Renovation Column: Embracing a nomadic lifestyle to escape the post-apocalyptic building site
A house is so much more than a home; it becomes your identity, your safety, and your routine so turning your haven into a building site can temporarily wreck your emotional anchor.
As a result of living in this post-apocalyptic landscape I have been feeling all at sea, somewhat displaced and simply trying to keep my head above water this week.
The much-anticipated arrival of the electricians has brought with it a new way of life – a nomadic existence in which I’ve been required to uproot and seek shelter elsewhere.
I am officially a wanderer but instead of moving with the seasons, craving new cultures and life-affirming lessons I seek a Wi-Fi connection and stable electricity supply.
This week my mission to find a place to work led me to the local library and what a joy it was to enjoy peace and quiet while working. Even when the rowdy toddler entered the children’s section and demanded his grandma recite 'The Gruffalo' it still felt like a far cry from the building site sounds. And did I consider returning home when the hard-of-hearing OAP arrived to try and speak to a call centre about a change of address? Of course, but to be honest this community hum was simply white noise compared to the ear-shattering sounds I’ve been living with for the past few months.
I also stopped off on my travels and enjoyed a hot-desking opportunity at a friend's kitchen island – what a luxury and quite the contrast to our current minimalist kitchen set up that consists of... nothing.
We had been hanging on to our kitchen sink for dear life but we’ve even had to wave goodbye to that and washing the pots is now a toss up between the bath tub and the caravan. Of course I am leaning into my traveller-style existence and opting for the caravan on most occasions.
We usually operate a system where one cooks and the other washes the pots so I’ve never been so eager to rustle up a meal in our living room set up to avoid the nightly caravan trips.
The truth is, renovating causes unnerving disruption to your home and I guess it’s only inevitable that my positivity and enthusiasm would wane. And it's only natural that I would consider timing a library toilet trip with closing time in the hope I might be locked in a brick-dust-free zone, curled up with a good book or 10 for the evening.
But there is a happy ending or at the very least a silver lining to this tale of displacement and unrest. Whilst I have been away from the house there has been major progress with the electrics, I have overcome my decision fatigue and selected a kitchen and I’ve even returned a few overdue books.
Keep up to date with all the progress by following @ohgodweboughtavicarage on Instagram.