Holy shit.  There's no other way to say it.   It looks like we're finally complete.  We've finally ground down through most of the punch list, and the kitchen is pretty much complete.  I must say, wrapping up has taken so long, it's almost an anti-climax.  In the grand scheme of things, there were some highlights, and some definite lowlights, as is the case with any project.

Highlights

• George.  Plain and simple, George was phenominal.  His attention to detail was superb, he was always careful with our house, and if he said he'd be there, he showed up.  You can't ask for much more from a tradesman.  Drop me a line if you live in the Bay area and are looking for someone to do some work on your place.  I'd recommend George to anyone.
• The cabinet design is a big hit.  Everyone comments on the glass doors and divided panes look great.
• The appliances have been fantastic.  We bought a GE Profile Performance refrigerator, and we have an Amana range.  Both are super.
• Most of all, we love the space.  The room feels so darn big now.  It's wonderful.

Lowlights

• The GC has to be the biggest disappointment of the whole gig.  When we signed up, we were promised that they coudl control the work flow and keep it moving.  The theory was that everyone who did work on our place was supposed to be their employee, not a subcontractor, so they could arrange things.  The truth is, only the demolition and the corian guy were their employees.  90% of all the hours worked on our project were from outside sub-contractors.  Thus, we were at the whim of the subs.  More importantly, though, the job management seemed to be lacking.  I was told at the outset that the job manager would come out frequently to check up on things, and they would make sure people were lined up for each phase.  The truth was that we only saw the job manager when I raised holy heck.  In essence, I  managed the job.

Lesson #1:  Figure out how booked your contractor is.  If they are 100% booked, realize that you're in for a crappy ride.  If you don't have the expertise to manage the job yourself, I'd suggest waiting until times are slower for your GC so you get the attention you need.
• The back wall was a nasty surprise.  Although we eventually planned to do the back wall, we didn't expect that we'd be forced into doing it right now.  The design guys made some assumptions about the back wall and the support beams that just weren't correct.  As a result, we sat still for almost a month while they sorted out the design and got the new plans approved.  Of course, they'd already torn out the kitchen, so we just had a big concrete slab to look at.  Also, since we were already underway, I couldn't really get competing bids on the work.  John hasn't sent me the final bill yet, so the jury is still out on how we fared on this.  (Funny, I should have spotted this.  On a project I did in college, the homeowner reviewed the plans from the architect and found literally dozes of basic math errors- things like the exterior dimensions of a room didn't add up when compared to the wall thickness and the interior dimensions.)

Lesson #2:  Make sure you review all the design plans very carefully.  It may even pay to have someone else (from another firm) review them to make sure assumptions are correctly documented.
• The ongoing mess.  I built a zip wall when they attacked the windows.  I should have done the same for the kitchen.  It would have been a bit more trouble for them, but it would have kept the house a lot cleaner.

All up, we're glad it's done.  Of course, now we're moving, but that's another story...
 

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