Renovation:  In the Thick of It

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Once I shook off the jitters and the work had begun, I think that was when I actually started to breathe freely again.  After weeks of work and weeding thru contractors, the vision began to come into focus.  The action items were being checked off the list one by one. Believe me when I say it is an exhilarating feeling when the transformation begins to take place.

The walls were coming down and drywall going up; after the insulation, of course.  The huge fuel tank out back had to go. The tree removal process was massive. The crew’s trucks lined the street. Having the trees removed resulted in a sigh of relief for us as well as the neighbor. His concern that the gigantic tree would fall onto his house had finally been alleviated. Let’s not forget that the electrical rewiring was also underway. Electrical and plumbing are two very necessary, important, and costly steps that take place behind the scenes.  No one walks into the house and comments on the new electrical wiring and the nice plumbing.  Understated necessities that are often taken for granted but much appreciated if you ever have to go lacking in either department.

There are a lot of wheels turning at the same time during the renovation.  Although the project is moving right along, some days it looks worse before it gets better.  There is debris and piles of trash everywhere.  The clean up after the demolition is a process within itself.  It became obvious that some of the neighbors were curious about the impending outcome of this little house on the hill.

Quite often during this renovation, we’ve found ourselves at the mercy of the contractors and inspectors.  Will they show up today to complete the work? Will it pass inspection?  How can we keep this project moving in the meantime?  As we all know, in this situation “time is money.” 

Once the walls were back up and the windows were replaced, the inside was starting to take shape. But there is still so much more left to do.

So, please stay tuned …