Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Make A Whole House To Do List

Exciting times guys. Operation Ditch The Blue Trim is currently in progress! So while we sweat our way through un-blue-ing things on the second floor – that’s four bedrooms, a nice long hallway, and at least 10 doors – we thought it was high time we shared our master to-do list for the new house (and for anyone jonesing for trim-painting info/photos, we hope to finish up and be back with a full report for you on Wednesday).

Trim Painting6

These posts came about when people asked how we organize all the stuff we have on our to-do list. We explained that we basically have one long run-on document that we update as we go. Folks kept asking us to share it and it turned out to be a good time for us since public proclamations help keep our momentum up, and crossing things off gives me a nice mom-buzz. So here’s our first brain dump for the new house. Of course things tend to evolve as we go, so we’ll probably change our minds fifty times, but right now if you were to peel back our skulls and peek into our DIY-loving brains (you’re welcome for that delicious visual) this stuff would be banging around in there. #warningitslong

– The Front Yard (0% Complete) –

Front Before

To Do:

  • Dig up all the quickly spreading ground cover
  • Remove the trees that are dead/decaying/diseased beyond repair (our house inspector helped confirm which ones had to go)
  • Aerate, level, and seed the yard
  • Make planting beds up front and mulch and plant them
  • Repaint all exterior siding and trim (there’s peeling paint, some rot, etc)
  • Redo old cracked concrete walkway from the driveway to the front door (add curves and pretty planting beds on both sides)
  • Add some pretty hardscaping around the front (we’re still inspired by this house’s awesome landscaping – so we’d love to add something raised stone beds)
  • Plant a few green dwarf maples (it’s our favorite thing that we planted one at our current house – you can see it in this post under the window on the right)
  • Add exterior up-lighting (some of the neighbors have it and it’s crazy charming at night)
  • Add low curved brick borders on either side of the driveway wired with lights (some of the houses nearby have ’em and we love them)
  • Get the driveway paved

– The Portico (0% Complete) –

Portico Before

To Do:

  • Repaint the portico (peeling paint = everywhere)
  • Arch the portico ceiling (it’s low and one house up the street has an arched ceiling with a gorgeous hanging lantern)
  • Add a few planters, a new door mat, new porch lighting, etc
  • Paint the front door (we’re leaning towards a rich emerald color but we’ve also always loved a glossy red door)

– The Garage (0% Complete) –

Garage Before

To Do:

  • Repaint garage doors and add some nice hardware to beef them up
  • Add pergola over double garage doors with vines creeping over it
  • Finish the interior of the garage with drywall to create a workshop on one side and storage around the perimeter (add pegboards, shelving for paint and tools, etc)
  • Reuse kitchen cabinets in the garage if we can’t salvage them after the kitchen makeover (they’re dinged up and splintered in a bunch of spots, but would be great for the garage)
  • Redo four steps that lead from garage to kitchen (remove old carpeting and paint them? rebuild them completely?)
  • Build a box on casters for scrap wood storage in the garage (we need a system to keep it from being all over the place)
  • Maybe we should get old lockers and paint them fun colors and remove some of the doors for storage? (love these!)
  • Possibly add plumbing for a utility sink out there (we’ve always wanted one in our “workshop”)

– The Foyer (0% Complete) –

Foyer Before

To Do:

  • Remove the old carpet from the wood stairs
  • Paint blue trim in foyer, including stair balusters
  • Remove wallpaper and repaint the walls
  • Remove the doors that block the flow into the kitchen (and the pretty view out the back windows that will someday be french doors)
  • Depending on how things go as we move in/live there, we might add gates to the stairs and maybe a stair runner (seagrass? a colorful Dash & Albert runner?)
  • Replace the old foyer light (paint existing one? so torn!)
  • Replace tile? (only if it’s un-salvageable – there are a few areas where it’s pretty beat up)
  • Since there are two closets in the foyer and we only need one for coats, so we want to build a craft and toy closet in the deeper foyer closet with a bunch of shelves to store Claraphernalia

– The Half Bathroom (0% Complete) –

Half Bath Before

To Do:

  • Remove wallpaper
  • Repaint all blue trim (and door)
  • Upgrade door hardware & hinges
  • Paint walls
  • Replace vanity
  • New mirror (something larger and higher – John can only see up to his shoulders now)
  • Upgrade lighting
  • Replace tile floor? (only if it’s un-salvageable)
  • Here’s a shocker since this house is covered with old wallpaper, but we’re actually flirting with adding some cool new wallpaper since there’s no tub/shower in there (grass cloth? something charming like this or this?). Could be fun!

