January 04, 2007
What Happens When You Are in the Middle of a Big Renovation?
What Happens When You Are in the Middle of a Big Renovation?
We all know to expect time delays and unforeseen costs, right? Naturally those things are happening. Although things are moving right along and we've had very good luck getting people to come work on the big purple house, but when you clear away brush and find a quater acre of trash, a five foot in diameter rotten tree, and a destroyed fence where you thought it to be intact or when you pull off fake panelling and find studs sitting in dirt, well, these little surprises take time and money.
And when one of the family cars decides to die on the side of the interstate? You just have to be glad it is the ancient Volvo and not the vehicle that can carry the whole family.
In other words, things are progressing as expected in our renovations of the purple house. The HVAC work is finished. The electricians are mostly finished. The porch roof is just waiting for its metal. The back jungle has been cleared and leveled. A foundation guy is going to be taking care of the room that had studs sitting in dirt. One bathroom has been demolished.
Our original plan saw us hoping to move in some time in January. I suppose it should be obvious that that is not going to happen. However, the bright side of moving it a little later is that we'll be ready to put our current house on the market when more people are ready to start house hunting.
Yowch - the last thing you want to hear about during renovations are surprises! I suppose if nobody had them then there would not be an HGTV channel.
I don't know how you take care of that, homeschooling 2, tending a pre-K and an infant, but God bless you. You're an inspiration for us lower-energy creatures.
Posted by: Marc V at January 4, 2007 11:36 AMMarc, I don't know how you guys manage to take in 3 extra kidlets and keep up with everything you do.
I guess one gets used to whatever needs to be done.
Posted by: Jordana at January 4, 2007 11:37 AMWhat a month, Jordana!
I always say that moving into fixer uppers is like having babies. Later, you vaguely remember that there was agony involved, but all that fades away when you have a lovely end result.
It must be true, or we might have to stop getting new houses and babies!
Posted by: Meredith at January 4, 2007 02:18 PMI'm guessing you're looking forward to a bigger house for your kidlets to stretch out in. Currently we have 3 boys in one bedroom. For both holidays and weekends we had rainy weather and muddy yard, so extended time in a relatively small house has been a challenge for us.
I would have liked snow, but as warm as it has been this winter I don't know when we'll even have a chance for that. Maybe those tree-huggers are on to something after all ... ha!
And yes, you do do what has to be done for the kidlets (uh oh, did I just say doodoo?). I have seen examples of parents literally giving up, and it's not pretty.
Posted by: Marc V at January 4, 2007 02:23 PMHmmmm. Dying Volvo. Probably needs a $10 part you can find on ebay. Why is this reminding me of something?
Posted by: skinnydan at January 5, 2007 08:24 AMI wish, Dan. I wish. It needs a new air compressor which some how drives the power steering. Justin can do without air conditioning, and in fact has been for years, since there has been a freon leak (don't tell the EPA). But now it won't drive at all. And the electrical system has a short in it, so the windows won't roll down any more, which makes going without a/c harder.
Posted by: Jordana at January 5, 2007 08:31 AM
Jordana Adams, Chief Pontificator