Currently, we're updating our master bathroom and painting. All the work has made me reflective. I sat down and made a list/timeline of all of the different improvements and repairs we've done since moving in. I feel like we've done a lot; A lot more than most people. My wife is a customizer. She's good at it, too. It gives her a creative outlet and our house is better off because.
I think the other part is our house is our main investment. Carrie is nervous about stocks; I want to invest somewhere; The house is a natural compromise. If it weren't for the area we lived in, that may not be wise. We made everything back we invested on the townhouse, though. That included remodeling two bathrooms, our front door, our back sliding glass door, and adding carpet to protect Shane from tumbles.
So, if you're curious, a lot of links and lists follow.
I think the other part is our house is our main investment. Carrie is nervous about stocks; I want to invest somewhere; The house is a natural compromise. If it weren't for the area we lived in, that may not be wise. We made everything back we invested on the townhouse, though. That included remodeling two bathrooms, our front door, our back sliding glass door, and adding carpet to protect Shane from tumbles.
So, if you're curious, a lot of links and lists follow.
*Moving In - June 2012 - August 2012
Anti-Radon system - Was installed by previous owners, but we had to schedule people to check that it was working.
Garage door repair - Exactly what it sounds like. The automatic door opener didn't work. We worked with the people selling the house to get it repaired.
Baby-proofing - Shane was newly mobile when we moved in. We had baby gates to install, latches on cabinets, and electric sockets to plug! It was not the most expensive project, but one that was high on our priority list!
Bamboo - Someone made a foolish choice and planted bamboo in our backyard. It grew up and through our porch in a week! Amazing! The previous owners must have cut it weekly when people were touring the house rather than tearing it all out themselves.
Our house was flipped, so we found numerous other peccadilloes. Most of them weren't huge issues: they painted over wallpaper, they stripped screws that I had to replace, and the 'new' faucet on the kitchen sink drips. The most annoying issue was they didn't install a toilet reservoir properly. It leaked and dripped and discolored the ceiling in our side room. I tightened the bolts on the toilet, but we made the previous owners fix the ceiling. The other annoyance was our dryer vent. It didn't vent outside. It vented into the crawlspace in our basement! The vent was taped into the wall and the tape was painted to match the wall colors. We had to seal the hole and let the dryer vent into open air in the garage to do laundry.
Yard Pests - I got to experience chiggers and poison ivy in my own backyard. News flash: they itch!
AC Controller died - Thankfully, Dan had moved in. Carrie bought a replacement from Home Depot and tried to jury rig it, but Dan fixed it later that night.
New Dishwasher - The old one didn't work too well
New Convection Oven/Microwave - My wife found and good deal. She vowed to cook with it. I drooled and agreed.
Deck Helmet - I don't remember when, but shortly after we moved in we had the deck coated with deck helmet. It's under warranty to survive for the next ten years.
Deck Helmet - I don't remember when, but shortly after we moved in we had the deck coated with deck helmet. It's under warranty to survive for the next ten years.
**Settling In/Year One - September 2012 - June 2013
Shane's Playground - Carrie wanted Shane to have a playground. She made it happen!
New locks - One day, we got locked out. The garage door wouldn't open, the back door was pinned, and the front door wouldn't accept a key.
Race car bed - This isn't exactly home improvement, but Shane graduated from his crib with a *Thud!* Carrie found a great deal on Craigslist and acted on it. She's our Craigslist Queen.
Random Shane baby-proofing - I don't even remember when we installed the half door.
New HVAC Unit - Blew up in January and was replaced in February.
***Living the Dream/Year Two - July 2013 - Present
Kitchen back-splash and paint job - Carrie went to work on this one. I've got pictures for proof
Gardening
Yard Man on the run - We paid someone to help with the yard and then they booked it after the job was half done. Sadly, we'd already paid them. It helped us get to know Daniel's family, so God worked it out for the best! I did a lot of yard work to finish what they started. Roxy has since undone it all.
New hot water heater
Our basement flooded - we had to have our water main replaced
We added insulation underneath sunroom. There wasn't any before.
We added a fence for Roxy in December (but the link is from February!)
A water pipe in our garage burst
...and Carrie has started repainting the main floor. She's painted the front hallway, bathroom, dining room, and half of our little walkway as I type this. I'll write a post with pictures combining all of the rooms eventually. I know what we'll be doing over Spring Break 2014!
****Conclusion
Houses are expensive.
Kitchen back-splash and paint job - Carrie went to work on this one. I've got pictures for proof
Gardening
Yard Man on the run - We paid someone to help with the yard and then they booked it after the job was half done. Sadly, we'd already paid them. It helped us get to know Daniel's family, so God worked it out for the best! I did a lot of yard work to finish what they started. Roxy has since undone it all.
New hot water heater
Our basement flooded - we had to have our water main replaced
We added insulation underneath sunroom. There wasn't any before.
We added a fence for Roxy in December (but the link is from February!)
A water pipe in our garage burst
...and Carrie has started repainting the main floor. She's painted the front hallway, bathroom, dining room, and half of our little walkway as I type this. I'll write a post with pictures combining all of the rooms eventually. I know what we'll be doing over Spring Break 2014!
****Conclusion
Houses are expensive.
No comments:
Post a Comment