– The Dining Room (0% Complete) –

Dining Room

To Do:

  • Clean and re-poly the wood floors
  • Upgrade built-ins (remove scrolly tops? build up to ceiling? paint white?)
  • Paint all of the blue trim
  • Remove the wallpaper and repaint the walls
  • Upgrade lighting and curtains
  • Add furniture, a rug (?) and art

– The Living Room (0% Complete) –

Liv Before

To Do:

  • Clean and re-poly the wood floors
  • Prime and paint the bright pink walls
  • Lose the curtains
  • Prime and paint the thick woodwork that wraps around the bottom half of the room’s walls (we LOVE it, and think it’ll be gorgeous in white)
  • Paint the brick fireplace wall in the first phase of lightening up the room (we always loved how our first house’s den looked after we cozied it up with paint)
  • Retile fireplace (maybe something like this tile?) and get gas logs as phase two after we save up our bucks OR drywall fireplace wall and add a stone lip like this?
  • Add more can lights to evenly light the room (there are just three near the fireplace)
  • Turn the overhead beams into a coffered ceiling (like these)
  • Build/find a nice big built-in-looking cabinet that holds the TV (across from the window, we think)? We’ll have to see where we end up on this one…

– The Office (0% Complete) –

Office Before

To Do:

  • Lose the curtains
  • Clean and re-poly the wood floors
  • Paint walls and trim and ceiling
  • Add double desk work area somewhere – perhaps coming out from the middle of the left wall (or the right wall between the windows)?
  • Bring in storage (bookcase, file cabinet, etc) – possibly cool build-ins around the bay window
  • Add curtains/window treatments
  • Hang art & create a brainstorm-zone on the walls (bulletin board? chalkboard?)
  • Add two large potted plants (lemon trees? fiddle leaf figs?) in front of the two front-facing windows

– The Kitchen (0% Complete) –

Kitchen Before

To Do:

  • Remove the wallpaper and paint the walls
  • Lose the curtains
  • Convert giant triple window into french doors leading onto deck
  • Open wall between kitchen & living room then add built-ins on either side (sort of like the dining room built-ins in our current house)
  • Prime and paint the woodwork that wraps around the bottom half of the room’s walls
  • Full kitchen reno (replace the faux brick linoleum, damaged cabinets, laminate counters, bad lighting, old broken appliances, etc)
  • Perhaps try our hand at heated floors under some fresh tile (that might spill into the foyer and hall bath if we can’t salvage that tile)
  • Organize the pantry with pull out drawers and bins and containers (and paint the door a fun color or replace it with frosted glass?)
  • Amp up the “command center” area across from the triple windows
  • Paint the new kitchen french doors and door to the sunroom (black? charcoal? soft turquoise? white?)
  • Get water filter for under the sink
  • Add window treatment and pendant over the sink & a larger new light fixture over the eat-in area
  • Figure out how to create a drop zone for coats, shoes, etc (maybe in the garage if not in here?)

– The Sunroom (0% Complete) –

Sunroom Before

To Do:

  • Rip up old stinky carpet and padding
  • Seal in the smell somehow (so the concrete doesn’t leech odor forever)
  • Stain or paint the concrete floor as part of Phase 1
  • Permanently remove the broken base heater
  • Eventually retile the floor with outdoor-safe stone to upgrade the old concrete floors (down the line for Phase 2)
  • Convert sunroom to an open covered porch with new columns and no more sliders (many of the sliders are bad and the posts are rotten) – we’re envisioning something like this
  • Build a brick outdoor fireplace off of the sunroom after we open it up? Kind of like this, but different…
  • Add beadboard to the ceiling and paint it soft blue?

