It's been, oh, about 8 months since my last post on this renovation blog. Let me condense the experience into a few lessons learned:
1. Do not attempt to live in a construction zone for months on end. Do immediately what we waited 10 months to do and move into a furnished condo. Breathing plaster dust is not good for people or dogs and inviting a crew of between 2 and 7 men to essentially move into your personal space for is not advisable for pregnant women.
2. If you decide to blog about your experience, do not share the blog address with contractors that you might at some point want to kill. Because then you cannot blog about the murderous feelings without having them feel perhaps slightly frightened of coming to your house. Thus the hiatus on the blog. I had to compose myself. Yes, it took many months and some T (see #3 below for definition) to get over it. But I feel better now. :)
3. There is simple math involved in calculating your final cost in a home renovation. It goes something like this:
C = E(C)*2 + P + PTSD where
C = final cost and E(C) is the expected cost prior to beginning the renovation. P is the monetary cost of pain and suffering, which might also in the NYC area be quantifiable in the following manner:
P = $225(T) where
$225 is the cost of 45 minutes of psychotherapy on the Upper West Side and T is the number of hours spent in said therapy.
Finally, PTSD is an unquantifiable residual that is directly proportionate to both C and P. As C and P increase, so does the residual PTSD. There is no way to calculate the ultimate cost of PTSD, but I will let you know my best guess once the nightmares stop.
BUT......IT'S DONE!
(Well, okay, except for some minor paint touchups, a couple furniture deliveries, a bit of cabinetry to be built, some rugs and stair runners, and a hallway that needs some wallpaper, but those are details people, details.)
And in celebration, below are some links to a few photo albums showcasing the fruits of our labor, C, and P. Those oh-so-appreciated "Before and After" pictures that really bring home just how much work we accomplished over the past 12 months. As other rooms get unpacked and organized over the next few weeks I will post additional updated albums.
Ta-Da! What do you think??
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