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| Day 1 - There's not much to salvage here. Yet in Step 8, I'm focused on the pots, dishes, and things in the cabinets. Cabinets, counters, and the old stove will get removed during the demo phase. |
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| After - Same view. |
If something is left behind by the
previous owners, you can't use it, and no one you know wants it, then be ready
to send it on its way. Step 8 goes hand-in-glove with Step 7: Shifting into Salvage Mode.
I've learned some lessons over the years that will save
time, money, and some heavy lifting. You can apply what I wrote in Step 7
to the left behind belongings, but what about a refrigerator or other large
appliance ready for retirement? When I first started, online websites to
sell or give stuff away was still to come in the future. However, now this
is a solid first option. Consider posting an ad, and maybe someone will come
take your appliance away... even if it doesn't work. If you aren’t able to make
a cyber connection, you might be able to push, pull, and drag your appliance out
to the curb, where someone in the salvage business will likely snatch it up. You
can always haul it away yourself, or even wrestle it into a dumpster, but those
options suck up time and cost you money… and may even lead to an ER visit if
you hurt yourself. Make every effort to keep it simple, economical, and safe.
And be resourceful.
Apply this type of thinking to the other left-behinds. If
you place scrap metal or aluminum out next to the street, it'll walk away on
its own. Side hustle salvagers will be glad you didn't put it in the dumpster,
and these scavengers will happily haul it away for you. Same with other things
that may hold little value but are too good to toss into your rented metal
trash box.
Donating stuff is also better than adding it to the dumpster
because you need that space for serious rubbish and your heavy, dirty construction
debris. In the end, you pay by the ton when the dumpster folks pick up their
loaded container. You need to save your cash every place you can, so don't pay
anyone to take it away if you can get it off your property easier and for less
of your budget money. Step 8 is a great place to begin thinking about
the squeeze on your project budget as part of the game of
renovating a pig's ear.
Rules, laws, and town ordinances vary by area. In some
places, construction or renovation debris out at the street is fine, but in
other places, it can become an issue. Sometimes you’ll be able to ask for
permission, while in other circumstances, it might end up being more practical just
to beg for forgiveness. Overall, be aware and make the most of the situation
you find yourself in, case by case. Ask neighbors, make phone calls, or surf
the city web page for answers or clues about what you can and shouldn’t do.
There's a good chance the local sanitation crew will make
your streetside deposits disappear if nobody else wants them. Make an effort to
place your discards where the trash is picked up, and the odds are in your
favor that someone will deal with it when you're not looking. If you're paying
for sanitation services as a taxpayer or as part of a utility bill, you might
as well get your money's worth and let someone else haul off your unusables
when possible. It may only be a few dollars, but that money adds up over the
course of a long renovation, and you'll want those dollars at the end of the
job for the finishing touches.
Also, keep in mind that neighbors can be finicky about
newcomers littering the public-right-of-way with junk. If the real estate
market is hot, they lean toward being more contentious and uppity. If the
market is cool, they'll be glad you're investing in the neighborhood and
helping their property values. In my experience, most will realize it's a
win-win scenario and cheer you on rather than gripe over evidence of your
progress. But don’t be caught off guard by someone in the neighborhood being a squeaky
wheel.
Finally, Step 8 is when I pull out the carpet. Certainly, my favorite part of the clean-up phase. Carpet traps moisture
and stank in the house. You'll want both of those gone as soon
as possible. In addition, you will also want to know what's under any floor
coverings. Redeemable hard wood flooring or tile? Subflooring that's
deteriorated? If you know the carpet is going, get it gone sooner rather than
later.
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| The Fire House Den before I started with light pouring in the charred hole in the roof. Comparable to the corner of the kitchen above, this needed removed ASAP. |
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| After the Clean Up. It looks better. Plus, coming in the project and seeing this, felt like major progress. |
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| After the Renovation. This is the same view. It's the same fireplace and same salvaged wood floor that still has some char marks that help tell the story of the catastrophic fire. |
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