We’re changing how a lot of the rooms function so: -Donate crib, get bunk beds and combine boys into one room. -Make DS1’s oversized bedroom a fun playroom. -Change dining room, which is currently a playroom, into an actual dining room. -Change basement from basically a storage area to a rec room (video game system, small air hockey table, foosball table)
I am also doing a major decluttering project, and we plan to add recessed lighting to our living room and family room.
Post by dr.girlfriend on Jan 1, 2020 17:04:21 GMT -5
1. Major decluttering of the upstairs bedrooms now that we've moved everything we really like/use to the new master. 2. Finally replace all the windows with blown seals that I'm so bitter about since we had them replaced less than 10 years ago. 3. Style the shelves better in the new expanded living room, since I mostly was unpacking in a hurry. 4. Fix up the outside -- repave driveway, landscaping.
1. Set up a make your own lunch station in the fridge and pantry for the boys. Ds2s new school doesn’t have a hot Lunch option so we have to start packing and I want it to be easy. 2. Seriously figure out what we are doing with the landscaping. We need to start with a landscape designer I think but I need to figure out the whole process. I wish Lucas Lagoons or some tv person would just do it for us as they make it look so easy. 3. Replace light over the kitchen table. It’s currently a hanging light but isn’t centered over the table area and would need to swag (not ideal) or be replaced. 4. New sliding door- maybe this year 5. Have gutters cleaned/fixed/replaced as needed.
-Finish the laundry room -Finish the down stairs bathroom -Finish the hall -Replace the family room carpet with vinyl tile
A lot of these project got started and never finished. My husband does all the work and he had a stroke several years ago so he runs out of steam/gets frustrated pretty easy. He is blind in his left eye and has no feeling in his right arm/hand. I am going to see if I can take on some of this work myself.
Thanks for the encouragement! I did #1 today after posting. It needed to be ready by Monday so we did a trial today and both boys did well. Here are a few pics of the finished product. I figure this is round 1 so the options will evolve over time.
ETA. If anyone else is trying this here is my lesson learned. Make the kids pick the options the night before so you only have to load it up in the morning. The indecision in the morning is excruciating.
Fewer things are on my list at the start of the year, compared to last year. But there will always be additions. 1. Remove wallpaper and paint upstairs guestroom. 2. Replace the exterior lights outside the front and back doors (neither works well at this point). 3. Re-stain the deck. 4. Replace rollers on the garage door. (Recommended when I had them out for maintenance this fall, they just didn't have the right part with them at the time and it wasn't critical.) 5. Replace the edging on the front walk. 6. Replace the ceiling light in the front hall. (I have the new light, I just need my friend's son to come over and help me map the electrical box so I know which breakers to turn off. It amazes me that the prior owners never identified this!) 7. Look into getting some of my windows repaired (hard to open and I think you can just get the spring replaced or something).
I have some important work that needs to be done like a new furnace, replacing old galvanized pipes, some electrical improvements (I blow circuits regularly,) new windows on my front porch, and more insulation in my attic. My crawl space is a disaster with a bunch of construction debris and it's all dirt. I'd love to have that cleaned and sealed so that my house is less dusty. I also have some loose plaster on some walls that I'd love fixed. I also need to get my water supply line replaced but the city is doing that and I'm not sure when that'll happen for me.
Aesthetically, I want to add some moulding to my windows and a couple of doorways. I *hate* my countertops and don't think I have the $$ to replace them so I've been looking at epoxy coating. My bathtub is almond but everything else is white so painting that would be awesome. I also hate the tile floors and tub surround in my kitchen and bath so painting that would also be great. I took the carpet out of my bedrooms and want to refinish the concrete floors. I really want someone to help me decorate.
Post by lightbulbsun on Jan 2, 2020 9:21:36 GMT -5
H and I went through our house project spreadsheet, and here is what we prioritized for 2020:
- Finish painting trim in whole house - Paint walls in kitchen and office - Install cabinets in garage (we moved them from the basement, and they've been sitting in the middle of the garage since summer and nobody can park in it right now) - Finish the laundry/mud room (need to finish painting the trim and finish installing the bench/cabinets) - Install dehumidifier in basement - Finish building raised garden beds in the backyard - Sand and paint attic door and install weatherstripping so we can stop shoving towels into the gap at the bottom - Refinish iron railings at front porches - Fix kitchen cabinets doors so they close all the way - Rewire master bedroom lighting/fan control so fan can work when lights are off - Install wireless doorbell - Repave back patio
The biggest and most expensive project will definitely be the back patio. Right now there is a small 10x10 patio right outside of our screen porch, and it is graded towards the house, so we want to remove that, and put in a new patio on the other side of the screen porch where there's more space. I would love to have a built-in fire pit, and H really wants to have a path around the side of the house.
