My wife really enjoys watching those shows on the Home & Garden channel that deal with remodeling homes.
You know, "Fixer Upper," "Extreme Makeover," "Hidden Potential, Property Brothers," etc.
That's how she started prepping me for our remodel, by asking me to watch some of them with her. She would ask pointed questions like "Do you like those white kitchen cabinets?"
Being a guy, my first impulse was to answer truthfully, but after 41 years of martial bliss, I knew better. Without saying yes, or no, I asked what she thought of them?
That works, sometimes. But, after viewing numerous shows peppered with questions, my wife knew exactly where I really stood on the remodeling questions she asked about.
It was time to take the wall down between the kitchen and the living room.
It was time to tear out all the kitchen cabinets and re-do them (sand and prime) a semi-gloss white.
It was time to put new flooring in throughout the house. One continuous pattern.
It was time to move gas lines and electrical outlets around to accommodate a new island and counter tops.
It was time for new lighting - can lights - in the kitchen and livingroom and matching ceiling lights.
It was time to repaint a couple of walls.
It was time to pull out the old water heater and to put in a tankless one on the exterior of the house.
My humble observations part of the way through our remodel:
* It's been like camping, but not so pretty. We've had to clear out the entire kitchen, dining room, and livingroom and cram all that stuff into three bedrooms, and the patio.
* No stove to cook on. Only fast food, frozen food (we do have a microwave set up with the coffee maker in one of the rooms) and food that doesn't need preparation.
* The entire house looks like a bomb went off. Still looking at another week of work. It's already been two weeks of bedlam.
The dog and the cats will probably need counseling after the parade of strangers in the house and the noise they made!
* Already over $2,000 on our budget.
* Next time (if there is one) we do a remodel we're staying at a motel, or staying with whatever friends or family that will have us!
Unlike the shows where the owners leave the house and return to see the happy results, we made our mistake by living in the middle of the remodel. Lesson learned.
I'm keeping my eye on the prize. When it's all done our living space will be improved, and I won't have to watch any more shows about remodeling!
Time for me to walk on down the road...
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