This post has been coming for a long time. Even now as I write this post, I wish I could be finished with it. I am grateful that we have done this project, but it came with so much angst! I felt it important to document the experience to give a true perspective of our lives and also to remember what I have learned.
When we moved in, we knew that updating our kitchen was a priority. Yes, it was functional, but dated and a bit awkward in layout. In addition, it had an older smell. Not a big deal, but if we sell or if we stay we might as well update it now and enjoy it as long as possible.
Here are some pictures before (October 2014):
So, before unpacking all our kitchen supplies, I researched about 4 companies, asked for referrals from friends, and got some quotes. No one I asked was able to give me a name of a good contractor. I felt good about an owner of a company called Kron Construction. He seemed to understand what we were looking for, to have experience working with older homes, was in our price point, and was BBB approved. After interviewing with him we both felt good about signing a contract with him. The contract included removal of the current cabinets, drywall repair, some electrical work, paint, new cabinets, sink, tile floor, granite countertops, appliance installation, and a built in bench for the eating nook near our back door. He began the project date at the beginning of November and was estimated to complete the project in 45 days (before Christmas). I knew there was a possibility that he would run behind schedule, but never dreamed it would take over 4 months!
Without sharing all the day to day details, I will show general progress over the months.
November 4th
We made final selections on cabinets, tile flooring, and countertops (although we had to reselect later b/c he kept changing his mind).
He did not do a good job of containing lead dust which really bothered me because he assured me that he was certified and would use a special ventilation fan etc. I tried to keep everyone out of the area for months, and sealed up cracks as much as possible. We did not use our back entrance and tried to stay completely out of the area. This was especially challenging since I had to go through the kitchen to access my basement to do laundry! The toy room was also in the basement. We kept just a few toys accessible. I prepped 19 freezer meals to be cooked in the crock pot (which lasted 2 months) before construction began. For the duration of almost the whole project I cooked in a crock pot or rice cooker and did dishes in the bathroom. This was not easy for a family of 6, but that didn't seem to concern our contractor.
So, in November all that took place was tear out, electrical, and drywall. Tile was supposed to be done while we were out of the house for Thanksgiving, but . . .well many commitments were made and not kept.
In December, the tile was finally finished about mid month, and the kitchen and dinning room were painted before Christmas.
It was definitely disappointing that our project wasn't even close to finished by Christmas. Let me just share that Christmas ham in the crock pot is a big disappointment! :) Of course one can't complain when you have a home to protect from the bitter cold, abundance of food on your table, and gifts under the Christmas tree. I did manage to make a traditional pastry wreath by borrowing a friend's oven. :)
Our contractor gave many excuses why things weren't done (his brother died, his truck got hit, he fell on his back, the cabinets were delayed due to the company doing inventory) etc. The worst part was feeling like we were being taken advantage of. I wanted to be flexible, understanding, reasonable, Christ-like, and yet often felt like he was not being honest with us, nor keeping his commitments. Matthew confronted him on the phone in December about it. I worried that we would make him angry or drag things out longer by causing a stir, and so asked Matt to hold off with pursuing it further. Matt had enough going on at work and so washed his hands of it, although I know it was very maddening for him as well. Looking back I wonder what would have happened if I had let him take the reigns. Oh well, you do the best you know how to do at the time.
Another challenge during this time is that all the boxes and things that ultimately needed to be in the kitchen were in other parts of the house. Our "study" was a congested mess. Our front room was full of boxes and our kitchen table (including crockpot, paperware, cups etc). It felt very chaotic! I didn't feel like we could have much company over and so this made it harder for the kids' adjustment to a new place.
Cabinets finally arrived in January. The cabinets had some small defects and so replacements for some of them were ordered which delayed things further. The appliances were delivered shortly after the cabinets, but most were not working for for quite a while. Near the end of the month the countertops were installed.
The sink was finally installed February 11th! Hooray for not doing dishes in the tub! The dishwasher was working a week or so later with a few hiccups. The microwave was in by Feb 19. Again, promises that the entire project would be completed by the next week were made from December through the completion of the project in mid March. Things were so overdue that the excitement of everything being done was almost lost. I felt so much frustration and very powerless. As a side note, it was also annoying that every time I had to leave the house I had to take my valuables with me just in case . . .whether he showed up or not. Most of the time he would come and check in for a few minutes and then leave for the day. It was his way of making us believe he was working on the project, but really putting other priorities first. Again, the excuses were varied and frequent. So by the end of February we asked him to sit down and revisit the contract. He did not show at the appointed time, but sent his son to "continue progress" on the job.
So at the beginning of March we filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. This is what it said:
"Kron Construction was hired to remodel our kitchen with an estimated completion time of 45 days from the start date of November 2, 2014. Four months later, March 3, 2015 it is still not complete. Although there may have been some delays that were unavoidable, there has not been a commitment to complete the project in a timely manner. Continuous progress toward project completion has been intermittent and slow due to the contractor not being on site on a consistent basis. When the contractor did commit to project milestones and timelines, they were not fulfilled. When scheduling specific arrival times, the contractor was typically hours late, if he came at all. Minimal progress was made on most days that he was on site. When a time was scheduled to discuss our satisfaction with the fulfillment of the contract, the contractor failed to show up or reschedule."
The complaint was resolved temporarily as he committed to finish in 2 weeks. The first week the back splash was installed,the next week it was grouted and sealed.
After 2 weeks passed we had to reopen the complaint because it was still not finished and the empty promises continued. The entire project was finally finished on March 20th and we gave him final payment the next week.
I am not a confrontational person and hated having to "twist his arm" to make progress. Things were very uncomfortable for me especially at the end when I had to file the complaint. I felt anxious even when communicating by text. I even noticed my heart race and adrenaline pumping involuntarily when he sent me texts.
So, here is what I've learned:
1. The Savior brings forgiveness and peace when there is none to be found.
2. I need to hold others accountable to their commitments after a reasonable period of flexibility.
3. Others will not always be honest and committed. Detailed contracts with timelines and penalties are required for protecting your rights as a consumer.
And finally,
4. I have much patience to learn!
Once the kitchen finally fell into place I was finally able to get organized. This process took a few weeks, but
AHH the beauty of order!
We also refinished this table during spring break and the week or so following.
I am grateful. . . grateful that is is finished! I am grateful for order. I am grateful for a beautiful place to cook and share meals, a place to welcome my kids home to each day. I am grateful for a patient husband. I am grateful to have our home back to ourselves again. I am grateful to have a place to welcome friends. I am grateful to be able to turn my attention to other projects. Now I plan to make bench cushions and maybe some curtains. :)
