#30: Home Remodel

My husband and I recently decided to invest in updates to our home. We had tossed around the idea of moving to a larger place but decided we liked our location, neighborhood and schools and could make the space work with a few improvements and some efforts to remove many 1980's remnants. Those included several once popular features such as seashell shaped sinks, lots of gold trim and full wall mirrors - including one in the half-bath downstairs. Yes, for the past seven years we (and our guests) have enjoyed a full wall mirror right beside the toilet.

After meeting with a contractor and balancing our wish list against our budget, we decided to update all of our bathrooms (including two gut jobs), convert the wet bar to a pantry, update the wooden stair balusters, paint the exterior and invest in some much-needed yard cleaning and landscaping.

We've done minor things to the house over the years such as new flooring and paint, but this was our first time tackling such large projects and all at once. I'm happy to report that we survived the six-week long construction zone with only a few mishaps along the way. I learned lots of lessons though that I'll share for anyone considering a renovation/remodel:

• Hire a designer. We were referred to a general contractor who was great at getting things done, but had little to offer in the way of design advice. We managed to fumble through with the help of Pinterest and some consultations at a tile shop, but having a designer on board from the start would have saved lots of headaches and frustration.

• Move out. If we ever do something like this again, we will factor alternate living space into the budget - at least during the demolition phase. For about three weeks, EVERYTHING in our house was covered in thick dust. Every 2-3 days I went thru a 5-step cleaning process on the floors (dust mop, vacuum, wet mop, steam clean, Swifter) only for the dust to return the next day. But I physically could not live there without at least trying to address the dust and I hated that my family was breathing it in. The sanity and peace of mind alone would be worth the expense of a hotel. 

• Cover your belongings. And then cover them again. Furniture, electronics, clothes, shoes, carpet, etc. We had friends reinforce the importance of using plastic over upholstery, but we should have done more. That dust is deadly! One sheet of plastic over our clothes was not enough to protect them. 

• Plan for essential functions. Our contractor did his best to make sure we always had at least one working toilet, but there are things you take for granted like sinks, counters and mirrors. In hind sight, we would have staggered the process a little so there was always a place for doing hair and make-up. My husband was fortunate that the work took place during No-shave November since we were constantly without a functional sink/mirror combination.

But the final results were worth the dust and other inconveniences. We've never had a walk-in pantry before, so that's been amazing. I love the freestanding bathtub and larger shower. Even the kids are working harder to keep their bathrooms cleaned with their new sinks, countertops and mirrors, and although we'll never be up for yard of the month, I'm less concerned about the neighbors hating us for our unkept exterior.

Managing the process and constantly having people in our house was a little draining, but overall experience #30 was much needed and fun to watch unfold. 10 to go...