– Our Bedroom (1% Complete) –

Master Before

To Do:

  • Remove old carpeting and install hardwoods
  • Repaint all of the cream trim and doors
  • Repaint the off-white ceilings and walls
  • Add built-ins along the entire window wall (with integrated window seats, hidden storage, and display shelves with thick molding)?
  • Add a ceiling light fixture (there’s nothing in there)
  • Maybe add some textured wallpaper like this to the ceiling, just to spice things up…
  • Bring in art, curtains, etc.
  • Add wood blinds to all windows (it gets crazy sunny in here in the afternoon!)

– Our Bathroom (0% Complete) –

Master Sink Before

Master Bath Before

To Do:

  • Completely redo our bathroom (the fun blue hex floor tile is in rough shape and we want to expand the footprint into the sink nook area so it’s all one space (soaker tub? tiled shower as well? double sink? should be fun!)
  • Bring privacy to the window in there (frost it? window treatment?)

– Our Closet (0% Complete) –

Master Closet

To Do:

  • Repaint all of the cream trim
  • New light fixture
  • Organize/build out/pimp the entire space (we’re envisioning cabinetry with drawers, shelves, rods at different heights, etc)

-Upstairs Hallway (1% Complete) –

Hallway1 Before

Hallway2 Before

To Do:

  • Remove old carpeting and install hardwoods
  • Replace the old hallway lights (or paint existing ones? not sure)
  • Repaint all of the blue trim and doors glossy white
  • Get all new hinges and door knobs (they’re not only bright brass, many of them are rusted/corroded so they can’t just be sprayed)
  • Convert hallway linen closet into built-in open shelves or cabinets with shelves over them (sort of like this?)
  • Upgrade to a Nest thermostat (we hear nothing but great things about them, and John is drooling for one)
  • Add crown molding
  • Add thick wood wainscoting (like we have in the kitchen and living room) to the upstairs hallway to break up the long space?

– Clara’s Room (1% Complete) –

Claras Before

To Do:

  • Remove old carpeting and install hardwoods
  • Repaint all of the blue trim and doors
  • Make entire wall of built-ins somewhere? Maybe bookcases surrounding the windows?
  • Build a bench seat in Clara’s deep sloped ceiling-ed closet nook with beadboard on the ceiling and wallpaper on the back wall
  • Prime and paint Clara’s big girl dresser and attach leather pulls
  • Add crown molding
  • Add a ceiling light fixture (boo! there’s nothing in there!)
  • Add window blinds, curtains, art, etc.

– Spare Room/Possible Someday Nursery (1% Complete) –

Nursery Before

To Do:

  • Remove old carpeting and install hardwoods
  • Repaint all of the mauve trim and doors
  • Repaint the dingy ceilings
  • We’re going to hold off on major decorating decisions until this room actually has a use (if/when baby #2 is on the way, we’d love for this to become a nursery)
  • Repaint the walls
  • Add crown molding
  • Add a ceiling light fixture (boo! there’s nothing in there!)
  • Add wood blinds (for light blocking) and curtains

– The Guest Bedroom / Craft Room (1% Complete) –

Guest Before

To Do:

  • Remove old carpeting and install hardwoods
  • Repaint all of the cream trim and doors
  • Bring in a bed and a dresser/desk that can accommodate my sewing machine/crafting so this room can multi-task (it has the prettiest view/light – I’d love to creep in there and sew/paint on Sunday afternoons)
  • Organize and build out some craft/gift wrap shelving in closet (lots of shelves and bins, etc)
  • Add crown molding
  • Add a ceiling light fixture (nope, there’s nothing in there either!)

– The Hall Bathroom (0% Complete) –

Hall Bath Before1

Hall Bath Before2

To Do:

  • A complete redo is in order (the old tile is stained/cracked, the tub and fixtures are crusty enough to make grown men cry, etc). Maybe we’ll do herringbone slate? Marble? Extra long rectangles of tile like this?

