Two full weeks without a kitchen....

It has been a test of patience, no doubt.  Especially when there is no room for a one year-old to run around in.  But, it has been a week of the "unseeables."  The electric under the house, leveling ceilings, moving beams, framing doors, etc.....  Just waiting for the eye candy to start to arrive.

OH....and I have to can in the garage!  I was able to get 7 quarts of green beans and potatoes canned Wednesday evening.  (In the hot garage, with mosquitoes, and nothing but apps on my phone to keep me busy.)

 

Making Money during the Remodeling.

I told Steve the other night, I felt like we had a laceration and the money was just bleeding out!  Well, I have found a couple of ways to stop the bleeding and have brought a little money back home.

1. I sold our old flooring.  Rather than just tossing the old flooring in the dump, I had Steve lift it carefully about three weeks before the remodel actually began.  I boxed it up and took pictures of it still in the room and then boxed up in the garage ready to walk off. I was able to sale it on Craigslist for $100. It was a total of 310 square feet of parquet wood flooring.

2. I had some furniture that is no longer going to fit into the new floor plan.  I sold my breakfast table and 5 chairs for $125 and my computer armoire for $90.

3. My cabinets were in great shape, I just though the color was a little dated.  Also, they were not going to be reusable in the new layout. I sold them to my painter for an $800 credit of painting.

4. The counter tops normally just go in the trash.  But, a friend from work is building a studio apartment on his parents property for he and his new fiance to move into while they save money for a house.  I traded the use of a counter top microwave to use during the remodel and some fresh organic eggs from his dad's farm for the old counters.

5.  I found a warehouse sale in Charlotte two months ago and scored on my appliances.  I bought our over the range microwave for $225(compared to the $400s), an under mount stainless sink for $100 (compared to about $275), and a stainless faucet to match for $75 (compared to $250).  All brand new Kitchen Aid that had been used in their show room. 

6.  The new floor tile was the biggest headache.  Everything I was pricing out was at least $3.00 a square foot.  The stuff I dreamed about was $5.00 a square foot.  I tried looking on Craigslist but could not find enough.  We needed 720 square feet for the new space.  Lowes got in a new shipment of designer tile that was in stock (not special order).  I really liked one that was $2.48.  Since we needed so much, we asked for the manager and were able to negotiate a pallet price of $1.90 a square foot.  I am so excited and its beautiful.  It is the new style of porcelain that is made to look like hardwood.  Stay tuned for the installed picture!!

The Kitchen Project

Well.....HERE WE GO!

I'll try to post weekly pictures of the kitchen transformation.

The goal: To update the early 90's kitchen while creating a better flow from the back of the house and better site lines into the living room where the kids are always playing.

 

Before: The view from the garage door.



Week One

 

Week Three....same view.  The oven is now in the garage and the fridge is in the front living room.  Good Times!!

 

 

Before: The view from the fridge.  This is the site line I'm trying to improve.

 

Week One...you can kinda see the fireplace start to peak through.

 

                 

Before: The view from the living room into the kitchen.

 

Week Three...it is all gone.  But, what a large playroom the kids now have!

 

Week Three from the fireplace looking back.