Renovation Realities

If you have cable and the DIY or HGTV channel, you should consider looking up the show Renovation Realities. You can also check out some of their episodes online through this link. Most shows about renovations and construction show you the "pretty" side of the projects. Renovation Realities shows you the real side of construction projects when attempted without professionals. For that reason we have hired a contractor to gut and redo our kitchen, fix a leaking skylight, and rebuild our deck. Without kids and with a few months to spare, we probably could have gotten these projects done on our own with just a little help. But it's nice to know they are being done (a) correctly and (b) in a timely manner.

We've been living without a kitchen for a few weeks now and using the kitchen in the upstairs rental unit instead. While it's an annoyance it could be a whole lot worse. We could be camping in the back yard and eating PB&J every day. So I'm counting my blessings.

This is what the kitchen looked like before we started the demolition project. You can't really tell from the photos but the place was filthy and stunk! (That's Ian and our inspector, Jay, in the picture)






Here it is sans upper cabinets after we moved our things in. Ian and my dad spent a few minutes tearing the cabinets from the wall.


Ian pulling down the dirty, disgusting drop ceiling full of mouse droppings, dead mice, and carpenter ants! Yuck, yuck, yuck!


Our contractor, Chris, in the process of tearing the walls to the studs!


The damage done to the wall below the leaking skylight. We're pretty sure it had been leaking for quite some time based on the wood rot and mold.


Where the sliding glass doors (yes, two sets facing one another) used to be. They're being reverted back to solid walls.


And where we stand now with plastered walls just waiting for paint and the floor to be leveled off a little (the house is old and slopes a good 2 inches in some areas) so we can install the cabinets and the flooring!




When all is said and done, we will be:
- About $25,000 poorer
- Living in a house that is (mostly) up to code
- Able to enjoy the deck without wondering if it's going to collapse
- Able to cook in the kitchen without fear of contracting some sort of communicable disease
- Sleeping in our room alone without a toddler!

If you would like to see the house as it was prior to purchase, click here for an album.

If you would like to follow our changes and see the other realities of our renovation project, click here for an album.