Renovation Blues

Susan and I love renovation projects.  We started our fifth major construction project on June 8th.  At the completion of this project every room in our home will have been touched or altered.  This renovation was particularly hard since every bedroom closet had to be evacuated.  So for three months we have been dressing in chaos. 

The stages of emotion during renovation are very predictable.

(1) Planning/Architectural Drawing -  This is probably the most fun stage. For the least amount of money, you get to dream about what you want; play with multiple ideas; exercise creativity; and scope the project for what you think will be the overall cost.

(2) Preparation/Teardown - A difficult but interesting phase.  Moving furniture out, finding alternate places to temporarily allow normal living; actual tear down to infrastructure layer; and the excitement of the project starting.

(3) Initial Build out = The most fun and where progress seems to go the fastest.  The conceptual drawings begin to take on physical reality.  Detail decisions and adjustments not thought out during architectural planning or blueprints enter the picture.  Excitement continues as daily progress can be seen physically.

(4)  Rough finishing -  This phase includes first coats of paint, hardwood floors laid or refinished, lights and electrical fixtures installed.  To the novice it looks like move in is only weeks away.  This phase is a little slower in noticing progress but the anticipation of completion keeps the spirits high.

(5) Final detailing and Finishing -  Suddenly the project crawls to a halt.  It appears they will never get done.  The molding, the door adjustments, window trim, final coats of paint, and even cabinetry adjustments all cause the project to drag (with the emotional blues).  When will the project ever end?

So we've been in Phase 5 for the last three weeks and counting.  Here is where patience is tested.  There was even the quote "This is the last time I'm doing this". 

Yes until it is all done -  and then we both begin thinking of the next project to do.