Renovating Our New Home

Visionaries, unite!

It’s no secret that the Grove family buys houses that need work. We can’t help ourselves. A little vision can go a LONG way. But to make that work, you also have to have a plan and a budget.

We bought a home with an awesome great room. We envision lots of time spent here as a family. But it needed to be refreshed, starting with making the fireplace that sat unused for 25 years safe and operational. Thankfully, the sellers were willing to do that before they moved.

From there came the fun stuff. Here’s what we tackled:

• Remove dated bookshelves. They were fully functional but just not “us.” However, those base cabinets are amazing . . . deep and sturdy!
• Order windows for each side of fireplace—light, light, light!!
• Remove one of two exterior doors (unnecessary) and replace with a window! (See a trend here?)
• Fresh coat of paint on the walls and on those base cabinets. New hardware was an easy update, too!
• Goodbye, yucky ceiling fan. Hello BEAUTIFUL, gigantic light. (Let there be alllll the light.)
• Last step: Custom walnut countertops (think thick and chunky) and floating bookshelves beside the fireplace.

The next project was the dark basement. Dark basements are great for movie nights, but they can feel like a dungeon. Did you know you can add an egress window to an existing home? You’ll have to evaluate the exterior and take note of things like gas lines and AC units first. But even those can be moved. And, check it out! WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!

Now, let’s be honest. There are times when the projects pick YOU. This is not ideal, but it’s inevitable as a homeowner. (If you didn’t read my previous post about this, click here.)

What sorts of projects are you considering for your home? Do you need any help finding contractors or figuring out where to start? I’m your gal!