Surveyors are all wet
Yes, I am an understanding person. For the most part. And I understand that we have had the rainiest May and June on record. But that doesn't stop me from being PEEVED.
It's been months since we started looking for a surveyor. Several didn't even call back. I finally had one recommended to me by a neighbor I trust, and the experience started out well. I sent them a check. They said three weeks.
It's been almost eight. We still don't have a survey.
They are completely apologetic. They promise that they'll be out by the end of next week. But still. This seems less and less real as the days plod on.
The good news is, we met with my cousin, the architect, a week or so ago, and sketched out what we think the addition will look like, including the most challenging part, the roof line. His goal is to make the whole thing seem like it was built together, not tacked on as an afterthought. And it's a challenge, because we're basically doubling the size of the house...so it'll be tough to make two halves look like one whole.
After he sketched it out, I fired up Google SketchUp, and tried to make a model that reflected his sketches (which, I might mention, were done on a piece of paper backed only by his thigh, at a cookout where it was hot and damp, with kids splashing around in the pool and all -- but that's OK, we all agreed that architecture is just common sense and pencils). The good news is, the model I made looks, he says, JUST like what he was imagining, and once we get the survey completed, he'll start with the *real* drawings!
Now, for a builder. I've got a few leads, and should probably start talking to them NOW...although most don't want to talk to you until you have plans and a survey. Meh, it's Rhode Island. I know people.