Holy cow! It’s already been a year in my 1927 Colonial home. Last summer feels like it was yesterday, and I was signing papers with my realtor. It’s been a year full of changes and the remodel projects seem to never end, but I’ve loved being a homeowner.

Buying a home at 24 was definitely a learning experience. If you followed my journey, you may remember this is actually the third house I put an offer on. I learned a ton about the real estate market (which is still crazy), and I feel like my patience was 100% worth it! Today I’m dishing what I’ve learned about home ownership and I’m sharing all of the before and after photos so far.

What I’ve Learned About Home Ownership:

1. Menards will be your second home now. The amount of trips I make probably tallies in the hundreds. I thought I was in pretty good shape with what I had when I moved in, but I learned otherwise when I started remodeling projects.
2. After a year, take a look at your insurance policies and reassess if they cover everything you’re looking for. Because they initially are crafted to fit with your mortgage (usually for first time home buyers), it’s good to see if you can add anything now that you (hopefully) have a higher salary after a full year and can afford more. I added on to my policy to include coverage for built-in appliances (my furnace and air conditioner).
3. Neighbors are great! My neighbor supplies me with endless tomatoes 🙂
4. Home ownership is expensive. Take into account more than just your mortgage payment and utilities. You’ll need to account for tree trimming, appliance repairs, and the unexpected – even gas for your lawn mower is important to have – haha!
5. It’s the best thing I have done! I love being my own landlord, having tons of space, and being able to have friends over for weekly game nights. It has truly helped me grow as an adult. It’s also nice to think about how I don’t have to renew a lease this year 🙂

The first room we (my parents and I) started on was my office. Once I got the house keys, I was eager to find out what was underneath the carpet. As I had hoped, I found the original wood floors and they were still in great shape! This space had shelves (where the gold paint is) that got knocked out and needed a lot of wall patching! After becoming BFFs with plaster filler, we painted the walls and trim white. I wanted this space to feel airy and bright!

Here it is now (also shown in this post):

After the office, we did the same basic things to the master bedroom. The original hardwood floors continued throughout – I really lucked out here. The bedroom, ceiling, and closet were baby pink, which had to go. I painted the room a light grey and the ceilings/trim white, which modernized the space tremendously!

Next up, we tackled the downstairs bedroom. Originally, this was a sewing room that had four different paint colors on the walls (not specified to just one wall) and an array of colors on the concrete floor. I think it kind of freaked people out when I gave them house tours.

I also made changes to the living room. I didn’t make a collage because I’m not finished, but here’s a glimpse:

BEFORE:

AFTER THAT (first is from February, I have updated but not taken photos):

I now have new/more decor and something on the mantle 🙂 I also have 4 chairs for my table, the other 3 are in the sunroom from game night – haha!

Next up: My upstairs bedroom loft. This was a big change and has yet to be decorated. There is a walk-in closet and half bathroom off this room + the attic storage. This is my FAVORITE space.

The last room I’ll show is the kitchen/breakfast nook. I shared how I painted my kitchen cabinets in this post and the breakfast nook remodel here.

So, it’s come a long ways!! I still need to finish my living room, main floor and upstairs bathrooms, back entry, and just lots of little things! I am incredibly particular, so that doesn’t help 😉