Open-heart surgery

Well, we had to first decide what we wanted to do. I wanted to turn the house around, knock down some inside walls, convert a garage into a flat and build a double garage. That's all.  I decided that I would use the same architect to draw plans, even though he didn't really approve of my choice.  But in the end he gave me good plans and helped me with important decisions like which wall was okay to knock down, and which one would be a bad idea - "you know that wall is actually holding the roof up at that point so better let it stay" sort of advice.  But basically, what I seem able to do is 'see' the finished product, so I really decided to do open-heart surgery and a face-lift on this old girl. (It was quite funny when we noticed that the estate agent's advert described this house as "Old Charm but renovated" and all my friends decided that was a sign that I was meant to buy it, and that I should call it that!) I am still trying to choose a suitable name for it, but it definitely won't be that one!
The problem with open-heart surgery on an old-ish lady is that it often triggers other health problems. So, having knocked down a few walls to let in light and give a sense of space, we also decided to re-do the bathrooms. We actually needed to because there was a lot of damp. But once we had opted to build two showers - one for us and one for the guests (don't you find it a nuisance when the guests have to come to your bathroom to shower as there isn't one in their bathroom?) then the plumber told us that we would need a new high-pressure geyser as showers don't really work off a low-pressure one.  So that then led to the next consequence - you must now re-do all the pipes as the old ones are low-pressure pipes which will burst with the new geyser.  So now open-heart surgery has led to re-doing the water-works.  But while we are doing that we ought to put in a solar-system seeing we have COP 17 going on at the moment. And so any would-be renovators, beware of  "scope creep" which basically means the scope of the job creeps up and the costs mount.  I have experienced many sleepless nights worrying about that.  It has been a battle to keep trusting the Lord and asking for wisdom to make the right decisions. Okay, I have gone on too long, but let me describe my little metaphor for this experience.  I have started a journey by taxi (English taxi, not the S.African kind) and I know where I want to get to, and having begun the journey I have to finish it, but the taxi driver is taking an extra long route and the meter is ticking away and the money is mounting up.  It is a scary feeling! Watch this space to see how this has all worked out.