Saturday
Jul092011
The "nothing is happening with my house renovation" reading guide
Sat, 9 Jul 2011
Waiting, waiting, waiting. Nothing is happening on the reno front. My painter is delayed another 5 weeks. Lucky I'm a patient woman. (That sound you just heard was my husband choking with laughter.) I'm sure there is a chair to glue, a cupboard to strip, a painting to frame and a slipcover to sew but today is so beautiful and sunny I'm not going to lift a hammer, push a paintbrush or even dust a shelf. I'm taking me time. Perhaps some shopping in my favourite local shops? Maybe a bit of blog surfing? Bliss.
Reader Comments (14)
I know just how you feel! I hate to tell you though, but this is just the beginning in a very long line of waiting, waiting, waiting! I am almost a year into our reno and the type of person who feels unsettled by mess but I have coped! My tip for you is be friends with your builder and try not to complain about delays - builders and tradies seem to hate timelines and a lot of the delays are a result of a kind of domino effect. Just know that it will get finished one day and use the waiting time as an excuse to change your mind !! Good luck x
Oooh! A new reading list. Thanks Jo! xx
To speed up a project, an interior designer can be the key. Designers usually know a crew of the best trades who are accustomed to keeping their timeline under control because they must do so for the designer's clients. It can be well worth a small fee to get a designer involved, which would give you great ideas and access to their contacts. I frequently have clients who ask us to manage the timeline on jobs where a GC isn't really necessary, but they need someone for accountability.
I enjoy following your renovation, it can be grueling but the results are worth it!, best of luck with your painter.
I'm with Sarah's philosophy. My builder and I developed a healthy respect for one another (and one another's needs---he had to take on a "day job" to make ends meet for his family). With our present economic stresses, my project took way longer than anticipated, but I'm truly grateful for the results. And somehow, my worn patience always soothed itself. And the extra time did allow me (us) to come up with better ideas.
See results (and Before pics) here: http://sparky-youngbloodstudios.blogspot.com/2011/05/all-moved-in.html
Thank you so much for the mention !! Good luck with the renovation !
xxLily
goldandgray.com
Always enjoy recommended blog lists- thanks!
I say take time for yourself! relax, enjoy the weather, and shop! :)
Caterine
I'm happy to wait for my painter. He is very good and has a wealth of experience with the old homes in my area. Business is slow for tradies here at the moment. The economy is sluggish (except for mining) and work in the building sector has all but dried up. New builds are glacial at the moment. When the painter said he had a chance to pick up a good job but straight away I was more than happy to step aside and wait the few weeks. My old home is going nowhere and it gives us time to squirrel more money away for our renovations. We aren't taking a loan to do any of the work but saving up, doing a job, paying up and saving again for the next job. I plan to leave this house in a pine box I love it so much. So I have plenty of time to watch my renovations evolve.
P.S. Almost forgot to say how much I love your reno Sparky!
Hey, it often pays to be patient! Although every time I ask my builder How long until the first stage is finished ?" he tells me "Two months"... he has been saying that for a month now :p All good, it just gives me more time to agonise over tile choices...
Oh I laughed when I read your headline! It says so much about the patience required in any building project, because they so often take longer than expected. I reckon, in the 20 odd years I have been a designer though, that generally the tradies worth waiting for are the good ones. The ones who can do the work straight away are often not of the same standard. Like all good things, a wait time is often an indication of quality. I have a tiler who is so busy, that some of my clients are prepared to wait up to 2 months for him because his workmanship is so brilliant.
And thank you SO much for popping my little blog on your reading list here! I am completely chuffed, and it is a gorgeous way to start my day!
Cheerio, Virginia
Thanks for the links!!!! we are so proud of our frenchy friend So Lovely decoration!!!!!
xxx
Need some new reads, good list!
Thanks so much for the mention!
thanks a lot for the link and the mention,and for the daily inspiration,
very surprised ,happy and proud to be on your reading list.
i hope the work in your house is doing well
à trés bientôt
sophie *