With any big project, you need to have a budget. So, Mr. Skeptic and I sat down a while back to discuss what that budget should be. Before I tell you the magic number, let me again share my scope of work. I am filling in the spindle wall, knocking out two non-load bearing walls, breaking through a load bearing wall in two places, one of which needs a 13 foot LVL (laminated veneer lumber, it's a type of support beam), reconfiguring the kitchen to expand into another room which requires running a 220 line for the stove, a dedicated outlet for the refrigerator, and the water line for the refrigerator, painting the cabinets, new countertops, farmhouse sink and faucet, light fixtures, backsplash tile, and new hardwoods for 980 square feet! Whew! Is your head spinning yet? I'm sure I forgot something...
So, how much should this cost? Hmmm? Take a guess...come on! What do you think? $20,000? 30,000? Drumroll please.....$6,000!!!! No, that's not a typo. Mr. Skeptic and I agreed on $6,000. Some of you may recall my cabinet painting estimate. This guy wanted to charge me $5,000 to paint my cabinets! HA! Laughable, right? (Not as laughable as my budget!) I'm always up for a challenge. I was able to negotiate a few things. (In my previous life, I negotiated multi-million dollar contracts, and they were easier!) Furnishings will not be taken from this budget. YES! I am definitely arguing that the awesome farmhouse island is a freestanding piece of furniture and should therefore not be included in my budget!
How am I doing so far, you ask? Well, I could have blown my whole budget and then some just on flooring. But I found a Shaw Liquidator based out of Murphy, NC. Shaw makes their floors in Dalton, GA, and their trucks have to travel through Chattanooga to get to Murphy! Good news for me! They had exactly what I wanted, 3/4 inch oak, dark stained, hand-scraped, 5 inch wide planks...gorgeous! Shaw's specifications were that the bevel should be 30/1000 of an inch. This batch measured 42/1000 of an inch....noticeable to the naked eye? NOOOOO! So, I got 1100 square feet, delivered inside my house, for $2,900. Now, that's half my budget, but it's also a great deal!
I also ordered my backslash tile. This is my splurge item. I loved it from the moment I saw it and knew it would have to make the cut. I only needed about 20 square feet, so at $430, it's worth it to me. Susan Jablon has some amazing tile and mine looks even better in person!
There are two things I don't play with, electrical and structural issues. I know enough about both to be dangerous. Nobody wants their house to burn down or fall down, right? Know your limitations and hire professionals when needed. My electrician is well worth the money, coming in at a mere $450. He will be finishing up on Monday. My carpenter/structural guy will hopefully get started this week. He is very reasonable, but I still have to decide how much I will be hiring him to do.
I really had my heart set on a quartz countertop that looked like Carrera marble, but have you seen my budget? At $60 a square foot, that won't be happening! I will be driving to my nearest Ikea to pick up a new farmhouse sink ($313) and butcher block countertops ($258).
I spent $62 to fill in the spindle wall, and $90 on my favorite paint, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Lacquer to paint my kitchen cabinets (so I saved $4,910!) So what is my total so far? Let's see...$4,503 not including my carpenter/structural costs. And I still need to buy a faucet, light fixtures, and wall paint! Do you think I can do it??? It's gonna be close! I sent Mr. Skeptic to the dump today because it was going to cost over $200 for a dumpster, and frankly, I couldn't afford it!
HA! I didn't even make him wear that shirt! The dump was free, and free is good!
I need a truck, but it's not in the budget!
So, here's how we are looking these days! Quite the mess, huh? The end result will be worth it! This week is sure to bring major changes! Okay, back to work for me.
Nicole
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