It’s March 2016. Which means there are 10 months left in the year. Prior to moving in, Brett and I spit-balled ideas on what we wanted to do to the house. But we hadn’t made a solid plan as to what exactly we wanted to accomplish in our first year. Or what about the second, third and fourth year?

How does one go about planning an entire house renovation? Well, we weren’t sure and still don’t know if our way is the right way. But for now, it works.

Planning 2016

We wanted to focus on need and priority and work out the budget and timeline from there. Maybe there is a smarter way to go about it. Maybe we should have factored in budget and timing a little more and not so much on ‘want.’ The beauty about this list is that it can change and nothing is set in stone… Well, at least until we actually put down the concrete on the garage. Then it’s pretty much set, because who wants to deal with tearing up newly poured concrete?

As for what you can expect to see over the next ten months? Here’s what we came up with:

• Redo the ductwork throughout the house. Remove the electric heat and go to forced air.
• Add an attached two-car garage.
• Remove the three unnecessary water heaters. Because you actually only need one, not four. Shocking, we know.
• Install a wood stove in the upstairs living room.
• Add a closet to the office.
• Paint the kitchen cabinets and island.

Ambitious, but doable. At least we hope. Yes, items will be changed, removed or added, depending on what each project brings. We’ll take it day-by-day and see what happens. And of course, throw in a few quick and simply DIY projects, fun recipes and life updates along the way. At least we have a plan and some semblance of an outline for the next ten months. Here’s to the chaos and excitement to come.

All our best,