Avoiding Home Improvement Overload

Pictures of our house from the real estate website

Taking on home improvement projects can be a bit daunting. And the truth is, Matt and I bought a 1930s bungalow that had recently been completely updated, so we didn’t have as much to do as the average old-house homeowner might have.

Even still, our “to-do” list is long. Here’s what we’ve already accomplished in the two years that we’ve been here:

1. Refinished a mailbox and hung it
2. Hung window coverings on every window
3. Attached a hose to the side of our house
4. Bought furniture for our front porch
5. Made cushions for the front porch swing
6. Closed off our house with a gate
7. Had a chain-link fence removed and another fence completed
8. Added a rain collection system (gutter + barrel)
9. Bought a dining room table
10. Installed a pole for growing tomatoes upside down
11. Redesigned our front walkway
12. Had a new backyard fence built (in process)
13. Bought a chicken coop and chickens
14. Added lattice to close off the bottom of our house
15. Added insulation to attic
16. Had a security system installed
17. Added motion detector to side of house

I think one strategy for preventing complete home improvement overload is to keep an ongoing list and reprioritize it every time a new idea gets added. That way, we can tackle one project at a time, with full confidence that we’re tackling the most important/relevant thing at a given time. With that strategy in mind, here is our current list:

• Hang chalkboard mirror
• Add chlorine filter to shower
• Get a new ironing board cover
• Purchase backyard furniture
• Put together a potting area in our backyard
• Landscape area around backyard tree
• Organize closet
• Get a new couch
• Get a new coffee table
• Get a new chair for the living room
• Make new cushions for the front porch swing
• Get ceiling fans
• Redo driveway

One project at a time…