MIL House Project Update

The closer you get to finishing a huge project, the more you find to do… Our contractor’s tech, at the contractor’s bidding, has reengaged with the project. It’s his #1 priority. I spent last Tuesday and Friday at the house. Tuesday was spent, among other tasks, cleaning up rat shit and half century old adhesive off the floor of the study because the tech doesn’t understand what I call ‘recovery’ at the end of a workday. Recovery is: put everything away, clean up (especially if you’re working for someone else!!!), make sure to leave the lights in the house just the way the client instructed, repeatedly, etc. Also, I didn’t want the furnace guy to have to wade through the rat poop dust to get to his patient… Friday I was there to manage the project. As I will tomorrow, and each day until the punch list is done. 🫤

I’ve offered the carpet installers two dates at the end of next week. I’m going to tell the tech, yes lie, that the carpet is being installed at the beginning of next week. Anything to gain some traction 🙄. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like this guy. He’s personable, knowledgeable, safe, humorous, but has little sense of urgency. As I told his boss, my dear friend, I can’t afford to have him work at our place on a time and materials basis.

The garden cleanup guy is stopping by tomorrow. It’s time for round two. I’ve been working here and there on the regrowth of the ivy and blackberry, but it’s time to rake the hill clean of the frass that was left behind from their first pass. There’s also been a lot of storm tree drop in the last couple of months.

I am hoping we’ll have the house ready to lease by February 1st. Given that January is about half over, I am doubtful of securing a tenant by 2/1, but think we can have marketing well established before then.