For many people a renovation takes a finite length of time, a finite amount of money, and a finite chunk of their mental wellbeing. They move out for a few weeks and then move back into a completed project. But for the rest of us, we live in the midst of the build, sometimes for years, trying to remember where things have been rehomed to now and remembering that sharing your home all day with the builders requires forethought and tact on both sides.
My renovation seems to have lasted years, well actually it has been years. It would be easy to loose heart when you're surrounded by sawdust, wood chips, bare walls and half finished plumbing, but I've found the best thing is to carry on as if the surrounding chaos doesn't exist.
While our house was without walls, we still threw our children birthday parties at home. While the kitchen sat unattached to the walls with the bench just resting on top of the cabinets and no kickboards, our family entertained for christmas. While the new deck was just framing we threw a BBQ.
The trick is to live life while not becoming complacent. It's remarkably easy to get used to half done things, like a bathroom with a working shower and loo, but only waterproofing on the floor.
At times we have had to speak sternly to ourselves to get some momentum back. That bathroom is now tiled, but it took a year to get around to it.
The skirting in our family bathroom is the only thing unfinished, it's nailed in place but unfilled and only undercoated, and it's been like that for THREE YEARS!
Part of the reason for this blog is to get some kind of accountability going that will guilt me into getting the house finished...100%...finally.
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