6″ Too Short, A Mile From Being Right

Posted on October 17, 2007 by Melissa
Filed Under Household

I don’t think so!! Sorry everyone for the late posting today. I have been dealing with our builder over some disputes we are having regarding some additions we added to the home.

Our issue right now: We paid to add an open shelving unit at the end of one of our cabinets where there was some empty wall space. Because we weren’t sure if it was going to fit we specified that we only wanted the shelf to be added if:

we didn’t lose any existing cabinets to accommodate it
and it didn’t hang over the edge of the wall.

When we checked the cabinets we were shocked to see they had shrunk down the cabinet directly next to the shelf. We got a 12″ cabinet where an 18″ cabinet should have been. I was not thrilled. I measured and not only can another 6 inches fit in that space before the wall ends, but the additional shelving can be cut down if it’s too tight.

But did they cut down the shelf or notify us of the problem? No. They simply eliminated 6″ of cabinet space and kept the shelf.

It will have to be fixed, period. If that means I lose the additional shelving (and they reimburse me), so be it, but I’m NOT losing cabinet space. I’ve been very flexible so far with other issues but don’t mess with my kitchen!

3 lessons learned:

Communicate your wishes through email or writing whenever possible. I was able to locate the email where I specified the conditions surrounding the new shelf so I can show I gave those instructions to our designer and sales rep. Put it in writing – ALWAYS.
If you see an addition that you like in another home, take photos right then. Another home they had built had this same set up added to it but it closed shortly after I started looking at homes. I never took photos of it so now I’m sitting here saying, “You know, that house down the street has it”. It’s funny, but once a house closes the builders seem to suddenly lose all recollection of the changes they made inside it.
Make sure you are organized and can find your documents. This is essential. If I couldn’t find the diagrams I drew and the emails showing I told them they couldn’t remove cabinets they might have a leg up on me in this “battle”. I think I’ll write more about this soon because it is so important.

Thanks everyone for letting me vent! It’s been one of those days. I’ll get the Tightwad Wednesday up by tonight, no worries!

Comments

2 Responses to “6″ Too Short, A Mile From Being Right”

Elizabeth on October 17th, 2007 11:33 pm

Stick to your guns, Melissa. I’ve never had a house built but I’ve dealt with my share of contractors during remodeling work we’ve done.

Your three lessons learned are three key points in dealing with any contractor no matter how large or small the job. Great advice!

One thing I’ve done — each time a new project gets started, even before the bids come in, I purchase an accordian file. I like the plastic ones with 6-12 pockets that close with an elastic band over a button on the front. Each pocket gets labeled depending on the nature of the project. For example we recently had two bathrooms remodeled so I had pockets labeled contractor, tile, lighting, cabinets, mirrors/vanities, plumbing fixtures. It’s important to be vigilant in filing every piece of paper immediately. While my projects were active I took the folder everywhere I went — I never knew when I’d need a phone number or a color sample or a price quote to compare to a new price/product found.

Best of luck. I hope you get this issue resolved smoothly :-)
Melissa on October 18th, 2007 12:47 pm

Hi Elizabeth!

Thank you so much for the encouragement!

Sounds like you were very organized for your remodeling projects. Those can be complicated so that’s excellent. Not only will you be more likely to get what you asked for that way, but you will be less likely to be short-changed by not paying attention to detail.

Great advice!