Q: You’re putting time and energy into this “temporary” job for your bathroom (not to mention some money), so why not just go ahead and do the full gut job? I know you guys watch money really well, but isn’t this not the most cost-effective in the long-run? :) – Karen
A: This is a great question, and we thought it would be fun to elaborate on the subject. Because it’s safe to say that we love saving a buck, but we also like showing an old house some love and making it feel like home, so here’s our take. First of all, I think a lot of people think like Karen does – in fact we had that same exact instinct when we moved into our first house. It was so tempting to just to freeze a room until we had the budget to completely redo it.
But we slowly learned that sometimes a small “sweat investment” in the form of a few upgrades to tide you over for a year or two until you can save up the loot to fully redo a room (and really think it through) is completely worth the Phase 1 effort and the small amount of money you might sink into that interim upgrade. And sometimes doing a few small things to improve a space before diving into a bigger redo can actually save you money because they give you a chance to (inexpensively!) figure out what you like and what you don’t like as you go. It can definitely cost you more if you don’t discover those things until the middle of a big gut job when time is money and the stakes are a lot higher.
Let’s take our current bathroom makeover, where we’re aiming to spend around $100-200 on a Phase 1 makeover.
We got to the point where we just couldn’t live with the old carpet in there for another day, so to us, showing the room some interim love just made a lot more sense than living with things that made us groan for a few more years. Especially since inexpensive updates like a few cans of paint and a new mirror (which can always be used in another room down the line) can easily make it a lot more pleasant in there. Note: this is just a photoshopped rendering of our plans, but next week we hope to have the floors stenciled!
Why not just get to gutting things right away? Well, we learned all the way back in our first house (even before we started blogging) that doing a full renovation when you only live somewhere a few months means you might not have time to think everything through. For example, it took us over a year of living with our first kitchen to realize that if we closed off a door we’d gain 70% more counter space. Had we rushed into a renovation, we never would have come up with that plan – so we’d have new counters and cabinets – but the same cramped layout that we started with.
Soon after moving in we did a Phase 1 makeover while we saved up for a more major reno down the line. Just some paint on the cabinets and peel and stick tile on the floors (along with updating a few appliances that we reused when we fully redid the room). Let me just tell you, it was so worth enjoying a somewhat updated kitchen for that time (during which we got married in the backyard and had 75 of our friends and family over). Sure, we spent a weekend painting the cabinets, another weekend updating the floor, and dug into our savings for about $150 just for Phase 1 (that’s a guess at the total cost for the primer, paint, and the peel & stick tile) but the “return” on that money & time investment was that for over a year we got to walk into a room that felt fresher, cleaner, and more like us, instead of feeling stuck or frozen in the before shot for over a year.
When we had finally saved up the money – and had fully thought it through – we got to renovate that kitchen and ended up loving the outcome. It was completely worth the small time/effort up front for a Phase 1 update while we saved our pennies, and the fact that we ended up with a completely redone space that we adored (with a lot more function than anything we could have slapped together right away after moving in) definitely confirmed that this phase-by-phase, over-time method just seems to work for us.
The same thing happened in our full bathroom at that first house of ours. We started with this carpeted and crocheted space…
… and we did some simple updates like pulling up the carpeting, re-caulking things, adding some paint, and bringing in some sweet art, new lighting, and accessories to tide us over for a few years.
But up close both the floor and wall tile was cracked and damaged, so although we loved it, we sadly couldn’t salvage it.
So when we finally had the money and time to tackle a full gut-job a few years later, we were excited to dive in. And thanks to spending a lot of time planning every step, we only spent around $1800 on a full bathroom renovation, including rebuilding this room from the studs (new walls, new trim) along with a new marble tile floor, new fixtures, a tub/shower that we tiled to the ceiling, a new custom vanity, etc.
But it was certainly nice not to spend years living with this carpeted bathroom with a duck curtain, and do that Phase 1 update – even though we couldn’t fly out of the gate with a full renovation immediately.
So this method has been serving us well for a while now (holy cow, over seven years!) and we expect that nearly every room of our current house will have a multi-phase progression since we’re planning to be in this house for a nice long time. We don’t want to rush into anything without fully thinking it through and we’d like to save up for things that we truly will love for the long haul. But that doesn’t mean we have to live with old carpeting and wallpaper – and that we can’t toss up a little paint up, hang some art, update some light fixtures or faucets, and generally make the place feel fresher and more like us as we plan those larger scale undertakings and squirrel away some money.
