Updates and Musings (because I don't really know what this title should be).
I’m going to let you all in on a little secret: rehabing a house is exhausting. All I want to do is pick out pretty rugs and light fixtures, but I feel like I will be scraping wallpaper and stripping paint off baseboards for the rest of my life. I know…dramatic much? I mean, I chose this. And don’t get me wrong…I am absolutely loving the work. For an introvert like me, going to a house that is mostly empty, turning on a podcast, and doing some repetitive physical task is pretty darn appealing. I’ve actually gotten caught up on all my favorite podcasts. It doesn’t feel like work mentally, but my body tells a different story. My shoulders and back have been consistently sore for the last 6 months. But again, I’m not complaining, just sharing. And saying that’s it’s not all Instagram before/afters over here! People don’t talk about the hard, ugly parts enough.
My gals over at A Beautiful Mess talk about what they call the “Valley of Despair” on their podcast, and that really hit home with me. My body is tired and my mind is overwhelmed with ideas that I can’t execute yet because there are other tasks that have to be done first. All I want to do is paint pretty colors on the walls and move all my stuff in so I can style pretty bookshelves, but I have to get the floors refinished first.
A few weeks ago, I couldn’t stand the not knowing anymore. So, I turned to the analytical side of my brain and made a Gantt chart (there’s that Business degree working hard). My awesome boyfriend (who has his own blog over at RoyalsReporter.com) sent me a template that he has used in the past, and I altered it to fit my renovation. It was a huge help to get me to really be able to put timelines on things and make sure my expectations were realistic. Did I nail the timelines exactly? Absolutely not. But did it allow me to actually get on the schedule with the floor refinishers and a moving company? You bet it did!
I am happy to report that I have a few short hours to wait before the floors get their own before/after. I just recently finished stripping, sanding, and staining the trim. After the floors, it’s painting and moving! Moving is a few weeks away, but I put down a deposit today, and it feels SO GOOD. Sometimes it’s hard to think that far into the future…a few weeks doesn’t seem that far away until you have something exciting scheduled, and then it feels like it takes forever to get here!
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned so far during this process is that I have to set priorities that work for me and my life. They may not be what work for other people, but I also may be willing to concede on things that other people aren’t willing or able to compromise on. For example, I bought the house 6 months ago. I have had the luxury of time to complete some of these projects because I live in a property owned by my family where I’m not paying rent. I understand that most people don’t have the luxury of that situation, but it was something that I took into consideration when buying a house.
I saved money on the house because it needed a ton of work. That was a sacrafice I made because it worked for my life and my budget. If you are renting, and have to move on a specific date, a property with a large renovation list that has to be done before you move in may not be the house for you. I sacraficed time for savings, but you have to choose the property and situation that fits your life at this moment.
All that to say, I’m tired and excited and anticipating great things in the next few months of life! April and early May have been wonderful in my life (I get to hug my parents and friends again because we are all vaccinated now), and I hope you have had some wins this month too.
