I love scrolling photos of English cottage kitchens with beautiful stone floors, spacious bathrooms with clawfoot tubs and large patios complete with an outdoor kitchen. One day I plan on having some of that in my home. Before we can get to the fun and exciting renovations, there are some projects we have to take care of first. Prioritizing home improvement projects so that we first safe guard the home is essential. Surprises can still happen but carefully selecting essential projects first will help keep the budget intact, especially if you are trying to pay as you go.
The first year we invested in fencing and cleaning up the property. The existing fence was there but it had deteriorated beyond repair. Fencing is not cheap. It was important to us to make sure the animals were secure. We were excited to start feeling like homesteaders and wanted to have at least a couple animals to get there.
Tackling The Important Projects First
The next project was installing gutters. In this area a lot of older homes don’t have gutters. The problem with that is in rainy seasons the water has no where to go and it can pool around the house. This is not good for a home’s foundation. Eventually the foundation can begin to crack. Unfortunately, custom gutters were needed because our roof wasn’t built to accommodate them. That same year we also had the chimney liner repaired and installed a second hand woodstove. Using the woodstove has cut our electric bill in half during the winter months. The cost of fixing the chimney will pay for itself with the money we save on electricity.
Paying As You Go
The following year we planned on hiring an electrician to help us with some wiring. That was put on the back burner due to unforeseen circumstances. Apparently septic systems last between twenty to thirty years and the time was up on ours. I will save you all the unpleasant details, but it was a nightmare. Thankfully, even though the project is still in progress we are functioning again. We needed a completely new septic system, meaning new tank, drain field, plus crushing and removing the old one. This has definitely been the most expensive update but it was absolutely necessary. You really can’t live in a house without a septic system.
Prioritizing home improvement projects in order of necessity has allowed us to be able to afford these yearly projects. Sometimes we put a little too much faith in the home inspections. They do their best, but major issues are often missed. Give yourself some time to live in the house, get a feel for how your family functions in it. Allow your home time to reveal its secrets. After living in the house a while it’s easier to plan your remodel because you have a better idea on what will work for your family.
