Some say, “a man’s home is his castle.” Well, there is no man in this house, so I call it The Queendom. Unbelievably, it has been home sweet home for 28 years. As the second owner, you can imagine that the house is always in need of tender loving care.
I have redecorated several times and remodeled two of the bathrooms, the kitchen, family room, and deck. Still, I have been thinking it is time to upgrade again. I don’t want my house to look like the grandmother who is still living in 1960s. As I look around, all of the sudden there are many things that need to be done.
As Mary Ann has noted on multiple occasions, we single women often must hire someone to do the work. We are strong, independent women, yet there are just some tasks we are not skilled to complete.
Have you ever noticed that something needs repaired or upgraded; only to realize that something else has to be completed first? Setting priorities can be a challenge when one thing leads to the next. Especially when your preference is to redecorate one area, but another area is calling out for attention. Where to begin?
My strategy is to make a list – I’m a list-maker from way back. My daughter used to roll her eyes with all my lists – until she, too, became a list-maker. But I digress. I started a repair / remodel / redecorate list and continue to add to it. On my list, I note each project as large, medium, or small. Large will be projects that mess up the house for two or more weeks and likely cost more than $10,000. Medium projects may take a week but are less than $10,000; and small are those things that can be done within a day or two. I also make a notation if I can do part or all of the work involved.
Next, I put the projects in order of priority, noting those things that have to be done before completing the project. Finally, I have begun getting estimates for the work. Sometimes, I find the more affordable projects move up the list, simply because I can get them done quickly. Checking items off the list is quite satisfying!
Staying up-to-date with repairs and upgrades makes your home more enjoyable. I think of it in this way: if I wanted to sell the house, what would be required? Do I really want to make changes for someone else? Instead, I want to enjoy the time, effort, and money I have expended to make my home my castle.
