Who else is in remodeling/redecorating HELL?

[barbeml]

Once DH and I decided that we are NJ lifers (pretty much the whole family is here), we knew we had to remodel and redecorate our tiny (1400 sf, no garage, no basement) townhome. We looked for a single-family a few years ago, but everything we looked at had water issues and fewer bathrooms (believe it or not, my townhome has 2.5).

New kitchen appliances were first (we really needed them), and new flooring for the whole ground floor is what we are starting on now. Finally hound our kitchen tile today..woo hoo! But of course, new flooring leads to new paint, which leads to new furniture and on and on.

For background, the house was mine before we married (in our 30s when we married 8 years ago). We just sold DH's rental house and plan to use some of the proceeds for upgrading our house. We need to make this "our" house, not my house that DH moved in to. I want to redo his bathroom and mine (they are currently done in "builder chic," gag gag), and our huge master closet just begs for the California Closet treatment.

After MONTHS of looking, we finally came up with color schemes we both like. We have the money in the bank (from the house sale, above and beyond our retirement and emergency funds, etc) to just get it done, but DH wants to do it in stages. Help me convince him that it is better to have the disruption all at once and then enjoy it for years.

Thanks!

 

[clh2]

I know far too many people that if they do a project, like home improvements in stages...IT WILL NEVER GET DONE.

If you have the money, just go for it.

I'm still waiting to complete somethings in a family room redo, specifically the end tables and window treatments. I just wish we had the money. Something always comes up.

 

[lowie]

we did re-decorating hell after hurricane wilma, although before wilma we didn't need any work. we ended up having to fix the roof, re-floor the entire downstairs including ripping up wood and tile, drywall and paint, new baseboards, seal and paint the exterior and lots more. it's much easier to just do it all at once, if you have space to move your furniture around from room to room.
renovating is messy and annoying, living out of boxes at times. best to bite the bullet and try to have fun with it!

 

[DVCLiz]

Uuughh, I was in that hell all of last year - but the results are spectacular!!!

I decided that my sunroom was too small to accomodate my sunroom furniture, plus a kitchen table I wanted to use and a bar that was a built-in - very convenient but taking up a lot of space. Also, I was tired of the laundry "room", which was a closet. I had to brace the dryer door with my knee to keep it from closing, because there
wasn't room to unfold it all the way.

Fast forward a year, and now I have a sunroom double the size, with ample space for the bar area, a kitchen table that can seat ten, and a sunroom corner with wicker furniture. It also has a real laundry room with space for an upright freezer, and a new half bath. I built a two-car garage as weell - I might love that the best!!!

I say do it all now and enjoy it - but, that said, I stopped before redoing my kitchen. I had wanted to replace the floors, and get new appliances and a new countertop, but I just couldn't stand the idea of any more construction.

Good luck - double the amount of time and the amount of money they give you for an estimate!!!

 

[rie'smom]

We do the renos ourselves. Hubby was a cabinet maker and I'm handy with wall finishes and the sewing machine. We've been in our house 4 years and have redone the kitchen,upstairs bath and bedrooms,we've combined 2 baths to make a large master bath and this year we're combining 2 downstairs bds. to make a large master suite and the master will become our closet. We've also put down wood floors ourselves. Tim and I joke that some couples go out to dinner but we go to the hardware store!

 

[barbeml]

We do the renos ourselves. Hubby was a cabinet maker and I'm handy with wall finishes and the sewing machine.

I'm sooooooooooooo jealous! I am handy with nothing, altho I have a good eye for space planning.

We are doing most ourselves (DH is very tenacious...he likes to learn how to do things himself), and we have a friend who is an "underachieving" contractor (meaning, he could make a fortune, but he is not that fond of working).

I swear in 8 years this is the only thing we have argued about.

 

[ilovepcot]

Well, you certainly don't want to ask *me*! We've lived in an old Victorian for 19 years now and renovations have been going on for 19 years. Yes, if it can be done all at once, that would be glorious!!!!

 

[Pigeon]

We are currently in the midst of a do-it-yourself bathroom remodel. When I say currently, I mean it's been 4 months and will be at least another 5 or six. My husband is a die-hard do it yourselfer. He does excellent work, but he works on a geologic time scale. I may kill him before he is done. I figure that so long as I get at least one woman on the jury, I'm good for justifiable homicide.

 

[Kahana-ri]

DH is excellent when it comes to home improvements.
However, it takes forever. We have a long list of remodeling ideas. So far, I have two bedrooms with laminate floors. The whole upstairs is to be done.
I'm still waiting for the play yard fence to be finished for DS's toys.
I haven't had an upstairs bathroom since June. In the bathroom we have a new tub and surround and new tile floor. Still awaiting a toilet, vanity, new window treatment and paint.
Hopefully, I'll get my bathroom back before the new baby arrives in March.

 

[agnes!]

We are currently in the midst of a do-it-yourself bathroom remodel. When I say currently, I mean it's been 4 months and will be at least another 5 or six. My husband is a die-hard do it yourselfer. He does excellent work, but he works on a geologic time scale. I may kill him before he is done. I figure that so long as I get at least one woman on the jury, I'm good for justifiable homicide.

Honey, no jury of your peers would convict you . (Now, a jury of *his* peers? That might be another story...

agnes!

 

[MUFFYCAT]

We are just finishing a 2 year reonvation.

it included us sleepinf on air mattresses and living out of rubbermaid container
of clothes. The Pod was in front of our house for over a year.

It was worth it, but i wouldn't do it again

 

[gshanny]

We sold our 100 yo house almost 2 years ago. We worked on it the whole 13 years we lived there and never did get to redo every room. We bought this house and worked like crazy on the upstairs for 4 months before moving in.( I could easily spend 12 or more hours a day during the weekends) We spent about 6 more months getting things finished upstairs. We are now on the downstairs. We are moving so much more slowly than we did before we got in the house. Seasons can stop a lot of work. We got ahead this summer and got all our trim and doors bought, stained and poly'd before it got too cold so we can get them put up once the floors are done. We will then have one room done downstairs, the family room.~sigh~ We still have the bathroom, laundry area and our bedroom to do. Right now we have the framing done for our bedroom and sheetrock up on one side(converted garage). I have a temp pole to hang clothes on. It is sad. I forget how sad until someone comes over and sees how I live. I then realize I look like a slob despite the upstairs turning out better than I ever imagined it would end up looking like.
I look forward to the day we are no longer remodeling. We have no idea what we will do.lol It just seems like the time and money never meet at the same time for now. I am all for getting it all done as quick as possible if you have the money. Good luck!