I am SOOO with you!! It is exhausting and seems never ending.

You may have to just deal with not having a functional kitchen for a few days.

Rip out the rest of the cabinets, FORCE yourself into a position where it HAS to be done in order to cook. Also...recruit your wife. There is no reason why you should be doing this all alone.

Put a hammer and a crow bar in her hand and tell her to rip out the cabs.

What are you planning to do with the old cabinets? Are you repurposing them or donating them to something like Habitat for Humanity?

Hang in there, it will eventually get done.

Thanks for the reply Texas_Gem, I'm sitting here at the pc with no motivation to get back to work.

One of the reasons my wife is being so understanding is she still has 40% of her kitchen and somewhat operational. Sure a total mess but we still have all the appliances hooked up.

Once the rest of the cabinets are gone, sleeping beauty awakens with a hangover and I'm the first person she's going to come too. Get my drift?

My wife would love to help ripping out the old cabinets, but I want to do that for sheer therapy. As for the install of the new cabinets, She;ll have no choice but to help and she's ready and willing as that's a clear sign that it's the start of a new kitchen. Unfortunately, I have about 30 more hours of modifications before the install starts and I can't seem to find that dam flame!

Old cabinets are being donated to Habitat For Humanity and they're waiting for the remaining cabs.

I've been struggling with motivation for about a week now, don't know how much longer I can "hang in there".

Can you afford to hire a handyman to help? It will go so much faster if you have a good one, and not cost that much.

Habitat will take out your old cabinets for a small fee!

Many cabinet shops make the boxes but order doors from specialty door places, so why can't you?

It doesn't have to be 100% DIY or 100% pay someone else. Try to find a balance that works for you and your budget.

Sending support!

Even if you just recruit a friend to come in and "help" it can be a lot more motivating. Any DIY-er will tell you they have experienced that burnout, especially when a project goes longer than anticipated and the weather turns nice so that our thoughts turn elsewhere.

Call upon a friend to be a source of accountability; your DW doesn't count because she has a vested interest and a friend will not bring the wrath down on your noggin.

Where, exactly, are you stuck? What NEEDS to happen in order to move forward? is it just the sheer weight of the project? or is it one particular element that s giving you trouble? Can your sound system go on hold?

At this point you need to break down the remaining tasks and prioritize. And screw therapy, enlist the wife and whack a few golfballs when you are finished. :o)

Schedule something fun and relaxing out of the house and DO it - even for 2 hours. Then get to work. I am a terrible procrastinator and I've noticed that I combine not getting anything done AND frittering time away unsatisfying.

I'm right there with you! Actually, it seems like a lot of us are losing steam. Maybe it's the time of year?

sjhockeyfan:

We're added a couple extra's and are already $4000.00 over budget and can see it easily going higher as my wife likes the higher end granite and I don't blame her. Seems my granite budget was too low. To answer your question, no extra money in budget for extra hire.

beautybutdebtfree:

Removing the remaining 7 cabinets would only take a couple hours, and an easy task, it's the 28 hours of heaving though that I'm fighting. Plus removal of cabinets is a nice break.

I already decided I'm going to sub out the doors to Walzcraft which should add another couple thousand for the cherry doors so again, over budget but well worth not having the extra aggravation and I know the quality will be high.

I received your support..........Thanks!

greenhaven:

Doing electrical, modifying ducting, reworking drains, modifying a load bearing wall isn't something a friend can help me with. Plus, I easily get aggravated lately so I don't feel I'll be easy to work with. I do appreciate the suggestion.

I need to rewire 4 circuits as they're too short, once the bulk heads were removed it would reposition over the 36" upper cabs since I used to have 30"

I need to add vapor barrier to the area where the bulk heads were removed, on the exterior wall.

Drain stack needs to be moved 4" to accommodate new pantry.

One load bearing wall needs to be modified to encompass the recess fridge.

I added a new panty so the wall needs to be framed out, I also oppened up this wall to run all cat5 and speaker wire for the whole home audio.