– Laundry Nook (1% Complete) –

Laundry Before

To Do:

  • Remove old carpeting and install hardwoods (with washer in a water-safe metal tray on the floor for leak protection)
  • Completely redo nook (new doors for noise control, updated energy star appliances, new counter, new cabinets – or more cabs if we re-use the existing ones)
  • Add tile backsplash and some great art/lighting (I want to make it a fun little surprise jewel box in the back of the hallway)

– Unfinished Storage Room (o% Complete) –

Storage Before

To Do:

  • This will serve as an awesomely large storage room for a while (we have no current need for additional finished rooms), but down the line we’d love to finish it – maybe as a movie room / bunk room for older kiddos? This’ll be waaay down the line, but we dream of:
    • Adding drywall
    • Getting flooring
    • Adding lighting
    • Building out the closets (so there’s still some storage under the eaves)
    • Furnishing the space with built in beds, a TV, a big sectional for lounging, etc – wahoo!

– General Whole House Ideas (0% Complete) –

To Do:

  • Slowly upgrade all lights in the house to LEDs to save energy
  • Replace all of the gold/wallpapered/off-white switchplates and outlets in the house (there are about ten million of those to tend to)
  • Upgrade to nicer frames, drapes, sheets, and curtain rods over time (they’re not cheap, but we’d love to be “grown ups” someday – even if it takes us 10 years or so to get there!)

– The Back Deck (0% Complete) –

Deck Before

To Do:

  • Power wash and stain/seal deck and replace rotten/ warped boards
  • Remove the giant oak tree that’s practically growing into the house (the inspection indicated that the roots could severely damage the house’s foundation if we don’t get ‘er down – which is pretty sad since it’s cute but just way too close)
  • Build a pergola for more architecture and shade off of the back of house where the future kitchen french doors will be (square to the sunroom)
  • Build outdoor furniture like a table or lounge chairs for the deck

– The Backyard (0% Complete) –

Background Before

To Do:

  • Remove random slate paths from backyard and aerate and seed
  • Transplant a few things for a better layout, like the pretty peony bushes in the middle of nowhere (not pictured)
  • Plant holly bushes for privacy from the other houses that our wooded lot backs up to (Phase 1)
  • Build a fun wooden playhouse tucked back into the woods for Clara
  • Plant an edible garden
  • Build a swing set
  • Redo old cracked concrete walkway between garage and deck (not pictured) <– we’ll be whipping up an outdoor video tour for you guys soon, which should help show a lot more than a few pictures can
  • Add more privacy plantings – tiered trees, bushes, and flowers (Phase 2)
  • Build some raised planters and hardscaping
  • Add a patio area somewhere around the deck
  • Make a wooden lean-to in the corner of the backyard with Clara and then plant some vines to grow up around it to make a cool little hideaway
  • Build air conditioner cover with wood boards like this

In summary, we’ve got big plans for this baby. And thankfully we’ve learned that we’re hopelessly in love with the act of upgrading a house (we did this stuff for fun far before we did this as an actual job) and the journey is actually a lot more exciting than the destination is for us (more on that here). We’ve also learned just to take things one day/project/victory at a time to avoid getting too overwhelmed and sucking the joy right out of things. And seriously, is there anything more fun than crossing things off of a giant list called Listy McListerson? (NO. The answer is NO).

As for the method to our “project order,” we don’t really think there is one. We just do whatever we’re in the mood for (barring anything that needs to be moved to the top of the list for safety or other extreme-urgency reasons). And we jump around from room to room just to stay excited and to avoid feeling too forced into doing something that we might not be ready to deal with yet – like gutting a kitchen or bathroom (we like to live in a house for a while to see how we use those spaces before completely retooling them).

As of this very moment, we’re thinking that we’d love to tackle these before we move in a few weeks (might not get it all done, but it’s nice to dream…):

  • repaint all of the trim and doors on the second floor (we hope to be done and share details by Wednesday)
  • lay our new hardwood floors in the four bedrooms and hallway
  • lose the floral curtains in the office, dining room, kitchen, and living room
  • remove the extraneous flow-blocking doors on the first floor (between the foyer and kitchen, dining room and kitchen, and living room and kitchen)

So those are “on deck” for ya. How do you guys make your house to-do lists? Do you keep them on your phone? On post-its? How do you decide what to tackle next? Is there any method to your madness?

Comments

  2. renee says

    Lots to do! I liked the first wallpaper sample you posted for the powder room. Not the second (reminded me of your napkin!) :) Looking forward to seeing your progress!

