In my last post, I shared a little about our slow renovating journey and how it took us 10 years to replace the flooring in our kitchen. I felt a little ridiculous sharing that it took so long but we love our home and we have been busy raising a family here and both me and my husband run our own businesses. We’re not in a rush and we want to make sure that any changes we make really do improve our home and how we live in it and use it as a family.
We also didn’t have the budget when we moved in to do a quick large-scale renovation. We knew we were in it for the long game and it would take quite some time for us to save up and get our home how we wanted it. So in this post, I will share with you some of the jobs we have done on our slow renovating journey and some that we still haven’t tackled.
1. Upgrade the Kitchen
When we moved in, the kitchen was brand new and had been fitted by the previous owner. We didn’t like it, and it definitely wasn’t our style but we didn’t have the budget to replace it and it would have been a shame to remove a brand new kitchen anyway.
But we do spend a lot of time in the kitchen because my husband loves to cook. And the kitchen was not great for cooking. There was hardly any storage and this was something we wanted to address. We didn’t have the budget for a full remodel so we did a bit of a kitchen makeover instead.
We made a number of small improvements that had a big impact on how the kitchen looked and also how we were able to use the space. For example, we added some extra wall units, replaced the black wall tiles with white ones to make the space feel lighter and brighter, we swapped out the black worktops for white for the same reason, and we replaced the hob and the extractor fan. We would have loved to replace the floor at this point but the budget wouldn’t stretch to that.
2. Focus on the Bathrooms
Another priority job on our slow renovating journey was the bathroom. We only have one bathroom and it was very outdated and pretty grotty. We needed to fully modernise this. So we did a full bathroom renovation and ripped the whole lot out and replaced it with new.
The bathroom is a space that is used for rejuvenation and relaxation so it is important to create a room that you want to spend time in and that feels relaxing. It also needs to be practical. We installed a space-saving toilet and sink unit, added a heated mirror and a towel radiator and upgraded the electric shower. We also added a shelf up high to maximise storage space.
If you can’t do a full renovation all in one go like we did, you can make small changes like swapping out the taps, changing the radiator, swapping a shower curtain for a screen, changing the flooring or getting a new mirror. The small changes all add up to create a much nicer space.
3. Redecorate the Bedrooms
The second bedroom was our priority when we moved in and the first room in the house that we actually tackled. This is because we were pregnant with our first child and erroneously believed that our baby would actually sleep in this room. Had we known better we wouldn’t have bothered with a nursery makeover. By the time the kids were regularly sleeping in the nursery, it was time to redecorate with a more grown-up look.
It took a little while for us to get round to our master bedroom makeover. I really wish we had done this sooner and really made it a priority on our slow renovating journey. We all know that if you want to feel your best then you must get plenty of good sleep each night. I can’t help but think those early sleepless years with babies and small children would have been slightly easier if we had had a nicer bedroom.
Since we did our master bedroom makeover we have continued to make changes so that we can improve our sleep. We want our bedroom to be a place that makes us feel calm. We upgraded to a comfortable mattress and natural cotton bedding and we have added some affordable art prints made from original paintings.
Redecorating the bedroom is something that needs to be done regularly and I have to say that ours is now due another makeover. It’s starting to look a little tired and to be quite honest I’d like to change up the colour scheme. So this is on the agenda, probably for next year.
4. Create A Welcoming Entryway
Olive & Barr – Boot/Utility Room
Entryways and hallways are so important. They are the first part of your home that you and others see. You want to make a good first impression the minute someone walks into your home. Therefore, you want to focus on transforming your hallway into a welcoming and stylish space.
We only recently started work on our long, narrow and dark hallway as part of our slow renovating journing. It wasn’t a welcoming space until a year or so ago. We were sorely lacking storage and the open alcove we had for hanging coats in always looked messy. My husband built us a cupboard into the alcove so that we can shut away all the coats, bags and shoes out of sight. It has made a huge difference.
We also got an electrician in to swap out the lighting and make it a bit brighter. We previously had two pendant lights and these have now been replaced with five spot lights. The difference is incredible and it didn’t even cost that much.
But it’s still not how I’d like it and there are more changes on the way for the hallway. New nature-inspired laminate flooring will go down in the next few weeks and I’ll be looking at getting a runner. It will get a lick of paint and we may consider adding some panelling for added interest.
5. Apply Fresh Paint to the Walls
Redecorating is an ongoing, or shall we say never-ending, job when it comes to slow renovating. Every few years we need to repaint either because we want a fresh new colour or because the paint has got tired and needs touching up.
Applying fresh paint to the walls is a really great upgrade you can make and is probably one of the fastest and cheapest ways to make a room look different. There are lots of decorating tips that can help you to make the most of the space you have. Whether you want to make a small room feel larger, a narrow space feel wider or low ceilings feel higher, you can achieve all this will careful application of paint.
