Surprise! We're Building a New House!

Yes, this is definitely the month for surprises. I mentioned last week that I started a new full-time job working from home in the nursing field, plus I've been working as a stager/design consultant for a while now. Now, here comes the most exciting surprise. We're building a new house!



This honestly took us by surprise, too. It's been harder and harder to deny that our house isn't functioning as well as it once did. I have three boys that are getting bigger by the day. My 12 year old is just a hair shorter than I am! I wouldn't say our house is completely uncomfortable, but I kept wishing for wider hallways and a kitchen/breakfast room that all five us could fit in without bumping into each other. I'll be honest. It's not completely necessary for us to move. I know other families of five, or even more, would be perfectly happy in our home. And, I'm hoping they'll buy it!

My husband and I decided to look around our town for a bigger house with a pool already in. The house also had to be zoned to my older son's school. My two younger kids are still young enough that moving schools wouldn't be an issue. We started with a few open houses. They were all in great neighborhoods with beautiful exteriors. But, then we opened the front doors and realized all of the kitchens, room configurations, and flooring needed to be redone. Add in that they are all at the age where the roof and air conditioners need to be replaced, and I just felt like these people were unloading their money pits. I've been there, done that, and didn't even get a t-shirt...twice.

I was hoping to find a house that had been taken care of like we have taken care of ours. My husband called me one day in December and said there was a home for sale that had been completely updated. He went ahead and made an appointment for us to see it. I didn't even look at it online before seeing it in person. I noticed it was in an area I love driving in. It's close enough to my favorite stores and restaurants that we could walk or bike to them. We could barely get in the neighborhood because of all the kids and parents in the street. Built-in playmates for my kids is a plus! The house was in a cute cul-de-sac with about 25 neighbors gathered for their Friday evening wine and playdate. My husband turned to me and said,"We're moving here!" We looked at the house and it was nice and updated, but not my style and the rooms felt a little small because of the choppy floorplan. We walked outside and the neighbors descended on us to introduce themselves. It was the epitome of suburban charm. I even joked to my husband that I bet the neighbors were paid to be so nice and welcoming. We now call it the Funny Farm house.

If you haven't seen this 80s movie then you need to rent it! My kids loved it. The homeowners are trying to sell their house and pay the townspeople to portray a Norman Rockwell version of an idyllic town. Hence, the Funny Farm house! Here are the townspeople pretending to be perfect neighbors for cash.

We really considered buying this house because of the neighborhood, but we would have had the exact same issues there we have in our current house despite the 1300 extra sqft. The great room was small with low ceilings. The dining room, entryway and kitchen were too small, also. It really did not feel much different than our current house. It's amazing how a layout can make such a difference despite square footage.

At this point we were pretty much defeated. There wasn't anything on the market I even wanted to see in person. I wasn't surprised because I had been keeping an eye out for larger homes on our local real estate website and nothing is ever updated. Well, at least in a style I like.

My husband kept pushing me to look at a community about five miles north of our town with new construction homes. I humored him, but said there was no way I would ever move out of our amazing town with great schools to live out in the middle of nowhere (5 miles lol). Of course, I was blown away by the homes. To add to my dilemma it was December and the amazing specials were going to end at the end of the year. I was also told there would be a price increase in January. What a way to add pressure! We were torn between a few builders, but chose Darling Homes. Initially, we loved Highland Homes because the model was so pretty and modern. After touring the models a few times I realized the Darling home was actually very similar to the Highland plans, but the decorating is what sets them apart. I pride myself on being able to see the bones of a home, but the paint colors and questionable décor in the Darling home really turned me off in the beginning. It took a while to notice everything in the Highland home was also in the Darling home for much cheaper.

