Part 3: The Decision

When the quote landed, it didn’t just sting—it called the question. Could we really do this ourselves?

On paper, I had the background. I’ve built guitars, crafted furniture, framed basements, tiled bathrooms, even done asbestos removal. But that was a lifetime ago. For the last 20 years, my day job has been behind a screen, leading as an IT Director. My hands were more used to keyboards than sawdust.

And this wasn’t a hobby project. We were talking three walls coming out, a structural beam recessed into the ceiling, brand-new flooring, a custom kitchen, drywall, patching, finishing—the works. All of it needed to be done in evenings and weekends, within a three-month window. To make it even tighter, we already had a week-long trip to Arizona booked right in the middle.

The question hung heavy: Can I really pull this off?

For me, the answer built quickly. Yes, it would push me harder than anything I’d taken on in years. Yes, the skills were rusty. But the foundation was still there, and the gaps could be filled—by research, by persistence, and by calling in friends where I needed expertise.

For Theresa, though, the leap wasn’t about whether she could help swing a hammer. It was about trusting me. Trusting that I could shift from IT Director back to builder (a period of time way back when that she never knew), trusting that I wouldn’t just start this project but finish it, and that the house we’d just signed on would become the home we’d dreamed of.

That was the moment. Bigger than any beam we’d ever lift.

She said yes. I said yes. And just like that, the decision was made.

We weren’t just buying a house—we were betting on ourselves… but was it a good bet?