Installation Day

New washer and dryer

I took Monday off to get things in order. Someone had to be at Fairhaven for all the appointments that were scheduled throughout the day. The original plan was for Jord to stay home as well – after all, it was his birthday – but he was too busy at work and couldn’t swing it.

So the day began with the electrician arriving at 9:45am. He was there to install an outlet for the microwave – it had to be in a specific spot with a specific wattage. He had a bit of trouble due to the bathroom that shares the wall he was working on. A job that was planned to take less than two hours took more than three hours plus a trip to Lowe’s. While he was there, the Sears deliverymen pulled up in a Penske truck. Their truck broke down, so they were about 30 minutes later than the two-hour window they had scheduled. With them came the washer and dryer as well as a janky refrigerator. As they unpacked the fridge on the back of the truck, they discovered scratches and rust. The guy was honest with me and asked what they should do. Of the options I was provided, I chose to have them bring in the fridge to use in the meantime while we wait for our new unit. He got customer service on the phone, and they said they could have had a new fridge delivered as soon as Tuesday, but I asked them to send it with the stove that comes October 6th to avoid another delivery.

Next up was Mediacom, unbeknownst to me. As the guy pulled up, I called Jord panicked as I didn’t know they were on the agenda and I knew the TV was sitting downstairs rather than in the den, where it needed to be. Of course, the guy couldn’t move it for liability reasons, and even though I tried, I couldn’t do it either. So Jord stopped home to move the TV – good thing his office is so close! Just before he arrived, another Sears delivery brought the dishwasher and microwave.

I didn’t accomplish as much throughout the day as I had planned, but with everything stacked up and heavy furniture in the front of the pile, I couldn’t be very productive. I did some cleaning and unpacked a box or two, but that’s about it. By the time everyone had left, it was going on 5:00 and I had to get out of there. I headed to DQ for Jord’s ice cream cake, but he called me on the way and said he was at Fairhaven, so I quickly picked up the cake, dropped it at my parents’, grabbed a pizza from Little Caesar’s, and went back. We ate our first meal at the house – it was gross pizza on the sun porch, so we’d like to think it didn’t really count. Our neighbor Rich stopped by shortly thereafter with a tool that we had been looking for on Sunday to remove fence posts. With that handy tool, it was done in the blink of an eye! Check that off the list!

Together, Jord and I were able to get some things done. We had to get back to my parents’ by 8:30 for cake, so we hustled to organize the chaos and unpack some boxes. We’re at the mercy of the painters at this point – a lot of little stuff still needs to be fixed, plus the kitchen cabinets aren’t done yet. Hopefully they will get everything done, interior and exterior, this week so we can move on from the painting. That’s been going on since the day we closed on the house – way too long!

Moving

Everything fit perfectly
in the moving truck

Where do I begin? I guess at the beginning, but it’s already getting a little fuzzy… My dad and Jord picked up the moving truck on Friday afternoon. The three of us packed up Sarah’s things, which only took about an hour. Jord and I then went over to Fairhaven to check out the floors and to drop a couple things off. The crew had completed the living room and kitchen and were partly through the hallway – we thought it looked like they had made enough progress to be done by Saturday evening… wrong! More on that later.

Saturday morning started off on the wrong foot. Earlier in the week we had discussed leaving the house at 6:00am, so I got up at 5:15 and got ready for the day. Turns out everyone decided we would leave at 7:00am and not tell me, so I was already pissed that I got up earlier than needed. I calmed myself down by watching a Sarah’s House episode – the season finale for the backsplit. She did wonders on that house! Plus we stopped at Hardees for a frisco sandwich, so that improved my spirits as well.

We headed straight to IKEA in Bolingbrook. Sarah and I had wanted some things that just wouldn’t fit in the Envoy last weekend, namely a large mirror – hers in orange, mine in white. We had strict instructions to get in and out without buying anything else, but both my mom and I found some things that we threw in the cart along the way. We were out of IKEA within 15 minutes, so I think we did pretty good. It took another hour to get to Sarah’s apartment in Wrigley. Unpacking the truck probably only took 90 minutes, but we were all screaming at each other and arguing the whole time. I’m sure the neighbors were just thrilled with the new tenant. Once everything was off the truck, we did a Potbelly’s run – oh, how I’ll miss it – and headed to Oak Park.

