I’ve taken on my fair share of DIY projects, some more successful than others – but no major calamities… yet! However, since I impulse bought a few days ago, literally ‘a lorry load’ of materials for my latest venture, I have to admit I am now getting a bit apprehensive.
It all started when I came in from the garage the other day and declared it was a shocking waste of space, full of junk and stuff not seen or used in years. This lead onto the discussion of how it could be a great extra play area. I had a vision of the kids bringing mates home, to hang out and listen to tapes, play on the mega drive, drink alcopops, or whatever it is teenagers do nowadays – admittedly I’m a little bit out of touch?!
The more I thought about it, the better it sounded. They get their own space to make noise and mess about without ‘boring’ parents being in ear shot. I get a house free from teenage noise and clutter. It’s a win-win right?
Well, that was it. A masterplan had materialised and needed to be actioned immediately. Sure, my eldest is only 8, but time flies, and accounting for a few inevitable delays (industrial disputes, Great crested newts, trips to A&E etc…) I reckoned I might as well get started right away.
As with all these things, the key to efficient delivery is in fastidious preparation. That is to say, several evenings spent hogging the iPad, staring at storage solutions, flooring, chipboard, screws, light bulbs… and basically all the really interesting stuff. This ran parallel with daytime activities, clearing the garage – a mammoth task.
Luckily I had a 2 year old to ‘help’ me. While all her friends were at the playground or curve motion, she was down the tip or on a reconnaissance expedition at screwfix. What a lucky girl.
As I speak my Gantt chart and lists are dynamic and changing hourly. The initial, and hopefully worst, stages are nearing completion. Only time will tell, but I remain optimistic. Who knows, if I complete this before 2022 I can set up a 360o projector tv and watch the Qatar World Cup in all its bizarre glory, or maybe install a 12ft snooker table?
I mean, if they can build a brand new high school, from foundations up, in 10 months, then I should be able to do this in a few years? Oh wait, they couldn’t actually build it on time could they? If only they had my project management skills… and maybe an enthusiastic toddler to help.
