Guest Bathroom Makeover - Part 1

Part 1:  Taking down the Wallpaper

We ripped off the flowery, 1970s wallpaper from the guest bathroom by hand, and it wasn't difficult at all.  I anticipated that we'd need to use a clothing steamer to loosen the wallpaper, but there were a few places where the corners were coming off the wall, and once we had a few pieces loose, it was easy to take off the rest.  Where we needed to loosen a few more pieces, we used our nails or a flat-head screwdriver.

Next steps: sanding, sanding, more sanding. Then we'll put some plaster on the wall to cover some small problem areas, let it dry, and then paint!  We'll post more pictures as we go.

Freecycle - a great resource

I recently learned about a great website: Freecycle.org.  I used it as a resource for our move, and it proved incredibly helpful!  I recommend you check it out.

Freecycle is a non-profit that began in 2003 in Arizona.  Their website allows users to post items that they are giving away for free and to post items that they want for free.  Their mission is "to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community."  The website lists active Freecycle groups in every state, plus there are some locations overseas!

How it works:  you choose your local Freecycle group and sign up to become a member.  Then, you can read the posts online and when you find something you would like, just click "reply to post" to e-mail the person who wrote the post.  (You don't have access to their direct e-mail address until they respond to you.)  You then set up a time to pick up the item, and you get it for free.  :)

Guest Bathroom Makeover - Planning

We're in the planning stages for our hallway guest bathroom makeover.  This is the bathroom we currently use the most, because the master bathroom has a tiny shower and doesn't smell that great.  The hallway bathroom, however, has a good-sized shower and tub and it smells just fine!  Thus far, we have changed out:

a. the curtain rod -- for a new, curved, Moen shower rod in the brushed nickel color
b. the old shower curtain -- for a Bed, Bath, and Beyond clear curtain
c. the shower head -- we don't love the new shower head, so we're still shopping around.

Now, we are in full bathroom makeover planning stages.  This makeover shouldn't be incredibly time consuming, but it will involve a lot of small changes, so planning is key.

Etsy Planting Pots for Less Than $25

Look at this little succulent baby!  This is a burro's tale succulent (related to the donkey tale).  It was given to us by my husband's mother about 1.5 years ago when it was teeny (like in the photo), and since then, it has grown so large that its vines now hang over the side of the pot and down off a shelf.  Succulents are a great way to bring some life to your house, since they require very little water, so if you forget about them for a while or go out of town for a week, they will do just fine! 

We have a lot of different succulents, and most of them are in cheap pots we found at Home Depot or got for free at our local nursery.  I've been thinking it's time to get some inexpensive but beautiful pots for our succulents, so I searched Etsy.  Here are three great and inexpensive options to brighten up your rooms.

Succulent in a tiny wooden box planter, $6

Yellow Elephant Planter, $15

The Tile Shop

This past weekend we took a break from unpacking and went for our first visit to The Tile Shop in Rockville.  I learned about them through Young House Love, a great blog about home renovation.  Since The Tile Shop is pretty close to our new home, and they are having a Labor Day Sale, we decided to check it out.  We decided to focus on one project only, otherwise we might get carried away.  First tile project for our new house:  basement bathroom tile.

Why are we starting our flooring adventure in the basement bathroom?  Because we had to rip up the entire basement floor to remove the asbestos tile that covered it.  We removed the toilet and vanity in the basement bathroom, and we want to cover the toilet hole with a new toilet we got at Home Depot.  But we do NOT want to put the toilet in just to have to take it out again when we choose a floor for the room.  So it's time for a new bathroom floor!

Fix It Items

My handyman hubby and I have made some mental lists of what we'd like to change in our first house, and it's time to right some of these Fix It items down.  That way, I can delight in crossing items off the list!  It's true, I love lists, and organizing things calms me.  In the jumble of boxes everywhere and so many things to do, making a list and crossing things off sounds like a great idea!  I decided to start with short-term projects.  Projects we'll tackle later will have to wait for another list.  This one is long enough.  Here goes....

Entryway

__Rip up the ugly floor tile and put down new floor (possibly ourselves)
__Paint the trim (currently an unappealing, buttercream color)

DIY or Hire a Professional?

How do you choose whether to Do It Yourself or hire a professional?  There are so many projects in a new home, that you're bound to DIY some and hire out for others.  For us, it comes down to:

1. Can we do the project safely ourselves?
2. How long will the project take?
3. How much will a professional charge and how much money will we save doing it ourselves?
4. How long would it take to get a professional to the house to do the job?
5. Are we excited to try to do the project ourselves?

We Moved! And... Surprise Non-Working Items

WE MOVED!  This past weekend was chock full of packing boxes, hauling boxes downstairs, loading the UHaul, driving to our new house, and unloading boxes, and doing it all again.

THREE DAYS of moving, and we didn't have any time to unpack things or do any of the little home improvement projects we're aching to tackle.  But after two days in the house, it's time to get started.


You might already know that when you move in to a new house or apartment, you will find that some items don't work and need to be fixed sooner rather than later.  These are items you didn't notice when you first saw the house, when you went through the house in the home inspection, or when you went back for the walk-through.  Little things that you wouldn't notice until you start living in your new home.

Our first surprise non-working item was the master bathroom sink faucet.  It was spraying water everywhere and needed to be changed.

REAL ESTATE AGENTS

We learned quite a few things about working with a realtor while buying our first house. Here are some thoughts:

(1) Choose the right realtor!  This is key.  Your choice of realtor will have a large impact on your house buying experience because of the large number of important steps the realtor has to help you with.  For instance, your realtor will:

(a) find houses that fit your criteria and price range,
(b) make appointments and take you to see houses you want to see in person,
(c) help you bid on the house and negotiate a price until you sign a contract to buy the house, and
(d) help you get a house inspection

BUYING A HOUSE

Storage bin found at Home Goods

Closing on our first house in TWO DAYS. While we have a growing to do list...

(1) find a plumber, electrician, and an asbestos abatement company
(2) choose paint colors
(3) figure out how to take down some seriously old and outdated wallpaper
(4) decide whether to hire somebody to refinish and stain the wood floor in the dining room and living room
(5) prioritize our to-do list!

...clearly it's more fun to shop for home decor. SO. Off to Home Goods I went to return a few things, and after a quick look through the store, I found a great PANTRY find. Two canvas bins from Home Goods! Cute and sturdy.  #avoidance  #timetodecorate