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Dateline Dayton — I don’t know why, but when it comes to remodeling projects around the house, they’re always in progress around a holiday.
One year when remodeling our family room, I remember laying carpet on Christmas Eve. Worse, on the day before, we didn’t even have the carpet. Since I was doing the work, we had to purchase carpet I could lay.
This was prior to the big home improvement stores, which sell about anything and are open both early and late. It was not easy to find the kind of carpet we needed. Since I’m not good at stretching or using tack strips, we had to locate a rubber-backed carpet that I could glue down. Guess what? It got accomplished, and the room looked great for our family Christmas dinner.
No exception this year.
We are remodeling our bathroom. This project happened by accident. We were attending a festival back in October, and one of those companies that comes in and in a single day replaces your tub and shower with a liner, had a display. The examples looked great. We signed up for a free estimate, and later we received a coupon (I hate coupons) for $500 off.
Here Comes the Judgment
The salesman called to set an appointment. Since Pauline was home when he arrived, Kevin first took the necessary measurements to give us a quote. He showed us a book listing all their customers in the area and. of course, the certificate from the Better Business Bureau.
He asked if we had any coupons or discounts. We showed him the $500 off coupon from the festival. He was surprised we had that coupon, because the promotion was over. What a line. The lady at the festival had a fist full.
He quotes us the price, and now comes the options: Take the $500 or get free interest for one year.
Here was the kicker:
You must purchase today.
This should have caused me to ask him to leave.
But I liked the product and the price appeared in line, based on research I had done.
Even after signing the contract, I still questioned how they could have certification from the Better Business Bureau when you can’t even shop around, without losing a possible perk.
I just wish companies would give you the lowest price and cut out the gimmicks. Who knows if any are real.
Now it is four weeks later, and we get the call that the unit is in. You can’t have this nice tub and shower surround without painting the bathroom. Then there’s the floor that should be tiled, the vanity needs replacing, and did I tell you the exhaust fan had to be removed?
I got the exhaust fan out prior to installation, and the one wall repaired near the enclosure. I built in some shelving, and then there was the new fan to install as well as additional electrical work. Thank heavens for my son-in-law, Paul, who works in construction. He is helping me with the electrical, plumbing and fan installation.
This remodel will not be completed for Christmas or for that matter, by New Year’s. I’ll make it my New Year’s resolution to keep working so this project gets completed timely.
My motto always has been:
All good things take time.
Merry Christmas!
Mr. Hennessey may be contacted at pmhenn@sbcglobal.net
A Salute to Our Man
From Ray Scheu
Re “Death Does Not Go By a Schedule”
Sir:
Excellent article. I just finished reading your essay on death and the fragility of life. You are so right about how quickly ones life can change…or end.
Live in the moment and fill that bucket up.
Mr. Scheu may be contacted at redwood341@sbcglobal.net
