The Real Cost of Overhauling Your Entire HomeOpen-Plan Living: Is It Right for Your Renovation? 78

The Real Cost of Overhauling Your Entire HomeOpen-Plan Living: Is It Right for Your Renovation? 78

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The tap wasn't even broken. Just slow. You had to turn it just so and then back into position to get non-freezing water. If you turned it too fast, it'd shriek. Not loud, but sharp — like a rusty hinge with opinions. I put up with it for years. Blamed the pipes. Blamed the building. Blamed everything except the fact that I hadn't done anything.

One Tuesday, I was home early, waiting for the pasta water to boil, and it hit me: I am tired of this space.

It wasn't a rage fit. More like a background noise that had finally forced its way to the surface. The cabinet handles jiggled, the bench was basically decorative, and the overhead storage door slammed my face every time I grabbed a bowl. I'd started to brace like it was a reflex.

I pulled out a notebook and wrote “new tap” at the top. Beneath that: “actual counter space,” then “move light switch?” The question mark wasn't a joke. The switch really was inexplicably placed.

I told myself I'd just fix that one thing. Just swap out the tap. Easy. But standing in the hardware store three days later, confused by finishes, I somehow ended up with a brochure for splashbacks under my arm. And then came the demolition.

I didn't hire a pro. I probably should've. Instead, I borrowed a sledgehammer from my friend Rory, who told me to "be careful-ish" Not exactly the OSHA standard, but I got started.

Taking down that upper cabinet felt like a win. Against what? I'm not totally sure. Maybe the version of me that lived with forehead bruises.

The project spiraled. Not into madness, just... as you'd expect. I spent three hours googling “do I need primer?”. Got into a minor argument with a guy on a Facebook group about “the best tile spacing tool”. I still don't really get epoxy, but I'm convinced he was wrong.

And the new tap? Still isn't silent. Different sound now. Softer. Almost charming. I think I like it. Or maybe I've given up.

It's not a showroom. The tile near the bin's not square, and the outlet by check here the toaster wobbles. But when I walk in, I don't feel dread. That alone is a win.

And that notebook? Still on the bench. Nothing new written. Which, honestly, says a lot.