We spent the next three or so hours loading our belongings into the truck. Actually, I spent the first two hours inside, packing up the last boxes and cleaning before the landlord showed up to do the final walk-through, while everyone else hauled furniture and boxes. I presumed that we were ready for the truck, but I guess we should have spent a little more time finishing things up last weekend. We have accumulated a lot of stuff in the last few years! This same weekend five years ago, my dad and I did the loading and unloading of the truck, basically by ourselves since Jord had his bachelor party. This time around, it took more manpower and more hours. I just couldn’t believe it! Once the truck was packed to the brim and we triple-checked that we had everything, we closed the door on our life in the city. We’ll never forget our time in Chicago or our apartment in Oak Park – after all, that’s where Jord and I spent our first five years of wedded bliss.

Okay, now back to Davenport. My dad hit the road in the moving truck while my mom, Jord and I headed to Oak Brook. I had a return at Restoration Hardware – I bought a first round of house numbers, but they were all wrong – and a coupon to J. Crew that I couldn’t pass up. So one last shopping spree, a stop at McDonald’s, and we were off. The plan was to stop at Fairhaven on our way home to check on the floors once again and unload the car, but the late hour and the rain persuaded us to go straight to my parents’. Roundtrip, it was a 15 hour day – not bad for everything we did!

First thing Sunday morning was the Quad City Marathon. We went downtown Davenport to cheer on Kathy and Tootsie as they completed the half-marathon. Once they passed our location, we hopped in the car to get home and start unpacking that truck. Turns out we didn’t need to be in a hurry, as we got to the house and the floors were not yet completed. Jord got the floor guy on the phone, who was on his way over to get the work done – by himself, on a Sunday. Bummer, but hey, we warned him that we had to move in. Supposedly, he had a five-man crew at the house all day Saturday, but all that got done was the den… I don’t think so.

My parents, Jord and I spent the next couple hours unloading the truck into a big mess in the living room and basement. Not ideal, but our goal was to just get it off the truck. Again, we were cursing and yelling and I’m sure the neighbors had a lovely Sunday morning listening to our craziness. We took a break to head over to Kathy’s house for a BBQ to celebrate her half-marathon success and birthday. Didn’t stay long as there was a lot to get back to, but had a nice visit and filled up to sustain us during the long afternoon ahead. Once back at Fairhaven, we were at a loss of where to begin and what to do. Without the floors or interior painting done, it’s hard to start unpacking boxes. We did some yard work and other miscellaneous chores and called it a day at the same time the floor guy got done. The floors are perfect, by the way – just what I imagined. What a weekend!

Checking Things Off

Last night we took a break from working on the house. And we needed it! Instead, we ran some errands and hung out at my parents'. Nothing too exciting, but it was nice to relax a bit. I've gotten some random stuff done: ordered checks, house numbers, return address labels - things like that.

Yesterday the tuck pointing was completed. The masonry guy also removed this weird brick shelf that was in the middle of the fireplace facade. That was at the top of my to-do list - the positioning of it just bugged me for some reason. Not sure if it looks any better now, but hopefully some paint will do the trick. They will be back next Tuesday to fix the chimney and the stoop. Both need a fresh layer of brick and will be painted at some point.

Today the kitchen cabinet doors were returned. I like the blue, but they still need some touch-up work and the hardware to be added. Plus, the kitchen looks so bare without the appliances! Everything but the stove will be delivered on Monday, stove to come early October. It will all come together eventually! The painters were also going to go back and fix some things they missed and get started on the exterior.

The floor crew began installation today. Looking good so far! The original goal of finishing the job on Friday has already been pushed back to Saturday morning, so hopefully they'll stay on track to get it done. That moving truck is coming no matter what!

Making Progress

Exciting news! The floors arrived! They are sitting in our living room until Wednesday night when the installation begins. The wood needs to acclimate to the humidity of the house, or something like that. He told me that their goal is to finish by Friday evening. Just in time for moving day! At about the same time we heard from the floor people yesterday, we got a call from the painter that he is going to get started on the exterior this week, much sooner than “sometime in October” as he originally told us. Can’t wait for all the painting to be complete!

So all of this progress means that we need to get it in gear. Last night we started taking out floor staples and quarter board. What a tedious task! Tonight we get to finish that up, move the kitchen appliances, tear up the kitchen linoleum, and do some yard work, weather permitting. Since it’s our last night to be in the house before floor installation, we have no choice but to get everything done. Luckily everyone is pitching in. My mom doesn’t have swim team tonight, so she’ll be over along with my dad, Kathy and Tootsie, and, of course, Luke. It’s going to be a long night!