I need to add a gas line for new stove before the cab install.

drain for new sink needs to be rerouted.

Old drywall for backlash need to be removed and new drywall installed.

Redrywall open bulkhead that was removed.

Add metal supports to rear of fridge, too complicated to explain.

And another 15 tasks.

Yes sound system has already been put on hold couple days ago due to lack of motivation.

Maybe I should start a new thread and see if motivation can arrive from that?

feisty68:

Last weekend we spent the whole day with friends and I enjoyed myself so much that it's now harder to get back to the reno, especially with the nice weather outside.

Thanks for everyone's reply and I can see that I'm making excuses.

.

I agree with feisty. Take some time, even if that means a week. Don't talk about the reno. Do some fun stuff with your wife. Take a day trip somewhere. Enjoy nature. Your brain needs to recharge.

Renosarefun, I hang my head shamefully when I tell you, I have the longest DIY kitchen remodel in GW history..... Search FIVE years ago, April 2009, while working on the floor plan here with the experts, we were tearing out walls, adding on to the house, ripping out 600sq ft of blasted 6" floor tile, digging up the concrete slab to put in plumbing and electrical for the island, running a gas line 300ft to an all electric house so mama can cook on gas. I don't know if this will motivate you or bring you down, but just look back at ALL that you have accomplished in the past few months! You seem to have done a remarkable amount of work in that time period. And the old "while I'm at it, while the walls are open, while this is torn up, I might as well do ____" is the curse and the blessing! My mother, MIL, brother, kids, cousins,aunts, uncles ALL ask that same question, "is that all you have done" it's embarrassing, yes, but have they seen all the work done within the guts? It's not just lipstick, it's surgery!
I think you answered it best, most of us DIYers know that it isn't going to be a contractor come in, tear out and put back together so we leave everything as operable as possible. I think if the kitchen was not where I could cook dinner and clean up, we would be more motivated to speed on.
The suggestion to hire someone who could help is a good one. Maybe figure out what YOU don't want to do most, and get a couple people to come give you bids. We are doing that with the drywall because DH hates trying to get a good bed and tape finish.
Good luck, don't give up, everyone hits a wall, slows or stops, it's perfectly normal and don't beat yourself up over it!

give yourself some slack. Take a deep breath or 100. I think you need some Pinterest therapy looking at all the wonderful completed kitchens.

When I started reading this thread, I was wondering if there was a medical cause, I know when I get sick I'm tired and don't want to do much. Plus you say you are easily aggravated lately.

You might be overwhelmed, but don't rule out that it might be something else completely. Possibly new allergies to the dust and so on that all this tearing up of stuff might create?

Reading all this I have to say it's a good thing I am not capable of "doing it myself" :-) Doing it all on a hired-out basis was hard enough.

Start a new thread, but ONLY put in it what you accomplished, not what's left. It's too time consuming and overwhelming to put down the endless list of what's left.

But it's motivating to put down ANYTHING that you actually can check off DONE, for today! - even if it's just a STEP toward finishing a larger thing.

We'll read your dailies and cheer you on!

I don't know if this will help you feel better, but what you have done so far sounds awesome and amazing to me! A recessed fridge and whole-house sound system! I demo-ed my powder room 2 years ago and haven't touched it since! That's just the beginning of my pathetic lack of progress on my reno projects. I know for me, my major problem is paralyzing perfectionism where I want this high-end look, but hate spending money, and fear making mistakes. It really can help us when we come to understand what fears hold us back from achieving our goals.

Renosarefun:

You need a banker and a contractor in that order.

My wife and I remodeled a galley kitchen with IKEA cabinets. I built the countertops and subbed out some of the plumbing. It took about 350 hours and we are professionals. You've got quite a ways to go.