In fact I think moving forward and experimenting within a certain space (not just in your head or while staring at a picture in a magazine) is a really helpful step when it comes to getting it right down the road with your major renovation. This was our first attempt at our first house’s bathroom. Scary, eh? But it turns out we had to paint the windowsill black and toss up a blue pashmina to learn that it was NOT what we liked (I thought it would be “so Domino magazine” and it was so… bad).
So we course corrected as we went, and ended up with a room that we could really enjoy in the interim, which then led to a brand new bathroom that we loved even more down the road. I guess one way to look at it would be that those small updates over time are like stairs. They build to a better result, and they bridge the gap between your before to your after. Without Phase 1 in here, we might never have arrived at that “love it” Phase 2 result, which might now have led us to a “love it even more!” Phase 3 outcome. So expecting to freeze at “before” and then skip right to “after” might not happen for everyone. But for us, that step-by-step approach over time just seems to get us from point A to point C without as much stress as attempting to skip right from what we hate to what we love in one fell swoop.
And sometimes it’s amazing to see how a few updates like paint, art, a window treatment, and a few accessories can bring an old room back from the brink without a major makeover down the line. Yes, in some cases a Phase 1 update can help you see that you don’t need to gut something at all (hello, money savings!) – and realizing that you can actually work with what you have can be the equivalent of finding a thousand dollar bill in your couch cushion. Take our $51 guest bathroom mini makeover, for example. We had pretty much planned to work with this tile from the start (it was in great shape and we thought the vintage yellow tone was charming) so we hoped this bathroom just needed a few cosmetic fixes… but others who came over couldn’t see how it would ever work without bringing in the sledgehammer.
All we did was paint, add a window treatment, hang some art, and remove some bad elements (like the mirror that reflected every guest’s full body while they sat on the toilet) but when the decorating dust cleared, even my mom was saying “you’ve made a believer out of me.”
So you might think a room needs a full gut job, but experimenting with some affordable for-now fixes might just prove otherwise and save you a whole lot of money and effort down the line. And the only way to find that out sometimes is by diving into Phase 1. So if you wait and skip right to Gut Job, you might never know how charming a room can be with just a few wallet-saving fixes. Our hall bathroom was a slightly more involved update than our guest room (we framed out the mirror and added a built-in shelf), but the tile was still in great shape, so we got to work with almost everything that was there already. Note: pardon the yellow cast on this picture, it was move-in day and I was rushing around shooting in the wrong mode.
After spending just $168, we had a completely fresh looking room.
The cool thing about this method is that if Phase 1 does the trick, you’re done! And you’re probably thanking your lucky stars you didn’t go straight to full-reno mode. And if Phase 1 only serves to “tide you over” instead of majorly saving you from a bigger renovation, it’s still a win because you get to smile more as you save up and percolate on Phase 2 plans down the line. Plus going through the thought process of Phase 1 can better help you pinpoint what you still don’t love about a room (the layout, damaged tile, missing counter space, etc) and you get this bonus “learning experience” before jumping into any major construction down the road.
What about you guys. How do you balance your desire for a space that feels fresh and homey without blowing a bunch of cash you don’t quite have? I’m sure it’s different for everyone, so I’d love to hear what works for you. Do you do the ol’ freeze thing and just try not to think about all the things that bug you? Or do you sprinkle in some inexpensive updates along the way? Don’t get me wrong, we still have a bunch of rooms that we’ve been ignoring for months (can’t do ’em all at once!) but I like to think that those “we just can’t take this anymore” moments are what help us decide what needs a Phase 1 intervention most of all, and then we can dive right into that with some gusto.
Update – Wanna know where we got something in our house or what paint colors we used? Just click on this button:
Brooke says
Oh, and our bathrooms – those are phase 1 projects as well. New lighting, mirrors, paint, and decor until we can redo the vanities and replace my master bath tub with a large walk-in shower (SO excited for that!)
Dominique says
Loved this post. I’m in phase one in nearly every room of my house. It’s definitely helped me prioritize too. After painting my kitchen cabinets, I decided the current backsplash didn’t look nearly as bad with fresh cabinets. Now, I’ve decided to redo it in phase 2 instead after countertop replacement, and focus on the master more.
