Remodeling
Moving out is not an option and life still has to go on---work,dogs, cats. He wanted to start today, but I was feeling overwhelmed. I understand this will take longer than planned 
HELP!!! |
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No advice except Good luck!!! You should post pics. I remember Darcy doing remodeling awhile back and she seemed pretty miserable because it did take longer than expected ...Boy do I feel for ya!! There may have been an oven in her living room too ...my memory is terrible.  |
When we added the family room on and remodeled the kitchen, it was an experience!!! We ate out alot!! Our Refridge was in the living room, as was the other smaller appliances...trying to hurdle everything for a bottled water was interesting....plastic protecting doorways..and the contractor began in Feb. So it was not the best time for US!!!  But it was a fun time! I am just glad I didn't have to worry about kids...just the dogs and they handled the commotion very well! Since I work during the day, they stayed in the bedroom and when I came home and let them out, they had to 'check out' the progress for the day!!!!  
Keep us posted!!!!!!! And have fun!!! So exciting!!! |
| When I did my own kitchen remodel (and that included everything) my wife set up a Nesco Roaster/Oven in one of our spare rooms along with a Microwave, coffee pot and a steamer. The crock pot also got a lot of use. It was during the summer so we also used the outdoor grill quite a bit. One thing to note is that when the deconstruction phase starts you never know what you will find. I did the job alone in about 4 to 5 weeks. |
| Good luck!
We're on the tail end of our main bathroom remodel - it went to the studs and we are doing it ourselves. Should be done in the next few days and I cannot wait! At least you have a contractor - doing it yourself means eating out all the time because we're too busy to cook, even though it's not the kitchen! We have done a few crock-pot meals but it's been more grab-n-go junk lately! |
| We did our kitchen two years ago. I set up a make shift kitchen in another room but did eat out alot. Dog - at that time there was only one - was secured with a baby gate outside of the kitchen so he wouldn't get into anything that might hurt him.
It was messy but our contractors were great. they set up plastic tarps along the doorways to help contain some of the dust. Is the weather nice where you are? maybe you can BBQ and leaev the dogs out a few hours? We are doing our master bath in March....I find some extra wine helps! |
We did our kitchen ourselves - out to the studs. What a mess! the kids were in elementary school then. Have pictures of the girls' b-day party with bare stud somewhere.... But, after rewiring, sheetrock, paint/paper, it is a good thing! Heck having more than 2 outlets was worth it! 
(150+ year old farmhouses.... ) |
| I'm planning my kitchen reno for May, which is ideal for me, weather wise (we'll be able to comfortably grill out a lot more than we would in MN winters) and also, by happy coincidence for my contractor, so I'm keenly interested in your project.
FWIW, I would guess that is will be easier to live without a kitchen than without bathrooms. I would also strongly suggest that if you haven't done so already, please sit down and lay out a preliminary schedule for demo and reno with your contractor BEFORE anything gets touched. We're just in initial plans now but we've already discussed money. I don't know if all contractors do this, but I was happy to learn that my contractor will bill me on a two week billing cycle, with an additional once a month bill for supplies, which coincides with his billing cycle for bills he will receive for materials for my project. This should be clear. I would STRONGLY CAUTION you to make sure the terms of money and time are carefully laid out. Yes, things will change and there will be some unexpected expenses and probably some changes, so make sure you have factored that into your budget. But under no circumstances should you pay in full until work is completed in full, including inspection. This cannot be stated strongly enough. Do NOT let a contractor talk you into paying him ahead of schedule. I speak from very, very bitter experience on that subject and it has cost (and will cost down the line) into the thousands of dollars for me 'being nice' (and very gullible.) Thankfully, I have the best contractor in town, a guy who is known for doing wonderful work on time/on budget plus he loves, lives in and is used to renovating 100+ year old homes. I am looking forward to hearing all about your project. We're doing a complete gut job on our kitchen in our 114 year old Victorian with a kitchen that is something like 50 years old and ugly and non-functional. Hoping to be able to spread some of the reno budget into cosmetic updates in our family room, added by the previous owners in 1977 and looking every inch of 1977. Sigh. We'll be replacing appliances, updating electrical, replacing/lifting the dropped ceiling, replacing the floor and probably installing in floor heat in the family room. Hopefully removing a small portion of a wall separating the kitchen from the old butler's pantry. New countertops, new lighting, EVERYTHING MUST GO!!!!!! So far, our plan is to move the fridge probably into the dining room, which can be easily closed to close off reno area from the rest of the house, or barring that, using a large ice chest--and making frequent/small trips to the grocery store. We'll grill out a lot, and eat what we can cold/uncooked. If we survive this, next stop: re-finishing hardwood floors, fixing the remuddle of the living room (also circa 1977) and bathroom. Then on to the windows, driveway and if I have my way: replacing our cinder block garage with no electric/no heat with something a tiny bit larger and a lot less UGLY. But those are projects for the next few years. |
| sigh...yeah, my kitchen took 3 xtra months...due to unforseen complications...so be prepared..i tell my clients that all the time, but failed to listen to it myself....
