On past projects, prepping for demo meant moving everything out of the room and making sure we had plenty of contractor bags on hand. This time, it feels like we’re moving.
As a reminder, this is the current state of our main floor:
And the blue is the area we’re getting ready to take down to the studs.
Fortunately, we have a fairly empty basement and a strategy that will hopefully minimize the annoyance of living without a kitchen, dining or living room.
The first step in this operation is to purge and organize everything in the “affected” areas. For things we know we won’t need between now and demo (books, decorations, the ice cream maker, etc.) we’re starting to pack those items away in labeled plastic containers.
The next step is to sell or donate furniture that we’ve outgrown or that we know won’t work in the new space (which we’re finding, is basically everything).
As d-day gets closer, we’ll set up our “basement apartment” and move the remaining essential items to our new abode. We’ll then seal off the bedroom, bathroom and basement to ensure that construction dust and debris stays out.
This all happens in conjunction with finalizing and ordering materials, ironing out remaining details, finishing the porch, and working full-time. We’re still aiming for a March start date which will give us about 6 months to make it happen (with a birthday celebration in September as our completion goal). We’re excited about this major project, but also realize the value of being as prepared as possible before crossing that point of no return. Plus, it’s a good opportunity to go through our belongings and keep only the things that we really use or love.