The Story of the Time a Contractor Demoed the Back of My House and Then Disappeared

Over 20 years ago my family and I were living in a small, single-family Cape Cod in McLean. It had been built in post-war 1954, and was considered to have 1.5 stories since the upper floor had angled side walls that tucked directly under the rafters. The neighborhood, like many others in the area, was built to accommodate returning veterans and federal government workers moving to the nation's capital, so the homes were very modest and usually only the main floor had been finished by the developer.

Our family easily out-grew this small brick house which was purchased from the original owner. We eventually learned there seemed to have been an aversion for purposeful updates and cohesive repairs over the years he owned it. For example, the shower stall in the main bathroom was "tiled" with plastic tiles that were installed without grout. This meant that the walls weren't waterproof and thus, no one could take a shower there. Also, the original stove was replaced by one that was about 6" narrower, and as a result there was a huge gap between the stove and the accompanying kitchen counter. With these and other "updates" throughout the two main floors we decided to have the house not only enlarged but renovated.

It's important to note that during this time is was extremely difficult to find a contractor -- let alone find one who would answer their phone. But, we eventually found one through the recommendation of a friend. We even toured the friend's house and were impressed by the work that had been done there.

The plans for our new home were ambitious and involved the following: we decided to add a totally new primary bathroom and completely renovate another full bathroom. (The one with the plastic tiles.) In addition, the dining room and three bedrooms were enlarged, closets added, new windows and doors installed, the roof was raised, and the small kitchen was gutted so that it would eventually double in size. In order to do all of this the back of the house was removed and the second floor was completely gutted in time for the Thanksgiving holidays.

With most of the first floor in disrepair and the second non-existent, we moved the food prep to the small basement where the workshop served as our new kitchen. We did the dishes in the laundry sink, cooked using an electric frying pan on top of the washing machine, and prepared meals on the workbench. There was also a microwave and toaster oven but no stove nor oven, so we spent the Thanksgiving holidays in a hotel. I remembered the house lacked an oven one hectic day after I grabbed a pizza at Costco ( an easy meal for a family!) and had to sheepishly call a neighbor and ask if I could bake it using her oven.

With our house in total disarray, the contractor then stopped answering our phone calls and he eventually just disappeared. Keep in mind, this was before social media was prevalent and before posts, ratings and comments could make or break a business. The contractor also took off with a substantial downpayment we had given him. I don't think this could ever happen in today's world, but back then there was little recourse other than the legal route, and we decided that hiring a lawyer was risky since there wasn't any guarantee we'd get any of the money back. We already had a laundry list of things to do and didn't have time for a lawsuit.

As the right-hand assistant we met every morning and decided what needed to be done that day -- and in what order. We discussed everything from where to locate intake vents to how many and what type of lights to have in a room (pendant, ceiling, recessed . . . ), light switches (two-way or three-way and where in the room or hallway or in the room and hallway to put them), sink placement (at an angle but can the dishwasher door then be opened?), bathroom layout (if the shower door opens here where does the toilet go?), how a door opens (inwards or outwards, door knob on the left or right?), etc., etc., etc. Everything was discussed. Every. Single. Detail! I also ran errands and became well-aquainted with every hardware store within a 10-mile radius as I purchased supplies and served as a delivery service.

I mention this because I now see the silver lining to this trying and stressful situation and how something good has eventually come from it. Because I was so involved in the expansion and renovation of our home I have a pretty good idea of what needs to be done regarding home renovations and repairs. This, in turn, has helped me immensely as I've helped my clients navigate major repairs and renovations themselves.

I'm also fortunate that over the years I've been able to find and work with great contractors and trades people. In fact, I've gotten to know them so well that I know when a project is too big or too small for their business or if it fits their range of capabilities. It's always important to find the right fit!