Hillary @ The Friendly Home says
Here’s what I love about Phase 1 renovations: I get to learn a new skill! So, for our Phase 1 kitchen reno, I painted the cabinets (was a new skill for me at the time), pulled out the awful fake wood formica countertops and made tiled countertops with super cheap clearance tile, and did a low tile backsplash. We knew we’d be pulling it all out in the next 3 years but you’re so right — it made living with the kitchen bearable until we could afford a big reno. And then I could tile the full backsplash with confidence! I think of the money we spent on that project (which wasn’t much in the scheme of things) as an investment in me. Tuition to the University of DIY.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that perspective Hillary!
xo
s
Rachel says
We’ve had great luck with Phase One projects since rooms we wanted to fix right away (like the bathroom with a yellow tub and toilet, but blue tile) were cosmetic, but other issues (like leaking shower in the other bathroom) required immediate budget attention. Luckily when we replaced our white shower curtain with a yellow one our ugly yellow tub magically disappeared and now that room has moved to the bottom of the renovation list.
Typically our Phase One projects are like yours where we invest in something that we know we can use down the road, like a new range to make cooking in a kitchen with stained and peeling linoleum not so bad or an area rug to hide scratched floors while we save to refinish our hardwoods that we’ll use on top of the pretty news ones as well.
Lori says
Totally agree with you on the value of Phase 1, Sherry. Sometimes you just have to take the plunge and knock the ugly off a room so you can actually *see* it for what it is underneath, clear the slate for possibilities. I’m a big believer in the slow burn for big renovation, and Phase 1 projects are definitely a part of that. (How many times did I repaint the bedroom in my first house to get something I could live with? I lost count…)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we repainted almost every room in our first house twice! I think it’s a rite of passage!
xo
s
Tracey Bradshaw says
I love that you work in phases – it means we get to see more YHL projects and it plants more idea seeds for my own design plans.
Not everyone can afford a full gut and start over renovation, so showing what can be done to beautify a space on a tiny budget makes a beautiful home achievable for everyone.
Also, the smaller cosmetic changes are possible for renters too, giving them the opportunity to enjoy a more personalised space without upsetting their landlord (or actually even doing him/her a favor).
I love what you guys do, it keeps my creative juices flowing and the brain cogs spinning with plans and ideas for creating a beautiful and welcoming home for our family.
katie says
Just noticed the blue trim in room adjoining your first kitchen. How did you guys get lucky enough to find two houses with blue trim to paint? ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I know right?! There was floral blue wallpaper in there just like this house too!
xo
s
Sassy Apple says
I didn’t have time to read all of the posts, so this may have already been said in different ways….but Gosh Darn It! Sometimes a gal (or guy, sorry John) just needs to add a little beauty in her life. How many of us get a ‘boost’ with some pretty toe nail polish or new lipstick? Same with your home.
A gallon of paint, a couple of plants, a throw over your ‘I really want to replace this furniture’, favorite pictures reprinted in black & white or sepia & put into repainted frames and yummy candles is a small price to pay (literally) for the unconscious sigh you give when you walk into an aesthetically pleasing room. Huzzah for Phase 1 projects!
YoungHouseLove says
So funny! And so true! If your little pick-me-up is paint instead of lipstick (I know mine is) just do it! Haha!
xo
s
Kacey says
I just bought a fixer-upper and totally agree with you about renovating in phases. My house is on a concrete slab that isn’t level which means I have to level the entire first floor before I can put any permanent flooring down, but the kitchen had the same floor you have in your new house, except mine was all moldy. I had it professionally cleaned, but still couldn’t imagine walking around barefoot and tearing it up and leveling the floor means tearing out the cabinets which means an entire kitchen renovation which means thousands of dollars and hiring professionals to get it done quickly when I haven’t decided what layout I want. Instead I bought $150 of peel and stick vinyl tiles that look like natural color wood so I get to see if I like that look temporarily while I decide what I want and save up for it.
Krista C says
I love reading about your Phase 1 makeovers. I’m a renter, so all I can do is up to Phase 1 and you guys have given me some great inspiration on how to take my circa 1980’s apartment and make it look as best I can without ripping out tile and doing a full reno (even though I’d REAAALLLY like to, haha)
Alicia says
All my updates are phase 1 updates because I have no money.
