Last day of my staycation

[mrs_p]

And I didn’t reno the bathroom as I had daydreamed about for the last year. Instead I was on DU most of the time while the kiddo was at virtual school or hanging out with the family.

I did purchase a sledgehammer at Lowe’s, though. I think I am afraid to start because I know as soon as I begin taking off the old tiles and walls, there will just be more and more problems (it’s a 1937 house).

We can’t really afford the 10k+ as quoted to us. Any suggestions on how to get motivated? I can do most of the things myself - though slowly. I have the time since we no longer go anywhere in weekends.

[Grokenstein]

1. Ugggh, I understand the feeling.

Just finished a two-week staycation; I may hate my workplace but I was glad to get back. My massive to-do list likewise went unfilled and most of my time was spent on DU and YouTube. Didn't even watch a movie, I was too invested in other people's reaction videos! Did start a long-walking routine, at least, just to get up on my hind legs and go outside. Developed insomnia (in fact it's back to bed in a few minutes to grab a couple more hours of sleep before work). It was just two weeks, I didn't expect to lose my mind.

[mrs_p]

6. Love your long walks

The weather turned subzero here. So my walks were put on hold until we get back into the teens (this next week - yay!!).

[handmade34]

2. just remember

measure twice and cut once... just think how good it will feel to know and say "I did it"

[mrs_p]

5. So right!

[PJMcK]

3. Try this

Just start. Don't make an event out of it just begin.

Try to divide the entire project into smaller digestible pieces:

- Planning
- Budgeting
- Demolition
- Construction
- Finishing (painting, hardware, etc.)
- Cleanup

Stay positive and focused. Give yourself little rewards when you finish a step. Show off your work for positive reinforcement. Give yourself plenty of time; after all, you're not charging by the hour. Besides, working slowly helps one do good work.

We've been fairly productive this past year improving our mountain house for full-time living. It was originally just a weekend place but we retreated here at the beginning of the pandemic. Each project ends up being a mess but when it's finished the satisfaction is terrific! We evolved the house into a very comfortable full-time place, (who knows when we'll be able to return to NYC full-time?).

Once you've opened the walls, take a look at your electrical set-up. You may want to have it professionally expanded for more lights and/or outlets.

The part that always causes the most anxiety for me is dealing with plumbing. I'm pretty good at carpentry, painting, electrical and mechanical stuff but plumbing always takes me much longer. I think I'm afraid of springing a major leak! But I recently removed and replaced a toilet and sink fixtures without too much trouble.

I highly recommend YouTube videos for anything you haven't tried before. That helped immensely with the toilet replacement. Our dishwasher wasn't draining and my wife watched a couple of videos on repairing the machine. She's not really a mechanically-inclined person but she got the tools and hardware she needed, disassembled the machine, cleaned out the filter and reassembled it. It worked perfectly!

Good luck. I'll bet you're going to end up with a lovely bathroom!

[mrs_p]

4. Great stuff here

Thank you!!!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

7. Plan, and plan again.

Draw it out, where is medicine chest, hopefully not relocating the toilet or tub, where are electrical outlets (maybe include some in cabinets). Lay out where you want towel bars, safety grab handles, any other wall-mounted accessories, so you can put a board in that place to hold the screws: you won't be relying on the strength of drywall haha.

Once you know what you're doing, buy everything, and don't start demolition until everything has arrived. It's frustrating to pause in the middle waiting for one critical piece (ask me how I know).

A floor heater is nice, just saying.

Have fun.