This article was posted on my original website, OurFiftiesFixerUpper.com, in January 2018.
Recently, Josh and I sat down and talked about the things we’d like to accomplish in our home renovation this year. With finances and time to account for, we had to be realistic about what we thought we could do. Our major goals are to completely finish the first floor and exterior. Our list is pretty substantial and we’re excited to take it all on! 2018: bring it!
1. Finish master bathroom. We are so close… I can practically taste it! We just have to install the fixtures including mirrors, towel holders etc., and build the linen closet. Update: the entire master suite is finished!
2. Finish master closet. Again…. so close! Once again, as of today, we just have to change the light fixture, build Josh’s side of the closet, add trim to the ceiling… and then fill it up! Can’t wait!!!! Update: closet is finished!
3. Demo and remodel main bathroom upstairs. I haven’t designed this 100% but I have quite a few ideas of what I’d like to do in here- I’m thinking white and bright with some simple tile on the shower wall and floor. This will be a big one- walls are coming down, people! Update: we finished this bathroom too!
4. Demo the basement. I would love to completely finish this space, but the rest of the things on our list are the priority for now. We do want to take this space completely down to the studs to the point that it’s a big, open space- bye bye, wood paneling from 1950!
5. Replace siding, gutters, and doors. We currently have faded, pale yellow siding that is missing a few pieces and has some major chips. Our gutters are brown and broken in some parts, and our doors are old and ugly. Our windows (which were replaced in 2016) are white and in great shape, at least. I’d love to have blue siding, white gutters, and lots of wood accents.
6. Revamp the patio. The main issue with our back patio, other than being boring and plain, is that it slopes toward the house. Because of this, we have water leakage issues in one corner of our basement. We plan on having the slab mudjacked to level it out and then turning it into an outdoor living space. We’d like to add a pergola, a spot for sitting around a bonfire, a small dining area, and a sitting area. I’m imagining cafe lights strung up on the pergola and lots of plants and candles!
7. Design the basement. After we demo the basement, we’ll be able to see the “clean slate” and open spaces. The goal is to fit in another bedroom, a living room with a fireplace, a 3/4 bathroom, an office, a laundry room, and of course- storage! I’m confident we can make it all work but it’ll be fun to design the new layout.
8. Organize and clean the garage. Believe it or not, this was actually Josh’s idea. He is really looking forward to this. We’ve only parked my car in the garage once- literally- once. It’s been used as a storage area and workshop essentially since we moved in. There is still a LOT of junk in there that we need to sort through and either throw, recycle, donate, or sell. Not sure exactly how we’ll organize it, but I’m hoping we can park one or both of our cars in there by the end of the summer! I don’t have any photos of this, but trust me when I say that it is a MESS.
We have a lot to accomplish this year, but not all of it will cost a lot, which is helpful. I am excited to share our progress on our projects- stay tuned for updates!
Wondering how we did for the year? Check out our progress here!
