It has been a little quiet around here, not as many posts as usual. That is because my husband and I have been spending almost every night and the weekend working on our new home. Our purchased home was a short sale, and even though it was not in terrible condition it just wasn’t quite how we wanted it to look. We started our painting adventure on 5/10 (we gained early access to the house). It is now 5/26 and we are STILL painting. We are painting every inch of this house and it has not been easy. The walls come to a 14 foot point and it has been slow going, not to mention we have had to put three coats on all the walls.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, I just ordered our U-Haul for next weekend! I thought I would share some of our process since it pretty much has dominated our home life for the last three weeks.
Tree Removal
Our lot has a TON of trees and I do mean a ton. I love some of the tall palms but there is such thing as too many trees. This bamboo tree was inside our patio and it just makes it twice as hard to take care of the pool not to mention it just grows taller and taller and it really seems an eye soar. So we had it removed. I’m going to put my hammock in that area once I clean up the roots. Also that large bamboo in the back is being removed later this week and some major clean up is being done so we will have a nice view of the canal.
These palms are pretty and we hadn’t originally intended to remove them but during our inspection it was recommended that they be removed since they are beginning to damage the roof. That was enough for me to say “take them out”.
Painting
I don’t have all the photos but I snapped a few. We started in the front of the house and it seemed day after day we were not making progress. However as of today we have a few areas to trim and touch up and two bedrooms to paint. We are holding off on painting the bathrooms until we are in the house as we don’t want to hold off any longer. As you can see we prefer the white to color in most of the rooms.
Living Room
Dining Room
My husband wanted a little break from the inside and decided to work on the patio this weekend. He pressure washed the covered patio and the area around the pool. We were able to move over our new patio furniture I purchased at Kohl’s.
We decided we wanted to paint the area around the pool to give it a cleaner look. It turned out amazing! You can see in the after photo how white and clean it looks! (Ignore the color of the pool that is being worked on as well the previous owner let it go and it was in swamp condition and the pool guy is working on getting it back in shape)
This weekend we finally got to see some improvement but we are not done yet. However we have a deadline now and we will have to be ready by next Saturday! We also really want to have the outside of the house painted but we are holding off due to the costs of everything else right now and will revisit at a later date.
alicia k says
aww i kind of liked the tree before haha
Robin Gagnon {Mom Foodie} says
Things are really shaping up. I did like the palms by the pool, but the ones against the house do look better gone.
nicole dz says
We are working on painting a few rooms. We are also updating the bathroom. Then making small changes like updating knobs on drawers and changing facets and light fixtures.
Paula @ Frosted Fingers says
Wow everything is looking great! I really need to get some painting done around here, too.
Tammy S says
It is looking great! Te tree removal was a great idea! It looks so much more open and like you have more space. I can’t wait to see more pictures as you progress.
Jo-Ann Brightman says
I can see how much you have improved the look of the house and surrounding area. The inside looks bigger and cheerier with the white walls.
saminder gumer says
i just got some work done on my home over the weekend. plan on doing some more in the next couple of weeks. trying to sell it.
Rhiannon Rowland says
Looking good, I am with you on the white! I have so many people ask when I am going to put more color in my house, but I like it just as it is. I like that you have more of a view past your pool without that tree and the ones by the house was also a nice change, it looks like you can see more of your home instead of it seeming like its in hiding or something. LOL Wishing you luck on getting everything done and on the big move.
Sarah L says
Always seems like a never-ending job to get a house ready the way you want. Looking good so far.
Donna says
Everything looks beautiful! We need do some home improvements in and around our home this summer.
Laura J says
Did you paint the cement around the pool? That looks so nice…I would love to do that!
Liz Mays says
That’s a lot of work you’ve been doing. They really did let things get overgrown, didn’t they? You’re doing a great job tidying it all back up!
ellen beck says
Its beautiful! It all takes time especially working around daily living. I love the landscaping too it really is pretty.
Dee @ Cocktails with Mom says
You’re just like me. We removed a lot of trees over grown plants also when we moved into our home. It would have been just too much to maintain and now I can actually see the front of my house. It was hidden before.
Theresa @ Faith and Family Reviews says
It’s looking good! It must be so exciting! I can’t wait for us to have our own home again. Our landlords said no to putting up a larger than kiddie type pool. 🙁 Enjoy your new pool for me too, ok!
Marcie W. says
Home improvements are never easy but are always worth it. Everything looks great and it is really smart to take care of it all before actually moving into your new home!
Anne - Mommy Has to Work says
It’s looking good!
HilLesha says
It is gorgeous – congrats on your new home purchase! 🙂
Crystal says
It’s looking great, Colleen. Congrats again.