Packed Up & Ready To Go!

Nothing spectacular happened at the end of last week. My dad cut down one bush in the backyard on Wednesday night, but that’s all we accomplished. It still seemed like I stayed busy though... I guess we really need my mom around to keep us on track. Now that Jord is back in town we’ll be able to focus on all the little things that need to be finished.

We spent the weekend in Oak Park getting everything ready for the moving truck next weekend and tying up loose ends. I took Friday off, so I headed up after work on Thursday afternoon. My to-do list not only included packing and shopping, but watching the DVR – very important since we had to return it on Saturday morning – and eating all the things I will miss once we are gone. We headed to Five Guys to have one last cheesy bacon dog for dinner on Thursday night, then proceeded to sit around and watch recorded episodes of Sarah’s House (HGTV), our very favorite show as of late.

Friday was more productive. Jord and I got up and started packing. We finished five boxes by 9am! By about 11, we cleaned up and headed out to test drive some cars. This wasn’t part of the original plan, but Jord had found some online that he was interested in. We tested a Prius and a Jetta. Love the Jetta! We stopped for lunch and went back home to continue packing. We lost steam fast, and ended up watching more DVR for a bit. When Sarah got home from work, we ordered a Whole Foods pizza – so good! – and finished up a few more boxes. I then tortured Sarah by watching three hours of recorded Mad Men to get caught up. Went to bed early in preparation for the long day ahead…

Saturday was our designated shopping day. The three of us were out of the house by 8:45, with our first stop at Comcast to drop-off the DVR. Next up: IKEA! Sarah and I both had a long wish list, so we tried to remain positive and focused, usually a difficult task when shopping there. We didn’t find everything we were looking for, but both left somewhat successful. Quick lunch, then we headed out to Naperville to stop at the Crate & Barrel Outlet. We found so many great deals and ended up spending too much money. That wasn’t the only problem: the car was packed to the brim and we had to put Sarah’s seat down to fit everything in. She was stuck in the back, “like a gypsy” as she described it. And we weren’t done there! We drove over to Oak Brook to find the last items on our list. We definitely had to stop at Anthropologie – they have the best selection of knobs, and come to think of it I should have been looking for some for the dresser I’m going to refinish. Sarah bought a great selection for her own refinishing project, and I found a fabulous clock! Well, Sarah found it and I was lucky it was out of her price range so I nabbed it. Sorry Sarah! One quick stop at Restoration Hardware to place an order for our house numbers, and we were done.

Back at our apartment, we still had things to do. Unfortunately, we had to unpack the car in order to take a load to Sarah’s new place. We donated one of our dressers to her cause, so we packed that in the car along with her purchases and made our way downtown. Sarah quickly learned her new reality of parking in the city, having to circle the block a few times before finding a tight spot. She’ll be a pro at parallel parking in no time! Dropped everything off and went back to Oak Park in search of dinner. We had Fuego Loco one last time and called it a day.

I had planned to get on the road by 9 on Sunday morning – after all, we had a slew of things to get done once back in Davenport – but that soon turned into 11:45. Lots of last minute packing and cleaning so that next Saturday goes as smoothly as possible. We filled the two vehicles – Jord was driving my dad’s Envoy and I was in our car – with all the small packages and fragile items we could manage. Three hours later, we were back at home and unpacking the car. Kathy and Tootsie arrived, and we started removing carpet. We still don’t have an arrival date for the floors, but we want everything to be ready in case it miraculously shows up this week. Removing the carpet was a relatively simple task and only took about an hour. We still need to remove the staples and nails before we’re completely done. Luckily today was trash and recycle day, so we put out 4 rolls of carpet that are 4’ long for pick-up. And they will only take it on the recycle day, which is every other Monday. They have very strict stipulations!

So now Jord has moved in with me at my parents’ house and started his job. We’re officially here! Just one more back and forth next weekend to move all our things, and we’ll be in the house. We have a lot to accomplish this week – cross your fingers we get it all done!

