Kitchen / Front porch Renovation!

We wanted to have an entire year where we didn't do a major project on our house since we bought it almost 4 years ago. So this past year, we decided we would just focus on settling in, and allow us a year of 'normal' finances so we could be more accurate with our budgeting. It was a really good thing to do although I had to remind myself every now to stop thinking about the next project.  So with the start of 2017, we knew we were hoping to tackle another major house project and after getting taxes done ridiculously and super uncharacteristically fast this year (go Chris!) we were collecting contractor names in January and trying to completely flesh out our ideas/plans. We felt we couldn't really get started on anything official until after Disneyland, so our first week back my major focus was calling contractors and getting quotes.   I had a big long list and picked 3 to start with. They were all available to meet and look at the project within a few days. One guy graciously bowed out saying the job was too big for him now that he no longer has a crew working for him. We had a lot of our neighbors give REALLY good recommendations for one of the contractors. Everyone we talked to who has worked with him sang his praises and said he would get the job done fast, do it right, build it exactly how we want, do the work himself (with his brother in law, dad and a few friends/firefighters and be totally honest (not overcharge, or cut corners to try and increase his take). They said he probably wouldn't be the absolute cheapest guy (he bills hourly per guy, and takes 10%  on top everything and he might not offer any aesthetic design suggestions, but the quality and integrity of his work ethic was worth it.

So after we confirmed the sale of the rest of the stock Chris was given by his grandpa in his egg farm we called our contractor up to get started! He told us he'd be ready in about a week and a half. Perfect. We needed time to move out of the craft room (although I had pretty much got that room packed up on Saturday), kitchen and family room and we had hoped to save some money by doing most of the demo work by ourselves.  Our contractor called after the weekend and said he'd be ready to bring a dumpster by in preparation for the demo and said his current project and wrapped up unexpectedly and they could start the next day! He said they would be happy to help us pack stuff up and move it wherever we wanted. Ah!  So after dinner, and after Chris helped the boys put together their pinewood derby cars for their race the next afternoon, we got to work. We worked hard until the 1 or 2 in the morning but we did it. We had emptied it all. We even moved the fridge down to our storage room and dispersed the sectional couch in the kids rooms upstairs.  We are using the laundry room as a kitchen with the microwave, the attached small halfbath's itty bitty sink as a kitchen sink and the storage room as the pantry/fridge/freezer area. Then we moved the table and chairs and couch and TV into the playroom next door to serve as our living space for the foreseeable future.  We have the piano upstairs in the landing area (thanks to the YSA guys for helping us do that the Sunday before after we hosted their FHE).

Now the fun begins!

The workers came the next day and by 10:00am had pretty much knocked out whatever Chris or I could've done over a couple weekends!  Wow. They were fast and good.

Goodbye Kitchen:

Hello Demo: