I don't have any physical progress to report on this week since we're still in the process of switching builders. There was some roof cleanup performed by the roofer so that's pretty much settled. We contacted the copper roofer and told him our intent to hire him once the financials with the bank settled down after the switch, but if we have enough money, we might try to implement it sooner.
We had a meeting with Mike Perri, our new builder. We met on site to do a walk through of the blueprints and house to tell him our initial expectations for room layout, flooring materials, and other concerns. He said that he'll have to come in with his subcontracting crews to determine what needs to be done to bring the house into a "progessable" state, and he'll come up with the budget estimate for the rest of the build based on our requirements. Since he has a working relationship with Margaret, they can easily coordinate material selections. I provided information on all the suppliers we've had contact with so far and he's taking it upon himself to contact them to get updates on their statuses. Even before I got home, he called to tell me that the excavator we expected to trench our water and sewer to the street, whom I was told was working on detailing the grinder sump, had no connection to the project. Two things, it sucks that I was told incorrect information about the status of the trench, and two, it's awesome that Mike is so quick with working things out. He came to the meeting with a project binder full of all the invoices I sent him and it's refreshing to have that level of organization and preparedness. This is how things should have gone for the past two years.
So the next steps. Since it's paramount that we get the house in a lockable state, Mike is working quickly to get his carpenters in to evaluate the window install. Insurance requires that the house be closeable by the end of the month, so while the bank situation might not be settled by then, we'll have to pay out front to get the windows installed. This is an acceptable stop-gap measure before we get the project off the ground again and it will be progress nonetheless.
During our walk-around, Mike stated that the cedar fascia on the roof should have been primed and painted before the roof went on. Painters could have sprayed the wood, but now that the roof is on, they'll have to paint it by hand to avoid over-spray on the drip edges. Just another example of how the organization of the construction of this house has gone awry. Mike said there are a few other areas that need to be addressed and possibly redone. He said it's not going to be an easy task, but it's not impossible. Again, it's so refreshing to have someone that actually communicates and is proactive in their decisions. I can tell that when I'm talking to him, the gears are moving in his head and he's looking at all aspects of the information. Through Margaret, he already has plans for the cabinets and her estimation for interior finishing. Gone are the days of personally talking to subcontractors and suppliers to get things done. In no uncertain terms he said "If there's something you want to see in the house, just give me a picture or manufacturer, and we'll figure out how to implement it. I really feel confidence in the build and I can't wait to get things settled with the bank.
Garbage remains in the front of the house and I contacted Matt Lincoln to see if he was taking responsibility to get a dumpster and clean it up. If not, I can probably do it in a day so maybe I'll go out there this weekend and get it cleaned up. There really isn't that much clean up to do, but there are tree stumps that we need to get rid of. I think those can be taken care of eventually since we'll need heavy machinery to remove them. Here's to looking forward.
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