So Much To Do! Here's My Elephant.

With Daughter moving out on May 19th(less than 3 weeks from now), we are in a holding pattern on home repairs/renovations until then.
This doesn't mean I can't take this couple of weeks to plan how to attack this elephant and what we will do and in what order these things will get done.

Over the past month I've been searching the house(other than her room)for Daughter's stuff that she is taking with her to Louisiana.  Here are the things I've found and gathered in the living room so far(not the turquoise book and the purple items under it).  This is hardly everything-the hanging torture rack takes up the whole side of the living room behind me from where I was standing taking this photo, the huge dog crate which her dog never uses is taking up 1/8 of the den floor space, there's a "dreadmill" folded up but still taking up lots of space in the garage(and blocking access to some of Hubs garage cabinets), a metal trash can full of her dog's food also in the garage, the automotive tools and such her Fiance left in the shed, plus everything in her bedroom. 

The only thing I think I'll miss is her portable deep fryer(makes some tasty pork tenderloins and shrimp tempura).lolz

So here are the things that will get done once Daughter leaves.  It's a big old game of Dominoes really. ;-)


*  Her old room gets cleaned(clear out furniture/vacuum/shampoo the carpeting/clean walls/trim/ceiling/ceiling fan/dressers she isn't taking.)  Then EX-CB moves in his crap and takes that room.  He was planning on moving out within the next few months but then the new job search happened so that's delayed.

* After EXCB vacates his room, rinse and repeat cleaning that bedroom(clear out furniture/vacuum/shampoo carpeting/clean walls, trim, ceiling, ceiling fan/dresser.  Then I am painting that room(hasn't been painted since 2005).  Once we get the room cleared out we can evaluate whether carpeting needs replacing.

*  Once that bedroom is cleaned out and up I can move all my crap into there-a combination of sewing crap and toiletries stockpile(what doesn't fit into upstairs hallway closet).

                 Hubs "man cave" aka the room of toiletries/books/fabric/brewing equipment.

*  Once my crap is out of Hubs' room then we clear that bedroom out and rinse and repeat all the cleaning/fixing.  This bedroom will definitely be getting new paint and carpet(original carpet from before the previous owner we bought from in 2000 so very old and nasty rug).
Hubs puts his room back together.

      One side of the master bedroom where a coffee table(Hubs refuses to get rid of)and a plastic etagere are stacked with my fabric stash(well, some of it).  Also I've got piles of clothing sitting there as well.

* Once all these bedrooms are done we can attack the master bedroom, the whole cleaning deal including the furniture.  We will be getting a new mattress and bed frame(adjustable one). 

* Also on my plate is the master bedroom walk-in closet.  I've used that closet to hold, besides clothing, some out of season clothing, my Xmas gift boxes(shopping all year round does have it's downsides in that you need places to keep all the things you are gifting until Dec. lol), as well as the bulk of the family photo albums.  I have NOT done the seasonal clothing change out from there yet because of the upcoming Domino game of cleaning/sorting.....I want to get it all done at once.

*  Then we can move on to the upstairs hallway.  Cleaning and clearing it.  We need to have someone come in and fix the drywall and finish painting the hallway(where I couldn't reach-especially the stair well).

* This leaves the laundry room and the main upstairs bathroom to fix/redo, both of which will wait until EX-CB moves out or we set a date to move from this house.(Update-EX-CB may be moving out before the year is out.  He wants to move but this leaving his job/finding a new job has delayed his move-out time table.)

These few projects, along with a few others, will keep us busy for most of the rest of the year.

The expenses on all this?
Paint supplies, carpeting and installation, paying for someone to fix and paint the upstairs hallway.  I'v got tons of cleaning supplies already so the rest is just physical labor which Hubs and I can handle.  Carpet(if only 1 small bedroom needs it)and paint will come in around $600 and no clue on having someone drywall/paint hallway.  The mattress/bed frame will cost about $1500.  I'm "optimistically" thinking of keeping all this under $3K total.
The big expense will be the main bathroom redo and isn't happening this year.  Perhaps next year so it's not THAT far down the road and once we get all this finished we need to start planning for that project(planning for the outlay and who we'll contract with to do the job like we did the master bathroom a few years ago).

So besides our trip to New Hampshire in June, this and the garden and Chester and other home projects will keep us busy and at home most of the Summer. 

It is feeling overwhelming right now but we'll take it one step at a time until it's all done...plus with Hubs retired most of it won't be left to me to do. 
Like the old saying, "How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time." 8-)

I'll share photos, progress reports and more laments as work begins in May.

Have you got home projects planned for this Summer?  Tell us about it.

Sluggy