stock up on plastic utensils, paper plates, and small condiments packettes.. set up an area with the micro, coffee pot and electric skillet... be prepared to wash dishes/glasses in a tub or laundry sink.. be prepared to have filth (dust and debris) ALL OVER THE HOUSE that no matter how often you dust and vacuum, will not go away... eat out often... be prepared to go over budget...typical is about 15% contractors seem to never get there on time or stay as long as they say... rule with an iron fist...make a clause that stipulates that if the job isnt finished on time that ''so much'' monies will be subtracted per day or week till the jub is completed... and best of all Good luck and stay in a hotel if it gets really really bad! |
| Good advice all, but may I also add, time to move valuables to a bank vault or for less valuable stuff, storage locker. You'll have strangers in the house.
Also with all the cra# floating in the air and onto your clothes in the closets......get them under plastic now. Keep electronics under wraps as much as possible. Vacuum daily after the workers leave. I envy the filling in of the sunken living room.......in my dreams! |
| In '95, we added a second floor to our house and modified all but one room in the house. It was an outstanding experience.
Our contract specified when we made payments - specific items had to be completed before the next payment was made and the amount was exactly spelled out. Our contractor put plastic sheeting up around the owrk areas, but vacuumed the carpet at the end of each day. She also let the dogs in and out when I was at work. We had the freezer, the frig and the frig/freezer in the garage. I have an old laundry sink (for painitng, yardwork, etc) that I used for kitchen clean up. We used the microwave more than anything. Eating out too. Even though it messed up the schedule a bit, we always had one bathroom that was not under construction. We moved a couple of dressers in the den and hung clothes in the laundry room. They gave us weekends off. This let me do laundry, clean up the house and prepare for the next week. Once a week, they took the kids upstairs to see what was done (at first on ladders), which kept them from doing it without supervision. They always let me know what was coming up, so I could plan around it. We moved lots of stuff around to keep it out of the way. My theory is the more I can make their job easier, the sooner they would be out of here. Remember the goal - the mess is just temporary. People will do a better job for you if they like you. You can disagree, but do it in a nice way. Get before, during and after pictures. They started demo on Oct 1st. The last of the carpet was laid on Jan 1st. We added 2 bedrooms, a 3/4 bath, stairs, new roofline, kitchen remodel, steel framing under the brick for the second floor, 2 full bathroom remodels, a half bath remodel, built-ins and probably more. Even the original owners didn't recognize the house after we were done. And it still looks good. |
| I wouldn't let him start in the kitchen -- taking the water/dishwasher/fridge/whatever offline should be laaaast off and first in, if possible. Same with the bathroom -- one at a time!
Good luck!!!!! We're here for your rants. |
| HOW EXCITING . Did that help at all? just keep looking toward the finish project. Once it is done it will be worth it.
Contractors are notorious for getting the demo done then not showing up to do the finishing in a timely manner. Stay on them to stay on schedule or possibly finish early. IF your around during the day offer them soda or cookies. A happy worker is a good worker!. good luck...take before during and after pictures! post them here..some of us love to look at those kind of things! |
| My bedroom is in my dining room right now. The best part is Chauncey, yes Chauncey, is being wonderful
All I can say is...patience and God bless. Kathy |
| First on the list is ... get a good reliable contractor, have lots of money in the bank and then just hold your breathe that all goes well we renovated in 2005 and because of the scope of the reno we had to move out for 3 months so we bought a trailer put it on our d/d's property and had a lovely vacation while waiting. |
I am surviving a remodel that has taken 18 yrs. My husband is a CONTRACTOR, go figure, just like the cobblers wife is the last to have shoes. I will be the last to have my house finished. My new clawfoot bathtub is in the garage along with my new toilet and sink. My ceiling paper that I have had for 4 yrs sits in the spare bedroom, which is also not done, the pretty green gingerbread siding that is supposed to be up on the dormers is still in the boxes in the garage, which I have had for 3yrs. My 6ft. by 6 ft. window in my dining room is still not trimmed out on the inside, the window was put in 15 yrs ago. You will survive, Could anyone reccomend a contractor for me  |
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