Start the project

So the summer began on a sour note, I was laid off from Hewlett-Packard. But, by Fall a new job with Qualcomm was in hand, and the severance from HP opened up the opportunity to finally finish the basement.
When we built the house in 2000, we had always planned to finish the basement to provide additional living space. We wanted a library, a media or television room, a guest bedroom, maybe some storage and a shop for my woodworking. The bursting of the tech stock bubble meant that the stock options we had hoped would be available for such work were under water, and so that plan had lain in limbo. However, now we were ready.
We attended the 2004 Home Improvement Show at the Larimer County Fairgrounds, initially just to see if there were any new ideas available. However, on a hunch, I took along some of the plans we had for the basement project. There were three home improvement outfits attending, and I ended up talking with all three. Each took a copy of the plans and offered to get back in touch soon.
Jonathan Brooks with Home Improvement Express was the first responder, and ultimately the general contractor that we chose. He offered a couple ideas to refine the plans, worked with a couple of my own unusual ideas and seemed the most flexible of the three. Additionally important, he was willing to work with me providing some of the work myself. We had enough money to have most of the project done for us, but some of it would have to be DIY to make budget. I ended up taking care of:

• Painting
• Laying the tile floor in the bathroom
• Laying the flooring throughout the main living spaces
• Installing and painting the moldings