What a crazy past few months it’s been. We put an offer on a house in February. We closed in April… and we immediately dove into some renovations, namely updating the kitchen, painting the walls, and lastly but most trying, replacing pretty much all of the flooring.
If I’m being honest, I’ve been a ball of anxiety ever since the kitchen was gutted. Some of the rehab work has gone smoothly. Other parts definitely haven’t. I also realized how ill-prepared I was for all this. When it comes to home renovation, there are SO many decisions to be made — from the big: how do we redesign the kitchen and where do we put the stove? To the small, like what kind of back splash do we use?
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Folks, there was a whole lotta oops and daisies with this one. So learn from me and all my ‘oops.’ Here are a few things I learned about buying a first home, and what to expect when it comes to doing renovations (which by the way, still aren’t totally done, as you’ll see in the pics… but the house is liveable!)
Plan ahead… far, far, far ahead
I think I had this picture in my head that we’d close, the renovation work would start immediately and it would all magically be done by the time we needed to move from our apartment at the end of May, a whopping 6 weeks. I’m laughing at myself now, because six weeks is nothing in the world of home construction.
Since we hadn’t originally planned on doing so much renovation work when we were looking at buying, there were SO many things I hadn’t considered. We hadn’t thought about the type of flooring (the style/look) we wanted, or even the type of oven/stove. If you think there is ever going to be a time you’ll be doing renovations, go start pinning some ideas to Pinterest. Even if it’s years down the road. Even if you’re still saving. Even if you’re just dreaming of buying. Seriously. It’ll make the decision process a whole lot easier. (Bonus: it’ll be on your vision board in the meantime).
Be patient with renovations
Order times, and permit times, can vary like crazy, so you’ll spend a lot of time waiting. Sure, you can place an Amazon Prime order and get some hardware and such in two days, but things like cabinets often take a solid 4 weeks, if not longer. Flooring also requires measurements, then demo of the old floor, and then you have to cross your fingers there’s no issues with the subfloor. (If you guessed we had flooring issues, you’d be right. Our flooring project that was supposed to take a week, at most, turned into nearly two months).
As for appointments, be prepared. You’ll often get time frames of at least two-hour windows for deliveries and installations, and sometimes even whole days. How do people work full time and do home renovations and construction too?! I have no idea! (Thank goodness I work from home).
There will be unforeseen costs
Speaking of, due to the flooring issues, we had more expenses, which ate up a bigger chunk of our budget. So when you’re looking at your renovation budget, overbudget EVERYTHING. I kept track of all our costs using Google Sheets. I put the estimate cost in one column, the actual cost (when we paid) in another. This way I could see where our money was going, and if anything was overbudget I could adjust some of the other items if need be.
Work with people you know and trust (or come highly referred)
My biggest mistake in this process was thinking that using a big box store like Home Depot for our floors was a good idea. There were WAY too many people involved in the process, and only one person (fortunately the person we placed our order with) knew anything. Just to give you an idea: the carpet pads that were removed from the house sat in our living room, and later our front porch, for more than a month after they were ripped up. Home Depot and their subcontractor couldn’t “agree” on who would pick them up, and that was one of the smallest issues we had with them.
Do your research and ask around. If you know people who have done renovations and live in the area, that’s a bonus. Don’t know anyone? Get in your local Facebook groups and ask for a referral. It’ll save you from a whole bunch of headaches throughout your home renovation.
Know there will be stress… and find a way to cope
Some things will go as planned. Other things will most definitely not. As such, make sure you have some wine on hand. (Aldi and Winking Owl are my friends). Or have another way to relax or de-stress. Go for a run. Take a bubble bath. Make time to take care of yourself. As more than one friend reminded me time and time again, “Take a breath, it’ll all get done… eventually.”
Remember that this place is yours, all yours
The other best piece of advice I received? At the end of the day, at the end of all these renovations? Your house will be yours, all yours. You’re turning your house into your home. Once you’re done (because you eventually will be), it’s a feeling unlike anything else.
It’s true. Now that the kids and I are officially in the house — my amazing husband stayed out at the ‘construction site’ with the dog — it feels incredible. We are home. It is all ours. Even with a bunch of boxes still left unpacked, and some things still left to finish, I couldn’t be more thankful.
What were some things you learned when you bought your first home? I’d love to hear from you!
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