I loved the conversation Erin from Kismet House started this weekend about how making your house your home takes time. I started to share an overview of our home in our Instagram stories this weekend, but wanted to break it down even more on the blog. So, here we go!
We bought out house in 2011, fully knowing we needed to overhaul the majority of it in order to make it what we wanted. It really has not been until recently, after the majority of projects were slowly checked off our list, that it started to feel more and more like home. Not having to live in a constant renovation mess has been a lovely feeling, however I don’t want discredit all of the work we have done over the years because it has been a S L O W process. None of these projects happened over night. We could only focus on one MAJOR project every one to two years or so depending on the amount of work and budget. And then inbetween the big projects we would attempt to tackle the smaller, more affordable ones.
To highlight the idea that home takes time, here is a running tally of everything we have managed to accomplish since signing for our house in 2011. There are things I am still looking to do under each section, too.
Note, these are projects that just have to do with rebuilding/restoring the house, not furnishing – in other words these are the investment projects, the ones where I cannot ‘take it with me’ should we ever sell.
FIRST FLOOR
Side Entry:
- Replaced linoleum with tile
- Installed and painted new exterior door with new hand set
- Replaced bifold closet doors with slider/track, top hung doors
- Installed new baseboards
Dining Room:
- Skim coated the ceiling
- Skim coated all the walls (were pretty damaged after taking down the wall paper)
- Replaced old slider doors with new french doors, painted and installed new door hand set
- Hung new light fixture (2x)
- Painted (3x)
- Removed vinyl flooring to discover self-installed hardwoods from last owner – they were terrible, but we refinished them and lived with them for a couple of years before installing new hardwood flooring
- Installed new baseboards
- Replaced floor registers with oak ones to match floor
Still on our list: Raise and replace the ceiling
Family Room:
- Raised and hung new ceiling, removed faux beams
- Painted (2x)
- Replaced carpeting with hardwood flooring
- Installed new baseboards
- Replaced the window trim on double windows
- Replaced all registers
Still on our list: Finish the bookshelves to go to the ceiling and hang picture lights under each section of the bookshelves, Build new drawers for the lower cabinets on the bookshelves, Replace outlets to match all the other white ones in house
Half Bath:
- Painted (2x)
- Installed tile wall
- Installed new toilet
- Installed new pedestal sink
- Installed new faucet
- Installed new paper and towel holders
- Removed linoleum flooring and installed tile
- Installed new baseboards
- Installed new light fixture
- Replaced all registers
- Replaced handset on door
Living Room
- Painted (2x)
- Removed carpeting and refinished the original hardwood flooring
- Installed new mantle (2x)
- Skim coated the fireplace
- Replaced window sashes
- Replaced all registers
Still on our list: Install new baseboards, Find and replace new wall registers with a unique design, Install sconces above fireplace
Kitchen:
- New cabinets, wood floating shelves and quartz countertop
- Installed new hardwood flooring
- Tiled the length of one whole wall and small wall by refrigerator
- Bought all new appliances
- Raised and hung new ceiling
- Installed new light fixtures
- Rerouted HVAC
- Installed new range hood to vent outside
- Installed new outlets and wiring to meet code
- Installed new baseboards
- Replaced window sashes
- Replaced floor registers with oak ones to match floor
Front Entry and Stairwell
- Refinished hardwood flooring
- Painted front door (3x)
- Installed new hand set
- Installed new carpeting
- Installed new storm door
Still on our list: Replace hand rail
SECOND FLOOR
Landing:
- Removed carpeting and refinished original hardwood flooring
- Painted (3x)
- Installed new baseboards
- Replaced linen closet cabinet doors
- Replaced window sashes
Still on our list: Replace outlets to match all the other white ones in house
Master Bathroom:
- Replaced door and hand set
- New vanity with double sinks and quartz countertop
- Installed new medicine cabinets
- Installed new light fixtures
- Installed new fan and rerouted exhaust
- Rerouted shower drain
- New tile floor
- Installed new tub with tile surround
- Installed new faucets and shower head
- Installed new toilet
- Replaced floor vent
- Installed outlets to meet code
- Installed new paper and towel holders
- Installed new shower curtain rod
- Installed new obscured glass window
- Installed new baseboards
Master Bedroom
- Refinished hardwood flooring
- Painted (3x)
- Removed second closet for more space
- Replaced bifold closet doors with french doors
- Hung new closet system
- Wallpapered back of closet
- Installed new outlet with USB chargers
- Hung new light fixture (2x)
- Upgraded registers
- Replaced handset on door
Still on our list: Replace baseboards
Guest Bedroom:
- Refinished hardwood flooring
- Painted (4x)
- Upgraded registers
- Replaced bifold closet doors with french doors
- Hung new closet system
- Replaced handset on door
Still on our list: Replace baseboards, Replace window sashes
Office:
- Refinished hardwood flooring
- Painted (4x)
- Upgraded registers
- Replaced handset on door
Still on our list: Replace baseboards, Replace window sashes
Attic:
- Installed insulation
- Rerouted HVAC to meet code
EXTERIOR
- New roof
- Moved power line from backyard to side of house
- Painted all window trim (2x)
- Installed new light fixtures (3x)
- Installed new house numbers (2x)
- Installed new mailbox (3x)
- Reframed the front door and replaced front siding on brick to match the rest of the house
- Poured new cement on side entrance
- Replaced shutters
- Installed new lawn
- Installed new sprinkler system
- Ripped out old landscaping and planted all new (including 12 Annabelle hydrangeas, 16 trees, eight bushes and variety of perennials)
- Cut down three trees
Backyard:
- Resided the entire back of house
- Poured new cement patio
- Built pergola and privacy screen
- Installed new light fixture
- Replace door to shed
- Installed new outdoor outlet
- Replaced fence
Still on our list: Build a front porch, Pour new driveway, Improve the insulation on the front of the house, Replace garage doors, Paint interior of garage and organize for better storage, Replace windows in our garage
BASEMENT
- Replaced furnace
- Replaced galvanized pipes with PEX pipe
- Bought washer and dryer (our house didn’t come with them!)
Still on our list: Finish each side so that one side consists of a laundry room and storage and the other side is furnished.
You can see before and after photos and read more about our house here. You can also shop our house here.
