Renovation advice

The kitchen counter top has been  installed and I am actually disappointed. We picked the stone based on a 2X2 sample cut which was the wrong thing to do. My advice to anyone who wants to get a new countertop is to go to the manufacturer's show room and see the large cuts.  I am sure I can find enough appliances to cover the countertop so I don't have to look at it when we move back in.

Move #2

When you go through a renovation, you have good days and bad days; sometimes you give yourself a pat on the back and sometimes you curse yourself and everyone around you.... let's say today was not one of those good days.

We hired a mover to help us move everything  out of the basement today so the contractors could start the work in the basement on Monday.  We got to the house an hour before the mover to plan ahead and do some cleaning. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust of course.  All of our small appliances that were in the closet, were covered with so much dust that I could not figure out if they were stainless steel or black! Today was not the official "dusting " day but there was no point transferring all that dust upstairs so I took out a roll of paper towel and got busy.

To cut the long story short, it took about 4 hours to empty the basement and now the rest of the house looks as if a bomb has hit the place.  The sad part is that we have at least one more move ahead of us.

Let me give you a piece of advice , if you ever want to renovate your house,  make sure you not only rent a place to stay during the project but move all your belongings out of the house and store it somewhere else. Covering furniture with plastic does not help and constantly moving things around the house is a waste of time and energy.  I have a feeling that we will have to throw out a lot of our stuff once this is all set and done.... did I mention that today was not a good day?!

P.S. every inch of my body aches! 🤕

Phase 2

We met with Maryam at the house last night and she mentioned that the work in the basement would potentially start next week.  The good news is that we are ahead of the schedule, the not so good news is that we will have to clear the basement, which by the way is packed.... and we will have to do it over the weekend 😨😢

There is still a lot of work to be done on the main floor and upstairs, but I believe most of it will be completed by the end of this week. 

By the way,  the closet and island in the master bedroom have been installed,  although the island will have to be turned as it is facing the wrong way.

We had also decided to blow our budget on the closet doors in other rooms and they have been installed ..... they look great, so no regrets whatsoever ... just an empty bank account!

🎶🎶You're never fully dressed without a smile!🎵🎵

This is the new Annie song that we have been listening to for the last few days... and it is rather relevant! 🎵🎵 "It is what you wear from ear to ear ... that matters"!! Today's visit did bring "ear to ear" smiles to our faces!

Let’s start with the stairs, I don't even need to add any comments :

The kitchen cabinets have been installed as well. There is still a lot to be done, of course: the kitchen table,  the counter top, the lights and the backsplash are yet to be placed.....

The laundry room is almost ready,  as well...

Most of the light fixtures are up now...

The ensuite bathroom also looks very different

What a transformation!  It was worth the wait... and the drive in today's snow storm ❄❄

Are we there yet? !

We started the official count down when we moved out, and according to the calendar, we still have 50 more days to go... or is it 49 days? I don't know,  it feels like forever. ...

We have not visited the house since last Sunday and the biggest change at the time was the en-suite shower, it looks awesome with the glass!

We visited a couple of furniture stores with M&M earlier this week. They told us that all the mill-work had been completed and the cabinets, closets and vanities were ready to be installed. However, they advised us to stay away from the house until everything was in place, instead of seeing it while in progress!

Our plan is to go home on Sunday and see the transformation which will be in the kitchen, family room, master bedroom and the bathrooms; do you have any idea how tough it has been to be this patient?!  😩 😭 😢

What is your will?!

That was the title of the letter I received from the Toronto General Hospital earlier today; perhaps they know something about me that I don't, and want to make sure they are making it to my will. I am not sure what to think of it,  but I wonder if they know how broke I am!

We visited the house this evening, they have done a lot of little things, but the changes are not as visible as the demolition phase. All the tiles on the main floor have been laid, including the kitchen, laundry room,  powder room and the foyer. Almost all the interior doors are up now and the fireplace is almost done. I wonder what Dr. Fireplace would think of this transformation!?