Chat GPT

Chat GPT

Chat GPT

Image Generation

Project management

Project management

Project management

Adventures in AI

Project: Bathroom Renovation (Part 3)

Project: Bathroom Renovation (Part 3)

Setting budget and finding a contractor

Like I mentioned in previous parts of this series, Tyler and I are first-time homeowners. This bathroom project will be the first "real" renovation project we take on (besides some of the DIY things we've done with the help of friends and relatives).

For me, a huge concern was finding the right contractor who could work within our budget. I've never hired anyone to do major work in my home and I had a lot of questions. Where does one look for a reputable contractor? How do I even begin to understand the kind of budget I will need for something like this? How long might a project like this take?

All excellent questions for ChatGPT…

So—we got to work getting bids from contractors.

First, we found a contractor through word of mouth—a friend had recently done an enormous renovation project (we're talkin' raise the roof, totally new floor plan type sh*t) and had great things to say about their contractor.

Second, we found two reputable contractor profiles through Houzz.

Lastly, a neighbor recommended their handyman to take a look at the job.

budgeting

I wanted to test out ChatGPT's ability to retain information from previous conversations. We had spoken at length about the project, and I found myself unsure if I needed to repeat certain key details to set context. So, when I asked it to build me a basic budget, I refrained from provided too many details.

Here's how ChatGPT's estimation of cost stacked up against the real estimates:

Contractor 1 (word of mouth): ~$30k (included a ~$8k allowance for finishing materials)

Contractor 2 (Houzz): ~$30k (NOT including finishing materials)

Contractor 3 (Houzz): ~35k (NOT including finishing materials)

Neighbor's handyman: $14k (NOT including finishing materials)

Ultimately, Chat GPT's range came fairly low (closest to Contractor 1)—so we'll chalk that up to some AI optimism? Moral of the story, take any budgeting advice from AI with a grain of salt.

Here's how ChatGPT's estimation of cost stacked up against the real estimates:

Contractor 1 (word of mouth): ~$30k (included a ~$8k allowance for finishing materials)

Contractor 2 (Houzz): ~$30k (NOT including finishing materials)

Contractor 3 (Houzz): ~35k (NOT including finishing materials)

Neighbor's handyman: $14k (NOT including finishing materials)

Ultimately, Chat GPT's range came fairly low at ~$23k (closest to Contractor 1)—so we'll chalk that up to some AI optimism? Moral of the story, take any budgeting advice from AI with a grain of salt.

The adventure continues…

I will be continuing this project and updating you here in real time. Check back in on Adventures in AI to see our bathroom journey progress.

Elise Brown
Elise Brown
Elise Brown
Elise Brown