For years now, our home addition has been nothing greater than a thought and a dream. Matt and I’ve talked about it as a long-term plan that we’ll do sooner or later, however the speak by no means appeared to maneuver past that.
Till just lately. Over the past month or so, we’ve actually, critically been speaking about it and making an attempt to plan for it. And the rationale we’re lastly getting critical about it’s as a result of, after 9 years of engaged on this home, I’m lastly right down to the final two room in our residence because it presently stands.
Right here’s how that appears proper now. The pink rooms are completed. (The lavatory earlier than and after publish is coming! I promise!) The white rooms nonetheless must be completed. The darkish grey rooms might be torn down.
So so far as inside rooms go, I’m right down to the house health club and my studio, which can embrace a small makeover within the studio half tub.
As soon as the sunroom and authentic (tiny) grasp lavatory are torn down, right here’s what we’re wanting so as to add within the orange…
As we’ve talked about it, we’ve provide you with two totally different choices. And to be fairly sincere, I’m undecided which course I’m leaning proper now. I can see professionals and cons for each of them.
Choice 1: Construct ASAP.
Our preliminary thought was to construct the addition ASAP, as in, begin getting every thing lined up in order that we will begin constructing within the spring or as quickly because the climate permits.
That manner, after I’m performed with the studio, the addition could be performed to the purpose that I’d take over and begin on the finishes, similar to I did with the lavatory. With the lavatory, our contractor and his guys did all the electrical, plumbing, wall constructing/transferring, subfloor, and drywall. Then I took it from there and completed out the room. So I’m pondering that’s how we’d do the addition as properly.
The apparent “professional” with this selection is that the home could be performed sooner, after which we might sit again and luxuriate in it…all of it…together with a deck within the again yard off of the master suite and household room. I can’t watch for that, as a result of proper now, we don’t use our again yard in any respect since there’s actually nothing again there to make it fulfilling.
And the earlier we get it performed and have all of that further room (together with the deck out again), the better it is going to make internet hosting family and friends. Proper now, issues really feel a little bit squished when we’ve got a crowd over. It positive could be good to have the ability to unfold out a bit extra.
However the apparent “con” with this selection is burnout. I’ve been going at this beautiful a lot on my own for 9 years now. I’m undoubtedly beginning to decelerate (12-hour work days are not my norm like they as soon as have been), and I don’t really feel burned out at this level. In truth, I really feel very enthusiastic about getting these final two rooms completed. I simply don’t wish to attain the purpose of burnout, as a result of recovering from that may be very tough.
Choice 2: Wait till spring 2024.
The pondering behind this selection is that sooner or later (hopefully) throughout the first half of subsequent yr, I’ll have all the rooms in our home (because it presently stands) completed. Completed! The entire rooms might be completed for the primary time in 9 years. It is going to be the primary time in our 20 years of marriage that we might reside in a house with all the inside rooms fully completed.
And a part of me thinks it will be so good to only be capable of take pleasure in that for a short while earlier than beginning a giant addition. I’d nonetheless have a lot to do. The carport has by no means been fully completed and painted. The stone skirting on the entrance porch must be completed. Plus, the entire entrance porch might stand a little bit of a refresh with some new paint on the ceiling, a contemporary coat of stain/sealer on the porch, and so on. And with my studio lastly completed, I might cook dinner up an infinite variety of tasks in there to maintain my artistic juices flowing.
So the plan normally could be to complete the inside rooms that we presently have through the first half of the yr, then take a breather for the second half of the yr and simply take pleasure in having a completely completed residence (on the within) whereas caring for some unfinished tasks outdoors and having fun with my completed studio. After which at first of 2024, we’ll begin on the addition.
The “professional” with this selection is that we’d have a completely completed inside for some time. No big inside tasks inside, no instruments and paint cans unfold about, and a break from sawdust inside the home. That may be fairly a change!
The “con” is that it will take longer to get to our long-term aim. Which means persevering with to be squished when we’ve got individuals over. Which means laying aside with the ability to take pleasure in our again yard, grill outside, and so on. And it signifies that we’d be longer in our small bed room, which is beginning to really feel smaller with every passing day. (Regular sized rooms begin to really feel fairly small when coping with mobility for a wheelchair-bound particular person.)
So these are the 2 choices we’re contemplating. Each of them sound good to me, however just one can win out. If I have been pressured to decide proper this minute, I might say I need the addition constructed ASAP. But when Matt have been to pressured to decide on at present, he’d select the second possibility to offer me a little bit little bit of a break and a few respiration room earlier than leaping into an addition with each ft.
However on the finish of the day, he’s okay with both possibility (his solely concern is me getting burned out), so it actually will come right down to what I select. *Sigh*
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I rework and embellish the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do the vast majority of the work on the home on my own. You can learn more about me here.
I hope you’ll be a part of me on my DIY and adorning journey! If you wish to observe my tasks and progress, you possibly can subscribe under and have every new publish delivered to your e mail inbox. That manner you’ll by no means miss a factor!
