A little more than three years ago we moved from South Florida to the Midwest. We bought our house in cash, sight unseen. And let me tell you it has been an adventure. Welcome to our home and follow along in this house remodel blog as we document our remodeling journey.
Ranch Style Home Remodel
Our home is a very basic late 1950s ranch-style home, it is all on one level with a full-size basement. Even though it was listed as a 4 bed 3 bath home it truly is just a 3 bed 2 bath home. We still got an amazing deal and the square footage was more than we had ever had in our previous homes.
Basement Issues
Speaking of basements, which, I really should write a separate blog post about one day. We, being Floridians, had never seen a basement nor had any knowledge of how houses out in the Midwest were built. Houses in South Florida are all slab-on-grade block houses. Wood frame homes are uncommon and basements are non-existent. I was surprised to learn that basements get wet! All the extra square footage I was hoping to finish needed so much more work than just updating.
Our home had to be dug up to repair our foundation taring up whatever landscaping and grass we had.
The partially finished basement we previously had is now stripped down to the studs waiting to be reimagined.
Less is More
A few years after getting the basement stabilized we are finally on track to remodeling the main floor. The house has two very tiny bathrooms. I have debated what to do with them for three years now. We started work on one only to be hit with the roadblocks of previous poor construction and a very small space. I had since abandoned the idea of finishing it and had just closed the door and ignored the closet-sized bathroom for over a year now. In case you are keeping track our 4/3 is now down to a 3/1.
This is the master bath I have successfully been ignoring for almost 3 years. I have been dreading opening up that can of worms but as I prepare for a second homebirth it became necessary. House remodeling started once again!
After much debate, we decided to turn the nursery and the boys’ room into a master suite. Complete with a decent-sized bathroom. Our current master will now house our five boys and possibly six once this baby makes an appearance.
This very small room became the nursery, while cute it was no longer functional for a family our size.
I was very nervous about losing a room when we are about to add a sixth baby to our family but now that things are taking shape indeed less is more. Having two larger more accommodating rooms and two full-sized bathrooms will add the functionality our home has been lacking.
The boys’ room was getting a little crowded and they needed a bigger space. Making the current master bedroom their room started to make more sense.
The soon-to-be kids’ room and current master bedroom with the aforementioned tiny bathroom.
Imperfect Homes
I write this as a reminder to myself and hopefully to whoever is struggling with their “ugly home”. Not all of us live in a picture-perfect house. Most of us struggle to find the money and time to fix our homes. I hope this encourages you to live life in the moment you are in and not let your goals become a burden but a motivation. After all, it is the memories you make in the house that make it special. I promise to not hide all the heartache that comes with a complete or even partial house remodel.
The soon-to-be new master suite and site of our newest baby’s birthplace.
House Remodel Blog Conclusion
While we are nowhere near done here are a few things I have considered having done house remodeling a few times now. I now know you are never quite finished fixing your house. Budget is a factor and I have had to make my peace with it in the past. Fixing your home is a balance between adding value and your current needs. Doing it yourself is not always better, sometimes you need to hire things out to keep to a schedule. Embracing the mess that comes with a house remodel job is crucial. I cannot stress enough how fine drywall dust is, your things will be covered with it.
Don’t forget to be thankful. I am so thankful for what I have. I haven’t always been, I spent most of my 20s looking forward to the day I had a perfect house. After all, life is made up of little moments and if you do not appreciate them you will miss them.
I have lived in ugly, unfinished houses my entire married life. And yet, I have so many fond memories there.
Pin it for Later
I hope you feel encouraged wherever you are in your house remodel journey and learn that it takes time and sometimes you move before the project is ever finished. Take heart you are not the only housewife living in a construction zone.
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