We’re pretty happy with how we have chosen to decorate our living room for example. It’s the one room in the house that I am consistently happy with and don’t feel the need to change apart from making some small seasonal updates.
So along with repainting the hallway this year, I will also be repainting the living room. It will be the exact same colour it is right now, because we all still love the colour ten years later, but it will get a freshen up.
6. Install New Flooring
Botanic Concrete flooring from Quick-Step
Installing new flooring is where we currently are on our slow renovating journey. When we first bought our home there were a number of bright red carpets which I simply couldn’t live with. Red is not a colour that makes me feel calm so they had to go. We replaced them with the cheapest neutral carpets we could find. They have served us well but it’s now time to upgrade.
We have recently replaced the kitchen flooring and we are about to replace the flooring in the hallway as I mentioned. The living room flooring will follow and to be honest I will probably lay the same flooring throughout. We live in a flat and all the rooms come off the hallway so it makes sense to stay consistent throughout. Plus I really do love that flooring. Plus I really do love that Botanic Concrete flooring.
7. Create A Garden Oasis
We may live in a flat but we are super lucky to have a very sizeable private back garden. It wasn’t really that useable when we moved in though. The garden slopes quite a bit so it wasn’t flat enough to use any garden furniture and there was nowhere really to sit out and enjoy the garden.
We really wanted to be able to spend time outdoors when the weather was nice so we undertook a garden makeover. We installed some decking so that we had a nice entertaining space in the garden where we could enjoy alfresco dining, BBQs with friends, reading, sunbathing and any other outdoor activities that we enjoy.
I’m so pleased that we got around to this project before the pandemic struck. It was an absolute lifesaver being able to escape to the garden for all manner of alfresco activities while we weren’t permitted to leave our homes.
There are still jobs we want to do in the garden though. We want to install new fencing and we need to build a shed. I also dream of having a garden room but that is quite far down the priority list as far as slow renovating goes.
8. Boost the Curb Appeal
Medium Front Access Dark Grey Smart Parcel Box
It’s all very well having a lovely house inside but we can’t forget about the exterior. Afterall, we want to make a good impression and show that our home is well looked after. Therefore, we should spend some time boosting our home’s curb appeal. There are both large and small projects that we can consider.
Last year, we had the block of flats repainted with a fresh lick of paint. this really made a huge difference to how it looked. We did a small landscaping job to create an area to store our bins and we added a built-in cupboard in our open porch area to store our outdoor clothing and wellies out of sight and reduce the clutter. We also got a secure parcel delivery box so that packages aren’t left outside our home when we’re not in.
There are lots of other jobs that can be considered too like replacing old garage doors with something more modern. You can add some colour and interest to the front of your home by planting Tulip Bulbs out front. You may also want to think about painting your front door a new colour that pops and adds character. If your mailbox is old and outdated then you can also consider replacing it with something that catches your eye.
9. Enhance the Lighting
Pirouette Blinds from Luxaflex
A dark and dreary home can quickly bring down your mood. Believe me, I know,! Our flat isn’t exactly filled with natural light. You want to really maximise the natural light in your home and there are plenty of ways to bring more light into your home.
We chose Luxaflex Pirouette blinds for our living room which allowed us to retain as much privacy as possible without blocking out natural daylight. And we have also got some SAD lights that mimic natural daylight and really lift our mood during the darker winter months.
Other than that, and replacing the hallway lighting, we haven’t really made that much progress when it comes to lighting. Lighting has definitely been the slowest part of our slow renovating journey.
It’s best practice to layer lighting so you have multiple options for illuminating spaces. So I’d like to put some of our lights on dimmer switches. I also really need to get new lighting for the kitchen. Enhancing the lighting can improve the ambiance of your home and make it feel more welcoming and inviting so it’s worth considering.
10. Extend Your Home
Velux Cabrio balcony windows in a loft conversion
We live in a two-bedroom flat with two children. It can certainly be frustrating to live in a smaller home without a lot of square footage to manoeuvre around in. If you’re looking to add extra living space like we are, it may be time to consider finishing the basement or, like us, adding a loft conversion.
There are many options to consider when your home feels too small. For example, you can turn the loft or the basement into a guest bedroom, a play area for your children, an entertainment room where you can watch sports and movies or a gaming room. There are lots of ways to unlock your spare room’s potential and you’ll appreciate having this additional living space during the winter months when you are less likely to be outside.
As you can see there are lots of important benefits of home improvements. Whether you are doing a full renovation project all at once or considering a slow renovation approach like we have, try to focus on proven ways to add value to your home whilst making sure that you create a home that works for you and that you love. It’s all very well considering which home improvements will add the most value to your home but if you’re not planning to sell up and move any time soon, you should focus on making your home into a space that works for your family.