facelift

Well, when we moved in we thought that our home could not get more charming! We were convinced that it was as cute as can be. I mean look at it (through our first time homeowners eyes)!

Blue shutters, pretty trees, a white mailbox... all the makings for the cutest house on the block! We looked right past the weeds, tress planted WAY to close to the house and the minor issues that could be easily remedied and just basked in the glow of our new home! (As, we think, everyone should for a time after receiving the keys to a new house, it's big stuff people!!)

Post weeding, adding some pumpkins and mums,
adding a flag and moving the house numbers!

Shortly after the glow dimmed a bit, we started to notice that the house looked like it had been painted with a roller and only one coat was used, there were minor fixes needed to the front, the trim could use a paint job and the whole house needed to be power washed. All long term projects and we were so thankful that nothing was an immediate need; we could concentrate on the inside of the house for a while. After we opened our home to a garage sale for the first three days of owning the place, we realized that the front stairs were very steep and would be dangerous come icy weather. We asked my dad (Lindsey's dad) what the easiest fix would be... "Tear the whole thing out", he said.

He was right, if you can see in this picture - the bottom step was cracked, the wood was aged, and things were sagging a bit - all in all, not really a safe situation. And while we have homeowners insurance, we are sure hoping never to have to use it!

I'd say it was about a month after receiving the keys before I got a call from my dad...

Lindsey: Hi, Dad!
Dad: Hi, Linds! I've got a quick question...
Lindsey: What's up?
Dad: Well, I was just wondering if I could have free reign on the front of your house?
Lindsey: I mean.... sure! 

So that's how it started, a simple phone call. I wasn't sure what I had just agreed to but since my dad does the most beautiful landscape work I have ever seen, I was so happy that he was willing to work on our first home! I knew whatever he came up with would be amazing!

When I got home from Eastern Market with Mom (not more than five hours after the phone call), this is what the house looked like. Dad does not waste any time!

After dealing with rain, permits, pouring concrete before it got too cold and then tenting the whole yard to keep warmth on the stairs (and the workers), major progress was made. It took about a month from the picture above to the picture below. Once the stairs were all set and firm, the walkway was a piece of cake (or so they made it seem)!

 

Rob and I are so thankful that we didn't have to DIY this project and that my Dad has such a vision when he works. I never would have thought that our house could support this type of walkway but boy, was I wrong! The bushes that came with the house were able to be replanted, along with one of the trees (leafless on the left) which makes the whole picture so much more pleasant and I think this design makes the house look bigger!

We are so thankful to my dad who has helped us learn how to do lots of projects, both big and small. Thank you Dad! 

Once the outside is all decorated for Christmas, we'll take an evening shot with the window open so you can see the tree inside too! 

Thanks for following our renovation, until next time - 

Lindsey

If anyone loves what my Dad did outside our home and would like to contact him about working on your home - please comment on this post with your email address and we would be happy to send you contact information for his company! You know you wanna :)