Jackpot!

So, I met another contractor out at The Dump this morning. We talked a bit, took a tour and then discussed goals/objectives, budget, timing etc.

He liked my ideas for the garage/kitchen expansion and in general agreed with a lot of my objectives for The Dump.

The bonus feature is that he does design work too. That means that I could work with him on a basic design plan, keeping construction budget and timing at the forefront before I spend time and money with an architect to do the actual drawings.

He really listened to me, didn't suggest anything wacky or crazy, and said that he would find a way to work within my budget. The plan/phases he suggested were logical and optimized for cost savings, which I appreciate. Instead of coming in and gutting the place at the start and doing everything all at once, he thinks it's better to spend some time designing, get the plans and permits in place and then start work, moving one section at a time.

He said the foundation looks good and that we could level the house where needed, but not go crazy-expensive on foundation corrective work so that the money could be put to other use. He also said that there is no sense rushing to replace the roof right away (it's watertight) since the garage plan directly impacts the roof.

In general, I really liked him. I think he is knowledgeable, honest and that I can trust him to listen to what I have to say. I'll be really interested to see his preliminary quote and next steps. I think he's the one I'd really like to work with, so I sure hope he doesn't break the bank.