Renovations: Week #1

Construction on our home began a week ago, and it is fun to see what you can get done in a week.

You can empty a kitchen, rewire it and put in new lighting.



You can discover a vaulted ceiling, turn two office rooms into a master suite with a bedroom, closet and bathroom.  We are all broken up over the vaulted ceiling.

Master bedroom with the bathroom in the background.

Vaulted Ceiling in Master

Master Closet with the shower to the left.

You can expand the other bathroom and take out a wall to create the big boys bedroom.  Now actually we have to fix that wall because the vanity won't fit, but hopefully that will be an easy fix.  Eek!

Boys Bedroom with Bathroom in the background.

 The dining room is almost opened up.  They will have to put in a header, so it will be a little trickier.

Dining Room

 You can create a laundry space in a bathroom.

Laundry room in bathroom.

 And you can learn lots of interesting things about a house.  For example, you can learn that they glued the carpet down.  In part of the house they were nice enough to do it to a board separate from the floor board.  That was nice of them to do in part of the house, but not in the entire thing.  On the other half once the carpet was up if you stood still for too long you would be stuck there.  So, they started laying a subfloor as the carpenters were tired of getting stuck.  I learned that just taking this awful industrial carpeting out makes everything look nicer!  The room below we aren't changing much, but just taking out the carpet makes it look so much better!

Bedroom without carpeting.   

We also learned that we can't put the garage in the basement without completely finishing it which we didn't budget, so we are working on a plan B.  I think we will end up with an attached carport closed in on three sides.  We'll see how that goes.  You just can't do construction without a few surprises, and I feel like we have had our fair share!  Though, I must admit that surprises aren't as bad when you aren't the ones discovering them and trying to work around them.  

I have also learned that being the general contractor is kind of fun.  I have pretty much taken on that role as I have trouble giving up control and want to make sure I know what is going on at all times.  It has been fun learning about the process and order things need to be done.  I will definitely not be going professional with my new skills, but it is nice to be more educated.  :)

Stay tuned for another update next week!