Just over thirty days after the remodel started, Petr is packing up. The top floor is ready for us and the debris is hauled.

I called him on October 25 or so, and he called me on the 27 saying he could start the next day. He estimated two to three weeks and it came out to just over four. Additionally, the weeks he worked were far from 40 hours long, which was fine with me. The remodel cost about twice what we hoped it would but our initial budget was developed based on an expectation of double overruns, so as much as I would have liked to hang onto the money, I’m happy with what we received for the cost.

We did not cash out our savings in entirety by any means, and I’m confident we’ve enhanced the value of the house. Now I have to figure out how to keep on the beam for the next few years addressing the deferred maintenance issues and the additional improvements and alterations that could benefit the place, such as doublepane windows, an upgraded power system, and so forth.