Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Baby Steps and a Tantrum

     Some light demo and clean up/out has been happening over the last couple of weeks to get ready for today's excitement in the future kitchen. A non-functioning air conditioning unit and gas heater were removed from the wall between the kitchen and garage, which uncovered a whole bunch of burned insulation around the heater (SCARY!). Steven has cleaned out the fuse box and removed every fuse along with its wiring that was no longer serving a purpose. He even found some live wiring that wasn't connected to anything (again, SCARY!). How this house never caught fire is beyond me...



     By today's excitement, I mean having plumbing and gas lines installed in the future kitchen, yay!!



     I've definitely felt stuck in a rut for the last few months, feeling like we've accomplished nothing. It just seems like we spend our time planning/gathering ideas and not actually getting much done. Steven spent weeks planning out the kitchen plumbing, which we thought we were going to do ourselves. The decision to contract the plumbing was made when I had a bit of a crying meltdown, which was not solely about the plumbing of course. (I'm told it happens to the best of homeowners during a renovation, haha.).
     From the get-go, we had (probably unrealistically) hoped that we could remodel without getting a loan. We would save for particular goals, then do it when the target amount was reached. Since we were going to be living in the house, we thought renovating somewhat room-by-room rather than a whole floor at a time would work. I definitely see the advantages of being able to gut and redo large areas now.
   At least my emotional breakdown was a productive one.... As of now, the plan is to continue with the new kitchen, demo the old one and move an exterior wall out from the dining area, then get a loan to redo the entire exterior (to include cement fiberboard siding and windows).

We were given this floor plan drawing when we bought the house, and, very unfortunately, it doesn't show all the interior walls - so just use your imagination for now! The edits show our future plans.

How are the other remodelers out there able to keep a steady pace of progress? At what point do you say, "This task is too much, I need outside (professional) help"?

7 comments:

  1. I don't know what the trigger was exactly, but our decision to hire professionals (or, at least, OTHERS) to finish our drywall definitely had a crying fit/collapse involved. Hang in there; great work is a whole lot harder than good work, and I know yours is going to be great.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Becca! Much needed encouragement from someone who's been there :)

      Delete
  2. We learned that the process is a race and not a sprint. We've remodeled two places of historical vintage. You have to space out the activities to allow for decompression and rejuvenation of the spirit and soul (and pocketbook). If you ever feel overwhelmed, head on up town and have a beer around the fire with The Old Guy. I'll set you straigt in no time! Free of charge, no less.

    ReplyDelete
  3. One day at a time, you two got this! Even if we only spend 30 minutes a day remodeling, we try and push ourselves to do just a little bit at a time, then allow ourselves to enjoy even the smallest of accomplishments. (hot water, no gaping holes in the wall, no more mold, etc)

    (If only we could hire professional help! No one will even come out this far to give us an estimate.) This home is going to be so awesome when it is complete, ya'll are rockstars!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for all the words of encouragement. It can get overwhelming and I start to question if we ever will get to see the end. i have to keep reminding myself that every project we have finished has turned out a little easier than expected.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have loved watching your plans and progress, and am in awe of the beautiful job you are doing. What an accomplishment to be proud of -- every little nail stands for a step forward. Don't you forget that. And, you will end up with a home that is just as you wanted it, plus, you did it! All the "stuck in a rut" time pulling ideas and plans together will make the actual work go more smoothly, and with less regrets. And, you will discover options you may not have thought of. We remodeled our house a year ago, and though we had a professional do it, I spent about a year consumed with going over every inch of the plans and a zillion magazines, and made many changes to the original plans, some very minor, but "user-friendly". Now that we are living in it, I'm constantly reminded of things I am so glad I fine-tuned before construction. I can't wait to continue watching your steps as you move ahead. As I said, I'm so impressed with your abilities, and you will truly have a beautiful home just the way you want it!!!!! The whole job can be overwhelming, but focusing on only one step at a time will help. And, taking time to reflect on and enjoy each day's work at the end of the day. You have accomplished so much already.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sandra,
      Thank you so much for those very encouraging words. Steven and I have accomplished a good bit in the last few days, and it feels great to see things rolling right along. I would love to see your beautiful home someday - You did say you're hosting the next reunion, right? ;)

      Delete