My wife and I thought that we would like to upgrade several features of our home, so we decided to go ahead with a major renovation. We did quite a bit of planning first but we had serious second thoughts when the demolition within our home began. I have done many of these projects for other people but it has been almost 20 years since I did a major project within my own house. This is the home that I raised my family in. All of the birthday parties, Christmas mornings, the dinner parties with our friends and neighbors. Mostly great memories but some tears as well have been shed in this place. I can still hear the laughter and the conversation from all of those events. I can smell the wonderful food. Taste the special dishes. I can see the delight on the face of my first grandchild as she opens the presents that she received for her birthday.
Creating a Comfortable Environment
Then it hit me as I walk through the broken floor tile and the dust from a demolition hammer… “Can we really improve on what we had?” “Will new kitchen cabinets and countertops add to our enjoyment of this comfortable environment?” We did a lot of second guessing during this phase of the project.
Then the demolition was complete and the new features started to take shape. Beautiful new floor tile as well as a brand new look and finish to a fantastic hand-carved front door. A new kitchen took shape with granite counters and glass tile back splash plus new built-in appliances. Hardwood was installed in the living room and new carpet in the bedrooms and home office. The cool deck around the swimming pool was redone. The garage was repainted including a new epoxy floor coat. Every area of the house was checked and all of it was brought up to current standards.
The Home Still Feels like Home
Once the job was complete, we were thrilled at both the look and feel. Our concerns were without basis. Our house was still our family home. We immediately knew that we would want to have even more people come and enjoy our home with us. We knew that family times would always be part of this place and that the aroma is just as enticing from a new oven. Within days, the memory of dust and chaos faded and the future was being planned to enjoy every occasion big or small.