When you buy a fixer-upper house the to-do list never ends. My husband and I bought our house in 2010, yes at the bottom of the market. We bought a fixer-upper because it was the “smart financial choice.” Plus, it’s what we could afford even though we were approved for more than we could afford.
There are often times we wish we had purchased something bigger, but then again eight years ago we were looking for a starter home. Over the last eight years, we’ve turned this house into a home. Maybe even our forever home. Only time will tell. Anyway, back to home improvements.
This is currently the kitchen.
And on the other side, it looks like is this…..
Before we even moved in we replaced the carpet, painted walls and gutted the bathroom on the cheap. Since then we were able to save up and remodel the kitchen. We’ve also completed a number of smaller projects like painting the house, replacing windows and doors and minor landscaping the front yard. Needless to say, there’s still a ton to do or redo (cough the main bath).
– swap out barstools
– update kitchen runner
– update curtains, dining table & chairs
– swap out 2 random sliders to big windows
– fix door and paint
– refinish vanity
– finish painting
– update paint
– update mirror
– swap out light fixer
– replace flooring
– install baseboards
– paint doors, walls, trim and ceiling
– swap out water heater to tankless
– replace flooring
– install trim
– build a bench, shoe storage, etc.
– build in washer/dryer and additional storage above
Master Bedroom (aside from fresh paint & carpet this hasn’t been touched since we moved in)
– New bed frame, nightstands, dresser
– paint everything
– update carpet (when we moved in we installed super cheap carpet I would like to update the carpet in all three bedrooms)
– swap hollow doors to solid doors
– swap out slider to french doors
– art
– paint everything
– update carpet
– swap hollow doors to solid doors
– art
– paint
– update carpet
– swap out dresser
– add family & friend photos
– buy an area rug
– swap out coffee table
– paint fireplace
– swap out mantel
– add built-in the left of the fireplace
– find an occasional chair
– hang some art/photos
– refinish lawyer bookcase
– swap out slider to french doors
– add curtains?
– update porch, walkway, and driveway
Backyard
– come up with a plan and execute it! Eight years later and it’s still a blank slate.
– drywall
– organize everything
So I guess I better get to work! Tips, deals or suggestions are always welcomed.
Good luck! If you ever decide that you need a boost to your wood floors, I recommend Fabulous Floors. I'm in ohio so I use https://www.fabulous-floorscleveland.com/ for refinishing and they're great. But I know they are all over the US.