This post was edited by Trebruchet on Wed, May 21, 14 at 16:32

Large mug of favorite hot beverage, and spend that time making a list of the stuff in the 30 hours of work. Detailed (like, say, 15-30 min increments). Pick ONE, and do it. And then be happy you got going again (or take a nap...or your wife out to dinner)

(with you though, totally exhausting, all this stuff, and I'm not even on to the wished-for kitchen reno!)

Would you characterize yourself as a person that needs to be in control? I recognize your problem very well because that's how I roll too. Taking on an ambitious project and not allowing anyone near it because you feel that you are the only one who knows how to do it. You want to do every single thing yourself. And I bet that you are a perfectionist too so that every single detail has to be just right or you cannot move on.

Lack of motivation might be that in your heart of hearts you really don't want to finish - if this were not the case, why do you keep adding to the project? You, sir, need to allow someone to help you - you need a help buddy (but not your wife), a friend who can help keep you on the path to completion. You need to release your need for perfection and strive for excellence instead.

I just wanted to add, that you might consider trying Tai Chi or yoga to help you relax and focus.

This post was edited by jerzeegirl on Wed, May 21, 14 at 16:26

There's no shame in hiring a handyman or contractor to shoulder some of the load. I always seem to run out of steam about 2/3'rds of the way through my projects as well.

It's actually kind of satisfying to have somebody finish up a project you've lost interest in. Contractors always seem to work 10x faster than me too, so I feel like paying for 1 week's worth of a contractor saves me a couple months.

I can't believe you actually built the cabinets and are planning on building the doors! That's a tremendous amount of work.

DH and I have done LOTS of DIY together. In most projects there is a point where you hit the wall. We worked on restoring a 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner for 9 years. (We moved three times during the restoration). We would spend hours - work, work, work but it seemed there was nothing to show for it. But finally we set a deadline - we wanted to enter the car in a national competition. We completed it the night before the big day. Not sure what the answer is for you to get over the hump. Just offering my experience. You should start by patting yourself on the back for having accomplished so much. Best of luck and keep us posted.

Take a break but don't give up. I built mine too. However, I used a few time savers.

As someone suggested above, I used Habitats for Humanities to deconstruct my kitchen. If your old kitchen cabs are in decent shape, they will take them.

I also bought my doors through
cabinetnow.com. They are very easy to do business with and have decent customer service if you have any questions. You should be able to get your doors I think within 7 business days.

We had a professional painter spray the cabinets in place.

If you have kids, maybe they can help. My 14 year old was a big help. I gave my soinger son some smaller job- like manning the kreg jig for pocket holes on my face frames.

I am looking forward to seeing pictures! Best of luck finishing. Keep chugging away!

Here is a link that might be useful: My Reveal

Reading your post made me think of my husband. He decided that this was the year - after three years - to fix the hallway. He stripped the moldings on the doors and floors, labeled everything carefully and we even decided on the color - that took forever! It's been 3 months since he took the trim and moldings off and he hasn't touched the hallway. All the trimmings and paintings from the hallway have been blocking the front entranceway to the inside of the house. It's a big mess. everytime i bring it up, he gets mad. i'm mad. i think i'm just going to hire someone. it's frustrating and the house is a mess because of it. phew..thanks for letting me vent. :-)

First off I wasn't expecting praise or even compassion, I was actually expecting, "get off your ass and get back to work" and I have to say, it's encouraging. Thanks everyone.

debrak2008:

I've been in this state right after my mother in laws comment about not seeing any progress. To me it's like saying "are you ever lazy" and it struck a nerve that isn't healing. I will get over it over time but that's not something I have an abundance of so everyday equals one day longer to me.

susied3:

I'd like to read your thread one day.

It's not in me to hire someone to aid in my reno, but I have decided to sub out the doors. I'll still condition, stain and clear coat them since they need to match the trim and edge banding I've already done. I see that as a step in the right direction. That will save me around 60 hours of work.