Flooring

We decided to splurge and do the floors. It is just going to be so much easier to get this done now and not have to worry about it once we have moved in. Jim, the floor guy who gave us an estimate, recommended we go to Lumber Liquidators to see some options. Jord and I stopped in on Saturday and found one sample of engineered hardwood at a reasonable price. Adding the cost of installation is where it gets expensive! We weren’t convinced, so we also looked at Lowe’s and didn’t find anything that was comparable. I went back to Lumber Liquidators yesterday and placed the order – 1200 square feet of Chocolate Sapele. Now we just have to cross our fingers that it’s delivered this Friday! They told me that the floor will have to be delivered and sit in the house for 2-3 days to get acclimated before installation can take place. If it doesn’t show up in the truck on Friday, moving will be a little complicated. Luckily we only have enough furniture to fill a one bedroom apartment!

On a side note, I got out of landscaping last night! My dad, Luke and I went over to the house pretty late in the evening. We turned on the sprinkler to start the process of making the lawn look better, and here comes another neighbor, one that my dad has known for years. While we were chatting, Luke got soaked as he played in the sprinkler. Without towels, we had to go home. At least we got the lawn and new plants watered!

Appliances

We bought our appliances yesterday! After spending the morning in the yard, Jord and I got cleaned up and went shopping. We had an idea of what we wanted to buy, so we started at my new favorite store, Lowe’s. After picking up some small items – rake, weed killer, hedge trimmers, that sort of thing – we headed over to the appliance department. The salesperson started in on the questions, none to which we had the answers. We decided to head home to figure things out and had every intention of going back. The painters have been at the house nonstop, so we haven’t spent much time inside and didn’t think to write things down before going to the store. Naïve first-time homebuyers!

Jord and I were exhausted at this point, and seeing that he still had to drive back to Chicago, I was ready to call it a day and postpone the purchase until next weekend. He convinced me that we should head to Sears just to take a look at some items he had viewed online, specifically a stove, since we need one that’s 36” wide (standard size is 30”). We were going to do some comparison shopping and pop back over to Lowe’s. This turned out to be the best idea ever, as Sears was having a sale! 15% off Kenmore appliances, plus 5% off when you use a Sears card (12 months no interest), plus it happened to be their Friends & Family sale, so another 10% off. Oh, and I forgot to mention that they were going to give us 5x rewards points. What!?! And the washer, refrigerator and dishwasher are energy star rated – very important to me – so we get an extra rebate from Mid-American energy. Not to gloat or anything, but we basically got the deal of the century. The appliances – including washer and dryer, refrigerator, stove, microwave and dishwasher – will be delivered and installed around the same time we move in!

Landscaping

Landscaping is not my forte. And what we are doing really isn’t landscaping – it’s yard work, plain and simple. I just think it sounds less depressing when I call it landscaping. Luckily we have a lot of people helping out so we have made a lot of progress.

My parents, Kathy and Tootsie have been so helpful in the yard. This past weekend we did some damage on the to-do list. We have torn out eight trees and bushes in the front yard alone – not an easy task. The stump removal company is coming over to make sure we have all the roots out of the ground so these suckers won’t grow back. We transplanted two peony bushes from the backyard to the front – I hope they survive! – and added some yellow mums for color. It will take some time for these to grow in and look nice, so I’m trying to be patient.

We have one large pine tree in the front yard that we are keeping. A neighbor came over to introduce himself on Sunday morning and, while my mom and I exchanged niceties with his wife, he marched back over to his house to get some tools and come help out. How nice! He was extremely helpful and we are greatly appreciative that he spent his Sunday morning in our yard. With my permission, he ended up pruning the pine tree that we are keeping. He was a little aggressive and removed more of the branches that we anticipated, but I guess the tree will be healthier in the long term. Looks a little bare at this point! He also had some handy tips – he introduced us to these ­­­­­fertilizing sticks to plant at the perimeter of the branches (that’s where the roots are, not directly underneath the tree stump - news to me) that will make the tree shoot up in no time, as well as this solution to apply to the bare tree where the branches were removed that will help the bark grow back. Can’t wait to see how it looks covered in Christmas lights!

Now we just need to add some grass seed and try to get the lawn to look presentable. Other than that, the front yard is about done until spring comes and we can do some more planting.

The backyard is a different story! There was a lot of overgrowth, plus we have the ravine to worry about. Wanting to reclaim some of our yard, we started pulling, pruning and trimming. I didn’t even keep count of all the bushes and trees that we removed. My dad and I will be back at the house this week to keep the momentum going. Unfortunately my mom has to start coaching swim team this week, so she won’t be over as much from this point on. We’re getting there!

