Garage Conversion

The garage conversion project seems to have come to a standstill. Our 1st guy ended up giving us the best price, but we didn’t know that at the time and wanted to shop around before making a decision. The 2nd guy was kinda slow at the beginning, but really followed through on getting his people out to give their estimates. The price was on the higher side of the scale but we were still considering the estimate until his electrician came out and said that we would have to replace our entire electrical panel. The 3rd guy is still under consideration. He was just as pricey as the 2nd guy, but agreed to lower the price if we do the floors and paint the walls.

During this time, I began to wonder if it might not be cheaper to stay away from general contractors and try to break up the job ourselves. So I proceeded to gather estimates from a couple of framing guys and a couple of A/C guys. Both framing estimates came back higher than each of our first three estimates. And the 1st A/C estimate never even came back. The guy left us hanging. The 2nd A/C estimate came back higher than general contractor #2. At that point, we felt certain that the 1st guy was the best option, but when we called him back, he did not return the call. I was crushed because I was hoping to start construction asap, so I took a few days to mull it over and come to terms with it.

Meanwhile, Esteban has let the neighbors convince him that together, they can do it. Now, that wouldn’t be a bad plan if at least one of them really knew what he was doing and could guide the project along, but they figure, how hard can it be? Worse comes to worse, they can get a printout from the computer. (What?) They send him over to check out what one of our neighbors has done in their garage. And I must say, yes, they probably saved a ton of money, but the project has taken two years AND is still far from complete. Plus, no one in the group knows how to finish and texture drywall so the new room is very rustic looking. (Hmmm.) Not to mention the fact that matching up their schedules when one works nights and weekends and the rest work days, is like waiting for the planets to align. I can’t even fathom this being an option, in my head.

I should also mention that by this point, the floor plan has changed at least three times. First we did away with the closet, thinking we could save some money that way. Then we decided to make the room a little bigger. Then we went back and forth on how to keep the room cool and everytime we changed the plan, we had to change which walls would get insulated. Now, Esteban has decided that the garage door MUST be functional. (Grrr.) I feel tired just thinking about it.

Nothing seems to be falling into place at this point and while I was doing the dishes I thought to myself, “Hey God. What’s up with that?” And that’s when it dawned on me. Maybe it’s not our time. Maybe the right person hasn’t come along yet. Maybe there’s a better option, another alternative, another plan, God’s plan… I really don’t know, but Esteban and I both agree that we should take our time and not make hasty decisions. No sense in rushing the project. When it’s right, we will know it and feel it.

So today, we decided to go and introduce ourselves to a neighbor who has recently moved into the neighborhood and is completely gutting his new house. During our chat, he offers to take us on a tour. It’s amazing what he’s done. Updated lighting, new fixtures and sinks, a complete bathroom renovation, additional cabinets in the kitchen, built-in's, AND a converted garage. It's so cool. The garage will now have a laundry room, a bedroom with a half bath and a space for the lady of the house to do hair. Wow! And the electrical panel was not a problem at all. I felt renewed hope in our project. We asked him to come by and take a look at the space and we’ll see what he has to say.