Y’all know I love a list.

I’ve had a lot of people ask me, “So what exactly have you done to your house?” Well here it is, all in one place. The BIG list!

Exterior

1. Scrape and wash entire exterior
2. Prime and paint entire exterior
3. Replace/repair shutters
4. Scrape and repair metal roof
5. Paint metal roof
6. Repair flashing around chimneys
7. Cap all chimneys
8. Replace/repair eaves
9. Replace/repair metal hidden gutters and downspouts
10. Replace/repair front porch tongue-and-groove
11. Replace/repair front masonry cheek walls
12. Paint front porch
13. Add new light fixture to front porch
14. Paint the front door
15. Install new columns on back porches
16. Install new railings on back porches
17. Replace/repair back porch tongue-and-groove
18. Add back masonry cheek wall to match the front
19. Replace back storm door
20. Paint back porches
21. Paint back door
22. Install new fan/light on upstairs porch
23. Install new light on downstairs porch
24. Screen in upstairs back porch
25. Replace/repair porte cochere stoop tongue-and-groove
26. Install new railing on porte cochere stoop
27. Paint porte cochere stoop
28. Paint side door
29. Install new light on porte cochere stoop
30. Replace/repair basement steps
31. Replace/repair basement door
32. Add electrical outlets to each porch
33. Replace/repair backyard fence
34. Square up leaning garage
35. Paint garage
36. Install new garage roof
37. Install garage interior and exterior lighting
38. Repoint/repair foundation and column masonry
39. Install new vents in foundation
40. Paint foundation
41. Replace/repair all storm windows
42. Reshape the gravel driveway
43. Remove front pine tree
44. Complete landscape in the front of house 
45. Clear out overgrowth in backyard
46. Landscape the backyard

Interior (click on the link to see the full renovation of each room)

1. Repair plaster throughout the house
2. Prep, prime, and paint walls, trim, and ceiling throughout the house
3. Remove all interior carpet
4. Renovate foyer & stairs
5. Renovate formal living room
6. Renovate mud room
7. Renovate den
8. Renovate den bathroom
9. Renovate dining room (update here)
10. Update butler’s pantry (big renovation later)
11. Update kitchen (big renovation later)
12. Renovate laundry room (update here)
13. Renovate guest room 1
14. Repair/replace fireplace tile in guest room 1
15. Renovate guest room 2
16. Repair/replace fireplace tile in guest room 2
17. Renovate upstairs hall bathroom
18. Renovate office
19. Install tile around office fireplace
20. Renovate office bathroom
21. Renovate master bedroom
22. Install tile around master bedroom fireplace
23. Turn old apartment kitchen into a master suite (closet, bathroom)
24. Finish the attic
25. Seal the basement
26. Repair/secure main stair banister
27. Refinish (oil) all hardwood floors
28. Repair all window ropes
29. Insulate between attic and 2nd floor
30. Insulate between basement and 1st floor
31. Add railing for attic stairs

Utilities & Miscellaneous

1. Inspect and service furnace
2. Install new sump pump
3. Connect separate electrical services into 1 meter
4. Connect separate plumbing services into 1 meter
5. Replace/repair heating and cooling systems
6. Wire entire house with an alarm system
7. Install exterior motion lights
8. Sweep and re-line all 3 chimneys (8 fireplaces)
9. Install new breaker box in attic
10. Install 2 Nest thermostats

This list will now permanently reside on the “Restoration To Do List” in my main menu, and I’ll continue to update it as we move forward. And don’t forget you can see the full house tour here!

I’m sure with any renovation, large or small, the owners look back and dissect the details of what they love and what they would have done differently.  And so is the case with our house.

First of all, let me just say that we LOVE our house. It was touch and go there for a while — it became a huge source of stress and angst, and at times Charles and I wanted to kill each other. But that time has passed, and now we’re not only content but excited to live in our home.

There are lots of little things we’re happy with, and a few little things we’d change. And trust me, the good far outweighs the bad! Here are the big, expensive things on the list.

The things I’d change…

1. Install an air vent in our master closet. Face. Palm. Seriously, how did we forget that? Better yet, how did our contractor forget that? We basically created a walk in master closet from scratch when we renovated the bathroom. I love our closet, and I have big plans for it, but now those plans include incorporating a fan in some way.

2. Install heated floors in our master bathroom. At the time, it seemed like an unnecessary expense. But lately on these cold mornings, we’re regretting the decision to forgo the heated tile floors in the bathroom. It wouldn’t have been cheap, but considering it’s our “forever” home and the amount we spent on completing the bathroom, it really wouldn’t have been so bad.

3. Paint our office a different color. I love the navy in the office. I repeat, I loooove the navy! But for us right now, it really is impractical and has become one of my biggest regrets. Silly, I know. But none of our black-framed diplomas, licenses, and art really work against the dark navy walls. Not to mention we have a navy love seat in there as well. This room wasn’t so expensive to paint (we did it ourselves!), but decorating it might prove more expensive that we had hoped.

The things I’d do all over again…

1. Build back porch stairs to match the front cheek walls. We could not love the look of these back steps more. Even with the porches still unpainted, your eyes are drawn to this beautiful staircase that matches our front cheek walls perfectly.