All in a Day's Work

Wow, a lot has been accomplished since closing! I was astonished by how much progress the painters had made when I got to the house yesterday afternoon. The living room had its first coat of navy and primer on the ceiling; the hallways had a first coat of beige; the master bedroom had a first coat of aqua and the ceiling finished; the kitchen had a couple cabinets coated with navy, just to see how we liked it – the only rooms still untouched were the second bedroom and den, as he was awaiting my final approval on paint colors. For now, the bathrooms are staying as-is – we had to draw the line somewhere.   

So I got to Fairhaven just before 4:00, followed shortly by my dad then by Tootsie. Jord had scheduled both the floor guy and the masonry guy to stop by. Jim, the floor guy, arrived first. I told him the story – on Tuesday we had pulled up the carpet in a couple spots and each had different flooring underneath. He looked for himself and determined that nothing was salvageable. Bummer! He went ahead and measured to give us a quote to install hardwood and said it will be a five day process. We’re still deciding what to do. Paying for the materials and installation will diminish any budget we have left…

Is my eye poked out?

Next came Pat, the masonry guy. He was taking a look at the chimney – right now it has awful stucco covering that we want to tear off or cover up. His view is that covering it with stone would look best and be more cost efficient. He gave me an address of a place to look at his work that also has the same stone he thinks we should use. Driving by that in the next couple days! He’ll also take care of some minor tuck pointing (basically caulking around the base of the house). My dad and I also talked to Pat about an old marble fireplace that has been up in my parents’ garage for a few years. It was actually passed down to my dad from Mamie, who bought it many years ago at an estate sale. They moved a lot and the fireplace always came with, although they never actually used it. Now my dad has said we can use it, so I’m hoping Pat will be able to piece it back together and replace the brick fireplace in the living room – once we get it over to the house he’ll take a look and see what he can do.  

My mom and Luke showed up at this point and we all got to work landscaping. Well, actually, my parents and Tootsie got right to work and I had to change, show a couple visitors around the house, talk to the dozen or so passersby that stopped to find out who the new neighbors are, and do a little landscaping in between. Luke did his best to stay out of the way. We cleared out a lot of the unnecessary greenery in the front yard and did some trimming, raking and sweeping. Although we had quite a few interruptions, I think it made a tremendous difference already!

Closing

Yes!  The house is ours!

We closed on the house yesterday! After racing back to Davenport that morning, Jord and I made it over to Ruhl & Ruhl right on time. We missed the final walk-through of the house, but we didn’t know about that in advance to figure it into the schedule. We’re first-time homebuyers, we don’t know anything!  

The actual closing was less exciting than I imagined and very un-ceremonial. Introductions, signing a lot of complicated documents, writing a painfully large check, some awkward small talk, and it was over. We bought a house! Now what? 

Jord and I headed over to Fairhaven, alone, for the first time. No, he did not carry me over the threshold. We walked in and started going through all the rooms and everything seemed in order. After a bit, it occurred to us that we should go down to the basement to check that out as well. The washer and dryer were missing! Panic ensued as we tried to think back… weren’t those supposed to stay? Jord called Matt to find out, and since it wasn’t explicitly written in the deal, no, they didn’t have to stay. We assumed they would be there for several reasons: the washer and dryer were included in the listing, the seller told us they would stay when we first viewed the property, plus, the other appliances were included. Live and learn… 

We didn’t have work clothes or tools, so there wasn’t much we could tackle. Jord started making phone calls… Where was Sarah with those paint samples? Does Tootsie want to come over with some tools? He also called the painter, the floor guy and the masonry contact. Only the painter stuck to his word and would be over that afternoon – the other two would have to reschedule. 

Our very first visitor, Sarah, arrived with a couple more paint color options, so we made our final decisions, which the painter wasn’t too fond of. Yes, they are bold choices and could be a mistake. I guess we’ll have to wait and see! Tootsie arrived with tools, so she and Jord started removing curtains and hardware so the painters could get started. They didn’t waste any time – the painters unloaded their supplies and got to work within an hour or arriving. Things are under way!

Okoboji

Regals defeat Solon

Labor Day weekend started out with an exciting Regina football victory on Friday night against Solon, although Jord and Sarah didn’t appreciate coming home to a virtually empty house in Davenport. My dad, Luke and I spent the evening cheering on my cousin Joe with the Strangs, our Friday night ritual this fall.

