Longest kitchen remodel?

reefer · Mar 15th, 08, 7:32 pm

So we are coming up on our 1 year anniversary since starting our kitchen remodel.

It's quite sad. My DW has had it with me. I basically have taken the last 6+ months off. The last time I worked on the kitchen was last summer!

I can always blame the fact that it's 100% DIY, but there's really no excuse for such a slow pace. Once the kitchen became functional again, work ground to a halt.

Anyone else as bad with procrastination?

kingjosiah · Mar 15th, 08, 7:46 pm

hah! we've got you beat.

we finished sometime around may 2006 and while it is 'done', there are still some lingering tasks -- i still have some small filler pieces and the toekick to install. Two young active kids will do that to you. Nor does it help that there is a long list of other tasks from the house remodel to finish...door/window casings, baseboards, etc....

what i would give for a free weekend....

Blkymom · Mar 15th, 08, 8:01 pm

I can beat this...well actually friends of ours...

He started putting holes in the walls, re-routing electrical, ordered new appliances, and, well, that's where he stopped. That was 4 years ago. Nothing else has changed.

He has lots of projects on the go that aren't complete...basement remodel, front yard landscaping, and this past summer, he was talking about adding an addition with basement to the front of his house, even went so far as to get the financing for it...thankfully for his wife, he didn't actually tear down any walls.

Our kitchen has so far taken us into month 5, all that we are waiting on now is warmer weather so we can put in our garden doors. Then paint the remaining wall.

Draperbound · Mar 15th, 08, 9:06 pm

This is THE most depressing thread!

I'm coming up on the second anniversary of my bathroom remodel being complete except for the baseboards and the trim around the tub tile. I'm living in fear of the point when progress on the kitchen slows to the same snail-pace because it's functional. Oh, please let that not be until we have a functioning sink! The bathroom sink is really close, but pots and pans don't quite fit, and washing them in the tub is getting so old!

Melissa

drlith · Mar 16th, 08, 7:12 am

We haven't got you beat, but we're headed in your direction, and let me tell you, from your wife's perspective, that you should not underestimate the damage done to her respect for you if you say you're going to do something and then don't.

Sorry to be such a downer, but the situations are reminding me of something I was discussing with friends on a marriage-related forum, about how the person we *should* treat with greater consideration than anyone else in the world is our spouse, and yet oftentimes we present them with our "bad sides" in ways that we never would with our bosses, friends, or neighbors.

If this were a sidejob, and your wife were your client, would you have drug it out like this for a year? I think not.

Sisu · Mar 16th, 08, 9:53 am

I had to look at the dates on photos I took when I had pretty much committed to remodeling to figure out how long it has been. It was just after my built in oven died, and in order to bring in the freestanding range I replaced it with, I had to demo the first set of cabinets. That was June 27, 2006 which puts me at about the year and a half mark. I actually thought it had been longer so I guess I'm doing OK...

stacylu · Mar 16th, 08, 12:44 pm

We're right there with you... Started remodel January 2006. Kitchen was functional July 2006. Small projects throughout 2006. Flooring was January 2007. We're still missing the backsplash and since we're about to add onto the house, it's not going to happen till probably January 2009... Oy Vey

**NBeth** · Mar 16th, 08, 1:04 pm

We made our first purchases in late 2006. Working on weekends, we moved into a functional kitchen in May of 2007. Finally grouted backsplash a month or so ago but still haven't sealed. Also need toekicks, shelves above tile, deco around one wall cab, & some sort of curtain or other cover for a place where a door can't go. Wouldn't be surprised if it takes most of two years to be really totally "done"--and if 18" dishwashers continue to go down in price, we may swap out sink base, corner unit and adjoining base in order to squeeze in a dishwasher in some future extension of this project!

reefer · Mar 16th, 08, 1:51 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by drlith

... let me tell you, from your wife's perspective, that you should not underestimate the damage done to her respect for you if you say you're going to do something and then don't.

If this were a sidejob, and your wife were your client, would you have drug it out like this for a year? I think not.

(Wow, I wasn't expecting marital advice, should have left that part about my DW out...)

Well no promises (or contracts) were made with regard to a completion date!

And a side project would not include watching the client's 3 young kids, doing their laundry, grocery shopping, house cleaning, driving kids to/from school, ballet, gymnastics, sports, various practices, not to mention handling breakfast, lunch and dinner. Which are all things I do in our household, in addition to all the house projects (kitchen, etc).

I work out of the home with a flexible work schedule, but my wife is a litigation attorney with a demanding job.

Happily married 12 years...

**GardenOfDarwin** · Mar 16th, 08, 1:52 pm

I've got you all beat because this site was started when I was putting in my breakfast room cabinets, sink, dishwasher, counters, etc. and I've not yet put back the baseboard nor installed a backsplash nor touched up the paint AND we ripped up the flooring in the kitchen at the same time and have yet to contemplate how, when or what's going to happen in there. We've not even started to procrastinate yet! Ha!

Susan