We are in the month of February, which makes it the eighth month since our project started - yikes! I definitely did not expect it would take this long!
But looking at the bright side, which I always try to do, the most difficult time of our house restoration is behind us, and we are starting the last phase of this "circus" as I began to call it. By my calculation, we are about 75% done. Last time I gave a you a progress report (see "It's Beginning to Look Like Home"), I was so excited by the first spaces that were finished. Since then things have advanced, but not to the point for being completed. Those two months brought some progress, of which the major part was the installation of the stone floor in the kitchen, corridor, and the entryway. Our salon welcomed an addition of the built in "bibliotheque" on both sides of the fireplace. The work on it has just started, but I am already excited that we will have this piece of furniture available to house most of our books (with the overflow of books scattered through the house, I am sure).
At the moment the master bedroom is being worked on, along with the "dressing" (a walk-in closet which used to be a very small bedroom), and the new kitchen will be installed in a week or two. The master bathroom is awaiting the final touches. After these spaces the last one will be our laundry room, which now also serves as our kitchen.
When I say that the house is about 75% "done" I mean restoration wise. Our house will never be "done" done! From the decorating standpoint, I expect that we will be without some light fixtures for a while, since I am being picky about sconces for the corridors, and the chandelier for the salon, as well as lights for the dining room.
But coming back to the restoration - I have been through some projects of home improvement, but never this big, and extensive one. Those who went through something similar will understand. Would I make a decision to live in the same space that is being renovated again, probably yes. The advantages are numerous - you can be on site and follow the process closely. Any minor issues that will occur (and they will!) get resolved quicker. With the high costs of the project you do not have to spend additional funds to find a nearby rental, or commute to check on it.
There are downsides to living on-site as well, of course. There are numerous inconveniences, expected and not. More about these below.
Things that we expected:
that the project would take longer than we were told - we started later than we thought, and it took longer to complete certain phases; reading about projects similar to ours, and living through a couple of similar jobs before, we suspected that we will exceed every deadline (deadline? what deadline??)
that there will be some problems, small and big - we expected this because we bought an old house so unpredictability factor was there; we upgraded plumbing, electricity, and the heating system. Smaller problems were resolved quick, or "snipped in the bud". The bigger ones were resolved with more stress, but because we have a good team in place, we were not alone (more about the support we have below)
that we will spend more than we thought - we decided to splurge on nicer finishes and appliances, and invest in a heating pump. We knew that we would live for years in this house and will regret the decision not to spend a bit more and be happier with the result, but having said that, we preferred to save when it came to elements that were not that important to us (I can explain more in another post)
that choosing to live in the house while the work was going on was going to be difficult. We expected difficult, but not various aspects of it (read below about what surprised us!) But we also kept in mind that this is a phase, and not a permanent situation.
that in rural France it is a rare thing for anyone to speak good English. We knew that our French did not extend to being able to discuss contracts, architectural details, types of materials... We can discuss many things in this beautiful language, but talking about the floor plans and structural details isn't within our capacity. Early on we decided to pay for the services of the English speaking architect who is also our "maitre d'oeuvre". We were lucky that our architect spoke very good English otherwise we would be literally lost in translation. The role of the architect extends to choosing the professional right for the jobs, negotiating contracts and comparing quotes. If you consider a project similar to ours, I recommend going a similar route.
that you cannot prepare mentally or otherwise for everything, since there will be surprises
Having said that -
What we did not expect:
how difficult it was going to be living in the house while the work was going on! At times I was thinking that I really must have gone mad and pushed my insanity onto others.
that the dust gets everywhere and into everything! Keeping our living space clean and free of dust is a real challenge, and oftentimes I just give up on vacuuming and dusting for days because it really doesn't make a lot of difference day to day...
that the physical and mental "reno" fatigue is real! Our life has resembled a battle zone for months, which is often quite impossible to escape; after living in a cramped bedroom for months, when I walked into a friends' house which is lovely and beautifully decorated, I almost burst into tears. When will I live a more normal life? (I know, this is totally irrational!)
that I will have a limited access to clothes! I am impatiently waiting to be reunited with my wardrobe... Everything was packed away and I left myself a minimum. As summer changed to autumn, and then to winter, I suddenly was left with a couple of sweaters, jeans, and limited options for cooler weather. Sigh... (please refrain from comments about the benefits of a "capsule wardrobe").
that it is difficult to eat healthy living the way we do - I did purchase a hot plate, but the cooking options are limited. We supplement with a take out from our local brasserie, and purchase prepared meals. I am not a chef, but I enjoy cooking, so I am impatiently awaiting a fully functional kitchen!
how much the daily life and routines will get messed up. And the almost total lack of privacy. Getting up early every workday (often at 6 am) so I can be ready for workers at 8 am, having a company of strange men almost everyday... this gets old quickly.
that things can get emotional - the demolition phase was the hardest for me. Not being used to construction sites I was shaken by the amount of noise, rubble, and dust. Irrationally I had visions of the house collapsing around me! I had to remind myself that this too shall pass, and that my team are professionals who know what they re doing. So far the house is still standing.
on a very positive note, what we did not expect is that friends and neighbours will reach out a helpful hand. We were invited to meals, and"hello, how are you, do you need help?" came from everywhere. We have met a lot of welcoming, lovely people here. I am really looking forward to having our place finished soon, so I can start inviting everyone back.
I hope that these observations will help some who are thinking of finding an old picturesque "ruin" of a house to renovate. At the back of my head I know than no matter how much you prepare for it you will still be surprised how unprepared you are. And - that all projects eventually end and we started it all for a reason.
To be continued...
XOXO
Joanna
