeks , but by Week 9, only about 10% of the work had been done, although more than a 1/3 of the project had been paid for, most of it lost.
The Light at the End of the Tunnel - Full Speed Ahead!
As bad as things were, we did gain some valuable knowledge and much needed perspective. Most importantly, we were able to get back on track by changing
contractors, and wow - what a difference! Now things are being done on time or ahead of schedule, to specifications and with quality. Our new contractor said that when we called him for consultation, the project looked like a
"train wreck", and
that we desperately needed rescued . . . "more than most".
I know, it sounds pitiful, and the sad part is ... he was completely right! I am happy to say, thankfully, that with the help of some very good and competent people, we now seem to be on cruise control and well on our way to our destination.
Special thanks to all of you
for your patience
and support
along the way!
Estimated Time of Arrival: March 1, 2018
