Our House To-Do List

Now that our offer is accepted and the inspection is done, Matt and I are able to start to get serious about our house and exactly what we want to do to make it ours.

When we were looking for houses, (here is a post about the process of finding our house) Matt and I didn’t have a very strict wishlist, but there was one thing I was sure of… I wanted to buy a house that we could do some work to.

I have always wanted to buy a house and fix it and given my design and construction background, I have always felt that I have unique skills to come at a project with.

We picked a house that didn’t need major work, but that had cosmetic changes that we could make to add value and make it feel like ours. When we first saw the house, we made a list of all the changes we would consider making and tracked what those might cost on a spreadsheet so that we could see what made financial sense. For each project, we made an estimate and then added 10 percent and 25 percent to that number to give ourselves a range of what these renovations might cost us. Ultimately, our goal was to be smart about the money we put in so that we weren’t spending more than what we thought we could sell it for in the future.

The other aspect of the to do list we were creating was considering what we would do versus what we would hire someone to do for us. Matt and I would both tell you that I can get overzealous about doing work myself because I want to learn, so he had to help with frequent reality checks as we talked through each project. (I think we found a pretty good balance!)

Here are the projects that we are hoping to get done:

My #1 Priority: Flooring

I know what you’re thinking, the floors aren’t bad! And you’re right… they aren’t. However, there are a couple reasons that this is at the top of my list. One thing that can make a house feel choppy is a million floor transitions. This house has such an amazing wide open floor plan and by having a consistent flooring, it will feel so much more cohesive.

As we looked into making that happen, we realized that it could be hard to match what is already there. Would the new one look weird next to the one that has been in the house for a while? Also, this new flooring is replacing a significant amount of carpet, so if we’re going to invest, we’d rather pick something we REALLY love.

Matt and I decided that we were going to try our hand at doing the flooring ourselves. This entails ripping out the current flooring, placing the new product and adjusting the base once the new flooring is in. Stay tuned (and send some good juju our way).

Matt’s #1 Priority: The Basement

The basement of our house definitely has the most room for improvement and this is Matt’s most exciting project. One thing that really drew us to this house is the massive basement that is actually very quality living space. What makes it unique is that there is are some great windows that let light in and the ceilings aren’t typical crazy low basement ceilings. Plus – our central fireplace continues down into the basement which creates a unique feature.

We really had to use our imagination to see past the paneled walls, carpet, and choppy ceilings, but we think with some paint, new flooring and some hired ceiling work, this space could be a second living room and a place where Matt is especially excited to host friends.

The other thing we love about the basement is that there is are 2 big bedrooms and a half bath, making this a really great place to host visitors and give them their own space. We have a plan down the road where we think we should be able to add a shower, making it a completely private guest suite. More on that as we get closer to the project. Regardless, this kitchenette is going away as a part of the immediate renovations.

Master Bathroom Revamp

One thing we thought this house was lacking was a true master suite. Technically, there is a bedroom with an en suite bathroom already, but we liked the other bathroom better because it has more space for two people to use.

Our plan is to take this larger bathroom, turn the single vanity into a double and remove the bathtub to replace with a nice big walk-in shower. The previous owner did a great job choosing tile that would age well and not feel outdated quickly, but with all this work, we will end up replacing all the tile in the bathroom anyway.

I know people are pretty opinionated about having a tub vs. shower (my absence of a bathtub these past couple years has sucked at times when I had sore muscles or wanted to relax) but we feel like ultimately this is the right choice for a couple reasons. First, there is another tub in the house, so if I really want a bath, I will have the chance. Also, since this bathroom isn’t big enough for both a tub and walk in shower (or at least without serious renovation) we decided it was best to make a really great shower instead of an ok tub shower/combo or a very tight floorpan with both squeezed in.

We are going to hire out the plumbing work, as we know it is so important to have this done right. Once that is done, we plan to do the tiling ourselves.

Lighting

I truly believe that lighting can make or break a space. (Read about what we learned about lighting habits during Covid here) Although I rarely turn on overhead lights since I prefer lamps, I did notice the light fixtures in this house because the ceilings are lower than where we are currently living. Ultimately, I’m not exactly sure what we are going to replace these with, but I am hoping for something a little lower profile, so that the ceilings feel as tall as possible.

There are a couple of accent lights that we will look to do something special with. Initially I am drawn to something linear to hang over the dining table and some unique flush mounts in the entry way. As always, there will be tons of lamps throughout the house to add some layering and glow to the light quality.

Again, I know electrical work is an important one to get professional help on. We still need to weigh and understand the different levels of electrical projects to understand what we need professional help with on this one.

Paint

Ultimately, I think this house will feel different with just a fresh coat of interior paint, so I am excited to get in to the house and start trying different colors. Ultimately, I am hoping for something lighter and brighter to really capitalize on the amazing windows. Paint colors are finicky so I know this will be one of the hardest, but also most important decisions we make. The good news is, if we don’t like what we ultimately choose, its just paint!

We’re going to do all the painting ourselves- I find painting weirdly therapeutic, but ask me again when the house is done!

Powder Room

This house has the most adorable tiny powder room that feels like a huge opportunity! I am super excited for what this could become – it is definitely a chance to use some fun wallpaper and great color!

We can do any work we do here ourselves! Not planning to make any plumbing changes.

Yard Improvements

The yard at this house is INSANE. Truly, it sold us on the house. While it speaks for itself there are a couple projects we will want to do fairly soon.

First, we have to bury a connection to our sump pump under the sidewalk, so we figure if we are going to tear up the concrete for that (it is already in pretty bad shape), we will invest some time to build a cool path to the front door.

Also, while the swingset in the backyard is a great reminder that this is an awesome house for a family eventually, it doesn’t reflect where we are in our lives right now! We are hoping to replace this spot with a fun little patio or firepit of some kind.

Most of this work we think we can handle ourselves though we will definitely consult professionals to make sure that we bury the piping properly to get water away from the house.

These are not all the projects we want to do, but these are the big ones that we are wanting to tackle soon. Stay tuned for the trials and tribulations as we start to plan out and get into the weeds of these projects!