We were hoping to have all the demolition done by the end of the week. It didn’t happen, but here’s where we’re at:
The demo started with Alex hitting a hot water pipe with the Sawzall, but it has since gone much more smoothly (and carefully!). And now we know one unsuccessful and one successful way to repair a cast iron pipe.
Oops 
Fixed
Intel we’ve gathered says the insulation is fiberglass and was probably installed in the early 80s, so we don’t really need to worry about saving it. The last owners did put some insulation right under the new siding in 2016, so we’ll leave that layer be.
We will definitely need to move some electrical and plumbing, since we’re changing the location of every major element (sink, stove, and fridge) from where it was previously. Alex is still deciding how far-reaching the plumbing and electrical projects should be. The cast iron pipes appear to be flaking, and the electrical panel is in need of an upgrade. On the other hand, the most expensive words in a home remodel are apparently “While we’re at it…”