    Reply

  3. Claire says

    I already adored your website but the new house makes it a million times more exciting to read every day. And I already was excited to read it! Thanks for buying it!!! xo

    Reply

  5. Jessica F. says

    Awesome! I love the links to Pinterest on ideas you had and inspiration photos. Helped me get a better image in my head of what you were thinking. Thanks! :D
    Oh and loving me the thermostat. Didn’t think I would ever love a thermostat!

    Reply

  6. Catherine says

    That list scares the pants off me!! I can’t wait to watch you do it though. ha ha. One thing, I would hold off on ripping those scrolly bits off the dining room built-ins. I think they are awesome (how good would they look black? fantastic I think!). Just live with them for a bit before doing anything rash. I think they can look modern and graphic and beautiful!

    Reply

    • Shelley says

      I think if anything happened to the scrolly tops, I would die a little inside. I am coveting them!

  7. Lydia K says

    Looking into my crystal ball, I can totally see a Listy McListerson phone app where YHL readers and would-be DIYers can make their own lists, track their percentage complete, etc. Maybe I’m only thinking of this b/c I’m a graphic designer and I’d love to design that thing. (I’m SO available, guys.) Can’t wait to see this stuff get checked off! -L

    Reply

  8. Melissa Gonzalez says

    Would love to see you guys tackle a pocket door somewhere in the new house. Only because I want to try one in ours ;-)

    Reply

  9. Stephanie says

    I have to say that after I got over the shock of your initial announcement of buying a new house, I was a little sad for you to be leaving your 2nd house that has been transformed by all of your TLC. I was reminded (quickly) that the reason I ‘tune in’ to your blog so faithfully is all of the inspiration and the real-life approach you take with this blog! I am SO EXCITED by your list! I LOVED your ‘Claraphernalia’ reference! And, I immediately thought that a window seat in your office with new built-ins around the bay window would be a perfect place for Clara to read & hang-out with you guys down the road :) I may be as giddy as you are about your new digs – can’t wait to see what you do!!

    Reply

  10. Jeanette says

    This is quite the list! I’m so excited for you guys – I can’t wait to follow your progress as you grow along with your new home xo

    Reply

  11. DanielleR says

    OMG … I’m so excited for you but your list overwhelmed me and I don’t even have to do any of it. How do you keep calm lol?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We just remind ourselves that we love DIY! We did it as a hobby well before it became a job, and we’re so thankful to get to do it so regularly. It really is our idea of a good time, and by focusing on one task/project at a time it helps us from getting too overwhelmed :)

      xo
      s

  12. Jess says

    By the look of it the tile in your foyer/powder room might be blue stone. This is a really beautiful stone, very durable and a natural, local product! My mom’s home also has it in those locations except hers are natural shaped, like flagstone. She stripped and resealed it with a matte sealer, that got rid of the discoloration and ultra high gloss from the old poly that was there from the previous owners. It looks drop dead gorgeous now and she saved a lot of time and money by not ripping it up (it’s really heavy). Maybe get some poly stripper or just really aggressive cleaner if yours are unsealed and do one tile to see if you like it all spiffed up. The color and pattern is so beautiful!

    Looking forward to all your progress!

    Reply

  13. Jennifer says

    That’s a big house, which gets a long list! Some how I feel like you guys will be done with it in a month?!
    Your outdoor ceiling paint is what we in the south call Haint Blue. There are several shades and it keeps the evil spirits away :) But blue isn’t for everybody!
    Personally, I like the foyer light! Let me know if/when you are ready to let it go!
    Can’t wait to watch this journey!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We actually power washed those guys a few weeks back and blogged about it! Made all the difference! Just didn’t take an updated wide shot yet, so we used the old one we snapped before we had done it :)

      xo
      s

  15. Laura says

    You guys are so flipping inspiring. Seriously. I just prayed throughout reading the whole post that I, one day, have the courage to do this. You guys rock so hard. :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Wish we had time to squeeze that in! With our moving date looming we’re afraid to wait too long to install the floors (for fear that we won’t finish before moving day, which would stink!) so since we’ve painted many a ceiling with wood floors underneath (we’re pretty good at it these days) we’ll just tackle that down the line :)

      xo
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We just try to take things one day/project at a time (we have learned that it takes years and years to make a dent in a detailed list like this). Also, by writing it all out it somehow makes me feel better and more organized than having everything banging around in my brain. Haha!