Violet.West:

I'm on my 12th deep breath and I think it's helping.

lucille:

Nope I don't believe I'm sick and do thank you for your thoughts.

beautybutdebtfree:

I'm not sure there would be much interest but I'll give it a thought.

andersons:

It did make me feel better..............thanks.

Trebruchet:

I guess at this point I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I do thank you for the suggestion on the HUSH system. I'm going to use it for extra security.

meganmca:

I made up a list about a week ago and it's difficult to look at it everyday. I've seen often enough that I know it by memory.

jerzeegirl:

Actually i don't mind when others are in control of a project as long as they know exactly what they doing. I also don't mind being in control, only when others also know what is expected of them and I don't need to baby sit. I do agree that I really don't want anyone to continue with this reno as I know exactly what's going on and some may say, "why do you need all that stuff".

I guess I keep adding to the project simply because I want this kitchen to pop more than when I started the project and don't know if that will happen in the end.

chiefneil:

As mentioned, rather than hire someone to help, I'm going to sub out the doors and just do the stain etc as I want it to match what I've already done.

vwhippiechick:

We seem to have something in common, I've also done lots of renos and my plan was to do a body off restoration on a 75' Corvette that has been stored in my garage for the last 25 years. I'm the original owner and would prefer to work on that than my kitchen at this point, but that's not an option. I have to get passed this wall that's in front of me.

diyguyjr:

I'll check out your revel tomorrow, thanks for the link. My kids are busy with they're boy, girl friend that I'm not a priority. They will help if I ask, but I find they don't have patience or experience.

bellarosa:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I hope my wife isn't at that point as I have to give her credit, it's her kitchen and I've messed it up, it's up to me to fix it.

How is your relationship with your MIL normally?

For me, if it was MIL #1 I'd brush it off because I couldn't do ANYTHING right.

If it's current MIL #2 I'd take it to heart because we have a good relationship and she'll tell me the truth about things. (Though sometimes she's TOO easy on me.)

I'm just saying that it seems that's the burr in your side. It seems like that's what you have to make peace with in order to light that fire.

Pull that burr out and start moving!

That being said, I'm thoroughly impressed with the level of your DIY. Are you in a trade that makes this project an extension of work? More of the same? I could see that being an issue too.

cal_quail:

The relationship with my MIL is very good, the only problem is when I do reno's. In other words, I know my father in law, (god rest his soul). would always get some sort of help from his brothers which I have none. He also never went above and beyond and made many changes. For e.g. when he did a bathroom reno, he wouldn't change the layout, rough ins, in other words, upgrades were not in abundance. When I did my bathroom reno, I moved one wall, went from a single sink to a double, added tile to the shower ceiling, added two niches, went with thermostatic valving, 4 body sprays, one rain can, one hand held, one multifunction shower head, four volume controls and a diverter with glass shower doors and a granite vanity, added an extra light fixture....... among other things and my mother in wondered why it took so long but only said it to my wife at the time.

As my wife has said in the past, my MIL has no concept about how long modifications or extras take since her husband would never take on such projects. To him it takes too long and isn't needed. But in our wishlist, it's welcomed and appreciated.

No I'm not in the trade, just very handy and mechanically inclined.

This post was edited by Renosarefun on Wed, May 21, 14 at 20:05

I hear your pain! We just completed a whole house renovation, all DIY. We brought the house down to walls and floors, replaced windows, doors, trim, full kitchen, bathrooms and on and on. My husband did the bulk of the work, I did most of the painting and helped where I could. We estimated initially it would take us 4-6 months. It took 1 year and 1 week from closing to move in. There were weeks when my husband would come to the house straight from work and work until 10-11 at night, all day every weekend. It was exhausting! Then there were times were he (we) was just so burned out we would go a week without doing any work. There were times I was frustrated at how darn slow it was all going, and "have you moved in yet?" Became a running joke with both our families.

But, the end came. and now that we are here, living In A home we customized to be perfect for us, it is fantastic. We never could have afforded the home we wanted any other way. There was lots of sweat, many tears, and a little blood included in the price, but it makes the reward so much sweeter!

