I haven’t made any choices which can be 100% engraved in stone at this level, however since a lot of you’ve mentioned over time that you just get pleasure from it once I share my thought processes, let me begin at the start and let you know what has transpired over the past two days.
As I suspected, the emotional breakdown over our ruined dwelling fitness center ground and subfloor lastly got here. In the event you missed that saga, you’ll be able to learn this post after which this post. It began with me being pouty, feeling sorry for myself, and admittedly, being a bit passive aggressive. And that’s not like me in any respect. I’m speaking particularly in regards to the passive aggressive half. There’s usually nothing passive about my aggression once I get offended or upset about one thing. 😀
Nevertheless it began two nights in the past when Matt was already enjoyable in mattress, and I felt the burden of all of the information recently got here bearing down on me. First, the $21,000 for the entire dwelling generator. After which the 1000’s (I’m unsure precisely how a lot but) for the entire dwelling dehumidifier that Matt actually desires. After which the house fitness center ground and subfloor. After which I began getting upset and feeling sorry for myself. I dragged my unhappy butt into the bed room, feeling so sorry for myself that you just’d suppose an precise tragedy had occurred, and I mentioned in my most passive aggressive means, “Effectively, I suppose we’ll simply NEVER get that addition, will we?” Poor Matt. 😀 He’s had 22 years of coping with me (and I with him and his idiosyncrasies), so he is aware of the right way to discuss me down from the ledge once I get like that. And after about half-hour of speaking, I had calmed down. He had assured me that if I wished that addition, I might have that addition. We might make it work.
And simply so we’re clear, that is the addition I’m speaking about. For years now, we now have been planning on including onto our home with an addition that measures roughly 1000 sq. toes and features a new laundry room, household/media room, and main bedroom with a big walk-in closet. After it’s completed, the home would appear to be this.
However after throwing my little mood tantrum, and even after Matt had calmed me down and I felt significantly better, that thought had been planted in my mind. What if we didn’t do the addition?
That was onerous to consider. In any case, we’ve been speaking about and planning that addition for years! I’ve dreamed about it. I’ve put a lot time and thought into the ground plan till I had precisely what I wished. I’ve met with the builder. I’ve met with the architect. We had been nonetheless planning on beginning that addition this yr.
Or had been we? I imply, it’s already the center of July, and nothing has been carried out. The architect that’s allegedly drawing up our plans has been M.I.A. for months now, and I’ve made no efforts to get in contact with him and lightweight a fireplace below him to get our plans carried out. Why is that? Matt has advised me repeatedly that we are able to begin the addition instantly. Actually, any time now. Simply at any time when I’m prepared.
So if this addition is so vital to me, why have I not been extra proactive in ensuring issues are shifting forward with it? I’ve been completely pleased to remain in “planning mode” for years now, and although I’ve the inexperienced mild to maneuver ahead at any time when I need to, I nonetheless haven’t carried out it.
So yesterday, I made a decision to get actually sincere with myself as a result of there’s one thing there, and I don’t suppose you must be a skilled psychologist to see that. I’m the one hindering the progress, and I’ve to be actually sincere with myself as to why that’s. And it comes down to 2 issues…cash and house.
First, let’s discuss in regards to the house. Matt and I are solely two individuals. And but, whereas our home isn’t enormous, it’s already fairly sprawled out. In actual fact, one buddy who came to visit didn’t understand that the door within the sitting room led to a different very massive room (i.e., my studio). The primary time he noticed what was past that door, he mentioned, “My goodness, Kristi, your own home is just like the TARDIS!” (Bonus factors if you understand the reference.) And it form of is. From one finish to the opposite, it form of appears to go on and on. New lands, and new adventures await as you go by means of every doorway. 😀
After which there’s the cash concern. The estimate that the builder gave me got here to $226,358.90, and that’s earlier than we determined so as to add on a further 200 sq. toes in order that we might push the again wall of the addition again far sufficient to make room for a big walk-in closet in the main bedroom, in addition to different storage that we would wish for Matt’s gadgets (i.e., Hoyer carry, bathe wheelchair, and so forth.). At an estimated $200 per sq. foot, that will increase the associated fee one other $40,000. That’s virtually $270,000.
