Home Improvements

When you buy a fixer-upper, and then live in it for 13 years without doing any fixer-upping, you find yourself a little stressed when it's time to move and you have to get it all done at once so it will sell (hopefully) for a decent amount.

That's about the time you lean on friends and family for their various skills and abilities and general willingness to be helpful...

Here's Jon and Wade, helping replace the rotten wood slats in the front porch


Jon also replaced (and will soon be retrimming them) four doors in the house that weren't functioning properly.

My friend Jessica came over and helped me scrub the oven, an indoor grill (we never used it, but it was in disgusting shape when we bought the house and we didn't know what to do with it), and all the cubboard fronts. She'll also be helping us decide what to plant in the garden beds so the yard looks a little nicer.

I have my dad lined up to come replace the broken faucet in the main bathroom, and he's done some work on the garage door as well.

My Uncle Jeff is coming over this week to finish replacing the windows and a sliding glass door.

I've even expanded my own skills by pressure washing the front porch for the first time (with plans to do the patio out back as soon as I can get my hands on another pressure-washer to borrow). I got really wet and dirty, but the porch looks great!


There's still a lot to be done, but we're finally making progress. Too bad none of it got done where we'd get to enjoy any of it ourselves before moving!