Highland Home










Darling Home









Even though we found a great floor plan for a great price, the lot was equally important. There was a lot someone else had reserved in a new subdivision that we really wanted. It was almost a half acre with no rear neighbors. Who wants neighbors in your rear? I don't! If you want a pool in your backyard it's important to pay close attention to your backyard size and privacy. Knowing my neighbors can look out their window and see me sunbathing in a bikini isn't the best feeling in the world. Anyway, the couple that had reserved the best lot in the neighborhood cancelled so we jumped at the chance to take the lot before someone else did. So, we bought a house! OMG we bought a house!

There is so much to share with you that this will take many posts. The best part is the design choices, of course. Coming soon!

What You Need to Know About Buying a Fixer Upper

I love home improvement shows, especially the before and after that magically happens in two days. Unfortunately, that's not even close to real life. I have bought and remodeled two fixer uppers on a budget and still spent a small fortune. Approximately 80% of my weekends have been sacrificed over the last 15 years to DIY projects, too. That is the reality! When I saw both of the homes we bought for the first time I pictured what they could look like in my head. I can't say everyone shared my vision at the time, but they came around as the rooms started to take shape. What I didn't know was how much everything would realistically cost and how much time it would take to complete each room.

It all started with home shopping. I told myself some whoppers of lies that I hear other people say as well.

It's just paint. This may or may not be true. If you have 17 foot tall ceilings and the entire house needs to be painted inside and out, it's thousands of dollars of paint. The contractors had to build scaffolding to paint this room.




I could have bought a used car for what we paid to have the exterior painted.

Even for simple rooms you need to ask yourself if you can paint or do you think you can paint? It's not easy to cut in around ceilings and doors. It has taken me years of practice to correctly use an angled brush. You also need to factor in the cost of ladders, paint brushes, painters tape, drop cloths and other accessories.

We can live with it for a while. It will become the bane of your existence. That's what I said about most everything in my house when we moved in. "It's not what I would have picked, but it's not terrible." I found myself a few days before Christmas one year tearing out my carpeted stairs. I couldn't handle it one.more.day. A while somehow turns into years as other things take precedence, like a new roof or air conditioner.


DIY will be fun! No, it won't. I think my husband and I almost needed marriage counseling after building these living room shelves and fireplace mantel. It was one of our first projects and we were beyond frustrated with each other. I have since learned how to nicely say the shelves aren't level and he has learned to use a level.

Okay, it's not all bad. There is an amazing sense of accomplishment and pride when you are finished with a project that is 100% uniquely yours.

 

There are things that I wish I would have done differently to make things go so much smoother and on budget.

 

Get Organized. Start from the day you walk through a new house. Make a list of everything you want to change, from the big remodels to the lighting fixtures. Estimate the cost of the projects by visiting home improvement stores or contacting a local contractor. Add this amount to the sales price of the home for the real cost. It's a great way to put things in perspective and accurately compare homes. The updated house down the street for a bit more might not seem so expensive now.



Will you get your money back if you sell? I watch the housing market very closely. I don't always wait to remodel just because I am still saving for it. Once I decide a project will get me a complete return or close enough to it, that's when I start my project. Home values aren't known for going up all that much where I live, which is why most people don't remodel here. Adding a granite countertop or a new wood floor in the family room is usually the extent of an update. I've also seen formerly nice neighborhoods drop in value here. Luckily, I don't believe this is the norm for most of the country.

I also think because we are so emotionally invested in our homes and neighborhoods it's hard to admit when it's not working for your family any longer. As families grow or children leave for college, what you need out of a home changes. I never thought I would need a mudroom for backpacks and shoes until I had three school age children. When I saw them in magazines years ago I truly though they were unnecessary and extravagant. Silly me! It's amazing how these changes will sneak up on you. What works for you right now may not work for you in just a few years. Sometimes it just makes sense to move instead of trying to change your home.

Hire a professional. Sometimes hiring a professional will save you money. There are times I would have saved money getting it done right the first time. That was plumbing for me. Never again. Get a free quote and you might be surprised. Sometimes the price is worth it if you are in a time crunch and just want the project done. One thing I have learned is to put my family above any project we have going on. I have hired painters for rooms I could have easily painted on my own, but I wouldn't have made it to reading groups or math tiles at my son's school. Also, consider hiring an interior designer on a consulting basis for those hard to figure out rooms or just to pick out finishes. It can also save you money and time in the long run.

