Our plan…

As the attic takes shape we have had to shift focus a little and make some decisions about how to tackle the first floor.
Although I have enjoyed designing, planning & remodeling the attic bedrooms, I have been chomping at the bit to get my hands on the first floor. Steve has had to remind me often to focus on the attic, not the other thousand things I want to change in the rest of the house, but the time has come. I get to take my blinders off and although I am super excited, I have to admit, I am a bit apprehensive, okay a lot apprehensive!

Why?
We have to live in the house as we gut and remodel it.
Crazy, right?

We were lucky with the attic portion of this project because it was upstairs and out of the way. We just closed off the stairwell with a tarp and were able to keep the construction space and living space separate. We won’t have that luxury with the first floor, but we do have a plan.

Phase 1: The Addition

We built the garage 16 feet from the house with plans to have a connector room built. This will add 224 square feet of space and will contain two full bathrooms as well as a hallway. We will have Harrington Construction (who did our garage) close that in for us. We want to start with this area first because our current bathroom, although functional, has some issues. There is no exhaust fan which is really important living in this hot humid climate. When the toilet was originally put in they had to cut the floor joist to put in the waste pipe (which was noted on inspection), so we planned to repair that when we relocated the bathroom. Unfortunately, shortly after we moved in I noticed the toilet was starting to sink. Steve tore it all out and found that the toilet had not been put in properly and was leaking. The leaking had caused the sub-floor beneath the tile, as well as, the floor joist to rot. Steve cut out all the rot, reset the toilet and replaced the plywood sub-floor which now serves as our bathroom floor. It has been challenging with only one toilet and one shower for a family of 4 and although we make it work, it will be really nice to have a second bath.

This phase will also include adding a 8 foot by 34 foot covered porch along the south side of the house. While Harrington Construction is onsite doing the addition we have asked them to build this for us as well. Eventually you will enter the house off this porch but currently our kitchen sink is located where our new front door will be. When the kitchen gets relocated to the north side of the house we will install the door.

Phase 1 will be the least disruptive phase as it is all done outside of the current house footprint and it’ll be the easiest phase (for us) because most of the work will be done by contractors.

Phase 2: The Kitchen

Phase 2 involves the north side of the house. We will gut the existing family room, master bedroom and Gabi’s bedroom. In it’s place will go a brand new kitchen. I can’t tell you how exciting this phase will be for me. Currently I have about 3 feet of usable counter space and most of my kitchen items are still boxed up in the garage because there is no storage space. Not having the space to cook and bake, like I so love to do, is probably my biggest challenge with the current house.

Besides a new kitchen, Phase 2 includes a multipurpose area that will serve as pantry, mudroom and laundry room.

In order to begin this phase the upstairs needs to be finished. Gabi and Zach need to move out of their current bedrooms and into their new bedrooms upstairs, so we can gut Gabi’s and so Steve and I can re-locate to Zach’s room (aka: the dining room).

Phase 3: The family room/master

The final phase will involve the south side of the house. We will gut the dining room (which is the make shift master bedroom), kitchen and bathroom. In it’s place will be a family room and master bedroom. Steve and I may have to pitch a tent during this portion of the remodel, as we are out of areas to relocate the master bedroom to, but it should be a quick once the demo is done as it’s just two rooms to frame out. Lastly, the front door will be added. Then the house will be done!

 So there you have it, our game plan for the foreseeable future. It’s going to be exciting and really crazy so stay tuned!