Gotta Catch The Pretty Ones
© 2011-2014 by Mr. David R. Dorrycott
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Penny and Sara found themselves waiting almost an hour before either of the architects could see them. Of course as walk-ins they knew that it was good luck that they could be seen before lunch at all. When they were escorted into the main office they were in for a surprise. “Mrs. Kurosawa” Sara asked when she saw the oriental woman.
“Mrs. Regis” the woman corrected, “And this is Mr. Peters. Yes Mrs. Richards my maiden name is Kurosawa, but I wasn’t interested in the farming as my sister, whom you apparently know is. Now, how may we help you two?”
Sara cringed at her mistake. Opening the cardboard cylinder that she had gotten at the PokeTech Guild Sara removed the plans that she had purchased. “I guess that you know we live in Stonehome, since that is where your sisters farm is” she explained. “And are planning upon buying a home when we return. As it is a mirror image of the Guild owned building we currently live in we are hoping that you can help us design improvements. You see the Quigley’s want to sell their home and move to Mirror City where their children are and the Winters softer, we haven’t spoken with them as yet but...” Sara cringed. “Foolish yes?”
“Somewhat” Mr. Peters agreed, standing to accept the pages from Sara. “Still it will take our firm at least a week for rough drafts and two months for a finalized blueprint. That should give you adequate time to purchase the home.” He walked a few steps away, rolling out the copies on a drafting table to look at them. “Yes, a rather archaic design, Handel was the first to build this design. You wish the additions to fit in with what already exists?”
“Yes sir, with basement to match” Penny answered. “A larger coal bin though, you see coal is the main source of Winter heat in Stonehome and even with a full coal bin last Winter we were close to running out near Winters end.” She looked pointedly at Sara sitting beside her. “I will not allow harm to come to my wife again if I can help it.”
“We can understand that Mrs. Richards” Mrs. Regis agreed. “Now, if you will tell us what you want added and changed we will make notes. Within the week we will mail you a rough idea that you may comment upon or cancel should your purchase fail to occur. After your purchase is final we will send one of our designers out to view the property, make notes, finalize decisions and such. I must warn you about project creep however.”
“What is project creep” Sara asked.
Peters was the one to answer that question. “When you decided that oak isn’t good enough, you want mahogany, oh I saw a much prettier window...” Peters looked up from the drafting table. “Or ‘we decided that we want to have the sun room on the West side not he East side.’ It adds to the final cost, turning an affordable project into a money eating monster. So we strongly suggest that you avoid any changes after the building contract is signed, it will actually be cheaper in the long run to make changes after the work is done other than minor choices such as paint or furniture that is. We will guide you through the design process of course, which means one of you will have to visit at least once a month. Is that a problem?”
“Now that we understand, no” Sara agreed. “We do have money, but we are never going to be rich. Very well, Penny? You have the list, lets get started.”
After several hours of back and forth negotiations Sara and Penny headed back to their hotel, signed contract in hand. Two days further found them back in Stonehome talking with the Quigley’s about their home where they discovered that the Quigley’s were delighted to sell to them.