Our fixer-upper is officially ours! After months of negotiating, long talks on the front porch about whether or not this was a good idea, meeting with contractors, pricing out our wishlist and praying for a happy ending, we’re finally here! I’ve always wanted a fixer upper of our own so finding the right one in our DREAM location is a huge blessing.
Leaving a brand new home to take on a renovation with a toddler and a baby on the way in the middle of a global pandemic probably sounds like the definition of crazy to most people so I just want to put it out there that WE COMPLETELY AGREE! We are crazy people and will certainly have a few breakdowns and words of regret over the next couple of months but there’s no going back now! Lots and lots and lots of prayers going out for grace and patience during this wild season. It’ll certainly be an adventure!
THE BACKSTORY
After selling our home in January, we planned on renting (in the neighborhood we really wanted to be in) until we figured out our next steps, anticipating that wouldn’t happen until after Millie’s arrival. We had actually listed our home thinking of moving somewhere completely different but the Lord had other plans and that’s a very long story for another day. We ended up spending the month of February walking past our new house (down the street from our rental) and discussing whether or not we liked it / thought it had potential. I don’t think either of us really “liked it” but we LOVED the location and knew we could make it our own in so many ways. In March we put in an offer. Shortly after our offer was accepted we had the home inspected and then started meeting with contractors to determine what could be done professionally within our budget and what we could attempt to DIY. Unlike what you see on HGTV, we didn’t score the house dirt cheap so the reno budget is pretty scarce. Sadly those crazy good deals you see on Fixer Upper just aren’t a thing around here! To be in the neighborhood we want to be in, you take what you can get. So while a yellow 1950’s asymmetrical ranch home may not be our dream home, we’re stoked to be in the hood we want to be in and excited to make the house our own in every way that we can! Did I mention this house is about 1,000 sqft smaller than our last house and we’re losing 1.5 baths? They say love grows best in little houses, I’ll have to report back on that a few years from now. But we can walk to the beach now and we’re right down the street from grandparents, so that counts for something, right?!
OUR TIMELINE
February
Casually stalked the new house on our daily walks from our rental.
March
Put in our offer! After a week or so of back and forth, it was finally accepted! Yay!
April
Had the home inspected and immediately started meeting with contractors. We met with four contractors but only had three bid the project because one of the contractors was unable to complete our project within the timeline.
May
Closing day! Yay! Now it’s time to get to work! Here’s what we hope to accomplish this month:
- PICK PAINT COLORS!!!!
- Remove upper cabinets in kitchen.
- Sand, prime, and paint base kitchen cabinets and update the island. More on this subject later but we ended up getting five quotes to paint the cabinets. The quotes ranged from $1,600-$6k, most being closer to 6k… so being the crazy pregnant lady that I am, I’ve decided to attempt to paint these myself before chucking over the money. Why not give it a shot?!
- Contractor to submit permits.
- Purchase all materials needed for June projects – plumbing fixtures for baths and kitchen, wood floors, interior trim, and tile for bath reno.
- SCHEDULE COUNTERTOP TEMPLATE (this is a priority on my list so I’m typing in all caps!)
- Epoxy garage floor (Pearce is working on this now!)
June
This will probably be the craziest month of our lives! We are trying to accomplish quite a bit in a very very short amount of time. Our goal is to have the house move-in ready by July first so we can start sleeping there and settle in before baby comes at the beginning of August. Here’s our list of what we hope to accomplish next month. Thankfully our contractor will handle some of this but we’ll be chipping in wherever possible.
- Remove old trim and replace with new trim.
- Have the entire interior painted.
- Install new flooring throughout.
- Pocket door installation in the master.
- Install tongue and groove on bathroom ceiling.
- Complete main bath demo + renovation (contractor is completely gutting this space and starting fresh!)
- Replace AG’s toilet and sink faucet.
- Electrical work throughout.
- Replace microwave with vent hood. Add microwave to pantry.
- Install closet systems.
- Wallpaper AG’s room.
- Order and install window treatments and rugs prior to moving furniture in.
- Touch up paint.
July
We’re hoping to live in the house in July but here’s what we’d like to accomplish before baby comes…
- Depending on the timeline…I’d love to get to work on the exterior (paint or siding, shutters, landscaping, porch project, my she-shed office, front door….) but these things will most likely get pushed aside until we’ve settled in with Millie.
- Install
allsome lighting. I still can’t decide on what to do in a few rooms and don’t want to rush this at all. Lighting is my favorite! - Any touch-up paint work necessary.
- Move-in & unpack!
Later
- Once we’re settled in with baby and can get back to projects the first order of business will be to add a hood cover, and backsplash in the kitchen and then to install open shelving.
- Install new privacy fence in backyard and picket fence in front yard.
- Landscaping (this is already on the list but I can’t wait to tackle it!)
- Firepit! We already miss our old firepit so much and can’t wait for the first fire in our new yard.
- Replace interior doors. Also not sure what I want to do here so holding off and using the doors we have for now.
Even Later
At some point (like five years or longer from now!) we’d love to add on to the master bedroom and create a true master ensuite bath. We’d also love to add a beautiful sunroom off of the living room and rework the laundry/mudroom situation.
It’s quite the to-do list so working on the house every weekend will probably become our new normal! 🙂 Are you overwhelmed just looking at this list?! I need a nap after typing it out! Deep breaths and baby steps.
If you can’t tell, we’re truly thrilled to own our little piece of Amelia Island history and look forward to many many years making this house our home and enjoying raising our girls in such a great neighborhood! I’ll be sharing more about the #FussellFixerUpper as we tackle projects and dream up what this space will be! In the past, I’ve waited until we’ve finished a room to share but I want to get better about inviting y’all into the process with me. Stay tuned for a “before” tour of the house on instagram and the blog next week and plenty of updates along the way!
