Accountability gets stuff done, so I’m checking in to talk about what’s been going on around our house. On February 12 this year I shared a list of new house to-do’s and I’m back to see where we’ve landed after two months in the new house. If you take nothing else from this entry, be it this: best laid plans have NOTHING on a new construction home around Chicago winters.
New House Essentials from February 2019
Living Room Couches and End TablesLaundry Room Shelving and StorageKitchen Table and ChairsDeadbolt for Basement and Bedroom Doors(peace of mind when bae travels)- New Office Chair (already have a desk, thanks Costco clearance!)
- Mudroom Bench and Storage
Rest of Living Room Decor(entertainment center, cabinetry, etc.)- Lay Patio
- Put up a Fence
- Purchase Patio Furniture
- Build Bonfire Pit
- Plant Privacy Landscaping in Backyard
Buy Lawnmower and Gardening Equipment- Dining Room Table slight change of plans!
- Vanity for Master Bedroom
Fitness Equipment Storage for Loft- Build Kevin’s Basement Office slight change of plans!
- Identify Garden area (and possibly start planting this spring)
- Entry Hallway Frame Gallery
- Garage Tool Bench
- Paint Living Room and Master Bedroom slight change of plans!
- Purchase Formal Dining Plates and Settings slight change of plans!
New House Progress Updates
We’ve gotten 32% of the list checked off in first 2 months . Woo! Additionally, 18% of the list changed, meaning we’re not going forward with those items at this time. You live, you learn, and plans change, you know?
That leaves the other 50% outstanding, which isn’t bad for only having been in the our new house for two months!
Home Office and Mudroom
I’m currently using our office chair from the condo, so it’s not a huge rush. With the help of a couch pillow this chair provides decent support until I find the best ergonomic/design solution. Kevin’s mom gave us a small chest that works both as storage and a bench for the mudroom. It’s not permanent but it’s been good to hold us over since the mudroom isn’t a big priority. However, Kevin & his dad installed a motion sensor light for this room which we later realized is world’s more useful than a prettier looking bench. I highly recommend this simple upgrade for a hands-free room like this, but be sure to get this brand. Kevin says it’s the BEST.
Entry Hallway Frame Gallery
Frames are expensive. Big frames, anyway. I’m looking for 24″ x 24″ frames (or something in that neighborhood) but they’re about $50 each (!!!). I need six to fill the space so that won’t do. Since they’re purely decorative I’m funneling funds towards other projects first, but still actively searching for more affordable frames.
Master Bedroom
I still have eyes for a nice vanity with ample storage for alllll the cosmetics, but priorities have shifted to a large, taller dresser/chest for our TV. It’s currently on our old chest and while that’s 5′ tall and sturdy, it’s not wide enough. Our TV looks goofy hanging off either side. Once we find that solution the furniture in the room will shift and I can identify where we can fit a vanity. Since it’s more of a bonus I’m not pushing my luck by prioritizing it over more functional items.
Garage Tool Bench
Considering I’m leaving this one up to Kevin, as most of our tools are really his, I’m not apt to accept blame for this one going unchecked. He’s been peeping at different options when we’re out but I do also think part of it is because we’re still exploring some other design options for our garage storage. Don’t want to commit to something that may not really fit and/or match. More to come!
Why the Change of Plans?
The builder said you should wait one year before painting in a newly built home because of nail pops, of which we had plenty. This is apparently very common, and painting now would pose a unique challenge. In a year, when the house is mostly settled, you’ll want to patch over all those nail pops. In fact, our home warranty covers the patching, so they’ll send a crew over to do it for us. the paint would have had ample time to fade, etc.
We have a 6-seater table right there, plus, it opens up to fit 10 people if need be. Especially with only 2 of us, we just don’t see the need.
What about holidays? Won’t you host your families?
NOPE. SORRY.
Kidding, obviously we’ve thought about that. We plan to allow for the ability to bring up a large folding table and chairs for holidays. It just seems silly to slap another set of table and chairs there when we have a huge farmhouse kitchen table. Once we know more about the space we can also make some calls on the formal plates/settings, but for now I’m passively on the hunt for things that will match our kitchen table space since that table is definite. More on our ideas for this space in the future..
Backyard, errr, back dirt
It’s May, two months into moving in, and we still do not have grass. We planned to have a fence and patio in the first month because we had no idea what we were up against. And that my friends, is the winter that will.? not.? quit.? Can’t lay seed blankets when it’s still pushing freezing at night. We have no grass in our backyard and on most of either side of the house because it was too cold to lay once the house was done in October.
There’s a little in the front that they laid, probably during construction solely to help move the house, and I’m thankful for even that little bit because I am going nuts not having the ability to use my own backyard. Given all this commotion that is out of our control, we have not gotten to the fence or patio, and surely not the garden, fire pit or landscaping. Those are all very sadly still up in the air for now but we do have plans/ideas, at least. 🙂
Extra Credit Projects
This list is nice and all, but what you don’t see above are the dozens of other things we got done but didn’t even realize we needed. Like…buying and assembling a collective 500+ pounds of new furniture, including 2 entertainment centers, 4 living room tables, 2 desks and multiple miscellaneous shelving units throughout the house. Not to mention buying 2 new couches, a dining room set and a second vehicle because we moved from Evanston (walking score of 98/100) to New Lenox (walking score of literally 1/100)…the scores don’t even hit 100 between the two? With the help of Kevin’s dad we’ve also installed 3 ceiling fans and added dimmers to our bedroom, living room and kitchen lights. It’s hard to be mad about what wasn’t checked off when you realize all that wasn’t even on a list in the first place!
Don’t get down on yourself because you’re not getting things done as fast as you expected or wanted. Things cost money, things take time, and you don’t want to waste time or money on the wrong things because you’re anxious to ‘just get it done’ (like Kevin trying to talk me into multiple dining room tables just so he didn’t have to eat at the counter anymore when he knows dang well I had a very specific aesthetic in mind – which I credit him 100% for finding – he was determined to sit at a table I guess?).
