Renovations - What Was I Thinking?

December 2009

We decided to completely renovate our rental duplex so we could sell it.  Just to be clear, that's two apartments in 5 months while working full time (me) and part-time (my husband) jobs.  What was I thinkin?

I can tell you this.  In the beginning you're all excited about 'the vision' so you start drawing up plans and spending money.  By the time your almost to the end, your so exhausted you could kill one another and all you can think about is how much money you've spent and the sleep you've missed.  The credit line is almost used up and we are $60,000 deeper in dept.  Now, every time I have to go shopping and buy one more thing, I cringe and feel sick to my stomach.  What were we thinking?

After 5 months, I just want my life back to normal.  We've been driving 45 minutes from our home to the other side of the city to get to our rental property for a few hours here and there.  Every weekend has been tied up committed to getting this project finished.

I miss sleeping in on Saturdays.
I miss eating a home cooked meal.
I miss having a weekend free to just "veg" and watch movies.
I miss going to movies.
I miss my friends.
I'd say I miss my family but I wouldn't get to see them anyway.
Then I remember, the reason for the renovations.
I'm doing this to be with my family so in the long run, this will all be worth it.
But right now all I can say is 'what was I thinking'.

This is a bit of a diary of sorts, almost 150 days of working on a project that has been a huge challenge but will bring a sweet reward in the end, once we actually get it listed and sold.

Day 150 (approximate guestimate of days based on 30 days in a month x 5 months)
Cleaning to show:  wiping out cabinets and closets, washing windows, sweeping and polishing floors, cleaning toilets and bathtubs with staging of a few items for eye appeal.

Day 147 Sunday, May 9th (Mother's Day)
We both went over to work on the duplex together.  Mentally and physically exhausted.  Tried to finish cleaning and prepping for show.  Emotional breakdown during lunch at the restaurant.  Started crying and couldn't stop.  Totem Building Supplies store, out of popcorn, started crying.  Nagging and complaining.  Sunnyside greenhouse - walked from parking lot to the bulk section 700 feet, started crying and could hardly make it back to the truck.  Husband's idea 'I better get you home. We both need to rest'.

Day 146 Saturday, May 8th
Brian had to work all day.  I Spent the night sleeping restlessly on the floor of the basement suite at the duplex.  The plan was to get an early start immediately the next morning.  I did get an early start but sure didn't get much rest, tossing and turning on the pad of comforters over the carpet.  Painted several feet of the fence, trim around the door and window on the door, put up the new address numbers (actually not new, just spray painted); put up the new mailboxes, hauled large rocks that felt like boulders into the wheelbarrow and moved them to an area at the front of the house by the trees.    Locked myself out of the house and had to climb a tree, crawl over the balcony and get in through the upstairs apartment. Painted two closet doors inside.  Threw junk off the balcony and then moved it in the wheelbarrow to the junk pile at the back of the  house.   Scraped the paint off the windows from when I painted. Time to go home, the wind and cold is getting worse and I gave up painting the fence outside -- too cold, can't take the chance that it might rain as we need 4 hours drying time already. Calling it quits and going home, exhausted!  Put in 12 hours.

May 1
Painted the outside lower (concrete) portion of the duplex white.  Val came over to 'start' landscaping along the walkway for about 4 hours, worked together and talked.  Painted the door and the door panel green, the fence railing all along the corner lot.


Day 3
Shopping for backsplash and shower tiles, how exciting. Couldn't decide.  Will have to come back because they are closing.  Something that will prove to be the hardest decision over everything else.

Day 2
Picking and buying appliances.  Checking out multiple places to get the best deal.
Decided to buy stainless steel appliances to actually go into our house which we'll be selling later on.  Then we'll move the white appliances from our house into the duplex. Great plan.  Actually found the best linoleum and purchased it now to be installed later on. 

Day 1
So excited!  It was cold and snowy but I didn't mind that much. We are actually meeting with the cabinet maker to draw up plans and select style, color and hardware.   We picked out the laminate too. Can hardly wait to get started.