The stages you go through during a renovation

There are many lists that enumerate what the most stressful events are that a person can experience. In almost all lists, moving, renovating, and the preparation of a vacation or trip. Since I am currently in the middle of all three, you can probably imagine that I have no nails left and the bags under my knees are hanging, no makeup can hide that anymore. If all those things are on all those lists, then there are more people who are struggling with this, so to give everyone a little encouragement or at least to ensure recognition, these are the different stages you go through during a renovation slash move (and a vacation).

1. “Do you know what I feel like? A new house. I’m done with it, everything has to change.”
2. You search like crazy on interior blogs, Pinterest boards, Instagram, save everything in a folder and see your new dream house completely in front of you.
3. “Actually, it happens so quickly, it’s going to be fine.”
4. You hire someone to do difficult things like installing bathrooms for you and your schedule is super tight, oh well, if you think about it, it will be ready within a week.
5. “And it’s not even that expensive! Actually, it’s all going pretty well.”
6. “Hmm but if they have to renovate that and that room, all my stuff has to go.”
7. “Jeez, I have so much junk.”
8. “I haven’t worn this in hundreds of years, is this even mine?!”
9. “God, Jesus, why do I still have all my old high school books ?
10. “35 empty binders, is that really necessary?”
11. “Everything has to go. Everything is going to the dump. I’ll gather everything together and just throw the whole mess in one go into the trash containers.”
12. “Yes hello Mr. Contractor, what do you say? The floors turn out to be rotten? It’s at risk of collapsing? HOW MUCH is it going to cost more?!”
13. “This is going wrong.”
14. “Okay. Chin up, it will be fine someday. And if it doesn’t turn out well, it will be fine in another way.”
15. “Ah Mr. Contractor, there you are again, aha aha a week and a half delay. Well, there’s nothing to be done about it, right?. But you know I’m going on vacation December 25 and everything has to be finished before that. As mentioned. At the beginning. Do you remember?”
16. “Damn, that vacation, yes, do I already know what I’m going to do? Where I’m going to sleep? Jesus, I still have to arrange everything.”
17. “Mr. Contractor, oh really is it ready? Really? Everything completely ready? Yes no, I’ll come by tomorrow morning, how nice!”
18. “But, you were supposed to make cabinets? And lay that floor? And clear out the construction debris? And this and that and so on?”
19. “Aha, a week later. The 26th you say? No, that can’t be, vacation, remember. The 23rd? Yeah, God, it’s a bit tight but it has to be done.”
20. “So. Now I’m going to paint everything nicely. Wonderful, a fresh new house. God, I’m looking forward to that.”
21. “Hmm those walls are quite a bit higher. And bigger. And there are also so many more than I thought.”
22. “Damn, this is a lot of work.”
23. “When did I last sleep again ?? Last week somewhere? Why haven't I hired anyone for this?”
24. “It will never be okay again. It's too much.This CANNOT be solved in a week.”
25. “Okay, I'm only doing the first part of my to-do list and then after the vacation the rest. Then I won't come home to a nice house.”
26. “Damn, I'm out of paint. But I have no balance left to get new cans. Would Tipp-Ex work too?”
27. “How could I have ever underestimated this.”
28. “I need a new plan of action. I need help. Real help.”
29. “Yes hello, am I speaking with the moving company? I would like to hire two strong men who can lift ALL my stuff from the third floor down and take it to the dump.”
30. “This helps. It will be okay. One day it will be okay. And if it doesn't turn out okay, it will be okay in another way.”
31. “I'm going to look for inspirational photos again.”
32. “It will be okay, it will be okay, it will be okay, it will be okay.”