But if I’m being honest my updates are actually phase 1/2 updates because I never finish the projects I start.
GreenInOC says
Oh @ Alicia, I love you!! I can’t stop laughing!!!
Deborah says
This is one of the most useful posts you’ve ever done.
laine says
Where was the crochet in the full bathroom at that first house, or did you mean the lace curtain?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, it was a crocheted duck curtain – at least I think it was chrocheted? It was thicker than lace, sort of like white twine that was woven into mallards?
xo
s
erin says
i definitely think that we’re on phase 2 of our bedroom and really it’s about changing out the furniture and painting on the walls. but i’m a definite believer in living in a place before doing any major things!
GreenInOC says
I’m a BIG believer in really living in and using a space before making changes. If a space is so bad that you can’t use it so a Phase I update is required.
I think a lot of people (me!) get hung up on the Phase I updates you guys do because they are so awesome and you guys are talented, hard workers. In other words, a YHL Phase I Update is a whole other FIVE levels!!
For someone like me, your Phase I kitchen update in your first house would be impossible for me tackle – me painting cabinets, you’re kidding right?! For me this would mean I would have to pay someone (obviously spending more than your $150 outlay, which btw, that is seriously amazing!), which would seem foolish.
An organizing/decorating Phase I update is more my speed!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that totally makes sense! Even hanging curtains and some art along with switchng out a light over the sink is totally a Phase 1 makeover to me! Gotta do what you can, and everyone has different skills/time/interests, so it definitely varies!
xo
s
Ellen says
I so wish we would have had more of a “phase 1” attitude with our current home over the last few years! We’ll probably be moving within the next year, and it makes me so sad that all the hopes and dreams and wishes of our first house together will just stay dreams that never got accomplished. The next few months will be spent making our house ready to show, and many of those updates will be simple and we could have enjoyed them all this time!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, I know what you mean Ellen! That always seems to happen! Every time we sell a house we literally say “this house was the nicest it ever was two weeks before we left!” – there’s always that last minute rush to make it so nice for someone else and you wonder why you didn’t do it when you could enjoy it too!
xo
s
Jo @ Let's Face the Music says
I always knew when I finally had enough money for an addition to our house (which we’ve lived in for 16 years) I would get a totally new kitchen so I was reluctant to upgrade in the mean time. Finally about 5 years ago my friend was putting in a new faucet for me and said “you need a new countertop”. I said “I’m waiting for my new kitchen.” He said, “if you’re not getting a new kitchen in the next 6 months your sink is going to fall because your counter is rotten.” I let him upgrade and am very happy I did. Fast forward five years, the addition is underway. A long story to say I totally (stubbornly) agree with doing things in phases. Jo @ Let’s Face the Music
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love it!
xo
s
Allison says
I totally agree! Do Phase 1 projects! We did a “Phase 1” project for our kitchen, (which eventually we plan to expand, knock down a wall, etc). Being the cheap-o I am, it pained me to put in granite countertops knowing in a few years it will be changed, but we entered a local contest and won $1,000 for the work we did, so it wasn’t all that bad in the end. And two & a half years later, our (still small) kitchen is 1 million times better than what it was! (And it’s pretty cool they are still featuring our kitchen photos on the annual contest website!!)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s such a cool story Allison!
xo
s
hillary says
I agree with living in a house for a bit before doing anything drastic, as much as I want you guys to tackle drastic projects for my own entertainment, ha ha! I’m actually thankful we couldn’t afford a kitchen renovation for a couple years after we moved in here, because it turned out SO much better due to living in the space for a while and cooking in the kitchen. Plus, I had time to really research options so we got good deals on materials and achieved something that we will love for a long time and really works for the house. I think the way you’re doing first round updates (that is, mostly sweat equity and minimal cash outlay) is really smart. PLUS I think it could be a fun way to do something really bold and trendy, knowing you won’t have to live with it forever. There’s a lot to be said for getting it to a point where you can enjoy it on a daily basis. I lived with contact paper countertops (YES, contact paper!) for two years…should have popped some cheap laminate or Ikea butcher block on those puppies.
