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Hey, groovy freedomist. Not much to report this week other than to proclaim that Mrs. Groovy was definitely the MVG—the Most Valuable Groovy. Here’s how she did it.
Replacement Doors Installed Frugally
Some years ago, I installed three pet doors in the master bedroom so our three cats could do their business in the master bathroom closet behind closed doors. It was the perfect way to give the cats access to the litter boxes and keep the foul smells of poorly covered doody bombs from permeating the master bedroom and beyond.
But now we’re selling Groovy Headquarters (i.e., our Charlotte home), and our realtor, Hailey, advised us to replace the pet-door doors. It seems that many potential home buyers are turned off by pets and the pet-door doors would likely create more negative impressions than positive ones. So out they go.
Whenever Mrs. Groovy and I have a home improvement project that is beyond our ken, we default to Lowe’s and its team of subcontractors. Mrs. Groovy thus went to the Lowe’s website to get a rough idea of what Lowe’s would charge to replace the three doors. And she wasn’t happy. If we went with Lowe’s, it would cost us more than $700. Mrs. Groovy was convinced she could do better. It was time for her to don her general contractor hat.
I’ve learned to stay clear of Mrs. Groovy when she’s on a mission. [Mrs. Groovy here. He’s a smart boy. I learned him well.] Hell hath no fury like a woman trying to save a buck. And after a couple of days of working the phone and the internet, Mrs. Groovy hit pay dirt. Her general contracting powers made a mockery of Lowe’s prices and installation services. Check it out.
Lowe’s
3 Avalon white hollow interior doors: $270
Delivery charge: $75
Installation charge: $387
Total: $732
Mrs. Groovy as General Contractor
3 Avalon white hollow interior doors from Matthews Building Supply: $130
Delivery charge: $0 (We were able to get all three doors in the Camry by lowering the back seats and moving the front seats forward six or so inches.)
Installation charge: $150 (Mrs. Groovy found a local handyman who got great reviews and only charged $50 per door.)
Total: $280
Savings: $452
I freakin’ love it. For a Brooklyn girl who didn’t even own a screwdriver when I met her, Mrs. Groovy sure has a knack for getting home improvements done and saving money.
Two Additional Builders Found
The town we’re building in is very rural. Louisburg has a population of less than 4,000 and is mainly farmland. For this reason, we think it’s best to go with local players. Local designers and local builders will be familiar with the county building department and this should help us avoid any permitting or inspection problems. That’s the theory, anyway.
Right now we have one builder to submit our house plans to. We were introduced to Chuck by Sarah, the engineer who tested the soil of Groovy Ranch during the due diligence period of our land purchase. We like Chuck. And he appears to be a very capable builder. But Mrs. Groovy and I are definitely in the “trust but verify” camp. So we want to submit our house plans to at least two other builders.
Quick aside: Chuck, by the way, was the one who introduced us to our designer, Michael. Yep, Louisburg is a little Peyton Place-ish.
Anyway, unbeknownst to me, Mrs. Groovy took it upon herself to find two additional builders. Again, she started working the phones and the internet, and without too much trouble, she set up interviews with two builders who primarily work in the Louisburg area. Here’s how her exemplary detective work unfolded.
Call local lumber yard → woman there told her to call a local hardware store → guy there gave her the names of three local builders that he thought did excellent work → Mrs. Groovy googled the three local builders to see what the great unwashed had to say about them → Mrs. Groovy then called the two that had the best reviews and introduced herself.
Now, here’s the best part. I’m in the den working on my opus, The Groovy Guide to Financial Independence, and all of a sudden, I hear Mrs. Groovy in her bedroom talking to someone on the phone about conditioned crawl spaces. What???? My curiosity now piqued, I abandoned my opus and darted into her bedroom. [Mrs. Groovy here. Oh give me a break! Opus Schmopus!] Once there, I didn’t interrupt her, I just listened. And I was shocked. After she was done talking about conditioned crawl spaces, she started talking about hand cut rafters. Then she started talking about metal garages. She eventually said goodbye and hung up, and before I could get a word out, she blurted, “We’re all set. I found two additional builders with good reviews. We’re meeting with them in a couple of weeks.” [Mrs. Groovy here. Mr. Groovy forgot one detail about the metal garage. One of the builders has a local guy who does barn-type metal structures as accessory buildings. It’s all he does and he’s known for it. The builder can show us one! I think Mr. Groovy will love this!]
Holy purple cats! Again, this is a Brooklyn girl who didn’t even own a screwdriver when I met her, and now she’s grilling builders about conditioned crawl spaces, hand cut rafters, and metal garages. I married a good one.
Fight-O-Meter
No fights this week. I guess that’s a moral victory of sorts, considering the drubbing I’ve been taking.
Final Thoughts
Okay, groovy freedomist, that’s all I got. Was Mrs. Groovy truly the MVG this past week? Or am I just trying to soften her up because she’s beating the crap out of me in the Fight-O-Meter? Let me know what you think when you get a chance. Peace.
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