Get real before tearing your house apart
don’t fail before you start
I know my real goal of this site is for me to get my dream house in the woods, with WIFI and here I am writing about renovation or finding a contractor. But in order for me to step into my next home, I need our current home to be top notch to get the best equity I can out of it. In our case, that meant an extensive and expensive outside remodel that has taken up most of the past 3-4 months.
Our house looked OK from the street, maybe a little tired and dated, but it held its own in our neighborhood. Up close, not so much. Signs of woodpeckers went up and down our wood trim and accents. Dark browns and dark brick dominated the house clashing with the newer windows in their too bright casings. The porch had too many soft places for comfort. A section of gutter missing due to a storm. Landscaping put in during the late 70s crowding the house. It just didn’t inspire. It was past time to work on it. We spent the whole summer tearing it apart and making things look good. Only a few weeks left and it should all be done. Just in time for the cold Fall rains. We hired contractors and as much as I am tired of writing checks, we stayed within budget and expectations. To do this took a lot of pre-planning and setting realistic goals.
Earlier this summer, I was house hunting with my eldest child, 24m. He’s on the bottom of the property ladder and this summer really wasn’t a time to be buying a house. He was determined and wanted my advice, so off we went. In one potential house he asked, “Can you fix it, Mom?” My reply was one of those rules of life. “With enough money and time, we can fix just about anything.” I went on to ask - “How much of your money and time do you want to put into this?” As it worked out, most of the houses we toured just weren’t worth the money and time to purchase and make him a home.
The same kind of answer was put to me years ago when it was time to redo our laundry room. IT was time to replace the floor and I thought it would be the perfect time to move things around. Asking my husband about the possibility netted me, “Sure. How long do you want to be without a washer and dryer?” As that answer was measured in days, not weeks, a new floor is all that happened there.
Be realistic. Be realistic before you tear your house apart. Price items out. Call and get multiple quotes. Ask friends or family that have done the same type of project about how much it cost. Know what you can do and what you can’t. I might be able to roof the house, but I’m sure not going to find out. By the time I learned how, studied techniques, bought harnesses and ladders, hammered away in my free time - months would have passed. It is more realistic for me to write a check and my roof will be done in 2-3 days. Take the time to plan, to set expectations, be real, and then get to renovating.
