Homeowner expectations versus reality

[Jim Joyce]

The caption is: "What client wanted in 5 days" versus "What I could implement in 5 days"

[Ed Pawlowski]

So true, ask any contractor. OTOH, that one on the left is really nice. Some serious skills there.

[Jim Joyce]

Agreed, and I've been guilty myself. I invited a guy to come and give me a quote for some concrete stamping. The pad is 14x35 plus some smaller areas that would need to match. He takes notes and tells me he can do it for $8000. As I'm walking him out, he asks what I had in mind. "$700", I told him. That's the last I heard of him. In hindsight, I should have politely declined to answer.

[micky]

ONe time a girl asked me how many children I wanted. I said 3, even though I'd never before wanted more than 2. But her kids from her first marriage were so nice**, I thought 3 would be better. Of course that made 5 for her and like your contractor, I think that's why she dumped me. But I learned a lot about her when she dumped me, and I really dodged a bullet.

**They lived in an apartment so she and her 8? year old son came here to trick or treat on Halloween, and he gave me half his candy. I was amazed at his generosity. I would never have done that, or even close. And her 12 year-old daughter let me come over the same night she had her friends over. Although maybe that was so her mother would leave them alone, I still think that was very nice. But their mother was scarey.

[Jim Joyce]

Life seems to be all about dodging bullets.