Saturday morning had a later start than planned, but once we hit the road we made record time and were at The Taco House in only five hours. Sarah and I spent the car ride discussing house details (between naps) – I brought along my guide to all things house-related, Domino, The Book of Decorating, plus some old magazines, furniture catalogues, paint samples and door brochures. The looming closing day was on our mind throughout the weekend, so we tried making a game plan to ensure nothing would fall through the cracks.

We really had a nice time in Okoboji, despite the ever-changing weather. Labor Day is a little late in the season to head to the lake, but with my mom’s summer swimming lessons, it’s impossible to get away any earlier. We hit up the usual spots: Taco House, O’Farrell Sisters, Nutty Bar Stand. Can you tell my favorite part of the trip was eating? Along the way, we also went to Arnold’s Park, rented a boat, shopped at the Three Sons, Vick’s Corner and the Emporium, hung out on the beach at Gull Point, watched two lakefront weddings from our hotel room at The Inn, and took a complete drive around the lake. All in all, I think it was the ideal setting to celebrate my dad’s milestone birthday! My goal of the trip was to find an old map of the lake – the ones that list all the homeowners with lakefront property – that included the Collins house. After looking through the flea market at Vick’s Corner, then a few random stops at antique stores, my outlook was dismal.

1975 West Lake Okoboji poster

We visited one last store on our drive around the lake. Luckily my dad asked the salesclerk, who pulled out a 1975 version from a closet. After the store owner agreed to sell it, we all waited anxiously while she decided on a price… 35 bucks! Done! Not sure where it will go in the house yet, but I’m so happy we found it.

It's September!

I can’t believe September is finally here! We close on the house in just five short days. There is so much to look forward to and so much to do. We’re headed to Okoboji on Saturday morning to celebrate my dad’s 50th. Jealous? We have a whole weekend to have fun and relax, but then we’ll be getting up super early on the 7th to get back to Davenport in time to sign the papers. Our appointment is set for 1:00pm, then the work begins!

Analyzing the exterior paint colors
- gray house, white trim, blue door -
against the roof shingles

Last night my mom, Luke and I ran around town. First on the list was this stone place in Eldridge. It was on that handy vendor list my mom made for us, although she has no idea who told her about it. Turned out to be a bust, as we found the building but it looked like they weren’t in business anymore. That’s not at the top of our priority list anyways, I just wanted to see some options for kitchen counters.

Next we stopped at Sherwin Williams to pick out our official paint colors. Sarah, Jord and I had already picked out some colors we like for each room and the exterior, but the painter requested we get the actual swatches from this store. It was way too difficult to make a decision, so I brought home some options to mull over. We heard from our painter on Tuesday night. He gave us the final quote, which wasn’t as expensive as we anticipated. He is available to start painting the interior on the same day we close, so that will keep us on schedule (the plan is to reserve the moving truck for the 25th). The exterior paint will have to wait until mid-October, which is a total bummer, but, since the roof turned out so well, I think I can live with it.

Lowe’s turned out to be the final stop, where we looked at some exterior lighting – of course, my mom doesn’t like the sconces I chose. That seems to be the theme each time I show her something we want for the house. We looked at molding and interior doors next. That’s going to be expensive! Once we get the measurements, we’ll custom order the doors which will take a few weeks to arrive. Then we perused the flooring options. I found a couple stains that will work, and I was hoping they would have someone who could refinish and stain the floors, but the guy told me that they only rent out the sanding machine. There’s no way we’re doing that! Here’s the thing: we are hoping there is hardwood underneath the carpet and linoleum on the first floor. We won’t find out until closing day when we can get in the house and tear up the floors. Otherwise we’ll have to come up with plan B. Jord has been in contact with my mom’s floor guy, after a week of leaving messages, and the quote to refinish the hardwood came back really high, partly because we want a darker stain. Plus he said the process of sanding and staining will take about nine days. Whoa! My dad is calling a guy he used to work with that sometimes does extra work like this on the side, so he might be able to do the floors at a lower price point, plus this guy is really handy and we are in the market for a handyman! I have a whole long list of little fixes – part of the molding on a window is missing, the tile in front of the fireplace needs to be replaced, installing all the new interior doors, and on and on. We just need to make sure the floors are done before moving all the furniture in! All the other things can wait, although I’m not too keen on that idea. So we’re looking into some other options but can’t make any decisions until the 7th.