It Starts

There is a whole world of crazy happening at work right now, most great but some only so-so.  Despite my desire to vent today isn’t the day.  Today is the day to celebrate the start of Renovate 08.

Now to set the scene, our house is only 10 years old, it is functional but just not quite right.  The layout has the master bedroom and an ensuite on the top floor, 2 bedrooms a study and a bathroom on the middle floor and the ground floor is open plan kitchen and family areas opening onto a small courtyard and then through to the garage that is just a storage repository and toy explosion zone.  

For the past 3 years the kids have decided to share a bedroom, but they are starting to want their own space and want to move back to the middle floor.  I want a study/craft/sewing area that is or can be kid-free so the solution is to build a walk in robe in the master bedroom that will also make a space for my extra stuff.  

This is the master bedroom as used by the kids.  OK, so the photo is a few years old and the fort has been relocated to a cousins yard, but the blue wall is the same.

I also want a new wall to block part of the kitchen from view when you walk in the front door.  I really don’t need to be reminded of the explosion that is the kitchen.  Instead of cleaning the mess, it is just easier to hide it all.  Oh and while we are at it, we may as well move a few cabinets too.  When we are done inside, we will start on the courtyard and garage.  I can’t wait.

Today Junior has knocked up the frame for the walk-in robe in the master bedroom and removed the cabinets in the kitchen area.  He had finished before I got home this evening but he had cleaned up all the mess he made.  Can you believe it – HE CLEANED UP!  I think I am almost in heaven.  

This is the master bedroom today!  The walk-in robe is going to be huge.  The area to the right of the wall will be my ’stuff’ area and it will have book cases along the entire wall, a sofa bed and a desk.

Junior

I was planning on posting today about the weekends frantic activities (other than forgetting birthday parties) of getting ready for the renovations, but work is getting in the way and I will have to do it later.   I do however have to post my love for my Tradie, let’s call him Junior.  Junior called yesterday afternoon – that’s right, on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon – to confirm that we were all set to begin today, and to let us know he would arrive between 7.30 and 8am as he had outlined in the documentation he promptly sent through with the quotes.  

Minutes after 7.30 this morning and there is a knock at the door, it is Junior and a colleage with timber to unload.  Prior to me leaving for work at 8.30, Junior had marked out the walls he would be building today,exactly to my specifications.  He also stated that he could move them tomorrow if we weren’t entirely happy!  He went out the back to get the wood and noticed that the french doors to the yard were sticking and difficult to open.  Unprompted, he got out a plane and fixed the door and then said he would pick up new locks for us to put in next time he is at the store.

OMG – a tradie that is prompt, reliable, intuitive, friendly and as affordable as a tradie can be.  Did I wake up in an alternative reality?  I have really good vibes about these renovations, I can’t wait!