Or, The Most Stressful Three Months Of My Life

My husband and I bought a home over the summer that I naively believed was NOT a fixer-upper. Yes, it’s older (built in 1965). Yes, there were some things I wanted to update. But I didn’t imagine I’d be living in a construction zone for almost three months or that I’d only feel finished with all my projects this week!

Here’s my remodeling journey… 🙂

1. Refinishing the Kitchen Cabinets

This was the biggest chore (for me) and what I’m most proud of. The original kitchen had two-tone wood cabinets that were dark and old-fashioned. My hubby felt they reminded him of a trailer or a boat cabin. They definitely weren’t our style! LOL Before the floors even went in, I removed all the cupboards, sanded all surfaces, then sprayed everything what was supposed to be an elegant, sophisticated blue-gray color. It ended up with a bit more lavender in it than we expected, but I love my kitchen! It’s much brighter and fresher while still keeping the kooky 1960s style and function.

2. New Tile Floors

The house came with wall-to-wall baby blue carpeting (even in the bathrooms!) that no one liked. I wasn’t sure, but it looked and smelled like the 1980s. This was our first priority to change. My hubby and I tore out all the old flooring ourselves and then hired an amazing crew to lay wood-grain tile throughout the entire house. Except in my daughter’s room. She had to be unique and requested new carpet. After a few cleanings, the floors are unbelievably beautiful! It makes the rooms look bigger and will keep us cool in the summer. Bonus–they’re much easier to clean with kids and dogs running around.

3. My Darling Daughter’s Room

My daughter got into the remodeling game, too, requesting to remove part of a closet to add more room, to put up blackboard paint on two walls, and installing new turquoise carpet. It all came out beautifully.

4. Master Bedroom Closet

The one thing our master suite was missing was a true walk-in closet. So, though the cost really ate into our budget, we went ahead and hired a contractor. I’m so glad we did. It was worth every penny.

5. Misc. Touch-Ups

On top of everything else, there were plenty of smaller projects to take up my time. Everything from painting to installing a new fridge with a water line.

I’m not ready to get my contractor’s license and flip houses, but the experience has been fulfilling and educational. I’m excited to begin living in the house rather than working on the house. I’m looking forward to years and years of comfortable, happy existence.

Do you have a remodeling story? Share in the comments!

P.S. I’m headed back to work on Beasts of Vegas #3, my NaNoWriMo 2016 project. Only 7 days until deadline. My current word count => 37,000.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ghosts, Hauntings, & Cheap Books: Sign Up For My Monthly Newsletter Today.

Enjoy this Free Red Plague Sneak Peek PDF full of excerpts and extras!

<3 Anna