Day 11 started off week 3 with a gentle whoosh toward the next goal: inspections! It was as if we were sailing along all last week, and are now coasting toward the shore, but we must slow down so we don’t crash into the dock (sails IN!). Steady, measured (literally) building and light hanging/electrical work hummed along in the house all day, ending with a recap of our overages to date. Nothing shocking, nothing that we didn’t discuss as it happened – just a moment to touch base, and to connect regarding the budget. A good builder/general contractor has your wallet in their mind, and won’t leave these discussions until the last day. If you’re about to embark on a project of this (or any) scope, make sure your team is really working for YOU.

A small detail that we noticed as we scoured the house this weekend, inspecting all the wonderful changes, and imagining the finished space, was that the door we had hoped to use in the downstairs powder room wouldn’t fit. Well, it could have fit, if we were willing to have it open outward, but that would have felt clumsy, and made the small area at the top of the basement stairs more awkward. At first, when we realized the collective error (not really an error, more like an oversight) we mourned for our master plan. But then we realized the benefits to adjusting our vision, both to the budget and to some spacial issues (lighting, privacy, ease of use) and we got over it. Design, we are learning, is fluid, and changes are often required to keep things on target. A bit more framing, and poof! we have a doorway.

The plumbers are expected to come tomorrow to finish their rough-in (I’m learning so much industry jargon!), and Brad will complete his electrical for inspection Wednesday. The first phase of the project is nearly complete, with no real huge surprises or overages. Phew! We feel incredibly lucky, still, and are maintaining a can-do attitude in the face of expired food in the refrigerator (it’s nearly impossible to want to make anything at home), dishes stacked up in the bathroom (gross!), and dust settling on every surface (we are assured that the sheetrock days will be the worst of it). This is a slow and steady kind of project, and we’ve tucked into the race at a nice pace. Third lap, let’s go!