We’ve officially wrapped up the demo phase, and I couldn’t be more excited because we’re now in Phase 2—the rebuilding stage! This is when things really start to feel like progress. We’re working on finishing the second floor so that my husband, our two kids, and I can move in while we continue to work on the other floors. Plus, the attic area—which we’ve got some fun plans for—is starting to take shape too (though it’s evolved a bit since we first envisioned it, as you can imagine).
Getting Our Floor Plan Together
The first thing we needed to do was figure out the floor plan for the second floor. Before heading to our local Menards, I used the Room Sketcher app to play around with the layout and get some measurements. It’s a super simple tool to use, and it helped me get everything in place before heading to the store. The app offers a free trial with 5 designs, which is a great deal. Just note—it’s only available on tablets and computers (not mobile), but it’s definitely worth checking out.
Menards Trip: The Big Haul
So, we made the trek to Menards—about two hours away from our house. We’ve been so used to having a Menards right down the road in previous homes, so this was a bit of a drive! My husband made sure we had a solid list so we wouldn’t forget anything important. Oh, and I haven’t really mentioned this, but we bought this house with cash and have no mortgage right now, which is such a huge blessing with the way things are in the economy.
Pro tip: If you ever find yourself heading to Menards (or any big store, really), don’t go on an empty stomach! I made that mistake, and let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty. Getting hangry with two kids in tow? Not a good mix. So sorry, honey—I’ll make sure to grab a snack next time!
On this trip, we stocked up on all sorts of things, from rough plumbing materials like pipes and fittings to rough electrical stuff like outlets, wire, and lights. We even grabbed a hot water heater and a bunch of smaller odds and ends.
A Huge Help from Family
A big highlight of this stage was having my father-in-law and mother-in-law come to visit and help us out. They were kind enough to use their vacation time to pitch in on the project, and it made such a difference. I spent most of my time with the kids since it was my last week of summer break, but they managed to get so much done while they were here.
Some of the things they tackled included installing a new door, vacuuming the whole second floor (thanks, Dad!), removing extra materials that had been in the way, and helping with the plumbing in the basement. They even removed a window. I’m sure there was even more that I didn’t get on camera, but I’m just so grateful for their help.
Plumbing: Lessons Learned Along the Way
We’ve been working through rough plumbing, and let me tell you—it’s taken longer than expected. But we’ve learned a ton through the process, including one really important thing: all your plumbing should be hidden in the walls! We’re adding a plumbing chase in the bathrooms because we decided to move the toilets to different spots so we can stack them on top of each other. It’s a little extra work, but it’ll be worth it in the long run.
Framing and the Floor Starting to Come Together
After all that, we got to work on replacing the windows and framing the bathroom and closet walls. We also moved a doorway to make the space flow better. The final layout will have a bedroom/living room off the kitchen, followed by a hallway with the bathroom and the second bedroom. It’s exciting to see it all start to come together!
Our main goal now is to get the second floor ready to move into before the snow flies (wish us luck!). Things are starting to feel real, and we’re working hard to get everything done before winter hits.
Thank you for following along on our journey and for being patient with us as we navigate this renovation. We’re so grateful for all the support, and I can’t wait to share more updates soon. See you in the next post!
I dive deep in
