As it’s about 6 months ago that we last shared a project status update and we’re also over half way through the year (how did that happen so quickly), we thought it would be a good time to check in and share how our projects and improvements are getting along.
There have been some big changes – mainly in our cellar and fourth bedroom – but we still have quite a way to go!
Front Garden – 25% Complete (was 25%)
- Level out grass area
Rebuild gate posts- Replace garden path & add steps into house
- Come up with a general plan & add more planting
- Install lawn edging
Tidy & mulch bed along wall
Porch – 10% Complete (was 10%)
Strip, sand & paint window framesRepair & clean stained glassPaint front doorPaint doorstep- Install sealing strip around door
- Ultimately replace porch (if we wait much longer it may actually just fall off the front of the house! Seriously.)
Hallway – 40% Complete (was 35%)
Remove laminate flooring, sand & varnish original floorboards- Source furniture
- Possibly replace lighting
- Paint everything
Strip, sand & paint skirting boardsStrip, sand & paint dado rails- Remove Artex and skim walls
Living Room – 75% Complete (was 70%)
- Repaint woodwork – for the most part it’s still looking great, but in some areas it’s a bit scuffed and (psst, don’t tell anyone) in some areas we never quite completely finished the painting
- Repaint room – it doesn’t necessarily need it, but we feel like it’s about time for a freshen up
- Source armchairs
- Possibly replace couch
- Add
cushions, art & more personal touches - Possibly add art
Kitchen & Dining Room – 20% Complete (was 15%)
Knock through wall between kitchen & dining roomInstall wood burning stove- Update shelves
Sand floorsSort heatingSort electrics- Paint everything (although everything is painted, ultimately we’ll have all walls skimmed, so it will need doing again then)
Strip wallpaper- Skim walls
- Replace patio door
- Sand floor under shelves
- Replace everything
- Buy bar stools
- Add art & personal touches
Insulate under floor
Staircase – 98% Complete (was 85%)
Strip and sand staircasePaint and varnish staircaseInstall runner- Possible repairs after installation of new staircase up to loft
Upstairs Hallway – 28% Completed (was 20%)
Remove flooring and sand & varnish floorboardsSort noisy heating pipesStrip, sand and paint skirting(for the most part it’s finished, we just need to complete the painting)- Skim walls
- Replace window on landing
Master Bedroom – 80% Complete (was 80%)
- Fill gap in ceiling
Paint everythingFind mirror for over fireplace- Add art & personal touches
- Add rug
Paint door– we decided to strip and wax the doors instead of painting themStrip, sand & paint door frame- Paint picture rail
Replace windows- Add architrave and
windowsill - Skim wall around window
Guest Bedroom – 90% Complete (was 75%)
Strip & skim wallsStrip ceiling(not sure about this now, as the wallpaper looks fine now that it’s been painted)Strip, sand & paint skirtingStrip and sand door framePaint Door– we decided to strip and wax the doors instead of painting them- Find artwork & add personal touches
Add lampshadeInstall fireplaceSort electricsReplace radiatorReplace windowFind bedside tablesPaint everything- Install picture rail – not quite completed yet
Install & paint trim around windowRemove laminate flooring and strip & varnish floorboards
Bedroom 4 – 80% Complete (was 5%)
Strip wallpaperSort electricsInstall flooringMove and replace radiatorSkim roomReplace windowStrip or replace skirtingRepair floorReplace ceilingMove boiler- Box in steel over window, skim and paint
- Add architrave
- Add rug, pictures, shelves, stuff in general
Office – 85% Complete (was 85%)
- Fill cracks in wall
- Find desk lamp
- Buy desk chair
- Improve organisation and storage
Bathroom – 0% Complete (was 0%)
Renew silicone around bath(as temporary quick fix)Have door dipped to match other upstairs doors and restore- Replace radiator with towel radiator
- Replace window
- Replace everything!
- Retile everywhere!
Loft – 0% Complete (was 0%)
- Complete planning
- Choose everything
Remove back chimneySort calculations with structural engineer
Cellar – 60% Complete (was 15%)
- Paint windows
Replace stopcockInstall new water mains connectionRemove old floorAdd new floorDamp proof walls- Paint stairs
Add radiatorRemove more wallsInsulate Ceiling- Paint floor
- Add storage
Back Garden – 22% Completed (was 10%)
- Work out general plan & implement garden design
- Start to sort out garden
- Move box bush
- Have new raised bed rendered
- Plant more plants
- Build decked area
Rebuild garden wall- Add fence or trellis – As you can see we’ve started the project! Yay! We’ll hopefully manage to attach the last panels this week. We can’t wait to get it completed and share the results!
- Replace garden gate
- Replace driveway
Replace tarmac with grass(halfway there)
Garage – 80% Complete (was 80%)
Strip & paint garage door(we completely replaced the door)Paint all timber including the windowReplace garage roof possibly install roof lightReplace missing fascia boards and other timberRebuild gable wallReplace locking mechanism- Sort electrics
- Finish painting
- Finish replacing timber around the garage door opening – we really need to get a move on and finish adding the missing timber. It’s actually already prepared and lying in the garage, we “just” need to fit it! We’ve already started removing the ugly driveway. We think that replacing it will make a huge difference!
- Clean paint off the wall
Add wall light- Freshen up inside of garage
Exterior – 10% Complete (was 10%)
- Repoint house
- Paint gable wall
- Repair/renew timber
Repair & repaint front gablePaint windowsillsReplace cast iron gutters and downpipes
With most of our home improvement time being spent in the cellar and fourth bedroom the rest of the house hasn’t seen much progress. There is of course only so much we can physically do at any one time, so overall we’re really happy with the results we’re seeing. Comparing the fourth bedroom to what it looked like a few months ago is a great feeling (except for that pesky steel beam that still needs to be boxed in) and being able to use the cellar that, having had the new floor installed, isn’t as damp and miserable as it was before, is great for keeping the rest of the house tidy.
Next up on our list is to finish a lot of the projects we’ve started and then hopefully move on to replacing the garden path and our bathroom!
Do you also have an ongoing home improvement list? What boxes have you been able to tick so far this year? What project is at the top of your priority list? Is it something home improvement related or something completely different?
Lucy says
Oh wow you guys have done so much this year! Really enjoy reading these posts :) x
Christine says
Thanks for the feedback, Lucy! Can’t quite believe how much we’ve already managed to do!
Cx
Lins @Boo & Maddie says
Oh my what an epic list! And you’ve made great progress too, sometimes it’s only by looking back that you can see just how far you’ve come. Your fourth bedroom is looking really lovely X
Christine says
Thanks Lins! I totally agree with you about seeing how far you’ve come. The only problem is that I usually end up adding things to our list everytime I tick a box… One of these days I’m sure it’ll start getting shorter ;)
Cx
Kerrie says
Love seeing these look backs from time to time :)
Christine says
Thanks. For us, seeing how many boxes we’ve ticked and how far we’ve come is the best way to stay motivated.
Cx