Last night, Shane and I looked at our total spend on this house to date. Let me tell you, the final number made my skin crawl. It was more than my annual income. And the worst part is, that money doesn’t equate to value added or improved quality of life…yet.
Sure, we’ve put some more insulation in and double-glazed a few window. That’s helped. So has the carpet in the bedrooms – but most of the money has gone to architects fees and drainage for our new driveway. A year after getting resource consent, we still don’t have our driveway.
I didn’t expect renovating to be like this.
My experience of renovating was as a child. Mum and Dad did a huge amount of work on our homes growing up. But as a kid, I was never privy to the details – finances, timelines etc. All I saw, was the process and the finished product. It seemed so easy.
And then there’s all the home renovation shows, like my favourite: The Block NZ.
I freaken love that show. It’s instant gratification for renovators. Seeing a room completed in a week? It’s awesome.
But, I fail to remember, each Sunday night, that it’s not two people and their builder renovating the room. They aren’t ripping out rotten weatherboards and trying to fix dodgy plumbing and worrying about whether their roof is going to cave in with the next downpour.
They get a clean slate. They have a whole team of people working with them. Not to mention the fact that their budget is handed to them, not earned hour by grueling hour.
I have keep reminding myself that our journey will be slow. Incredibly slow. We’re lucky if one of us can spend a few hours each day in the weekend to renovate. It will take us 6 months to complete one room – and that’s with us completely busting our asses.
And that things will cost three times as much as I think it will.
So, while we still have a heinous kitchen and bathroom and our roof desperately needs replacing, we’re doing ok. And in three weeks, we may even be able to use that driveway that we’ve paid so much for (fingers crossed).
A Little Family Reno 