      xo
      s

  19. Cara says

    As Clara gets older, do you plan on putting down roots? If you “finish” this house once she is in school, do you think you will find other projects that can be completed there or do you think you would look for a new home in your current school district? Do you worry about having her switch schools?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We wouldn’t ever want her to switch schools unless we had a necessary move (ex: we were no longer bloggers and John got transferred and we didn’t have a choice). But as long as we work from home and are fortunate enough to do this for a living we’d love to put down roots (we can definitely envision living here for the long haul). And even if we moved down the line, it would probably be within the neighborhood since this is our dream neighborhood that we’ve tried to get into for 7 years :)

      xo
      s

  20. Lauren says

    Can’t wait to see what you two do to the upstairs bath. We have an identical guest bathroom (complete with cracked/stained tiles, crusty fixtures as well!) and it just overwhelms me when I think of everything I need to do!

    Reply

  22. Sarah says

    So glad you’re taking care of the trim! Every time I see it I have to shield my eyes so I was wondering how you were living with it! Looking good so far:) I have a question, though, and maybe I missed it if you already said, but are you taking your washer and dryer with you, or are you leaving them with the house when you sell it?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Those convey with the house (in our area almost everyone does that, especially when you sell a turn-key house since buyers want it truly to be move in ready and done done done!). But we can’t wait to go shopping for some appliance deals that fit the new house – sometimes the thrill of the hunt is my favorite part. I’m crazy, I know.

      xo
      s

    • Sarah says

      BTW I hope you didn’t take that as an “insult” to your house! I know you hate the blue trim, too. Otherwise I’m in love with the house and can’t wait to see what you guys do with it.

      As for the W/D thing, I’m just like you, I love hunting but I tend to start obsessing and sometimes it’s better to save myself the trouble, lol! Plus you guys got such a fantastic deal last time it’ll probably be hard to do anything over that, I’m sure!

      Thanks for responding:)

  23. Paula says

    Can I just repeat how in love I am with your new house?? The layout is fantastic (especially once you add the fixes you want) and I am loving the architectural details. It’s like the typical all-american house you see in movies… the ones where the kids come back from college to spend christmas at home. lol. I know I am crazy but I just really love your house and cannot wait to see it when you are done with it (or close to done with it since we all know houses are never fully done)

    Reply

  24. Janel says

    Confession: The moment I saw this post come up, I casually got up from my desk at work, closed my office door, ran back to my desk and made some weird dolphin-like “eeeeekkkkkk” noises from the excitement. There may have been some uncrontollable waving-my-hands-in-the-air-like-I-just-don’t-care while reading it too…um, yeah…awkward. But I love it!!! I can absolutely envision everything you guys want to do…come Christmastime, I bet it’s going to be ah-may-zing!!!

    Now, I have The Commodore’s “Brick House” stuck in my head.

    #she’smightymighty

    Reply

  25. Kitty says

    Wow, it’s so exciting seeing it all set out like that :D Can’t wait to see how it all pans out.

    The playhouse for Clara sounds like an amazing project; are you thinking of building it yourselves? I’d love to see that, John is so talented at building things.

    Reply

    • Jennie says

      My husband and I designed and built a playhouse for our little girl and it is seriously our favorite DIY project we’ve ever completed. (Aside from our little girl, if course!) Playhouses = awesome.

  26. Sally G. says

    “Claraphernalia” – I die! That is too cute.

    I started reading YHL when you guys were just finishing your kitchen reno in the last house, and I have to say I’m just so excited to get to follow this house’s progress from the beginning!

    Reply

  27. Sara says

    LOVE your lists. When you started doing this it inspired me to do the same for our house because otherwise it all just floated around in my head…which risked me forgetting an idea I had!

    To keep me organized I have a Pinterest folder with ideas I want and then I also have a Word document set up for more details and plans. It works for me with hyperlinks included.