Post by Velar Fricative on Jan 2, 2020 9:48:13 GMT -5
1) Make an inventory of minor projects/fixes that are cheap and easy to do that we always just keep forgetting about.
2) Fully set up our new bathrooms so all the shit from the old bathroom after our leak is no longer in bags and boxes around the house. Renovations were just completed last week.
3) Be more cognizant of what we're bringing into the house.
4) Re-organize our basement storage area.
We do have some renovations we were considering for 2020 (new fence around our yard, a few new windows) but the bathroom renovations were an end-of-year surprise in 2019 so I am not sure I have it in me (or in our savings accounts) for more renovations. We need a break.
1. Finish Paver patio in backyard 2. Install WEt Bar (Cabinets just arrived) 3. Ceiling fan in loft/Outside maybe 4. touch up paint around house 5. Powerwash porch 6. Organize Garage 7. Find last year's post and see what I got done... 8. Kitchen backsplash
We are having our "housewarming" (we've been here 2 years, so we're calling it a birthday party for the house) in June, and I'd like to get lots of these checked off before then. . .
ETA: found my post from last year, didn't do too badly. Those damn pavers are going to be the death of me.
1. paint rainbow wall in DD's room 2. Finish painting DS's bed 3. master bedroom: -paint and stencil wall behind bed -new nightstands (assemble and paint) -remove closet door -more drawers in closet for H 4. Loft -new coffee table -remove desk -chair and a half for reading corner 5. laundry room - install cabinet 6. backsplash in kitchen and master bath 7. built-ins on fireplace sides 8. built-ins over half wall on the stairwell half done 9. table from office to basement 10. sectional for loft (move couch to office) 11. install garage shelving 12. install garage opener on 3rd stall. 13. re-lay pavers under new deck 14. get fence of some kind 15. Replace ugly builder mulch 16. various landscaping 17. storage shelves in basement storage
1. Finish our bathroom. And have it look right. 2. Replace broken sliding doors. (We had been holding off because we had been contemplating a kitchen reno that would involve moving them... that isn't happening anytime soon after this current renovation. I'll need a lifetime to work up the guts to do it again.) 3. Get the carpets cleaned. 4. Start looking at flooring options for most of the house - likely not a 2020 event. 5. May or may not happen: look into what it would take to have the under the stairs area (wasted space) be outfitted with storage that could house some of our kitchen overflow that doesn't get frequent use (mixer, etc) 6. Get our ugly, dead, dying street tree removed and replaced. We are still waiting on the arborist to come look at it and give us approval. She verbally told DH she doesn't think it's going to happen based on google street view pictures, but apparently she didn't notice that those pictures were from May and there were only a handful of leaves on the whole tree, while the rest of the street was flourishing.
This may be a pretty big house reno year for us. Thank you to the board for offering helpful suggestions almost 2 years ago on our master bathroom. We've had 2 contractors out this week to quote the job (fingers crossed we don't get sticker shock). I'm basically using the floor plan you all helped develop
Aside from a master bathroom, closet, study renovation, I have more DIY projects in mind.
- Updating our master bedroom (painting, molding, curtains, new ceiling fan, possibly add some recessed lights above headboard).
- installing crown in the nursery (soon to be guest room), painting the ceiling - put queen bed up there w/new head board and bedding.
- I'm eying another sofa for our living room. You all had great suggestions on that front a while back but I got gun shy and just put off the purchase.
- landscaping - hopefully minimal since we did a ton last year. Stain fence (big project). Take down dying trees behind spruce, plant holly or something similar. Transplant Japanese maple. Replace deciduous azalea. Install sandbox.
-shop around for HELOCs and loans for even bigger reno....
Not sure about our hardwoods on the 2nd floor. They need to be refinished esp w/the floor plan changes from the bathroom reno....but I'm not sure if we'll be able to stomach moving everything off the second floor.
