#willthiseverend

Marking Time

We are now about four months into it. Going by Mr. Thirty-Three Percent’s calculations that should mean we are just over half way there.

Living so close has been a God send, and Hubby has been toiling away diligently after work and on weekends so progress is consistent. Although it may not seem like a lot takes place from one week to another, there is so much that needs to happen behind the scenes first, he is really happy with his accomplishment. And I am pleasantly surprised.

The home we are staying in is a fraction smaller than our place, and I have to admit that as the weeks pass I find that sometimes things get a bit tight. The oven and stove top are positioned next to a walk way and opposite the fridge so I have to be mindful to close the door if I’m cooking, ensuring that pot handles are angled safely in order to avoid a catastrophe. Four adults roaming around the kitchen and meals area can be frustrating at the best of times, and we are a family that allow dogs inside as a general rule but even they have been banished to the yard until dinner is over. With one living room and still only one toilet, some days it’s tricky.

We have made a few changes to the Kitchen of the Amish, introducing some new wooden spoons and purchasing a StickMaster to eliminate lumps from my burnt offerings. Hubby has adjusted the doors on the fridge and freezer so they now close properly, and all the washers on the taps have been replaced so we can drift off to sleep without The Symphony of Drips playing in the background.

On the reno front quotes and purchases, for and of, various items including fixtures and fittings, tiles, flooring, windows and doors are underway. The replacement chimney has been built and fireplace installed, timber and construction materials delivered, labour and rubbish removal organised. And Hubby has moved up a rung. He shall now be known as Mr. Fifty-Seven Percent. And the appliances and furniture are yet to be accounted for.

The constant sound of banging, sanding and machinery has resonated from the house almost seven days a week, and I sometimes wonder when the neighbours are going to finally spit the dummy. To date there have only been two casualties of war. The clothesline, which apparently snapped in half during the relocation process, and the lemon tree.  Although not completely dead, the lemon tree came off second best when confronted with a moving bobcat, so only time will tell how bad the damage is with that one.

Hubby has written lots of notes and numbers on the remaining timber beams and slab, and to me, that looks like he knows what he is doing. And we have some exciting development on the plumbing front. After ten years and eight months, we now have plumbing for a second toilet. Although the actual toilet is still absent, if you were to hover over the waste outlet and use extreme accuracy, you would effectively be using the second toilet. And that in itself is pretty good going.

                 Let’s be realistic though, not everything has gone according to plan. I have heard many stories from others about their own renovation successes and dramas, so I understand this is par for the course when undertaking a project like this. There have been a number of changes along the way that have come about from simply standing in the middle of an empty room and seeing something that hadn’t been an option before. Other changes have arisen out of necessity or functionality. And one has been, well, an oversight.

The kitchen area is the one I am most excited about, and it’s ready for a complete overhaul. Enlisting in the help of his Chippy mate and a few others who are happy to get down and dirty, it was out with the old and in with the new. Doors and windows, that is. Things are beginning to take shape. Plumbing, wiring and comms are yet to be finalised, plastering will eventually happen and the cabinetry hasn’t been measured or ordered, but for the moment everything is coming along nicely.

Hubby has built many a house from scratch, demolishing existing homes and finally handing the keys to the new owners when everything is spick and span. He has revamped, reconditioned and renovated homes, offices and commercial buildings. This is not new to him. But until now, beyond the simple update of our first home and the new build of our second, I had no idea what we were in for.