    Also, about your air conditioner cover—make sure to check our your unit and see how far away the cover needs to be for air flow. We’re doing something similar (otherwise the unit uglies up my new gorgeous deck and patio) and we had to keep our cover a foot away on all sides to allow for proper ventilation and no overheating. :)

    Looking forward to all the projects and congrats again on the house—such a beautiful one and great location/lot.

    Reply

  28. Steph Nelson says

    That is one huge list! But it sounds so good!! Can’t wait to see the place once you move in. :) I can’t imagine how Karl is going to look there!! :)

    Reply

  29. Martini says

    We are currently working to update our bonus space over the garage for the exact reasons you mentioned!

    It is finished out but you had to go THROUGH the guest room and closet to get there! We have carved out space from the huge guest room for a hall and the walk-thru closet will become a computer/ book nook before entering the bonus room. I found some inspiration photos that we will work towards as time allows with our almost-walking little girl. Maybe we’ll finish before she’s 5!?!…

    Reply

  30. Melissa @ Loving Here says

    My husband and I just bought a house last year that we’re slowly updating (www.lovinghere.com). It’s not as outdated as this one (no blue trim!), but it’s very builder basic and we’re trying to add function and character. I’m so excited to see how you transform the entire house a bit at a time since that’s what we’re doing. Congrats again, and happy DIYing!

    Reply

  31. LARK says

    Hi! We have an ecobee thermostat at our cabin (for about a year) and love it. It’s wireless, so we can check on the temp from our main house, and adjust it if needed (to keep from having things freeze) and then we can crank the heat up so that’s toasty when we get there (via iPhone/iPad, no less). No problems to date, and it does lots of other things, too! Hubby choose it over the Nest, but can’t remember why.

    Reply

  32. Inga22 says

    Wow – that’s a long list. It’s actually longer than mine for our home now…we’ll see if we can actually complete our improvements on pace with you guys now. It’s super fun to have a virtual reno buddy who still has “some ugly” in their home to tackle.

    Your past renos/homes have been remodeled on a pretty fast clip…so I am gearing up for reno-beautiful summer.

    Fun!

    Reply

  33. Lauren says

    I have two questiosn… First, when you’re prioritizing your to-do list, do you like to tackle the main areas that guests would see first, or areas like the bedrooms that you personally would enjoy and relax in? Secondly, do you also try and complete as much in one room or area before moving on? I’ve followed your blog for a long time now, and I know that your posts don’t always follow the exact order of when projects happen and what not. I’m just in that decorating fear stage and don’t know where to begin…

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We generally just do whatever we’re in the mood and excited to do (gotta keep morale up when you do this for 5+ years straight) and the budget factors in too (ex: we might not have money for one thing so we’ll skip to another space and do something inexpensive and fun to keep the momentum up). There’s not much rhyme or reason to where we start other than what needs to be done for some reason (ex: we wanted to redo the floors upstairs before the move, so that’s why removing carpets, painting trim, and laying the hardwoods are first on the list). Then we’ll be busy moving and getting settled in so I’m sure we’ll do a few small and simple updates while we build up energy for other bigger projects (like stripping allll that wallpaper! Haha!).

      xo
      s

  34. Lauren says

    Exciting! What a transformation this will be!!! Although man, that wood trim in the living room is so pretty – it’ll be kinda sad to see it all painted over. But your house, your rules :)

    Reply

  35. Meg F. says

    Sounds like you guys have your hands full! I don’t know if you guys have a similar program in VA, but here in MA we have Mass Save that does energy audits. They do a variety of tests to see how energy efficient your home is, and give you an idea on how your home rates. If you need to amp up some insulation, they have rebate programs that you become eligible for.

    Talking about the nest, through our gas company, we’re eligible for $100 off per Nest…might be something to look into!

    Thanks for being so inspirational!

    Reply

  36. Kate says

    This list has me SO excited! I realize that’s a little weird but you guys have some great projects on there. Can’t wait to see it start to come together. Good luck with move!

