Mr Pencil and I are two of the most spontaneous people you are ever likely to encounter. I realise that this may make us sound like great, risky adventurers but nothing could be further from the truth. We are spontaneous not in an “I have an idea, let’s trek across Nepal” kind of way but more of a “oh that looks like a nice very major appliance, let’s buy it without looking at any others” kind of way.
Well we were.
Then we decided to renovate our house.
This decision took ages to come to. We tossed up between buying and renovating for what seems an eternity before we realised we could not afford to buy what we wanted. This eternity was in fact about 3 and a half weeks. But for us, making a decision that took three and a half weeks did seem like an eternity.
So we chose to renovate and I thought we could stop looking at houses every single Saturday morning (although it had only been three) but no, Mr Pencil said we should be open to ideas. We should explore the options and we should get all the inspiration we could (fast losing his spontaneous title – should have taken that as a warning sign). So we looked at 198 houses and we were inspired to rob a bank to afford the home of our dreams.
We decided against the bank robbery and agreed on a second storey renovation instead . We were so planned and non-spontaneous like that we even enlisted the help of an architect and got quotes from builders. So non- spontaneous that we didn’t even agree to settle on the first incarnation of the second storey. We spoke to friends, we spoke to family, we spoke to design people and we shouted at each other till versions 3,4 5 and 6 of the drawings were complete.
Then, one night we spoke to some friends who had just come back from Los Angeles and we decided we didn’t need a second storey, we needed to travel.
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So we looked at our renovation plans and decided to amend them, to make some changes that would allow us to still have some money to travel at some time in the future.. We would not go up – we would extend out and make a few changes here and there. Unfortunately here and there has morphed into everywhere and it now seems that we will actually be selling our overseas dreams to fund the renovation. (If you find somebody that buys dreams please tell them to contact me directly)
I was excited and positive about the changes (plus I had in the back of the mind that might still be going to Los Angeles soon – Mr Pencil had in the back of his mind that I was insane). It was all going well, in fact when I met the builder it was going spectacularly well (he has been employed largely as a result of his being the most beautiful man I have ever laid eyes on). But it seems that agreeing on the physical renovation is not where the planning ends.
Seems you cannot be the most spontaneous people on earth when it comes to renovating because you actually have to decide on the floor tiles BEFORE you lay them and you have to decide what colour your walls will be and you have to decide what taps you will have, and whether there will be a mixer or a hoozywhatsy and if the new room will have floor boards or tiles or concrete or carpet or grass or just dirt!
And it turns out that if you and your partner still manage, against the odds, to be very spontaneous people and you choose the first floor tile that you see, and the first bath that you fall in love with as you walk into the showroom it does not mean that you always agree.
Welcome to my renovation.
If you have the number of an independent arbitrator or a marriage counsellor that has a good eye for colour and texture, please let me know who they are so they can accompany me and Mr Pencil when we go out to choose tiles and wall paper, or is that carpet and paint samples?
Hilarious!
And therein lies the reason why I don’t have a spontaneous bone in my body!
And I think you and others who undertake home renovations are stark raving mad!
Good luck!
Oh dear, a glimpse into the year ahead of me (or should I say the year*s*??) – we are starting an extension in a couple of months. Perhaps the travel should be undertaken whilst renovations are being done?!
I tried to instigate the travel during reno option but apparently you need to be on hand just in case you have to make a spontaneous decision *sobbing with the injustice of it all*
Damn! Friends of ours did some travelling during their extension (with us – I was a bad influence!) but came back to nothing having been done. Builder had just slacked off the whole time. I guess it’s always good to be there, unfortunately *joining you in a quiet sob*
I know just what you mean. My wife and I are going through exactly the same thing at the moment. Ultimately, the best way to resolve any conflicts is to let him decide. I am sure you will be very happy with the result.
I am sure I will be very happy. When I have the house to myself.
OK, I totally get this. We have now renovated two houses out of three. The first and this one now. The second one we bought in an area further away so we could afford a fairly new house and not have to touch a fucking thing because we were over it. Then, like child birth, we forgot the pain and went back for more almost 4 years later. But this time, we have picked a 50 year old house that is basically completely and utterly rooted.
It had orange shagpile, no fences to keep the kids contained, no wardrobe doors, vinyl wallpaper on EVERY SINGLE WALL, laundry in the kitchen, one toilet, one bathroom and one very large shed for all of h’s shite. That’s why it sold him I am sure of it.
So we just recently borrowed yet more money to add another room and bathroom, whilst not finished what we have even started. Husband is out there laying tiles which has taken 9 goes at picking because a) the three year old turns into a fucking gi joe everytime we go anywhere we need to concentrate and b) we couldn’t find anything we liked within our budget. I am now starting to stress whether we will pay for what we need when all the other stuff needs to be purchased and paid for. Holiday is not looking good either.
Ahh, next house, I swear to god, will be done or at the most, will need a coat of paint.
Good luck 🙂
I am the child of a builder! For the first 19 years of my life we were living among renovations! Then they sold that one and built a new one! 6 years later and they are mostly finished! Though I moved out at 19, couldn’t stand the reno’s anymore!
Good luck!!
We just built a house.
I cannot write any more as I am rocking and moaning in the corner from the trauma.
Good luck.
We bought our house 15 years ago – a tiny, two bedroom cottage. We looked at moving after baby number 2 but realised the stamp duty was crippling, so we stayed and renovated. We lived here during the reno – almost all of the walls were ripped out downstairs and we added 3 beds and a bathroom upstairs. We lived through mess, dust (hopefully not asbestos dust…I shudder to think) an infestation of carpenter ants and all the while hubby, me and our two kids slept in the kitchen.
We thought we had it made when we finally moved upstairs and then, about 2 months later, we found ourselves pregnant with baby number 3!
A big gap between the kids mean we now have a HSC student sharing a room with her 8 year olds sister while our son has a massive drum kit in his room.
Would love to move to a 4 bedder, with a garage for the drum kit etc but husband and i find ourselves having the same conversation about stamp duty etc.
The more things change….
Good luck with the reno – it will be worth it in the end! Maybe consider your birth control options at the same time? Especially if you intend to travel one day!
I can only wish you luck and offer you cheap white wine. We are finally finishing up (as in we are more than halfway there) and I’ve cut back on the wine a bit. But I still have to decide on tiles. Wanna come with me?