Kate says
This is right where we are in our almost 1-year-old (to us) house! Our master bathroom was carpeted, and while we knew we needed to take that out ASAP, we didn’t really know what else to do, nor did we have the money! So, that came out and some terrible, super-cheap sheet vinyl went down… We’ll call that Phase 0.5. We’re about to embark upon true phase 1: Getting a functional floor in the bathroom and painting all the dark poplar wainscoting white! We’re taking a page from your book and getting an extra-long white shower curtain to hide our mint/avocado shower/tub combo (but at least the vinyl folding door came out!), and we’ll have a much fresher bathroom for under $200 that we can use for a few years until we save up for a real re-do!
YoungHouseLove says
Love that!
xo
s
Laurie says
We also embrace the Phase 1 concept. We lived with our ugly kitchen for 7 years. We planned to do a full reno as soon as we moved in. At that time, I thought my style was French Country (is it NOT!). Had we rushed into a full reno upon move in, 7 years later we would have been gutting it again. Some unexpected maintenance issues ate up our kitchen reno budget and it got put on hold. When we were ready to tackle it, I had a true sense of my style and time to learn how we really lived in our house and the layout that made sense. We also did an interim makeover in our hall bathroom. My husband created a stunning tile countertop, we put in new sinks, faucets and lighting, framed the mirror and re-tiled the floor and shower. Two months ago we were ready to do our “gut” reno. I got to thinking about how the vanity in that room is heavy, solid wood with beautiful raised panel doors. What was going to be a gut reno turned into re-painting the vanity a creamy white, changing the hardware and installing shelving in the open space between the vanities. I got a new rug, shower curtain and window curtains. I put baskets with white towels, soaps etc on the shelves for a spa like feel. It looks like a brand new space, and cost me $100. This $100 update plus the $500 we spent when we first moved in ended up saving us a few thousand dollars since our first instinct was to tear the entire thing out and start over. I get how Phase 1 updates can totally save thousands down the road.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so awesome Laurie!
xo
s
Melissa says
We are all about the baby step approach to decorating our house. I had to make awful money green carpet in our family room work for two years in our first house. If it wasn’t for paint, throw rugs and accessories we never would have figured out what our style was. It made ripping out that rug all the more enjoyable knowing we were moving forward with a reno that really reflected our family.
Sarah | The Cyclist's Wife says
This is really interesting and totally makes me think of things in a new way. Thanks for sharing.
Candice says
I agree. Our house was just horrible when we moved in – wood on the walls, old nasty flooring – you name it. We simply could not afford to do a major reno so we did what we could to make it livable. I cannot imagine the depression I would have sunken into if I had to live here with it the way it was for years.
Kris Lewis says
Love this post and I totally agree about doing some projects in phases.
Question…have you ever hired an architect on any of your projects? My husband and I will need to do some MAJOR renovations on our house, namely turning the garage into a master suite and adding on a carport. Some say an architect is worth it, others say to just purchase a package online and play with it ourselves.
Thoughts?
YoungHouseLove says
If we were ever doing something major like changing our roofline or adding an addition we’d totally hire an architect! Not only are they amazing for help with what’s structurally necessary, they just understand proportions in a way that we don’t and we think they would completely help gain a much better end product. We’re working with one on the showhouse we’re doing and he’s a genius (and so full of ideas that we never would have thought of)
xo
s
Raeann says
This was a great post! I especially appreciate your phase-ones, because they help less-skilled decorators (like myself ;) see the potential in scary-looking spaces, especially when a full gut is not financially feasible. If I just saw your “before” and final photos, it might seem like you two are magical, wand-waving room-charmers. But seeing the middle stages – complete with mistakes – makes re-decorating and mini-renovations much more accessible.
mary says
I think the way you do it is probably the better way but I hate ‘wasting’ effort so I plow right in and do it all at once and make mistakes. I could never install a new faucet in one of those old scalloped sinks, for example. I’d go pick out a passable sink/counter in my current budget first, and kick them both out. I would never do that with things like moving walls, though, or re-flooring a whole house. Anything over $500 or $1000 or so, I’d have to stew on. And on. And on. Another paralysis by analysis person. Hence the preference for plowing into the smaller tasks. We have to sometimes move before paralysis sets in! Then we live with our hasty mistakes because to re-do them would be the dreaded duplication of effort! It’s so wrong. And so hard to change! Glad you brought it up.