I probably shouldn't look at what I posted last year since I'm sure we didn't do any of it LOL
1. repaint girls room and all new furntiure 2. paint DSS room and H is going to build built-ins for his books and pet tarantulas (yes, that's plural) 3. trying to convince H to redo the hall closet - take out the rod, install hooks, built-ins for additional storage 4. paint exterior 5. finish moving laundry to basement 6. new flooring in LR/DR
Part of #5 is turning the current laundry room into a pantry, but H is talking crazy right now. The current laundry/powder room is a step down from the kitchen and the same level as the garage. H wants to pour new concrete to bring the laundry/powder room level with the kitchen and then the garage would be a step down. The ceilings are crazy high so we have plenty of room to do this, but I'm not sure how I feel about it, that seems like an unnecessarily large project.
Too many things. I feel like it is basically the same list that we have had for years, decluttering, purging, etc., and bigger house projects. I think that this is going to be a very expensive year if we finally get to these things.
Number one on our list is to finish the front porch. We have been working on it off and on for the last week, and all we have left is one row of decking that is going to be a lot of weird cuts to fit along the wall and through the doorway, patching seams in the stucco finish panels that we put up on the interior, and painting said panels. DH leaves today on a business trip, so I am going to try to do the patching while he is gone, and hopefully the painting too...we'll see. At least there is no more expense on this job.
We have already purchased outdoor cabinets for the porch, so I will put those together while DH is gone so that we can install them as soon as we get that last deck board in but I think we are going to need a counter of some sort.
We will hire a painter to power wash and paint the house and trim. DH started painting and never finished it, a long time ago. It does look good from the street, and the colors are not so different that it is obvious that it is different, but it is ridiculous. lol There is a man who lives nearby that has painted a number of houses in the neighborhood and seems to do a great job for a good price. I just got his phone number, and will call him to line something up.
We need to come up with landscape plans. I am thinking of hiring a designer to help plan the front yard and courtyard. We will do some of the work ourselves, but we need a plan. At the very least, we really need to have a driveway (probably gravel?) designed and installed.
We need a sliding door replaced, but replacing the door also leads to a bathroom remodel of sorts (shower redo, floor and wall tile), but it does need to be done before we can remodel the master bath, so it is on the list.
We should replace some doors. If money was no object, it would be all of the doors, inside and out, but it will probably wind up being two of the four exterior doors and the front (courtyard) door/gate/ whatever it is. I am toying with the idea of building the courtyard door, in part because I want to use my welding equipment and do something creative, but also because what I really want would be much too expensive to have custom made. Also, the courtyard door is technically a gate, (since it is a door to another outside space), so I can do whatever I want without having to get a permit or inspection.
DH wants to replace some (six!) windows, but I don't think he realizes how much it will cost. Especially since they can't be installed the same way the original windows were installed, so there will be extra expense that he isn't considering on top of the window costs, and it will affect both the interior and exterior of the living room.
The list is longer, but that is more than enough for now.
We moved in July 2019, so my 2020 goal is to actually finish unpacking.
We're hoping to install some Elfa systems in a few spots. Depending on what happens when we price them out, the priority order is: 1. master closet 2. bookshelf wall in basement office (probably only need a few pieces to make some Elfa we took out of our old house work) 3. both kids' bedroom closets 4. convert weird nook in basement play/TV room into shelves/storage
We really wanted to renovate our master bath this year, but I think we need to focus on some exterior projects instead. Master bath is functional, just ugly and outdated. The outside work needed is the kind of thing where if you let it go too long, it creates bigger and bigger issues. The house is a Colonial style brick with a front brick stoop and there's no overhang on the porch, so the front door trim and all that is in rough shape, the brick and mortar on the stoop needs some TLC. I think we're going to need to add a little porch/overhang and replace all the wood around the front door (and the front door itself).
Post by dutchgirl678 on Jan 3, 2020 12:18:42 GMT -5
Our house is brand new so we don't need to do a lot.
