Budgets and Bids

Enchantress

Budgets and Bids

School is back in session, work is progressing and we are making plans - big plans. Hubby and I have decided that the home we live in will be our forever home. As such, we're going to move forward with some home renovations to make it the best possible home it can be.

I began with researching contractors; specifically, contractors who are licensed and bonded. I went a step further and only called the ones with mostly positive reviews. They've come over, discussed, measured, winced at the amount of flooring we have then laughed at our crazy dogs. We have a sort of budget in mind (50K to 60K), but we really have no idea what to expect with all of the work we'd like to have done:

*Tile removal from foyer, front hallway, main hallway, and kitchen
*Carpet removal from den, dining room (who puts carpet in a dining room? I've never understood this) living room and master bedroom
*Ceiling repair in dining room (internal leak possible) along with possible floor repair
*Floor repair in master bedroom near east door to deck
*Removal of bi-fold doors in foyer, guest bedroom, child's bedroom and master bathroom
*New French doors for foyer closet
*New French or swing-out closet doors for bedrooms and the linen closets in master bathroom
*New flooring (laminate or hardwood) in hallways, den, dining room, kitchen, living room and master bedroom
*Complete gut/remodel of kitchen - new cabinets and hardware, new counter tops (Quartz), new appliances (including new refrigerator, new dishwasher, double ovens, gas range, hood, sink and garbage disposal). New lighting, recessed or mixed of recessed and pendant. Possible extension of counter and shift of window. Possible island. Possible  east wall removal to kitchen into living room (opening of the space) and door seal to south deck, to allow for crawl space access by way of a new door (we currently pull up part of the floor to access it, which is fine now while we're young but will prove problematic as we age).

The list is large and it's going to take a test of wills for me to dive in with these projects without paying for them outright. We've been working so hard to become debt free and this process requires a loan. I'm hopeful that, not only will we qualify for all that we need, but be able to pay it off swiftly. The good news is that our equity is worth much more than what we're hoping to borrow.

Despite or in response to all the plans (as well as a car accident I had on August 17th), I've been doing some work on my mental state. This year, as I've mentioned previously, has been unusually challenging and I've dealt with a bit of depression because of it. A couple of weeks ago, I made a conscious decision to embrace the energy September brings (it is the month of change, after all). Happiness starts with me. I am the creator of my own destiny and I have to start "feeling the good" again. You know what? It's working. Things are going much better than they've gone for a long time. I'm not wallowing like I was and I'm living in more gratitude. It really makes a huge difference.

As for the car accident, I was rear-ended by a lady who actually pushed me so hard that I ended up in my own driveway. My beautiful Cadillac (an anniversary gift from my hubby for our twentieth anniversary) was totaled. I focused on gratitude: my daughter and I walked away as did the lady who hit me, I had all of my necessary paperwork, I had a helpful and kind officer, and my hubby had just gotten home and was available to comfort me. The car was towed a few days later. A few days after that, I was notified that my deductible had been waived and the other insurance would pay for everything. Last Saturday, I found a new car that I love and am (again) grateful to have found a vehicle that both hubby and I agreed upon. Good things are coming. They are coming. They are coming.