When I moved into our fixer upper farmhouse, I was overjoyed. Ecstatic.
I can still remember popping that bottle of Cook’s champagne like it was yesterday.
It was two and a half years ago.
The curveballs that come with a “fixer upper”
As first time homeowners, we had no idea what was in store for us.
We knew the foundation was “effed” and that the classroom ceiling tiles being used as a false ceiling in the kitchen was likely hiding a bigger issue, but we weren’t scared.
Okay, we were scared. But we were willing to push past our fears in order to finally become owners of a small farm and farmhouse.
Every other property we had put an offer on we were outbid. And as interest rates started to climb, we were quickly getting prices out of the market, period.
We knew we were going to have to stomach a property that had some problems with it, if we were going to get one at all.
Fixer upper on a fixed budget
Fast-forward and we’ve been able to repair the foundation–as well as get a new electrical circuit box (it exploded), service the furnace (which hadn’t been run in 10 years), and fix the roof on our goat barn (which was rotted out).
All of these were emergency repairs–except for, perhaps, the foundation. But it was a critical one we wanted to make sure got done.
Having a home of any kind is a blessing. But if you want to fix up a fixer upper home, this means you’re likely facing a lot of work, a lot of expenses, and going to need a lot of patience throughout the process as well.
It’s taken us ages to save for things like a new mattress, a bed frame to hold that mattress, and a couch. In all this time, I haven’t even indulged in buying a single piece of art or a picture frame to hold some photos of us (to prove we actually live here!), because it wasn’t a “necessary” purchase.
See how quick and easy it is to take a blessing (like becoming a homeowner) and turn it into a burden (all the things to repair, buy, and save for)?
#1 Throw away your timeline
We’ll be lucky to accomplish everything we’d like with our home in the next decade. And that’s too long to wait to be happy with our home.
At some point, I just want to learn how to be happy with my fixer upper home exactly as it is.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll continue to make repairs and improvements, but I don’t want to wait until fill-in-the-blank is done before I revel in all of its unfinished glory.
#2 Opt for some quick wins
Part of the struggle with any fixer upper home is the magnitude and scope of the work you have ahead of you. One way to feel better about your home overnight is to opt for some quick wins.
These are easy tasks to accomplish that allow you to reap big rewards
#3 Do a deep clean
It gives me satisfaction to know that my hardwood floors are so clean I could eat off of them. The fact that they’re worn and discolored doesn’t seem to matter as much when I know they’ve been swept and mopped.
#4 Don’t underestimate what a few coats of paint can do
This is the most famous trick in the book. Wanna know why? Because it works!
It can be jaw dropping how much a fresh coat of light, bright paint can create the illusion of a renovated space. It literally makes it look newer and cleaner, one paint can at a time.
Using whites or a light colored palette can also make rooms look bigger as well.
#5 Add some colorful plants
Colorful greenery is uplifting and cleansing. A few smart plant purchases can upgrade a space overnight and make your home feel welcoming and full of life.
#6 Fix up some home-cooked favorites
Sometimes when I’m getting down about the condition of my out-of-date kitchen, I’ll purposefully make a ridiculously gourmet dish like duck l’orange or a comforting casserole of macaroni and cheese.
It reminds me that you don’t need a perfect kitchen or a fancy home to live and eat like a queen.
You just need a working stove top or oven, and voila! You’re just a few steps away from a delicious meal.
Home is after all what we make of it. And, for me, a cozy home has more to do with the food and the company than the carpet and curtains.
#7 Find a fresh outlook
In the relentless pursuit of progress, it’s easy to lose track of just how far we’ve come.
As you make improvements to your fixer upper home, take a moment to really appreciate each effort. Take before and after photos.
Invite your friends and family over. I love having new friends over to our house, because they never comment on the outdated kitchen or floors but they always notice the land, the goats, and the beautiful trees.
It’s such a great re-frame.
Sometimes, our “unfinished projects” are still impressive to others. The outdoor, colony-style rabbitry we built usually gets some compliments when we have people over.
They’re not used to seeing someone take so much effort to make their animals comfortable and happy.
Celebrate those moments. And don’t forget to give yourself a compliment or two, too.
#8 Remember why you fell in love with it
When the ambition to renovate and repair becomes too much, it can be helpful to take a step back and reassess what you’re doing it all for.
Chances are you bought your fixer upper home because you connected with it somehow. Maybe it was its charm. Or the location. Or maybe you just saw the potential to make it something special and distinctly yours.
The best way to learn to love your fixer upper home is to love the fixing process itself (it’s the journey, not the destination!).
#9 Recognize that fixing up your fixer upper can become an obsession
To this day, I’m still surprised at how quickly I developed a home improvement “addiction” shortly after moving into our fixer upper farm home.
After spending over a decade being a renter, I had learned the art of not getting attached. I made a point of NOT decorating. I saw it all as “money down the drain”.
But once you decide to invest in your home–wherever that may be (a van, a house, an apartment)–home design and homemaking becomes an entirely different experience.
It becomes a focal point.
A project (that never ends).
A source of pride and joy.
It’s still crazy to me how quickly that switch flipped for me.
#10 Celebrate that your house is a work in progress… just like you!
I say this somewhat tongue and cheek, because equating our home with our self-image is just so easy to do.
If our home is in disrepair, then maybe our lives are a bit out of order too, we think.
Conversely, we can be tempted to believe that if our house is perfect, then we will be perfect too.
It’s such a trap. Better to embrace the art of becoming and to enjoy each stage of where we’re at in life.
To me, this means celebrating that my house, my life, and myself are always “a work in progress”.
If I can celebrate each stage, and celebrate each step, then I can enjoy the entire process from start to finish.
And isn’t life about finding joy in every moment?
It makes sense that we should try to do the same with our homes.
I like to think about it this way:
Where there is gratitude, there is grace. And where there is grace, there is peace. And where there is peace, there is joy.
