We can get into trouble real quick.
But when we bought this house we knew it was just a starter. Then for a few years there we were playing the "would really need to move" game and thinking maybe we'll just make this house even better and stay here forever and ever. Now that the kids are getting older, and louder, and want to have friends over, and are even louder, I've decided no fucking way. This house is too small for the four of us and it's only going to get worse. I mean, I can't even watching a show of Blood Relatives where family members kill each other without it sounding like a herd of buffalo are coming through the ceiling. So before we end up on an episode of Blood Relatives we've decided we need to move.
It's a big decision that I would be lying if I said didn't cause me anxiety, stomach and bowel issues, and sleepless nights. I'm also very excited when I look at houses in our city and think that we could have a really nice house. That doesn't require us to fix stuff. It's like a dream.
But we can't just sell our house. Oh no. Not with all of Matt's million half finished projects. We've made a list of what we think must get done before we can even list this bitch:
- Finish trim in master bedroom
- Fix front porch so it does not look horrible and scary
- Finish wall and ceiling in laundry room
- Fix the back porch closet, make it not a weird purple room
- Put on new front steps to match the back deck
- Kitchen... oh what to do with the kitchen
- Paint cubby so you can't see the children's art work all over the effing walls
But you are a visual person, aren't you? I'll show you what our projects are but hold your audible gasps, mmkay?
Front porch, left side. See the drywall cracks? Well a fun little lesson in home ownership. If every other person on your block with identical front porch has the same ugly ass paneling that you have? There's a reason for that. Do not think you can give Mother Nature and her frost heave ways the middle finger because she will show you who is head bitch up in here.
And force you to realize that yes, paneling IS the way to go and I should never have doubted every other person on this block. Even when they laughed and tried to tell us we were wasting our money. We'll obviously be hauling the paneling in through the back door to prevent them from shaming us. Hilariously enough, the new neighbors next to us that you can see? Putting drywall in. *snicker*The laundry room ceiling. Fuck sake. Surely even YOU are sick of hearing about my laundry room and I'm sick of looking at it. But we've decided to just do a drop ceiling because anything else would be a complete nightmare and a drop ceiling at least makes sense should you ever need to get to the plumbing for the upstairs bathroom.
And here is the wall that is still missing even though the new door has been put in for a few months now. It looks so pretty. I still can't get over the fact it actually opens all year round. Like right now? I could open it. A bunch of times if I wanted to. So between the ceiling and the wall? I think this laundry room is going to be in great shape.
So here is the kitchen dilemma. We are broke. We cannot afford to re-do the kitchen. Our options are fairly limited. We can either re-do these cabinets which has an estimated 40 coats of paint on them which is why nothing shuts. All of the hinges and hardware that is involved with cabinets needs to be removed and replaced. These are literally built into the wall, so if we remove them? We're fixing the wall behind. Nightmare. We could put in the really shitty, paint them yourself cabinets from Menards that look cheap but we'd have to literally eat cereal daily for months. And time is not our friend here. OR, we leave it. And hope that the next buyers are first time home buyers looking to make their stamp on a house. The other issue is that if we put any more money into this house, we aren't getting our money out of it. Know what I mean?
I would paint the other walls the cream color to match the dining rooms' red/cream scheme since they are connecting rooms. I'm really torn on what to do. Because ideally, I'd like to put the house on the market in July. Our trip to Florida is in June so all of our money is essentially tied into that. Decisions, decisions. The other thing too is that compared to where this house was when we bought it? TOTALLY different. I wish I had taken pictures of what it was like when we had moved in because it was disgusting and a total dump. Never buy a home while pregnant, you are far more optimistic than you should be.
But today, Matt put the wall in the laundry room up and the mud or whatever is still drying so we hope to sand tomorrow and put another coat on. I'll hopefully be painting this room next weekend. Matt also tore out half of the drywall out of the front porch. He's angry and not looking forward to paneling. Which, I don't blame him. BUT we found this really light colored, almost beach wood paneling that looks really nice. It's also light enough that it makes the front porch bright and pretty, which I think is important when you walk into a house.
So here we go. We're on the path of finishing up our projects around here to list. I'm scared, I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm happy. But it'll be weird to walk away from our first home. Like, super weird and sad. But then I think, I might get a basement with storage. And maybe be able to park in a driveway instead of a street. It's the little things, people.
5 comments:
where do you think you want to move to? Still in So. end? :)
You are ambitious. I hope you can get everything done. Several years back my husband and I talked about moving. I would miss the land, but a house with nothing to fix up would be so nice. The last time we tried to refinance the house, I took off all the paint on the kitchen cabinets. It had been painted several times. I stripped it and ended up painting it all white. Not perfect, but better and not expensive.
I think you should paint the cabinets white. But sand them really well before you do it so you can even then out so they shut. Andy hates our white cabinets but I think they really update the space.
I've never owned a house, but I've been itching to buy one. I even found one closer to downtown (which means farther away from work), very close to my church, that would be in my price range... assuming I have an extra $20,000 for a down payment + closing costs lying around. But really, (from the pictures...) this house would be perfect for me: 4 bedrooms, 3 baths. One floor, large backyard, garage, hardwood floors and updated everything.
Sigh. If only I knew how to save money...
Anyways - don't redo the kitchen. Seriously, I really think that if your neighborhood is how you say it is, you really aren't gonna get an ROI on it. You may have to take a hit on the listing price so you can get someone in there who wants to redo it themselves, but it really isn't worth YOUR aggravation anymore.
<3
carelessly graceful
I'd leave the kitchen be unless you really want to strip & sand the cabinets yourself. I'd just add some new knobs & drawer pulls and call it good.
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