Masters Home Improvement

How does a family of four survive a massive renovation? I have no idea but I’m about to find out! I’m planning to transform our rundown shack into a dream home, and I’ve decided to document it all on my very first blog. Meet me, PJ, with my hubby Frank and our kids, Sam and Ella – welcome to our story.

The first day of the renovation kicks off but storms are on the horizon.

23 January 2012

You know when you go to the movies, and you’ve heard all the hype, and your friends have raved about it, but after watching it, it’s all a bit, hmm, what’s everyone going on about? Well, that’s how I felt on the first official day of our renovation.

Maybe it’s because this was more like a quick preview than a full-length film. It started when I woke up at 5am last Friday morning … hang on, I’ll go back a bit further. To be honest, I’ve hardly slept after the kids moved into our bedroom a week ago.

It was partly anticipation, but mainly due to the snoring. I’ve coped with Frank’s snuffles for years, but I wasn’t expecting the snores of my 10-ear-old son Sam on the nearby mattress – talk about father and son! (As you can see in the bedroom photo, it’s quite tempting to put Dad and Sam on the balcony in their own mini-tent.)

While I put up with the all-male snoring chorus, eight-year-old Ella decided to join in. Every time they snored, she groaned. And she’s a teeth grinder. All that noise is what keeps me from sleeping. It was like trying to sleep in the nocturnal house at the zoo. I kept thinking, why didn’t I listen to Jeff and rent a flat for six months? Why didn’t I listen to my mum who told us to move out? Why on earth did I listen to my stubborn hubby who said we should all stay put?

As dawn broke (at exactly 6.07am, according to my alarm clock), it was time to embrace the day. The only thing that cheered me up was that a bunch of muscly men in singlets were about to show up with big jackhammers in hand.

I had my video camera all ready to record the momentous event. They were due to arrive at 7am. The whole family had finished breakfast and washed up (a family first), I cleared away the final few things in the section to be renovated, and waited for the team. And waited … and waited … Dark clouds began to gather above my head and on the horizon.

Jeff finally showed up at 10 o’clock. Not a great start to our reno. Frank was quietly fuming so I sent him away on a few unnecessary chores (including ear plugs for me!).

Jeff isn’t disorganised or lazy – his clients had given me glowing reports. But after a cup of instant coffee and a chat, I discovered some of the difficulties in the industry. We had some wild storms during summer and one of Jeff’s current projects – a house reno that’s halfway finished – was badly water damaged when it had no roof. Some of the surfaces and appliances had been wrecked. While Jeff’s team had been working hard to fix it all up and get back on schedule, he had also been battling an insurance firm about matters of compensation.

Long story short – he was behind schedule and we would have to wait a while.

So, instead of having a parade of well-built tradies flexing their pecs, it’s just been Jeff and his 50-year-old brother-in-law Nigel (with a not-so-masculine raincoat) walking around the property checking things out. They measured and marked off a few walls, lugged in some tools and tarps, and figured out a way of getting the bobcat up to the main level of the property. Our house is actually perched on a slope, so the main house is higher than the already demolished garage. It means that a ramp is going to be built to create access for the bobcat and few other pieces of equipment.

Although the lack of action was a bit of a letdown, it has given me a bit of breathing space. I figured I might as well treat the kids – after all, it hasn’t been much of a fun holiday for them so far. In the afternoon we headed off to the nearby beach for a few hours, then picked up some takeaway fish-and-chips for an early dinner. (Check out the dining room photo – during the reno starts, this space will be transformed into my home office. I can’t wait to repaint and replace the carpet and curtains.)

When we got home, I rang Jeff to see what time he’d be arriving on Monday morning. I was a little shocked when he casually said, “We’ll probably get there next Friday, depending on the weather.”  Huh? What happened to Monday … or Wednesday at the latest? But as Jeff explained, his team needed to be on the job at the other house until the roof was repaired. But, he guaranteed the full team will be ready for action on Friday morning – the day after Australia Day.

So, I’m spending the rest of the week checking weather reports and studying interior magazines. On Sunday, there was not a cloud in sight. Let’s hope it stays this way for the next six months.

Keep up with PJ and her family renovation exploits with an update every few weeks.