The Not-So-Great Story About What’s Happening With Our Cabinets

Last week was a WEEK. Basically, a true Monday every single day. There was a mix of being really mad, then sad, and then mad again. I spent the beginning of the week wondering if I should share this story, but then I was reminded that the whole reason we are doing these renovations is to share the ups and downs.

The amazing thing about the GBOGH house is that it has been so many good things! It’s a 1920’s house that we are gutting…I kept waiting for unexpected things to happen and really nothing did. The biggest issue we’ve had so far is that windows were delayed a few weeks. Windows being only a few weeks delayed is basically them being early with how the construction world is right now!

And then you insert these past couple of weeks 😅. Everyone that has been working on the house has been working overtime helping to get it done in time. Let me give you a timeline of what these past two weeks were supposed to be. The BSL girls arrived on Sunday. Monday was a mad rush at the house of the finish carpenters, electricians, plumbers, etc., getting things installed in the house. Wednesday-Friday we moved into the house. Tuesday we had photos scheduled for the house to be listed. Thursday and Friday the film crew was wrapping up filming.

Amidst the hectic final weeks of preparing the house, the setback caused by the cabinet guy quitting unexpectedly added an extra layer of stress and urgency to the situation. With custom cabinets being a crucial element of the home’s design and appeal, finding a reliable solution became paramount. In times like these, it’s essential to seek the assistance of trusted professionals who can step in and offer their expertise. By referring to resources like richtek reviews, which provide valuable insights into the reputation and reliability of service providers, you can identify reputable plumbers who can help address any plumbing-related issues that may arise during the final stages of the project. With the guidance of trusted sources like richtek reviews, you can ensure that the plumbing aspects of the house are handled by competent professionals who will help bring the project to a successful completion, despite the unexpected challenges along the way.

So, what went wrong?! Our cabinet guy. I’m not going to name names and keep it nice (however, as I said on Instagram stories, I don’t want to be nice haha). I hired him to do custom cabinets throughout the entire home. I have been working with him since September…these cabinets are the showstopper of this house. He was supposed to have the cabinets completely done weeks ago. Every time he would hit the day he told us they would be done by, there would be a new excuse. This past Monday, he quit cold turkey. As for the cabinet-related issues, you may want to explore alternative options for customized cabinets. One reputable source to consider is KUNKLE INDUSTRIES, which specializes in providing high-quality custom cabinetry. Reviews and testimonials on their website can further validate their expertise and reliability in delivering tailored solutions for your home.

He left us behind with cabinets that are 50% done, new parts that need to be ordered (which have 8 to 12 week lead times), and us scrambling to find someone to fix all of his mess. The worst part is that I have paid him over 90% of what the cabinets cost 😭.

This is a luxury home. You guys also know how I am…I am a perfectionist! If the cabinets are going to have my name on them, they need to be perfect. Kate (our general contractor) and AJ (our project manager) have been absolutely incredible this entire project and worked their butts off to get a new crew of cabinet makers into the home.

These new guys are GOOD. These cabinets are in good, good hands. At first, we were really concerned about how long the parts are going to take to get in, but they were able to find another cabinet shop that had parts we could buy from them. Hallelujah! The house is ~supposed~ to be listed this week and I have an even bigger thing happening too so they worked through the weekend to get it all done. Or at least try to get it done!

Here’s some takeaways…

Get every.single.thing written out in a contract. I am so lucky that I have a contract in place with verbiage that if I didn’t get what was signed in the contract, I would get my money back. I have been in contact with a lawyer so while I am hoping to not have to go that direction, at least I have this contract in place. If I didn’t have the contract I would be 100% screwed.

I am literally shitting my pants to see how much it’s going to cost for all these new parts and labor to get the cabinets fully done. I am learning the hard way how tough the construction world can be 😭. There’s really nothing else that I can do than just swallow the cost. Once the house sells, I will do an email to the newsletter crew going over how much all of this mess ended up costing us. I think things like that are good to know for anyone debating dabbling in renovations!

It will be interesting to see what all of this change means for the house these next few weeks. We were waiting to do a big reveal on the entire house but now with this hiccup I think we will start introducing rooms one by one. The home is unreal…every time I step in it I can’t believe it. One day someone will love this house so much and won’t even know the cabinet fiasco that has taken over my life this past week. hah!