Saturday, December 16, 2006

Summer at My Place


I got two new windows on Thursday. I did this because I couldn't in good conscience sell a $300k condo with 100-year-old Arctic-flavored windows.

Last time I got new windows, a handyman installed them. He was a friend of a friend who is a carpenter, and he did a lousy job. And because he was charging me by the hour and took forever, he was no bargain.

This time I hired window specialists because I was too busy to deal any other way. And they were recommended by Vinny from the pizza place, who redid a building with Roberta's friend Al, hands-down the top builder in town.

They were fast and great. In an hour-and-a-half, they did what took the handyman four days, and they did it right. They brought a giant machine and set it up on the sidewalk, and it crimped and cut metal flashing to fit exactly outside my windows. They didn't touch the antique moulding and it looks like the windows kind of grew there.

After they left, I marveled at how warm it was in my place. Stifling, actually. And the heat wasn't even on.

Pity I couldn't be bothered to do this years ago, for myself. Too bad I only did it now, five days before I'm leaving.

2 comments:

Sara Kocher said...

So familiar...we lived in our old house for four years, but didn't fix it up until just before putting it on the market. It was so nice we were tempted not to sell, except that we had to.

This time, we vowed that we'd improve our house for ourselves, not for someone else. So far, that's just meant painting one room and remodeling the kitchen, but at least it's a start.

Marie Javins said...

I know the feeling. Finally, my home is just perfect. But I have to sell. I mean HAVE to. I've spent too much on it. The irony being that now I cannot afford it.