Since I left my parents’ house, I have lived in more than 10 houses.
Inevitably, when you purchase a property, whatever condition it is in, and whatever its purpose, as a new owner there are changes you want to make. Assuming you are not in construction, this is a complicated process. (I can visualize some of you nodding out there.)
In Guam these days, you’ll be lucky if you can find a contractor to do anything. From large projects for the major companies to small ones for smaller construction businesses, the contracting community is ultra-busy.
Anyway, along the way in my journey as a property owner, I have employed an interior designer, when I completely remodeled an aging and multi-story property. I appreciated the wisdom of the advice I got when I struggled with how to achieve the effects that I wanted with curtains and couches. Not to mention all the other issues.
And I learned the appropriate height for artwork.
But I still found myself making multiple trips to the house, because there were sub-contractors to be checked on — an essential part of the process, and decisions that need to be made along the way.
Since I was dealing with work and my share of the school run, you can imagine what my days were like for several weeks.
I’ll share a hint here if you are taking on a renovation project yourself: don’t forget the door handles.
What a budget buster door handles are if you have a three-story house, with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms and a basement. Who knew door handles could be so expensive? Not I, clearly.
Deciding between brass and stainless steel for door handles is a learning process.
Along the way, I dealt with the subsidence of the ground floor in a house built in the 1930s, and a sub-contractor whose main aim in life was to get the electrical rewiring done before the (soccer) World Cup.
The contractor that I chose had one clause in the contract — I could retain 10% of the payment for what is known as “finishing” issues. This was helpful. Because there are always “finishing” issues.
But the result was definitely worth the pain.
One thing about living in Guam is that experts in their field are willing to share their knowledge with the Journal. That sometimes leads to stories that we think will interest you, as in the case of Veena Sachdev and her thriving interior design business.
Meanwhile, as I write, I’m reflecting on hospitality in the islands, which we do so well.
The past weekend we visited our in-laws for a barbecue, since their son and our nephew Nicholas was visiting Guam from Okinawa. We did expect that the table would contain typical Chamorro side dishes.
What we didn’t expect was that Nicholas would bring some 20-plus colleagues from the Marines F35 Squadron with him, since the group was in Guam for training. They were really enjoying the experience, though finding the humidity a little tough.
It was interesting to hear their stories and backgrounds – from Mexican to Filipino to U.S. heritage. And it turned out that Gunny (the gunnery sergeant) was an expert at barbecuing. mbj
— Maureen N. Maratita is the publisher at Glimpses Media. Glimpses Media includes the Marianas Business Journal, Guam Business Magazine, The Guam Guide, Wave 105.1 FM, Power98 and Route99.