A few tips:
Set goals. I found my husband did best if I set deadlines. Ie: I have booked the floor refinished a for December 1, you have to be done xyz by then". Sometimea if you have a specific date it mind it's easier to focus on getting there.

Give yourself a break! Pat yourself on the back, and take a few days off. My husband was hesitant to go on his annual snowmobile trip, but it helped him recharge a little.

Don't worry so much about what your mil thinks. Your wife understands, that's all you need!

And remember, the reward is worth the work. The light at the end of the tunnel will come, just plug along one screw at a time and it will get done!

Hi Renosare(n't)fun.

Totally right there with you. We're into year 3 of a remodel on our forever home which is almost done. AND now have to get our old house on the market ASAP, as in last week. My DH is a procrastinator who is burnt out and I'm pretty crispy myself. We simply have to keep putting one foot in front of the other as the expense of 2 houses has drained our finances and we've got to get this other house sold to be able to finish what we've started. I've been saying "ugh" a lot lately and I'll say it for you. UGH.

Seems to be like an absolute mind over matter situation. Grab yer boot straps and pull yourself up. Just keep putting on foot in front of the other. Do you have children? If so, think of which example you'd rather set.

I'm not talking smart, just walking our version of your path. Sick of chewing it but hey, we bit it off, right? Man up!

Why don't you post some pictures on here of where you are at and what you've done already? GW can be very encouraging esp. with some pictures!

chrissyb2411;

I congratulate both you and your husband for your hard work and determination. As you say, the rewards are well worth it.

I've set several goals both small and large and was doing fairly well until, I added to the wish list, which is acceptable bur most importantly..... lost my motivation. Once one, two, three, four goals weren't met, it only made things worse.

I know I'm the only one to blame since I did take a couple days off, re energized, set new goals which aren't being met but until the motivation comes back, I'm done. I know the rewards will be great as this isn't my first reno and I know once I start back up again I'll see the light. I just can't figure out how to get motivated again.

When I read my posts and all I see is excuses which is one thing I hate when others do it. Every morning I hope something will click and I'll be back at it but it hasn't happened in over a week. I know taking time off won't help as it's just a reminder of how much I've left this house in a mess and it won't allow me to not feel guilty, it's not in me.

Thanks again everyone, I know it's up to me.

I hear you about the kids. I did a lot of thinking and measuring and more thinking and measuring. So, there was not a lot they could do. But when I needed a helping hand, they were there. Keep a specific task in mind. I am sure they would be willing to help.

Get out of that kitchen and into the garage on that original owner Corvette project pronto!!!!!!!!!!!!

I admire your work ethic! I am not a diyer. What I am is a procrastinator. I read something that really stuck with me about procrastinators which might apply to your situation (not sure) which is that we overvalue being "in the mood" to do something and undervalue starting things even if we don't feel like it. Just getting started is key. And maybe setting some limits so you don't get sucked under....like, set the timer for an hour after work and just work that long.
http://psychology.about.com/od/the-psychology-of/a/psychology-of-procrastination.htm

Ok, starting tomorrow I'm going to try to get back on track.

I'll like to start a new thread with my diy kitchen reno with photos and hope my motivation will come back with a cheering section.

First off, how do I post more then one photo per post since so far I can only post one. It would be a time saver if I could post more than one photo per post.

vwhippiechick:

I think you'll come in handy if I'm in the same situation doing the body off resto. That should only take me about 1000 hours. I'll keep you in mind, but for now the kitchen is the priority.

Go get 'em, show that kitchen who's boss!

Upload your photos to Photobucket,and once you do you will be given a series of links. Copy the html links for each photo into one post and you should be good to go!

Have you ever seen the 1980s movie called The Money Pit starring Tom Hanks? If so then you will understand when I say "2 weeks" that is the running gag in my house anytime someone comments on what hasn't been done/ how long until your finished.