2. Install a new, efficient heating and air system, complete with new duct work. So this one wasn’t so much our choice. If you go way back to this post, you’ll find that our copper was stolen out of our working HVAC units while we were away for Charles’ law school graduation, rendering them useless. It was a major blow to our spirits and our wallets, but it really was for the best. The units were quite old, and any repair we had planned on would have just been an expensive band-aid. Now we have incredibly efficient units that heat and cool the house very well. (PS- we have a Nest thermostat and it’s the best thing ever!)

3. Go ahead with our master bathroom renovation. After using our upstairs guest bathroom for a few months while the master was being finished, we were reassured each day that we made the right choice in completing the master bathroom. Trying to use a pedestal sink for all my makeup and climbing in and out of the tub each day proved less than ideal. We love the tile shower, separate water closet, and large vanity in our new bathroom!

You can also read my renovation lessons here.

Have you been through a reno? Are there any decisions you regret? What’s the biggest lesson you learned?

Are you following along? Find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!

A couple of weeks ago, a reader emailed me to ask what advice I had about diving into a sizable home restoration project.  It got me thinking, and I couldn’t help but land on this post from back in May.

We had just celebrated a year of home-ownership, and a year of work on the house, so my thoughts and ideas seemed so much fresher and more relevant than they do now.  Well, just in case anyone else has the same question….here’s that updated post for you, front and center.

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You may remember this post from the 10 month mark of our restoration.  As with most things, this process has certainly been a learning experience, and I think it’s safe to say we are still learning!

Since we hit the one year mark on Saturday, and we closed on our house about 10 days ago, I wanted to add a couple more lessons that I’ve learned.  Here goes…

1.  Always get a clear and detailed contract in writing.  Always.  Because our contractor is also a family friend, we let this one slide.  Big mistake.  ALWAYS get it in writing, even if it means going with someone else.

2. It WILL take longer and cost more than you planned.  Enough said. Our “4-month renovation” took over a year.

 3. Choose your priorities.  Your budget will never go as far as you think (see #1).  In our house, we chose to have a few rooms professionally painted, but only the trim was done in the other rooms.  We painted those rooms ourselves, and saved a lot of money.  We also plan to paint the porches and foundation ourselves, and re-tar the roof to the front porch, among other things.  On a project our size, you can’t DIY everything, but you can find ways to cut corners.

4. Compromise is unavoidable.  But if you have to compromise, compromise on aesthetics.  Never compromise on the structural things that make your house safe and functional.  Stabilizing the electrical, fixing the plumbing, installing new air ducts…these things matter a whole lot more in the long run that my beloved pink couch.  I can’t believe I just said that!

5.  Invest in the long term.  We chose to install brand new heating and cooling units that are incredibly efficient.  The cost up front was big, but it will save us money long term.  The brick steps, cheek walls, and master shower were other places that we decided to splurge.  But we think they are totally worth it!  One thing that most people would never know we invested in was our bathroom tile grout.  We chose to go with an epoxy grout instead of the regular grout because it is so much more durable, and virtually stain-proof and water-proof.

6. Take a breath.  Any renovation, whether you’re living in the construction zone or not, will take a toll on your relationship.  That also means, if you’re lucky, that you will come out on the other side stronger than ever.  Just remember to breathe.  You’re in this together.

7. Measure twice, cut once.  Ok, my dad taught me this a long time ago, but it’s so true.  Always double check.

8. Reduce, reuse, recycle.  I can’t tell you how much money we have saved by reusing old wood and bricks.  We’ve also reused old doors and moldings, and were even able to relocate the oversized office bathroom tub to our master bathroom.  These really keep our home streamlined, and saves us a lot of money!

9. Think ahead.  I’m not saying you have to make your house wheelchair accessible, but you should think ahead to future obstacles.  For us, we decided to leave the downstairs bathroom a full bath so that our parents can stay downstairs comfortably when they get older, or one of us if we have a surgery or injury that prevents us from climbing the stairs.  We decided to add the tub to the upstairs guest bathroom instead of just a shower so that we have a place to “wash our babies” one day (as my mom likes to say).

10. Blog about it! You don’t actually have to start a blog, but be sure to at least keep a journal and take lots of pictures throughout the process.  You’ll be sad you didn’t later on. One day, hopefully many years from now, when I’m frustrated over something about our house, I can look back and see how much time, money, energy, blood, sweat, tears, and love we poured into it and remember the reasons why.

11. Even when you think you’re finished, you’re not.  We’ve been “officially” living in the house for about a month 6 months now, and we are still constantly finding things that need to be fixed or changed.  (Uhh…how did we forget to add a vent in our new master closet?!)  It’s a never-ending process.  I think this may be worse with an old home, but it’s probably true to some degree no matter the age.

12. Throw your plans and your time table out the window.  I had hoped to have an open house/housewarming party in March, then April, then May.  Now I’m shooting for the fall! The planner in me has had to learn to just let that go. It will be fun when it happens! (Update: it happened in August and it was fabulous!)

And one to grow on….get a ROOMBA!!

For Charles’ 30th birthday in May, he wanted the most romantic gift from his loving wife: a Roomba! So it came early and he is completely in love. I often catch him just standing in the corner watching it work.  He’s even named it (Rowdy the Roomba) and calls himself a “Roomba parent.” It’s pretty sweet.  And I have to admit…that thing is freaking awesome! I would totally recommend it!!

What lessons have you learned in your home? What would you do differently?