I imply, that quantity astounds me. After we first began speaking in regards to the addition a few years in the past, the quantity that the very first contractor gave me was $70,000. That was pre-COVID, earlier than provide line disruptions, and earlier than the inflation from these issues made the value of nearly all the pieces skyrocket. We went from an estimate of $70,000 to an estimate of $270,000 within the span of about eight years. And naturally, that price ticket doesn’t even embrace any furnishings, decor, plumbing fixtures, or customizations that I’d need to do (i.e., the nicer trim that I like and issues like that).
I simply don’t even know the way I can justify spending that a lot cash on this home so as to add on extra room and make this home even larger and extra sprawling for simply two individuals. I received’t go as far as to say it’s an ethical concern, as a result of it’s probably not that. (And I don’t need to come throughout as passing judgment on others who stay in even bigger homes with every kind of facilities. They’ll do no matter they need with their cash with no judgment from me.) However for us, for our state of affairs, for our home, for our neighborhood, it simply feels…icky. I don’t even know the way else to explain it. It feels icky in my thoughts. And it’s that feeling that has been holding me again.
However the place does that depart us? As a result of proper now, our ground plan seems like this, and this has at all times been “progress” in my thoughts. I’ve by no means as soon as thought-about this anyplace close to “completed”.
That tiny little room behind the grasp rest room is the unique grasp rest room. It’s not even accessible from inside the home anymore. It’s simply been sitting there, connected to the home however inaccessible, and ready to be demolished. After which there’s the sunroom. Whereas that room is the place the washer, dryer, and sizzling water heater at the moment stay, the room itself isn’t salvageable. It was not constructed correctly, and it might’t be redone. The one choice is to tear it down. It can not keep. Interval.
So yesterday, I had one other down day. That’s when the tears got here. I wasn’t feeling offended anymore. My passive aggression had dissipated. I used to be simply feeling unhappy. Blue. Discouraged. I used to be feeling like this home had lastly crushed me. So I sat down at my desk within the studio, opened up my laptop computer, pulled up our ground plan on my photograph modifying program, and simply began enjoying round to see what I might provide you with. And I noticed that we do, the truth is, have some very cheap, doable choices.
First, there’s the obvious resolution to provide us an even bigger bed room. If we now have to switch the ground and the subfloor within the dwelling fitness center, that might be the right time to take away what stays of the unique closets from that room. That might sq. up the room, take away these visible boundaries, and make the room fairly a bit larger. And because it’s connected to the grasp rest room, it could naturally be our main bedroom. The bonus is that it’s the brightest room in the entire home. I really like the pure mild that pours into that room each morning.
After which the present visitor bed room (which is the room we’re at the moment utilizing as our bed room) might be cut up into two areas, with one turning into the laundry room accessible from the hallway, and the opposite turning into a big walk-in closet accessible from the bed room.
It will principally take the home again to its unique footprint. In the event you’ll keep in mind, the again wall that you just see in that ground plan simply above is the unique again wall of the home. That’s why the again wall of the kitchen initially had a window in it. By the point we purchased the home, the sunroom had been added. However that window was initially an exterior window.
And that’s additionally the rationale the unique hallway rest room had a window in it. Once more, by the point we purchased the home, that window regarded into the sunroom. And since we deliberate so as to add on from the start, I eliminated the window once I reworked this rest room.
But when we don’t do the addition, I might really put a window again in that room! That rest room might have pure daylight once more!! That thought alone makes me giddy.
At that time of enjoying round with the ground plan, I assumed I had misplaced my thoughts. In any case, if I had been to maneuver ahead with this plan, that signifies that we’d have turned what was initially a three-bedroom home right into a ONE-bedroom home.
A ONE-BEDROOM HOUSE.