When my husband and I bought our first house, I was pregnant with our first child.
We bought a 1950s home that was remodeled in the 80s. It had wood paneling everywhere, ratty old carpeting, electrical that wasn't up to code, popcorn ceilings everywhere, this hideous pole/open shelves blocking half the entrance to the dining room and they had taken out the garage to enlarge the kitchen and create a den.

We bought it and 6 hours after closing, my real estate agent came by to drop off the second key and walked in to find that all the wood paneling was gone, the shelves were gone and we were in the process of removing the popcorn.
I created a daily schedule for us and predicted we would be done in about 30 days and be able to move in.
It took us 76 days.
In hindsight the amount of work we did, all new electrical, all new plumbing, goodbye wood paneling and wall paper, hello new texture and paint, get rid of old carpeting and refinish all the original wood floors, put up a wall to turn the den into an office; is actually remarkable. It sure didn't feel like it at the time though.

I partially blame myself. I was raised by a dad (and mom) who just DON'T hire people to do things. It costs too much and if I learn how to (or already can) do it myself, I can KNOW it is done right.

So I was raised learning how to change the oil, brake pads, etc on my car. I was raised learning how to install a new drain line or run power to a new outlet. My husband on the other hand, had never touched a tool until he met me.
His parents are the type who spend 100 dollars to have someone come clear a clogged drain instead of just running a snake through it.

It isn't his fault, but he had a big learning curve going into the project and I didn't account for it.

I told him after we finally got it done that even if we were to someday win the lottery and be able to build our dream home, I still wouldn't contract it out. I would rather build it myself and KNOW it is right than to risk trusting someone else to handle it (no offense tradesmen)

I say all of this for 2 reasons. One, it seems you and I are very similar in that last respect. It isn't a matter of cost, its a matter of, well pretty much being an anal perfectionist!! ;) We know if we do it, it is done right and if it isn't, we only have ourselves to blame. If we trust someone else to do it, they might screw it up and it is more of a headache to check their work than it is for us to just do it.
Two, PLEASE tell me you are teaching your children to take care of themselves. It is probably one of the most invaluable lessons my parents taught me. If something breaks or if I want something built, my first reaction is NOT to call a repairman, it is to do some research and learn how to fix it myself. Sure there is some trial and error involved but once I am done, I know next time a problem like that crops up, I can take care of it.

Good luck, and teach your kids!! Why else have children if not to use them as slave labor? ;)

I can relate on two fronts to your situation. First, to the situation of being frozen in progress...I am reluctantly taking classes for my bachelor degree after spending 5 years working toward and achieving my registered nurse license and I'M SICK OF TAKING CLASSES!! There, I said it. So I can relate to your being sick of renovating. How do I move forward? One rotten post and paper at a time.

Pick one thing however small and do it. The electrical, plumbing and framing you have to do for example (sorry for the reminder)? Get the supplies together and in the work area. That's a step! You can do it!!!! If I can write an ethics paper, you can do this!

As far as timelines go, well, we tore the old kitchen out January 2, 2009. I was without water on the main floor for nine months because my husband bailed emotionally in March. TONS of nagging and threats finally got us moving in May and after I dropped the heaviest cabinet on my foot and broke it while moving it into place by myself because I was sick of cabinets and appliances filling the rest of the first floor leaving us with no real functioning living space. And by the way, it's still not finished.

This too shall pass. You will move forward successfully I'm sure. One teeny step at a time if necessary. Go for it!

We are in the final throes of renovating my father's house for sale. I started January 1, after several months of cleaning out the stuff. Some of it is just clean/update, but much of the basement was torn out to the studs due to mold (professional mold remediation.) I have been doing most of the work, with DH's help on stuff I don't know/cannot physically do. Can you say concrete shower pan? I can lift it maybe 1/4".

I am a list person. The more detailed the better. I must be able to cross things off. "Paint basement walls" becomes "paint wall next to fireplace." Check. Done. Crossed off. Replace trim? No, replace trim under one basement window.

