I have tried to keep a good relationship with my building contractor. We’re 8 months into the project and I have not felt the need to engange in any type of ugly confrontation. I have had to piece my brain a couple of times to keep non-productive thoughts from oozing out of my mouth.
It is sometimes difficult to understand where another person is coming from but calm, rational thinking on my part comes in quite handy. I have to ask myself, “what if I never saw my original designs and just stumbled upon the completed house on somebody else’s property”.
In that scenario, I would not see the mistakes, all I would see is the whole package, neatly resting on it’s foundation, basking in the newness of the morning sun. I would not hear the voices of disrespectful carpenters, simultaneously hammering and groaning and making short-cut decisions that they think they can hide. Every new house has its problems one cannot see. Some of the problems might cause major sturctural events, some might cause minor ones. I reassure myself that even if I were to purchase an older home, I would witness similar aches and pains. The difference would be that I was not there to see the maladys under construction.
At this point, I think that I have a good, solid foundation that will undergo normal settling. I am reasonably certain that my framing is sound, my floor plan has been laid out perfectly and things are looking very close to my original vision. It has not been easy. I am learning a great deal about myself during the construction as well as a great deal about others.
One must take things as they are, keep control and at the same time do not make drastic compromises in order to appease the contractor. Contractors are in the business to make as much money off you as they can. They will be subtle when making suggestions on changes and try to make you think it is in your best interest to do so.
There is a reason I bought a set of blue prints and they are my material back-up. I constantly refer to them when having any discussion with my building contractor. I also have the financial institution on my side, which is paramount when keeping the building contractor in line. He knows he has to pass inspection before he gets his check for each phase of construction, therefore he is somewhat motivated to follow the master plan.
All building contractors are like this. One must prepare one’s self for a small piece of joy, a small piece of heart-break and a generous dose of absolute fear when undertaking a project as large as bulding a home. In one aspect, it is the most wonderful thing one can do outside of having a child and on the other side, it is also one of the most frustrating things one can do. Regrets? No, not for me. Even after all that has happened so far, it has been worth every moment of heartache.
In the long run, the bad will pass and will be replaced with great pride and joy. At the end of the 8 or so months it will take to bring this project to a close, I will have a monument to my dreams, a place that is exclusively mine. One drawback to being so close to it is that at the end of my days, I will have to be dragged out of it kicking and screaming. It is my baby.