That was virtually an excessive amount of of a hurdle for me. Might I really try this? Might I flip this home right into a one-bedroom home? Folks would suppose I used to be loopy! They’d suppose I’ve utterly misplaced my thoughts. Have I misplaced my thoughts? Is that essentially the most insane factor {that a} home-owner has ever carried out? I imply, would we ever have the ability to promote a one-bedroom home?
After which I caught myself. My goodness, I used to be doing the very same factor I’ve been preaching in opposition to for 17 years now! I actually just wrote a blog post about this very matter solely days in the past!! There I used to be, attempting to determine how this home could be personalized to finest swimsuit our wants, and I used to be fearful about what some anonymous, faceless, unknown, potential future purchaser might take into consideration my choices. However Matt and I purchased this home as our ceaselessly dwelling. We’re those who paid the mortgage. We’re those who paid off the mortgage. We’re those who personal this home. We’re those who stay right here. We’re those who should be snug right here. It’s our wants and desires which can be vital when making choices about this home. And the way might I encourage others to cease designing and adorning for that potential future proprietor if I can’t even do it myself?
So after giving it a ton of thought, I really gave myself permission to go there and to be okay with it. I in some way managed to be okay with the thought of a one-bedroom home.
However, after all, these adjustments didn’t clear up all of our issues. I nonetheless need a eating desk someplace. Matt nonetheless wants his Theracycle, and I don’t actually need to quit my rebounder or treadmill (though, I’m open to promoting my present one and getting a a lot smaller one). So whereas we don’t want a whole bed room devoted to being a house fitness center, having a spot for these three issues is non-negotiable.
So I began enjoying round extra. After which I assumed, “What if we simply add on a laundry room?” So I began in search of a spot to place a laundry room, and the right place for it gave the impression to be proper behind the kitchen. And similar to that, one other drawback solved itself. If I put a door from the wheelchair ramp into the laundry room, that makes bringing in groceries a lot simpler! And the entire “from the storage by means of the laundry room to the kitchen” structure is a reasonably widespread one.
And with that structure, I wouldn’t have to chop the present visitor bed room into two. I might maintain it one massive room that might be half closet and half exercise space, and the center might be left open to retailer Matt’s massive gadgets once they’re not in use. I really spent fairly a little bit of time trying to find issues like “combo closet and exercise space” and “walk-in closet and residential fitness center mixture“. Whereas I didn’t discover a lot, I did discover a number of examples of individuals combining these issues.
In fact, each time I solved one factor, it created one other drawback. If I add on a laundry room and switch the breakfast room again right into a breakfast room in order that I can have the desk I need, the place does Matt sit and watch TV in the course of the day?
So I stored on enjoying round, and I lastly eliminated all the partitions between the present kitchen, present sitting room, and attainable future laundry room. After which I eliminated the labels from these areas in order that I might see them as a clean house. I additionally eliminated the label from the pantry simply because I’m open to new potentialities.
And that’s just about the place I left it. However I can let you know that I really feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I used to be really so enthusiastic about this that I had a tough time sleeping final night time. I feel I lastly drifted off round 2:00am, after which I awakened at 5:30 excited about it once more, excited in regards to the potentialities. I wasn’t simply excited about the chances for these areas, however I used to be additionally excited about what this is able to free us as much as do. It will free us as much as have our driveway poured instantly! It will free us as much as construct my workshop within the very close to future. It will free us as much as go forward and construct the deck or patio or no matter we’re going to placed on the again of the home in order that we are able to really begin having fun with our yard. And we might do all of that with out going into debt. No debt. I really like the thought of that. There’s a lot freedom in that. Sufficient freedom, the truth is, to make the thought of residing in a one-bedroom home sound very nice.
So I’m nonetheless excited about it. I’m going to be doing an entire lot of praying about it. And I’m not going to strain myself to hurry to any choices. I need to do what feels peaceable, and I’m not 100% of the way in which there with any of the choices I’ve thought-about but. However I’ll positively let y’all know once I get there.
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I transform and enhance 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.
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