Happy One Year Anniversary To The House Closing and DIY Projects

It’s hard to believe that the house closing was a year ago but time flies when you’re having fun getting settled into a home! While a lot of work has gone into the house, this is a good reminder that creating a home doesn’t happen overnight (or even in a year). I do admit that I am guilty of feeling pressure to get rooms furnished and completely designed as soon as possible, and this unnecessary pressure is something I need to keep in check. Here are a few things I've learned while getting settled into the house.

Don't Take On Too Many DIY Projects at Once

This may seem like an obvious one but it's a mistake that John and I made early on. When we first moved in, we had to tackle a few projects in the kitchen before the appliances were delivered. A kitchen renovation, no matter how large or small, is an undertaking and disrupts the entire routine in the house. While we were tackling the kitchen, we thought it would be a good idea to also revamp our laundry room, since we don't have any storage in there. Lowe's was having a Memorial Day weekend sale, so we measured the laundry room walls and ordered in-stock cabinets that were delivered a week later.

Once the cabinets arrived, we realized that we were not kitchen designers. Or laundry room designers. The cabinets technically fit in the room but one of the cabinets blocked the light switch for the room. Another cabinet door couldn't be opened fully because it blocked the doorway leading into the room. Long story short: we realized ALL of the cabinets had to be returned. We realized we were biting off more than we could chew, so our laundry room has remained as is since last year.

Every Project Will Take Longer Than You Think

This is another obvious one but one worth repeating: if you think a project can take one weekend, don't believe it. I don't care how many people post projects online about "easy weekend projects" or projects you can finish in one day. In my experience, I have never been able to live up to that timeline. So that is why I don't put pressure on myself to finish a project by a certain date or start a project a week before a party is due to start.

A few projects that all took longer: the kitchen renovation because of the delay with the appliances getting delivered, the dining room project because the picture frame molding took an entire weekend while the painting was another weekend, and the inground pool that was put into our backyard that was finished just time in to close for the winter (the pool posts are coming!)

Be Thankful For the Projects

For many people, house projects are never-ending and can lead to burnout. I can definitely see how this can happen, and for this reason, John and I have decided to take a break from major projects for the summer. But we are going to pick up again once the weather gets cooler and we can't spend as much time outside.

What I am thankful for is the fact that we can do these projects and the way we want each one done. Yes, it's a lot of work. Yes, it's a lot of money too. But I am thankful that we can take on this work and then enjoy the finished results for years to come.

Stay tuned for more future projects on the laundry room, half bathroom, and other small 1-2 weekend projects that we will be tackling.