Megan says
Great post! Nearly 5 years after living here, we finally have our living room right. It takes time to figure out function AND style. I don’t understand people who want everything “done” from Day 1. I would be so bored!
Kayla says
Amen! We have done Phase 1’s in our bathroom and kitchen and it saved our sanity! Plus we were able to have company in the 2 years we waited for the final reno’s :D. Seriously, it helped so much to cover some ugly.
It’s also very creative, fun, and super rewarding to do low-budget design fixes with paint and already-had accessories.
We’re also going to paint our dusty concrete basement floor. We *think*, we *hope* we’ll finish half of our great walk-out basement one day and create a family room, but that day ain’t today and I’m sick of my feet/socks getting dirty every time I go down to do laundry!
I’d also like to point out that you guys are in the unique position of having the public (us) peer into your home! So, while you know you will cover over your stenciled floor down the line, some of us may have a subfloor we will likely never cover (maybe it’s an extra attic space or something) and we can benefit from your tutorial!
Thanks!
Elizabeth says
I can totally relate to your ideas on quick/inexpensive fixes to make a home more livable in the short-term. I’m an interior designer, so I love projects, have a never-ending idea file, and am always finding something I want to tweak or change. Of course, I happened to marry a Navy pilot, which means frequent moves (and obviously, we are not buying a new home at each new duty station–we rent!)
I look at each new house as a challenge–what can I do that will improve this place while we are living here? My husband loves that I can make our homes cozy and warm while staying on a budget and not investing too much $$ (of course, he had to promise me my “dream home” when the Navy portion of our lives is over:) My tip for others in a similar situation is to invest in pieces you absolutely love (for me, I buy high-quality furniture in colors/styles that are classic and versatile)…then you can add in less expensive things as you go (art, accessories, lighting, window treatments). If you can maintain a unifying color scheme and style throughout your home, you’ll find that a piece that worked in one spot in your old home takes on a new purpose in your new place.
Love your blog…I’m a first-time reader but will definitely be back (we finally get to buy a house this summer when we next move!)
Karen says
Ok, ok, I’m converted, I am!!! Reading what you wrote, Sherry, and everyone’s thoughtful comments made me realize that I have to work on that whole, “I want it now! I want it now!” mentality. I have to learn patience; thanks for the great lesson! :)
Karen O says
Very wise words, my dear! I am a firm believer in “percolating” (slow cooking? marinating? steeping?) Livinvg with a space, observing the traffic flow, watching the light at different time of the day and year are invaluable tools to add to a re-do project. I too, often wish for a magic-wand-makeover, but I’ve learned the value of the “getting to know you” phase. Now – if only I could figure out what to do with a bedroom I’ve known for 30 years . . . . !
Debby's says
I very much like the idea of phase 1 projects to make the space more pleasant in the meantime. However, how do you balance if one of you thinks a few hundred dollars is totally worth the interim and the other thinks its not worth it at all? We bought our house mainly for the land it’s on, and there are foundational problems among others. Our plan was to knock it down (it would probably be cheaper than fixing, renovating and adding on) in 3-5 years. 9 years later, we did some fixes, we did an inexpensive kitchen reno that was great for a while. Now that it’s been so long, I’d like to do more, but my partner still has his dream of building, and I would rather just fix it up. How do you compromise? Do you have a set dollar amount that if you go beyond, you know it’s not worth it? I personally don’t care that much about resale value, or anything like that. To me, if I enjoy it, it’s good value.
Another question is about nfinished spaces. Our basement is unfinished, and we don’t plan to finish it, yet it is such amazing space. We have our laundry room and a kids playroom, with foam mats so the floor won’t be cold. We painted the concrete floor also. But without really putting money in to finish it properly, what can be done temporarily and inexpensively? Thanks for this great post
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a toughie! We have a full agreement agreement, so that means nothing gets done/replaced/bought unless we both agree on it. It makes us go slower, but it guarantees that our house is full of things that we both love and are happy with. We definitely have moments where we’re at a stalemate though, so in those instances one of us usually helps the other see their vision with photos (we’re both visual people, so for example photoshopping the floor helped John picture what a stencil might look like down there and got him more excited and on board. If he wants to convince me about a certain layout change he might show me other rooms on google or pinterest with that layout or tape things out on the floor to help me “see” it. I think so much of it is getting the other person in your head with you, and then you can both agree. As for the basement I would try just some easy updates like hanging art and curtains to cozy it up and maybe painting the ceiling if it’s dingy (those drop ceilings can really be brightened with paint). Hope it helps!
xo
s
jaclyn p says
I just did a “Phase 1” revamp of my master bath this weekend.