Break your wish list down into smaller steps. Then, like someone else suggested, break up your time. Pick something, 15 minutes or an hour or whatever. Set the timer. WORK! When the timer goes off, give yourself permission to quit. Often I find that I'm willing to keep going another 15 minutes, or until this one task is done.

My motivation is to get this thing on the market ASAP. There are other heirs who are being very patient (no, they can't help for various reasons.) Carpet guys are scheduled, here's what needs to be done NOW. Take a bite, chew, repeat.

Good luck finding your mojo. And while you're at it, can you find my pry bar? I think it got sealed inside a new wall. :)

"It's a big mess. everytime i bring it up, he gets mad. i'm mad. i think i'm just going to hire someone."

Although I risk having my man card revoked for saying so, this threat is highly effective. It is even more effective if he knows or is friends with the person you're going to hire.

To post more than one photo at a time, have your photos loaded into a service like photobucket. Then you click on links, choose the one for blogs, etc. and copy and paste directly into the post. You can put in as many photos as you want.

"I told him after we finally got it done that even if we were to someday win the lottery and be able to build our dream home, I still wouldn't contract it out. I would rather build it myself and KNOW it is right than to risk trusting someone else to handle it (no offense tradesmen)"

Texas_Gem:

None taken, but on the other hand I wish I had a dollar for every DIYer who proudly showed me their terrible work. They KNEW it was done right too.

>>I partially blame myself. I was raised by a dad (and mom) who just DON'T hire people to do things. It costs too much and if I learn how to (or already can) do it myself, I can KNOW it is done right.

Exactly. I'm stuck in a DIY dilemma right now because the flooring finisher who was super fast getting an estimate out that looked great has been taking ages to actually get going. It's at the point now where it's holding up about 8 other things that would basically let us return the kitchen and family room to a near-normal condition. It feels like I could have learned how to sand and finish flooring in the amount of time it's taken waiting around. I should have talked to more people instead of sticking closer to the one that uses a finish that I like better than the others.

My parents farmed out redoing their 1970s kitchen and all the missed appointments drove them absolutely crazy.

I want to thank everyone for sharing your stories,

I'm going to try to load more than one photo and see if it works.

I believe it worked. Thanks

You sound like an enormously talented person. I am astounded by all you have accomplished already. Sure, you seem to have hit a plateau but this will pass.
You might get those new appliances and install them right where the old ones are - for now. It just might motivate you to make everything else look new too.
I can understand your reluctance to having help, I am always sure I'm the only one who can do things the way I want them. But, perhaps it is time for you to share the load. How about pizza and beer with friends; ask them to bring sledge hammers and have fun while everyone takes out the cabinets. A good laugh is good medicine.
Good luck

Here is the link to the new thread.''My DIY Kitchen Reno

Here is a link that might be useful: My DIY Kitchen Reno

Saw you other thread and just came here to read your OP. I haven't read all the replies, but the best options for a DIY jumpstart in my book area

1) get some help -- friends, family or paid help, to get you over a hurdle and feeling like progress is being made. I'm sure it's been pointed out that you can hire demo help cheap or might find a taker for the old cabinets who will take them out as the cost of getting them or even pay something to get the cabinets, just less for having to remove them. Maybe you can make a little money and some progress at the same time -- or at least get someone else to remove the cabinets while you finish your wiring (which would cost a lot more to hire out). Clearing the slate and getting started on progress you can see should really help with motivation.

2) Take a break. Get out of the house and go do something else. At a minimum, get out in the yard. Go to a park, visit some friends, Do something you enjoy and haven't done while you've been spending those hours doing things that aren't showing yet.

I would not move in new appliances -- the chances for things getting damaged and making you feel worse are too great - at least in my world.

