(in)sanity…so far

We are right at our Fairfield project’s 6 month anniversary.  There have been many ups and downs in our DIY world (not to mention we have been trying to sell our other home in the process—this mainly causing most of the chaos).  It hasn’t been easy.  Balancing electricians, HVAC technicians, work, plumbers, family/friends, and misc laborers is no easy task. 

Here are a few tips we have learned along the way:

1.        Time management—Fortunately, we haven’t been in any sort of rush to ‘finish’ the renovation, but each week we have a rough schedule of what we want/need to happen.  We talk daily to our contractors and each other about where we are and where we need to be at XYZ time.  It is important to constantly be evaluating where you are in your renovation process, so you don’t forget a small detail and to keep yourself on track.

2.       Don’t settle for low quality— When you are in a budget crunch it is easy to say, “Well, we don’t neeeeed a $250 sink…” only later to realize that sink was a focal point for your space, will last way longer than a $100 sink, intangibly means more visually, and is a ‘drop in the bucket’ (as Brian says) to the entire budget/plan. You can always hold off on some of the details NOW (you can’t always have instant gratification) and get better results in the LONG RUN.

3.       Take a walk—Walk, run, clean, cook—whatever you like to do that helps to stay relaxed is very important in a big project.  If you let the project run your life, it will.  We both have to find time away from the renovation to not think about the renovation! J 

4.       Sleep on it—Focus.  Keep the long-term plan in mind.  So many times we have gone to Lowe’s, or any of the miscellaneous hardware/fixture stores, and fall in love with a fixture or we get really excited about one project that we think HAS to be done NOW.  This is not always the case, and it has been nice to have two of us (and our friends and family as well) to have checks-and-balances.  It can be easy to get caught up in the moment when making purchases and design decisions, but make sure it is right for the big picture.

5.       Ask for help— We are getting better about this, but in projects like this, it is critical that you engage your friends/family.  The truth is—most of the actually want to help and get a little of the renovation glory.  It’s a great time to put your loved ones skills to use/to the test and also to teach them new skills they might be able to use in their home improvement projects. 

*Disclaimer:  This doesn’t mean we’ve mastered any of the above. J

Here are some updated pictures!

We demo-ed the pantry (there is already plenty of cabinet space) and opened the kitchen up.

Here is another pic without the ladder.  You can also see the opening to the left is where a bookcase used to be.  We demo-ed that as well to make an opening into the other side of the house.  You used to have to walk all the way around the house to get to the other side--now it's just a few steps away. 

The master bedroom with floors, paint, and a new ceiling fan.  Ready to move in!

Here is a before view of the wall where our range/oven will go.

Here is the after with sheetrock (done by Brian and myself).

Here is a more full view of the kitchen with some sheetrock.  We removed the countertop and sink  to do this (that is why it is in the center of the room).  We will be installing a new countertop and sink shortly.

Happy renovating,

B&K