Before: Peeling, outdated wallpaper, mismatched window trim, outdated vanity mirror…it was ALL bad!
After: I removed the wallpaper, slapped up some fresh white paint, spray painted the mirror, new shelves above the toilet and caulked the crap outta the whole room.
65 bucks later and I’m now and really happy with the bathroom…for now.
We still have a pink toilet and tub and linoleum flooring but we have big plans for a gut geno eventually.
Now, I don’t have to hold back tears of horror when I’m doing my makeup every morning!
YoungHouseLove says
Love that!
xo
s
Jan says
Totally agree. We finally revamped our mid-1960s kitchen after 17 years in this house, and if I’d done it any sooner, I wouldn’t have been happy with the results. So saving up for 17 years was totally worth it, lol. The only big thing we did right away was to add cabinets and a counter to our 6’x20′ laundry room aka pantry aka kitchen annex, and no regrets there. Patience is under-rated ;-)
Laura & the Shell says
I reluctantly agree with the phase 1 approach. It’s so hard leaving a space less than perfect but you do learn so much by living with it. We live in an old craftsman, and practically every room needed something. 3 years later we’re nearing the end of many renovations but what we decided to do changed so much over these years. I can’t say if I would have worked at this pace if it weren’t for the slooooow cash flow, but reluctantly I will say that we’re better off. For example we were looking at a much bigger and more expensive renovation of our back porch but after living with it for 3 years we were sure that we didn’t need to add an extra room like we planned when we bought the place. This saved us tons of money, and precious back yard square footage.
I’m currently living with a phase 1 master bath too and it’s Sooo hard sometimes!
Meagan says
My husband and I just bought our first home, a bank-owned foreclosure in need of a TON of work. I’m frugal (note: the hubby would say cheap) so we are doing a LOT of the work DIY. Your blog has been SUCH an inspiration for “frugal” DIY projects and home improvements. In fact, I love your blog so much that I recently started one of my own to try to chronicle our adventures in DIY home improvement (and by started, I mean this full-time litigation attorney hasn’t had time to actually write one post.) I LOVE the idea of “phase one” projects, especially since this is our first home and we’re not sure exactly what we want or how the home will function for us, but are excited about making our first home as warm and inviting and “homey” (is that a word?) as possible. Thank you so much for your daily posts and DIY inspiration!
Courtney says
I completely agree with this! I had to explain to my parents why spending $100 and a weekend to paint my apartment and buy new bathroom rugs and a shower curtain was a good idea. They couldn’t see past having to paint it back when I move out or the fact that I already had a shower curtain and bathroom rugs (ugly tan ones left over from college). My response – spending the next couple years in beige prison would be awful. I would lose it. Seriously, beige walls, beige carpet, white kitchen cabinets, brownish bathroom and kitchen floors. It felt like the apartment where happiness went to die. Now I come home everyday and smile at how bright and cheerful it seems. :)
Also, waiting to buy the exact furniture I wanted was a great idea. Sure my tv lived on my bedroom dresser for a few months and my idea of a sit down meal took place on the floor but it was worth it. I have the exact kitchen table and tv stand I want and I love them both!
Caitlyn M. says
Another reason that I think Phase 1 updates are a good idea–in addition to making your space livable/lovable and finding your style–is that it gives you an opportunity to get a head start on a bigger renovation. Lots of sites recommend changing light fixtures, faucets, or knobs for an easy upgrade. But just because you want to keep to a small budget doesn’t mean you have to get the cheapest option at the hardware store. If you’ve stuck to affordable paint and accessories for now, then why not choose one slightly pricier fixture that you can keep when you do the renovation? Sure, you might have to wait 5 years to buy all new appliances or cabinets that are as slick as their new hardware, but you’ve got something nice to look at till then, AND you don’t have to buy it again later.
Trisha D. says
We definitely use the phased approach because our house was so run down it would have costed us a fortune to gut everything right off the bat. We also would have made lots of mistakes and hated everything if we didn’t think it through all the way. I’m sure it could take us 10 years to get the house of our dreams, but we’re ok with that!