Big Announcement Here

I have not mentioned this before, but I have been working with clients as an hourly design consultant. It started through word of mouth as people have read my blog. It's easy for me to relay my knowledge in a short amount of time for their problem areas, guide them in the right direction, or stage their homes to sell. I love the way this is working out for me and my clients. It saves them money and frees up my time since (another announcement here) I started a full-time job working from home in the nursing field. Yes, I know this is a lot! These opportunities fell in my lap within months of each other and I didn't want to say no to either of them. Who doesn't want to decorate homes and work in their PJs?! It's also the reason I haven't been blogging quite as much. I can't say what the future holds for either of these careers since they are both new and it will be a bit of a juggling act once you throw in family life, too. It's such an exciting time and I hope to share even more updates with you soon!


Sorry, for the side note. I'll get back on topic! You might be wondering why I would buy two fixer uppers if the cost and stress were more than I ever intended. It was worth it! I'm definitely one of the most picky people you will ever meet. I have never found one house in my price range that didn't need a remodel in my eyes. If you are like me, you will be tearing out a perfectly nice countertop or floor because you don't like the color. It makes more financial sense to buy something a bit cheaper if you are going to redo everything anyway. Despite the high cost I have managed to come out ahead financially through careful planning. The best part is I have a home that I love!

 

The Third and Final Boy Bedroom Reveal

Happy Easter! My kids already peeked in their Easter baskets this morning and ate all the good stuff aka chocolate. I suppose that's a good thing because I have a habit of sneaking the chocolate and also because I found Mario on the dining table eating what was left over. Easter is definitely different now that the kids are getting older. They used to get so excited to see what the breaking and entering Bunny brought them when they woke up on Easter morning, but now they are so blasé about the whole thing. Don't they look thrilled? My oldest son in the gray shirt tried to make a show of being excited, but brought his Ipad down and hid it behind his basket. Kids these days!

 

 

Mario was excited waiting for something to drop on the floor.

 



The best Easter ever is when the little naked man in the swim trunks (your guess is as good as mine) was a year old. I bought a bunny eared headband and took a picture of everyone in the family wearing it. He was only a year old, but he hated it. Every time I put it on him he put his head down in shame. Here he is in the background of a photo kicking those bunny ears in the corner. I just crack up every time I see this picture. 

 

 





 

But, today I'm talking about my 9 year old son's bedroom. That's this guy in the black shirt.

 

 



 

He doesn't normally look this tired, but he had a late night at a sleepover last night. He loves everything outdoor and rustic, and sports of course. That's why this room is perfect for him.

 

My favorite part of his room are these sconces I found at Lowe's. They give this room a bit of an industrial look to keep it from being just another boys sports room, which is what he asked for. I just realized he's missing his throw pillows. Unfortunately, my boys take "throw pillows" literally so they are always missing.

He has a thing for hoodies, but can't quite reach high enough to hang them in his closet. Hooks by the door to his room keep them handy.

More craftsman wood trim around the windows and doors.

I love this desk from World Market. It's just slightly bigger than a nightstand so it's great for a small room.

 

 

He really loves his room because it fits him perfectly. And of course this room was done on a budget. Aren't all my rooms? The Ikea bed and dresser aren't the best quality and we will buy something better in a few years when he is out of he destructive phase, as we did my older son. At least we only have to replace two pieces of furniture instead of an entire room redo.

 

I'm exhausted after redoing three boys bedrooms and all of the other projects I completed at the same time, but this was definitely a productive year. I only have one unfinished room in my entire house, my master bathroom, but I've made great progress in there already that I'll show you as soon as I take pictures. It's been a lot of DIY. I'm starting to really dislike those three little letters!