The Renovation – First steps…THE PURGE

Getting started

The first step in any renovation is to clear the area and prepare for demolition (the fun part!). This is the step in the process that I formerly would have called something like “the spring cleaning”, or “the donation prep”. Because we have moved a few times in the past 15 years and I have, much to my husband’s dismay, left the true, down to brass tacks, sorting and clearing of junk until the “next” move, this time I am calling the clear out, “THE PURGE”

Bins and boxes that have gone unopened and unaccounted for for the last 10+ years, are being opened and assessed. We aim to truly purge the garage of everything unneeded, broken, dated, or unwanted to make room for kitchenware and other items that need to be moved for demo and re-build. I am taking a multi-pronged approach, because I am one that hates anything being wasted. A true believer in reusing, sharing, donating and keeping as much out of the landfills as possible, I am sorting what I can recycle, reuse, sell or share. Not a quick or easy process, but we are committed.

In this effort, my husband and I have found frustration and about 1000 belly laughs. Why I have some of this $hit in my house is mindboggling!! Most has traveled with me since before even getting together with my husband back in 2005. It is like a dizzy trip down memory lane and a reminder of the strange phases I have been through. John, my husband, is a firm believer in tossing anything unnecessary. Clearly, I have not followed his advice. He has been scratching his head about the Tarot Cards, boxes of notes and cards, maps, airline ticket stubs, bones for fortune telling, hundreds of books, CDs, DVDs and a lot of other weird stuff. He literally found a pay stub from my first job out of college while sorting about 10 boxes of paperwork. Jeez!

Laughter – key to remaining sane in the midst of chaos

Just a little taste of the madness we are living: ME: “Babes, do we still have the batgirl costume that goes with that batgirl mask?”. JOHN: “I assumed that mask went with the leather whip and the feather boa I found in that box over there…and I didn’t want to ask…!”. HAHAHA. Too many joke gifts over the years, it seems!

Progress

Anyhow, weeks later, the garage is officially ready to receive the contents of the toilet office (again, that will be explained and pics provided at a later date), so John can get to putting in new windows and demo for a new bath and proper office. Some pics of the initial madness and slow progress below (boa not pictured!). (And, yes, that is a huge strategy whiteboard that is hanging in my kitchen!). Totally recommend if you are going through a life change or a large project.