Necole@seriouslysassymama says
I like phase ones. We rent, so everything is a phase one. We save money, and I change my minds every season!
Amy L. says
I agree. I think Phase I projects are totally worth it. Sometimes you just have to “scratch the itch” to make you feel more at home and to try things out before investing a lot more money down the road.
Love seeing all the old bathroom pics- that blue pashmina made me laugh. ;)
Laurie says
I get stuck in analysis paralysis as I try to decide what I’m going to do with the space. Dipping my toe in the water as a phase 1 helps me assess what needs to be done, what I would like to do, and what I’m actually capable of doing myself. The phases are an important part of the process for me to even kick off any kind of improvement.
Also, since I have so little time to work on projects, I really need a phased approach to just create milestones for the project so that I know I’m actually making progress and what time I’ll need for the next steps.
Jessica says
I love this post! I stress about the big things I don’t like in our house (tile, type of flooring, type of doors, etc.) and I’m slowly learning to try to make changes that aren’t expensive but that can change the entire look of the room, and therefore change my feelings about the room. This post puts my feelings into words – can’t wait to show it to the fiance!
Emily @ Life on Food says
I am sending this to my husband now. He is pushing for a new kitchen and master bedroom/bathroom redo and it has only been a month.
Melissa F. says
I could not agree more!! We have been in our house a year and a half, and two of three bathrooms have gotten what I call the “mini-makeover” and so has the kitchen. I thought a full a kitchen remodel was coming within a year to rid us of late 80’s dark oak and brass, but with cream paint and new hardware for the cabinets, new lighting, beadboard backsplash, and Ikea bb island top, I will be loving my kitchen for many more years than I ever expected. Plus, I smile every time I walk into my kitchen and bathrooms now, and that alone is worth much more than the few hundred dollars I spent!
Koliti says
In the past when I worked full-time, as I was leaving the house, I would find myself thinking/saying “I need to do something about that, and that, and that, and I don’t like that.” After doing that for a good length of time, it finally dawned on me – it is sooooo draining to be thinking those thoughts everyday! I decided I want to be “delighted” when I look around my house and I want see things that make me smile!
Most of the time I can accomplish the “delight-factor” simply by painting a wall, hanging some art, creating an artful display on a shelf/table. Try to think of a creative solution – try something new.
Make some art – hang it on a wall, put it on a shelf, and BOOM! Instant delight :)
I agree – it may take some time to realize how you move around in your space and how you want it to function. And while you are figuring it out, you can try happy experiments, learn a new technique, and find your style.
gemma@thesweetestdigs says
Yep we’re totally with you on the phased approach. Like in your first pad, we did a basic “phase 1” to our kitchen (you can see here: http://thesweetestdigs.com/2012/01/23/kitchen-makeover-step-3-the-floor/)
and it has made that room totally enjoyable and live-able as we save up for the big reno.
YoungHouseLove says
What a difference! Such a charming space!
xo
s
Kasey says
I think the Phase 1 fix is ALWAYS worth it. We own now and bought a condo in a new building, so painting happened right away – new buildings are only primed!
But for the years I lived in rentals I learned that the $50 in paint made it feel like home. There is that idea of not wanting to sink money into a short-term place, but in one apartment I really hated the kitchen and since I was allowed to paint I finally did it and even though it was only for 6 more months, I spent more time cooking and eating at home because the room felt nice. The cozy feeling of home is what makes a place livable.
Six years and baby 2 on the way in this 700 sq ft apartment we are starting another major reorganization of our space. In some ways they have all been Phase 1 fixes that allow us to stay just a little longer. But every time totally worth it.
(reading this comment back I can’t tell if it’s rambling or just makes no sense)
Lindsay says
As a first time homeowner this was so great to read! It’s hard to develop your sense of style without getting in there and making a few changes. And I would never want to do a serious renovation before I really figure out what I like and how to express it! Unfortunately for my budget, I’m a trial and error kind of designer, and it’s so great to read that that’s ok!
Also I LOVE seeing how your design aesthetic/abilities have changed over time! I know it’s probably a little embarrassing for you, but it’s so encouraging to see that your great style took some time to develop, too! I’d love to see more of the hits and misses and learn more about the thought process that took you from then to now!