Home Improvement Projects 2011

Do you love your home? Be honest. Do you currently live in your dream home? The dream home you would have if you had a money tree in your backyard. If you answered “yes”, you are L-U-C-K-Y! In addition, you are probably in the minority. For the rest of us, we simply make do with what we have and improve on it as needed.


Eric and I bought our home (our first) seven years ago. We viewed it as a great starter home and envisioned ourselves with one or two children in it. We intended for our first home to serve us well for five to seven years. Tops! Here we sit, seven years later, as a family of six in a 1600 square foot, three bedroom, one bathroom home. The home that I once liked enough, I now see flaws at each corner I turn. Please do not see me as ungrateful towards my home. I do appreciate it. It is a place for me to cook for my family, bathe my children, spacious enough for five beds, and provides a spacious backyard (for an in town house) for my children to play. We are within walking distance of all local schools, the park, and library. Our home resides in a safe neighborhood and we have been blessed with the BEST of neighbors! Simply put, we have outgrown our home. Our likes and dislikes have evolved and we find ourselves wanting more.

In recent months, Eric and I have been discussing our home and where do we go from here? We both agree that it is not in the best interest of our family to purchase another home before we sell our current home. Financially speaking, it is not a smart move for us. There are home improvement projects that need to be done to our house prior to its sale (in our opinion). Upon putting our home up for sale, we then play the waiting game (along with so many others). For months? For years? Who knows!

As of lately, we both find ourselves agreeing to the purchase of land in the coming year and paying on it while we wait for the right time to build a new house. In the end, we may find ourselves in our current home for a longer period of time; however, the end result would certainly be gratifying! I can say with certainty that I wish for our next move to be the last with children (and we have never even moved with children!). The idea of moving with young children sounds so unbelievably unappealing to me. Mark me down for tackling that to-do only once, please.

Over at the Nester (you do read her blog, right?) she has been discussing her goals for her home in 2011. Around Christmas time, Eric and I found ourselves knee deep in the same discussion. Our (semi-major or major) home improvement projects for 2011 look like this…


Bathroom

Replace toilet, floor, and lighting
Revamp the mirror
Repaint

Kitchen

Paint ceiling and walls

Dining Room

Replace existing light fixture
Hang crown molding

Our Bedroom

Lay carpet
Hang all trim
Install closet storage units

Living Room

Replace NASTY carpet with wood flooring
Repaint trim
Paint walls and ceiling

Basement  (What Will Be Our HUGE Undertaking of 2011)

We are “lucky” and have a four room unfinished basement. There is space down there just begging to be used. Eric and I have both decided we need somewhere spacious to send the kiddos to play and generally speaking give us some breathing room. Currently, we would like to make a playroom of sorts for the kids in the basement. Our plans include taking one room and fixing the existing “water problem”, installing a sub-floor, laying down carpet, and hanging nice white paneling. Ideally, I would like to add in a half bath down there as well.

As I glance at our goals, they do seem lofty. I am fairly certain Eric is shaking his head right now. I love you, hon! Time will tell what we will get accomplished in 2011. We have been on a roll lately when it comes to home improvement projects. Let’s keep that ball rolling!

Anyone else have any plans for their home in 2011? I would love it hear about them!