5/10/10
Today we did it. We signed with a contractor. Both my husband and I feel a huge weight has been lifted from our shoulders. Now the testing begins. What problems lurk under the surface? When walls come down what will we finally see? Did smoke infiltrate the walls on the second floor? Will the second floor have to be taken down to studs?
People keep assuring me that I will love having a completely remodeled house, but will we lose the charm of an older home? The cove ceilings, the corner cabinets and/or the hard wood floors?
Okay, the good part is we will lose the chicken wallpaper in the kitchen and finally permanently fix the skylight that leaks in the upstairs bathroom. Each summer while I bite my nails, my husband and his father crawl up on the very steep roof and mend the skylight, which holds for about six months. And then one morning water is smattered on our dresser and we know once again the skylight needs work.
We want to be smart and know that we're making the best decisions, but with each choice comes both good and bad. We can't hold on to the past and adapt for the future. And nobody really likes change. Well, maybe after it's over, we do, but going through transition, whether physical or emotional, is hell.
Congrats! One hurdle over. I had a really nice, new house once and complained to my brother that I felt like it lacked character. He told me I was enough of a character for the house. I think the same applies to you.
ReplyDeleteI hope there are less issues than expected and you can focus more on details, designs, crown molding, and maybe some super cool built-ins.
Wow. It is so wonderful to read the same thoughts that have gone through my head while rebuilding from our fire. I remember that about a month or two after the fire everyone was saying how wonderful it would be for us to have all new stuff, and thinking to myself, "I don,t want new stuff. I want my stuff."
ReplyDeleteNow, 8 months out, I just told the contractor to go ahead and replace all the hardwood floors. I am wondering how you will feel about your floors and such when I get further along in your blog.