    Reply

  37. Rosie S says

    I am officially exhausted! Just READING the list made me want to take a nap! :) But I am excited to see how you revive a very traditional house…I am looking for ways to do that with my house/furniture/fabrics. We do lists and just crossed off drywalling, mudding, wood trimming and painting the basement stairway! Yahoo!!!!! Now, must work on crossing NAP off my list……

    Reply

  38. Gin says

    What a fun list! Can’t wait to see it all come together!
    If you have tree troubles, check out http://www.dirtdoctor.com. It’s an all organic program and I’ve had great luck with the Sick Tree Treatment in reviving diseased/damaged trees.

    Reply

  39. Megan says

    So excited for you to begin a new adventure! A thought about your kitchen reno – if you plan to go the “tear it all out” route, you may want to consider retooling the desk/workspace area into a pantry and converting the current pantry space to a small (tiny?) mudroom-ish area.

    Reply

  40. Danielle P. says

    I am so excited for you guys! The house has SO much charm! My husband (of 7 months–wohoo newlyweds!) and I are closing on our first home in July, and it is a fixer upper. I am going to follow your projects as motivation to get us going on our own. Yay!

    Reply

  41. Jessica says

    What a thorough list full of big, big ideas. Certainly enough to keep you guys busy for a long time. I have a question about windows from the exterior shots. In the side view of the house and garage, what’s that tiny window on the main part of the house, above the garage? Which bedroom has those three side-by-side windows above the kitchen? It would have to be the guest room. I love the outdoor fireplace, but the inspiration picture is on a patio. Since you have a deck, would the fireplace actually be on the ground beside the deck?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      The room above the garage is the storage room (the unfinished one) and the guest room has the three side by side windows above the kitchen. As for the fireplace, we have no idea about code so that’ll be a long way down the road. Gotta do research first!

      xo
      s

    • Jessica says

      Thank you. Sorry, I meant the small window that’s on the side of the main part of the house, just above where the garage attaches to the main structure.

  42. Anne says

    Best wishes for successful trim painting!! And for a smooth closing and move. I’m curious if you have any inspiration for the new house, a la Sue the Napkin.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We don’t have anything yet, other than the rooms/projects/wallpaper/tile we linked to in this post as inspiration! I think we’re envisioning something classic but not too stuffy (still with pops of color and a casual and cozy vibe).

      xo
      s

  43. Jenny B says

    Such an exciting list! I’m exhausted but thrilled for you guys while reading it. My two comments – the problem about facing a tv across from the windows in your living room is that if you are ever watching it when it is not dark out it is super annoying and glarey, then you have to close the shades or curtains and it makes the whole room dark and is just not a good thing (learned the hard way). Second comment, look at Danika of Gorgeous Shiny Things porch redo with the storm doors that turned her sunroom into a screen porch – super cool, lets you be outside but bug free, and since you have so much outside deck space it might be a good option. Congrats again, I can feel your excitement and happiness when you write about your new house!

    Reply

  44. Melissa says

    I am waayyy to excited to see your pictures after painting the trim (and putting in hardwoods, too!). Your house will look so amazing! My husband and I had a pipe leak and flood our entire downstairs while we were both at work a few years ago. We found out it was almost the same price to buy hardwoods and install them ourselves as it was to replace the carpet & linoleum, so now our entire downstairs is hardwood and I just LOVE it!! I can’t wait to read about all of your projects! :)

    Reply

  45. Mia says

    You guy’s are too, too stingy. Give yourselves at least a bit more than 1% Completion (in each area) for removing all that carpet!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, thanks Mia! Just feels like a lot is ahead of us since we haven’t even moved anything in yet and are still living at our current house :)

      xo
      s

  46. Joan says

    Your new home looks wonderful. I don’t know if someone already commented about sealing the smelly floor but I used Kilz Sealer/Primer to completely remove the stain that was attracting repeated dog visits under my dining room carpet. After I painted the entire subfloor I waited to see what my dogs thought/did and they totally ignored the room! Happy Sealing!

    Reply

  47. Richelle says

    Reading your house list made me just make one of my own. It felt great to get it all out on paper! I can’t wait to follow along on all the projects.

    Reply

  48. Maureen says

    We bought that same textured wallpaper for our 1/2 bath. We are installing it this week. I will send you pics!

    Reply

  50. Jenn R. says

    Wow! What a great house! I’m so happy for all of you. I really like how open it is. I can’t wait to see the progress as you make it your own.

    Reply

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