- I'd like to work towards paying off our backyard debt. We put in $20k to go from a bare backyard to an extended patio with turf and some planter boxes - Put in some sliding drawers in our kitchen to organize better and make things more accessible - Better organization in master closet - I'd like to add a small bar area with a sink in our daylight basement. But that probably won't happen in 2020. - Decorate kids' bedrooms. For DS I want to do a Harry Potter theme. I'm planning to buy this peel and stick wallpaper of a brick wall for one side and add some signs (9 3/4) and I found a broom that I want to mount on the opposite wall. For DD she wants a Greatest Showman theme. I'm thinking of getting a circus-tent-like
- Finish out basement! It was gutted last year due to water damage... This is the biggest goal and will probably take all year. About 800 sq ft (living room, kitchenette, spare room, and laundry room). - Replace front sidewalk and stoop that is sinking - Remove the two dead trees in the backyard - Plant grass/make backyard not a mudpit - Stretch goal is a new paver patio if I'm not broke due to the basement redo
- paint all the ceilings in our house white - repaint kitchen at least - add doors to the under bench storage we have in the mudroom to contain the toddler shoe mess - Accent molding in master bed - trim out a few more windows upstairs - playroom, office, bonus (saving master bed/bath - we are buying another vacation property in the spring so furnishing that completely
Not fun stuff: -deal with the sewage back up we just had in our (newly renovated) basement. we'll need new carpet after we have an asbestos abatement because we're just that lucky. -our new contractors will finish up a few last projects on the outside of the house--redoing the supports for our overhangs, and resealing one of our storm water run off boxes
Fun stuff: -hopefully replace our countertops and change our center island to all one level (still working on DH to agree to this, he's very pro-two level) -install a drawer microwave in the island, freeing up so much counter space! -work with our interior designer to redo our living room and dining room. -add shelving to our kids' closets so they can use them for more efficient toy storage
Maybe stuff (depends on how our $$ goes): -remove the rusted 1940s chainlink fence around our backyard and replace it with a wood fence -get new furniture for the screened porch -new furniture for the playroom/game room in the basement--what we have is actually in good shape, but just too big for the space
Biggest one this year is caulking and re-painting a ton of trim. The house has settled a lot over the last couple winters.
I also need to call about the hole in the wall from them fixing the master shower plumbing a year ago, but I seriously have anxiety about it and am afraid as soon as they patch it, it will break again. I need have DH handle the whole thing b/c I'm just over our water issues. I really think it's the county's system not being able to handle all of the new builds.
I looked up my 2 from last year which were built-ins in the bonus room and doing the closet in that room. Good news is we designed and bought the Ikea cabinets to do the built-ins. The closet should follow once we figure out what the cabinets truly hold.
We're also working on updating the play room, I just posted about rug style and also want a new light fixture for that room.
Post by pierogigirl on Jan 4, 2020 19:03:53 GMT -5
Entryway - paint, install new light fixture (already have it), hang hooks and get bench to create a drop zone for coats/backpacks, etc. Living room - built built-ins, decide what to hang on some of the bare walls Downstairs - Finish fireplace built-ins which will free up space in the spare room where we've been storing stuff so we can install rest of floor. Turn spare room into an office. Whole house - replace furnace and a/c (both were very old 3 years ago when we bought the house), have a/c unit moved to the side of the house to give us space for an eventual patio, replace interior doors and door hardware, decide on a plan and timeframe for landscaping Bedrooms - paint, hang pictures
The last two years have been insane for our house (new siding, new gutters, new 550sq ft patio, created swale in backyard to fix flooding, new bathroom, new water treatment system) so we are taking a bit of a break this year... I think. lol.
-Patch random holes that I've left for far too long. Same with nail pops on the ceiling. -Board and batten in our upstairs hallway (and maybe down the stairs and into our downstairs hallway) -Chimney sweep and repair if necessary -New garden bed along back fence -Create better shoe and hanging storage in master bedroom
Total stretch goal will be total master bathroom overhaul.
1. Hang artwork and some floating shelves. 2. Buy blinds for bedroom windows (currently an amalgam of old curtains and tablecloths). 3. Buy shutters for bathroom windows (we put up frosted window clings) 4. Paint master bathroom 5. Paint DDs feature wall 6. Sand and seal cedar deck boards and screened in porch surround (omg this will be awful). 7. Choose backsplash tile for the kitchen 8. Set up landing station in the back hall (hooks, bench, shoe storage). 9. Plant a couple of screening plants along side of house (hydrangea or lilacs) 10. Pick out new living room furniture and rugs 11. Pick out new master bedroom furniture.
The last two probably won’t happen since we have limited money this year while I am on maternity leave. After that we’ll have daycare payments too.... yikes.
Added bonus: set up toy storage solution in playroom. Needs to be done before DS crawls.