Patience Patience

Our bathroom has been gutted for 5 months. Agh. To be honest a lot of the time I don't even think about it, we've had some setbacks like the ice damming and insulation issues. Right now, I can't wait for it to be done. Sometimes I'm a little tempted to just hire a contractor and say, "Just get it done, don't ask us questions, don't dilly dally, just get it done and open the door when it's done and we'll pay you and we'll love it." However, we have a bathroom downstairs, we have no reason to be in a big rush, and we can save ourselves a lot of money by figuring out some of this stuff ourselves. 

This blog post is kind of just my rant, I'm losing patience with the projects, and being hung up waiting for different vendors to get back to us or things to get moved forward. Right now while we wait on a few quotes, we've started some of the other projects on our list:
- New Front/Back Doors: We got a quote, and plan to order them as soon as we hear back. Really excited about that!
- New Garage Doors/Openers: Got a quote on this also, we need to clean out our garage and want to wait on some of the bathroom quotes to make sure we don't spend money we'll need for the bathroom before we order them. 

So that's where we're at right now, patiently waiting for things to move forward, doing what we can to stay sane by getting a few things done, and taking some time to relax also. Hoping this doesn't take forever, it would be really nice to finish our bathroom in May. I don't want to jinx it, so let's just see what happens. After that, who knows what will be next! We've talked Kitchen, which is a huge project and one that we hadn't planned on doing for a couple years, so we'll keep you posted!

Coming This Winter to a Winnipeg-based Home Reno Blog Near You!

Well, with December having commenced this past weekend, our official To-Do list for Winter 2012-2013 has just begun, and this is what we have to look forward to until February. For your benefit, we've included some rationales for why these items have been included now during the coldest part of the year:

Plans Plans Plans

• Design/quote bathroom
• Design/quote kitchen
• Design/quote deck
• Design/quote basement
• Design/quote upstairs ensuite/walk-in closet
• Design/quote landscaping and outdoors

Why now? Because we want to be able to budget for some of these projects over the next few years. And because it's cold outside, and dreaming up cool ideas for the future warms the cockles of our hearts.

This diagram clearly fails to illustrate where exactly the "cockles" are.
This article disturbingly suggests that cockles refer to snails.
We're going to stop researching this right now.

  

Window Coverings

• Quote blinds and curtains
• Install blinds in master bedroom and living room

Why now? Because we hate wearing clothes indoors want more privacy and because we feel self-conscious using our Wii-based exercise games in front of our only TV in the house in the living room, for all the world to watch us out our big picture window.

This gives you an idea of what you might see if you looked in our living room window while we were exercising using our Wii-based exercise games. Except, instead of "cool workout clothes" picture "ratty sweat-soaked t-shirts" and instead of "attractively bronzed men" picture "pale out-of-shape newlyweds dry-heaving during jump squats."

Light Fixtures

• Replace bedroom/hallway light fixtures
• Replace living room light fixture
• Replace dining area light fixture

Why now? Because IKEA just opened in our city and they have really cool lights. As well, our living room light fixture fell from the ceiling and nearly injured me more than a month ago (it was as dramatic as you imagine it) and, as of right now, we haven't done anything about it.

Garage Door Openers

• Remove existing garage door openers
• Install new garage door openers
• Identify lighting solutions

Why now? Because Philip's dad says Sears has a sale on garage door openers in December. As for why that is, well, you'd have to ask Sears.

Interior Doors

• Remove bedroom/bathroom doors
• Paint
• Rehang bedroom/bathroom doors

Why now? Because none of our bedrooms have doors on them right now. Which means  changing clothes when we have company over involves a complex system of full blindfolds, bedsheet curtains, and sombreros. Don't ask.

"Señor, please put that blindfold back on!" (Changing at our house involves everyone else dressing like a stereotypical Mexican bandito.)

Gut Upstairs Bathroom

• Remove mould
• Discard wall tiles
• Discard bathtub
• Discard flooring
• Discard sink
• Discard vanity/cabinets
• Uninstall toilet
• Replace window

Why now? Because right now we shower in the laundry room in the basement, and while the bathroom was once in style, that was when "Watergate" was something you might open to let a riverboat through.

Upstairs Bathroom

• Install new shower/tub
• Install new lighting
• Install new flooring
• Paint/tile
• Re-install toilet
• Install new cabinets
• Install new sink
• Install new mirror
• Reconnect plumbing

Why now? Because unlike with the gutted basement, we don't intend to let the bathroom stay gutted for very long. And yes, we recognize having to go down to the laundry in the basement to have access to a hot shower is one of those classic #firstworldproblems, but it's at least a problem we have the power to correct.

As for more recent news...

Since we haven't updated you on the status of our bedroom reno since last Wednesday: Yesterday night we got a little bit overwhelmed because we're trying to get our bedrooms done (a project that has really unfolded to be a lot more complicated than we'd originally anticipated) so that we can make our living room a little less chaotic by this weekend when we have a Christmas party happening at our house. Wish us luck! As soon as we're done that it's full speed ahead with bathroom renovating - a little bit nervous about getting that all done on schedule, but we're doing our best! Started planning out yesterday some vanity choices and figuring out some obstacles ahead of time. 

Remember to fill out the poll today before we reveal results tomorrow (we've learned that comments and polls aren't working for iPad users, so get your computer out!). We'll be sharing a bit of our Christmas preparations as well tomorrow. 

What do you have in store for Winter? Anyone else crazy enough to tackle a major renovation while Christmas shopping and hosting holiday parties?