Construction answers and more...

You have some good questions; I hope I have some good answers.....  :)

Can we see a bigger picture of your wood countertops? Where did you get them from?  Were they expensive, are they hard to upkeep?

Here is the biggest picture I can give you without ruining the big finish. I bought them from Ikea and they are Oak. They were $169 USD for an 8 foot length and we needed about 13 feet. Because they are basically slabs you have to have someone fabricate them for you (i.e. cut the hole) and we also had the edges routered. It was still less than  $850 total for everything. Higher end laminate is just about the same, but with health risks and it's not environmentally friendly.  

I just oil mine with Ikea's stuff. It's basically tung oil and food safe. So far so good, but I have to admit, they are so new I am afraid to use them. I'll let you know how it goes. I pity the poor fool that gets the first stain on them.

Did you face any hidden surprises?

The 4 foot by 4 foot  section of rotten flooring under the sink that smelled like mushroom compost was quite a surprise. It would certainly explain the tummy problems that I had been having that went away about 2 days after the floor was out. Plus the two layers of cheap linoleum that the previous owners had put down too. And the fact that behind some of the cabinets there was no dry wall, just studs. Oh and our washing machine that died three days after the contractor had finished. It's all one big, fabulous surprise.

One thing that was good is our contractor was SUPER organized and told us when to order everything. So we weren't waiting on cabinets or anything. It was ready to go when he was. It's better to have it sitting and waiting at your house than you waiting for the work to get done.

It's also a big surprise on how much work it is for the homeowner.  For instance, to save money we painted the trim ourselves. That meant we were doing it ASAP, 10 PM at night after a long day of dealing with the kids, working and regular life.

Did you face any hidden extras?

It wasn't so much extras because we are kind of "plan for the worst hope for the best" kind of people, the big stuff was fine, but it was the little stuff that wasn't budgeted for that killed us. It seemed we were always running to the store for more paint, more tarps, the floor needed extra plywood... and Oh,  since we are doing___let's upgrade to ____ for another $58. We called it the "while we are at it " trap, and it adds up fast. You have to draw the line somewhere.

We also ate out a lot and the kids bought a lot of hot lunches since our fridge was in the garage and the microwaves was in the basement.  All that extra eating out adds up when you are used to cooking. And I have to admit, I started not feeling well after  awhile from all of that gunky food.

If it weren't for the mold and water damage, I would've waited until the kids were older.

Is there any advice for anyone considering remodeling that you would give?

If you've never been through it, you can never be prepared enough, but make sure you have all of your ducks in a row and everything researched. You are going to have to do much more footwork than you think unless you hire a designer. I had 5 contractors give me quotes and believe me, they were all over the place. They ranged from $4,000 to $15,000 for pretty much the same thing. Never take the lowest bid, never take highest bid. And make sure that you can really talk to the person comfortably. If you have to see this person everyday for the next 3-4 weeks, you had better get along.

Prepare to TAPE and TARP everything off. There is dust in EVERYTHING, And it has a weird fine grit to it (It was one of the best pieces of advice a good neighbor gave us.).

Try not to get down. Sometimes it seems like it will never end. Never fear. it will end, and the day will come when you painfully have to write the last check. The last BIG check.

Prepare to live as if you were hobo's. We set up a kitchen in our laundry room and our coffee maker in the bathroom. The quote of the day came from my 8 year old. "Why do you make your coffee in the bathroom? You know, that's gross, I mean, people poop in there." 'nough said.

We are now waiting for the guys to come this week and service our furnace and clean our ducts out. I hope they come so I can finally turn our heat on.

How did you paint your cabinets?

I have to co out on that one and tell you that's a post for another day. :)

Are you going to use a runner on your stairs?

I am not sure yet; The money tree has been picked clean right now,but I think I might like to eventually. We do need to get slippers for the kids with the non-skid things on them. They aren't used to the slip of the wood and have wiped out a few times.  

When are we going to see the big reveal?

I hate to say that it will still be a few more weeks and I hope you won't be disappointed. We still have our own punch-list and are trying to get everything unpacked. There is STUFF EVERYWHERE.

I told my girlfriend I feel like we are one step away from a A and E show, I am really afraid a pile will fall on me and kill me.

Where did you get your dress you wore at Nada?

Goodwill. $6.99. Never pay full price, but wash it well.

Where did you get the stamp of the ladies face for your tags?

I bought it years ago from Michael's, but I will tell you that it's made from Hampton art. It's  Diana Kovac's stamp and  the number is DF2139 small face frame. I hope that helps.

What kind of camera do you use?

A Nikon D5000. I love it.

Are you ever going to open your Etsy store again?

Yes.

I've been asked this quite a bit and am happy to say I have some new things and am also going to be putting in some thing's from Nada that I had made. I really need to end my lazy streak . :)

I hope I've answered all of your questions! If there is something else you'd like to know, feel free!

Jen