Try not to log hours if it is making you more tired or frustrated. It is a huge job, especially if you have a day job, family and other commitments. Remind yourself it isn't a race, but you are saving money and adding value with everything you do. You are doing things that most of us who pay others to do the work don't do -- like that audio wiring. You are going to have more than average when you are done, but t is going to take more than average to get there. Realize there will be baby steps and some that seem non-existent -- like your wiring, but others will be huge leaps. Most of those come later. BIG improvement already with removing the dropped ceiling and lighting already. Look up and see how good the rest will look. You're doing great things.

In the meantime, you can borrow my mantra -- Patience and Perseverance

And if a bet will help -- I have a house full of my own stuff that has gotten out of kilter from lack of time, stuff from my mom's memory care apartment, stuff from my dad's apartment and stuff from their house together before health issues separated them as well as the last details of my kitchen undone, a master bath with bare walls (no paper, no paint), a tub that leaks, cabinets I hate and a shower I can't wait to replace but all put off while I dealt with my parents the last couple of years. We just had the memorial service Tuesday and I'm catching my breath and dealing with a graduating high school senior. I have to finish clearing my dad's apartment this weekend and then i can START to work on sorting and getting my house back this summer. I bet you will finish your kitchen before I finish these projectsr. Winner buys the other dinner. (Maybe I should just send you a gift card now -- LOL).

It only looks easy on TV. Hang in there.

Take a break for a bit until you've regained your focus. And, I will add, tell your wife to jump in and help. I'm a wife, so I am speaking from that side of the issue. She'll learn a lot, have fun getting dirty, and feel empowered. I actually know how to drywall better than professionals now. It's easy. Monotonous, but easy. Not like cutting and installing trim. Painting is something she can do, no training necessary. Measuring, no training. I can think of a million things I'd pass off to someone who was helping, even if they'd never picked up a sawzall, drill, or a hammer. Probably not finishing work, but the rest, sure.

Overhauled two homes now, with projects as large as what you're doing and it always takes longer (and more trouble!) than you think. We did this so often, I always figured in something going wrong, and as long as the hiccup didn't cost me more than an hour of deciding how I, or we, would get around it, it wasn't even a problem. The first home, we just couldn't figure out how to fix the biggest problem of all, the floor space the stairs were taking up. Took us a couple of years. A spiral staircase. Duh. Live and learn! It's all a process.

But mostly, MIL needs to get a grip. You don't have a team of people working for you. There's a reason the estimate was $55,000. Now if she wants to donate $30,000, it can get done sooner.

Hoping for a MIL's approval? -- and so disappointing when you don't get it as expected!

My MIL didn't even call me by my correct name for 4 years! (but she managed to call my successor by my name correctly right from the start!)

In my job I constantly encounter the belief that I am not doing much -- when in fact I am doing so much that in 12 hours I never get to the restroom or have to wait to have lunch until 3 or 4pm. *I* know and take pride in what I am doing, that is what counts.

You just have to learn to ignore it, not take it personally, or figure out WHY it mattered so much to you that you want to quit.

And today, do just ONE thing -- one little thing -- doesn't have to be associated with that sound system either. Like, take a handle off of a door. Or put one on. Or tape off a small area that will be painted. Something that will take only a few minutes.

SuzieD, you're still an amateur. I'm 2006. And still going.

I also dread the question, "How's your house coming." I answer, "Along." People seem to think that just because something's mentioned, or they give me an idea, that I'm going to run out (and have the money) to get it done. Right then. Not. Inertia is my friend.

This is a common issue. Take some time and read through the different exhaustion threads. Join the "What I accomplished today" thread and celebrate even thinking about moving forward.

You're putting the pressure upon yourself and you will make yourself crazy. It's like guilt and jealously. Only you can make yourself feel those. And they're icky.

You've made a bunch of lists here. Decide what the 1st step is that will open up the other steps. For me, it's earning enough money to get my electrical finished, then the plumbing, so I can hang drywall. Then, I can think about paint and trim. Everything has a 1st step.

Or not.
There's always beer, TV, wine and cookie dough.