Remodel On Big Timber Road – The Process

I could probably sum up our remodeling process in two words, but for the sake of a blog post, I will elaborate. At this point, we have moved back into our house, so I can discuss the process from start to finish. If you are reading this just because you are curious, or if you are actually considering a remodel, I hope all of this information will help. If you are seriously considering a remodel, I would suggest reading this book. It explains 15 steps for a successful remodel and how to survive it. The authors share a lot of good info!

As I have discussed in previous blog posts, the first steps were to devise a plan and pick a contractor. You can read about that HERE. Our Remodel On Big Timber Road – The Process will explain the actual construction part of our remodel.

EXCITING – I will never forget the first day of construction when the dumpster and porta-potty were delivered. To me, that was exciting. That meant things were about to ‘get movin’ (pardon the pun). Soon after that, the demo started. There was a lot of demo and it actually went pretty fast. Ceilings came out and walls came down. It was also exciting watching the rebuilding progress; walls and sheetrock going back up, cabinets going in, and tile and flooring being installed.

This dumpster was a permanent fixture in my driveway for eight months. It was filled and emptied nine times during our remodel.

 

The demo happened very quickly. Putting it all back together, not so much.

 

The demo continues. This area looks so different now.

 

FRUSTRATING/STRESSFUL – There are a lot of frustrations and stress with a remodel. Frustrations with the builder, his crew, the delays, the mistakes; I could go on and on. I also might add, I am sure our builder and his crew became frustrated with us too. Jerry T and I are very picky and are probably not the easiest clients to deal with.

At one point during this process, my hair began to fall out. My doctor and I finally determined it was stress. This remodel was getting to me. However, would I do it again? One thousand times YES!!! I’m loving my home and FYI my hair is now growing back. 👍🏻 All’s well that ends well!

LENGTHY – Supposedly our remodel was to be completed in four months. We were realistic about the timeline. We assumed probably five to six months would be more like it. However, eight months????? Way too long folks. Our neighbors were starting to ask us what was taking so long. We really didn’t have an answer. If you are considering a remodel, my advice is to have a completion date in your contract. Include penalties for each day beyond your completion date. My bad for not doing this.

DIRTY – This was one of the two words that I stated above that could describe our remodel. We did expect a mess but not to this extent. Water bottles everywhere, even in my planter boxes. Wood, nails, insulation, sheetrock, cigarette butts, fast-food wrappers, and sawdust debris was everywhere. Not the ideal situation for a ‘neat freak’.

Because our washer, dryer, and refrigerator remained in the house during the remodel, we had to walk through the mess daily. Jerry T spent almost every weekend sweeping and cleaning up. Realizing that the next week it would turn into a mess again, the weekend clean-ups briefly made us feel better.

Jerry T cleaning the mess. I think it became therapeutic for him.

FUN – What is more fun than picking new flooring, fixtures, appliances, and all the things? Well, it was fun to me anyway!

Powder room bath flooring choice. Anxious to show you the finished product on our next blog.

 

DECISIONS – As I walk through this house at this point, I realize that every inch of it was a decision. Some of those decisions came easy. Some would keep me up at night. And some I needed help with. There were a few that I had to make on the spot. It was a lot of decisions kids! For the most part, we are happy with all of our choices, including our designer and our builder.

MELTDOWNS – There will be meltdowns during a remodel. I had more than one. Was I being an ungrateful brat? Probably, but sometimes things just get to you and you have to vent. One of my meltdowns occurred during the fourth of July weekend. The landscaper had just plowed up our entire front yard (the only thing at the time that I had control over and was still aesthetically lovely). That along with the fact that I was not going to be with my family on the holiday and knowing we were still a few months out until completion, just got the best of me. Bring on the tears.

Eventually, the grass was replaced and all things were lovely again.

PROGRESS – What really helped with the frustration and stress and all of the other challenging aspects of our remodel was watching the progress. Seeing everything come together was the best. Jerry T and I couldn’t wait for the workers to leave each day so we could see what they had done.

Along with the interior remodel, the exterior was remodeled too. The front door was relocated and a porch was added.

 

We were so excited when the sheetrock arrived. We were blown away at how fast it went up.

 

Kitchen cabinets being installed. Probably my favorite day of the entire remodel.

 

Tile being laid in the master bath. All of our tile work took two weeks.

 

New cabinetry in the master bath.

 

New flooring throughout. Almost to the home stretch at this point.

 

REGRETS – I have a few regrets but nothing that I will lose sleep over. Some minor regrets are the stonework choice for the flowerbeds, the placement of the sauna heater and benches, and the opening position of the front door. Probably my biggest regret is the placement of the kitchen sink. If you’re considering a remodel that involves your kitchen, I would suggest hiring a kitchen designer to look over your plans.

RELIEF – Well this is probably obvious, but moving back in the house after eight months was not only a relief but a happy and joyous occasion. There were still things in our home that needed to be completed after we moved in, but we were finally done with our tiny house living (which you can read about HERE). There was also a lot of relief when you are happy with most of your choices.

Stay tuned for my final blog post in this series where I will share before and after pictures.

NEXT BLOG POST…Remodel On Big Timber Road – The Results