Honey Do: To Do List

Come on in! 

Our inspection cleared and we are set to move in.

A HUGE jump for joy!!!!

Let the planning begin!  

I have probably written out a million lists in my head, 

and dozens more on scrap sheets of paper since we first put a bid on the house, 

BUT now  I can officially do one of my favorite things, so here it goes,
a running list of honey-do's for each room of the house (well, part 1 of that long list at least)!

A very good place to start... 

The Entryway!

In the entryway...





Exchange hanging fixture for a flush mount one. The lantern hangs too low and anyone over 5' will hit their head.


Paint walls... Rockport Gray!!


Paint area under chair rail white to match trim.

Reverse coat closet (behind front door) to be used in Master Suite (more on that later!)

Living Room:

• Paint Walls Revere Pewter with a white(ish) trim.
• Update Fireplace (aka get rid of the yucky outdated brass)
• Add built-ins with a place for the TV

Dining Room:

• Widen doorway (far back left) to create a more open space between dining room & kitchen
• Update fixture
• Tear out wallpaper circa 1980 & replace with wainscoting panels
• Paint Walls & Trim

Here is the look we will be going for in the dining room except we will probably use a round dining table and go a little more casual with the fixture. Oh my, I just can't wait!

                          

                            Traditional Dining Room by Minneapolis Photographers Spacecrafting / Architectural Photography

Kitchen:

• Right now there is some crazy wall paper adorning the ceiling -- that's got to go!
• Replace fan with a flush mount fixture & pendant lights over bar seating
• Update cabinets and countertops 
• Paint kitchen trim and walls
• Pray there is hardwood under the linoleum! Rip up linoleum and refinish hardwoods
• Refinish/Re-coat old farmhouse sink & replace hardware
• Demo old cabinets and hang in garage (oh yes, we are BIG fans of the "use what ya got" mentality)

Loving this look for our future kitchen!

Sunroom/Back Entry:

So many windows!

• Fall in love with wood paneling. Paint said paneling a neutral color.
• Replace door to garage (one on the right) with a fire-safe door
• Update fan with three-light ceiling fan (say goodbye to brass!)

View from the Back door into the sitting area of the "sunroom"

Can't wait to cozy up in our new sunroom.
I love the feel of this room here:

Ok, phew! Lots of work and only half way through the house....
more lists, more lists, more lists to come!

Picking the Perfect Fixer Upper

Welcome to our home by the creek!

She's a beaut in need of love!  Thank goodness for air travel and shortcuts or 

we would have not found this great home! 

We found our lovely abode after picking up two friends from the airport 

who then showed us a back way to their house. 

Now we will be their neighbors, and proud homeowners! 

This house is a typical 1950s brick ranch home.

It meets ALL of our Criteria!

(Found in our recent post: The Hunt is On)

Around 1600 sq. ft ........................ 1740 sq. ft. on a gorgeous 1 acre lot with a creek in the backyard

Brick Exterior................................ CHECK! (although in desperate need of a paint job)

Within the budget......................... DOUBLE CHECK!

3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (3/2)...... Yep!

Located in our top 3 areas............ Alright!

Needs Updating...no Major Reno (like an addition!).... YES!

Here is the Floor plan of our new abode...

This is all just a rough go at the plans... but my mind is a frenzy of ideas right now!

Still awaiting the final inspection as well... fingers crossed!!

The Hunt to Find the Perfect Fixer Upper

With the condo sold, and a closing date of July 12 quickly approaching. We are seriously on the hunt for a home. We have been perusing homes since last fall, but in the current market we did not have the luxury of finding our home prior to selling. So on the house hunt we are!

We wanted to give you a preview of our journey thus far....

House #1

Our Model Home. This 3/2 1900 sq. ft. home fit right in our price range and slipped through our fingers just 24 hours before we sold our home. We have been looking back ever since! But for real, we are sad this one didn't work out but it has shown us that what we would like is attainable. This home needed some updating, but the footprint was sound and it met all of our "wants."

Speaking of...

1. Around 1600 sq. ft
2. Brick Exterior
3. Within the budget
4. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (3/2)
5. Located in our top 3 areas
6. Needs Updating...no Major Reno (like an addition!)

House #2

This is a beautiful Victorian home. The only downfall: it is super small. We would have to add a master suite addition to make it a good fit for us. Enlarging the footprint of a home is not where we want to start on our FIRST HOME. 

HOUSE #3

Another close fit -- 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, in a top area, 1600 sq. ft. Only downside, We need to be able to live in the space immediately so gutting and renovating is not an option for us. The inside layout had some updates but the layout was super quirky and poor upgrades in the upstairs portion of the house left us with a total gut job on our hands!

HOUSE #4

This little gem is just about perfect! Brick exterior, well maintained, in an excellent location, 3 bedrooms.... I know, I know what could be wrong right? This beaut boasts of only one bathroom in its 1200 square feet. Again, we would be looking at increasing the footprint of the home.... 

not on the To Do List for the Dilbecks in 2013. 

HOUSE #5

Break my heart. This home has great potential and I really thought it might be "the one." Listed as FOUR bedrooms, TWO baths, I was sold. BUT, when we got inside the 2nd bath is in the garage...

 along with a lot of the square footage of the house. It's a NO GO.

HOUSE #6

This home was SO DIFFICULT to pass up because it is in our #1 area to live. 

We love the beautiful tree-lined streets, the old homes, and the close proximity to our LIFE that it provides. This house was 1 bedroom, 2 bathroom in 1800 sq ft of awkwardly laid land. The exterior was SO GORGEOUS with a screened-in front porch, two car garage, and AMAZING garden. 

We contemplated every which way to make the space work... 

but at the end of the day we could not obtain peace over 

spending above our budget for a 1 bedroom home that needed a LOT of renovation.

We are learning SO MUCH through this house hunting experience. 

Getting two people on the same page takes so much time, effort, and work. 

C.O.M.M.U.N.I.C.A.T.I.O.N. 

We are growing as a couple in that area tremendously! 

God is teaching me a lot about laying my requests at His feet, and then... oh wait, that is it. Being STILL! 

He has asked that our steps be SLOW and MEASURED. I am still learning what that means. 

We are learning that this journey is not about the HOUSE but the journey along the way.

 Please pray that we find our new home soon!