The Hygge Ranch: 2021 Home Goals & Projects
One full quarter of 2021 is complete & can you believe I haven't set a single goal?! I thought I'd be ashamed even admitting that but it feels low key freeing. Did I start to revamp my vision board from 2020? Yes. But beyond that I have, honestly, just been building on the goals (and blessings) of yesteryear. I found myself too overwhelmed to even start thinking about what's ahead.
The mental fatigue was setting in and I hadn't even made any plans!
But after 3 months that seemed to already have given 2020 a run for it's money, I am realizing that if I don't set some concrete goals the rest of the year, everything will start to derail... and yes that includes our homemaking plans.
The past couple of months being first time homeowners have revealed to us, among other things, how quickly scope creep can take over. We would set out to tackle one project, that would result in this domino effect of other projects; or to fill in the time stolen from us by delays, we'd start to tackle a new project. Before we knew it, we were simultaneously working on the laundry room, kitchen, bedrooms, media room, and flex space. Oh yeah, and trying to make sense of our garage that's been overrun by boxes, tools, debris, and an actual car.
While we have done a pretty decent job of coming out on the other side of each project so far, it's def been a sobering couple of months... so now it's time to prioritize!
Priority List
Note: even though I'm calling this the "priority" list, it's not in any particular order of importance, nor does it mean things not the list are any less important. It certainly doesn't mean we'll even get to it this year; but in comparison to projects not listed, we hope to get to them this year.
renovate kitchen
upgrade pantry system
upgrade hall closet system
convert guest bonus room closet to shoe closet
complete said bonus room
furnish back yard
furnish balcony
upgrade the mini's closet system
renovate laundry room
remove carpet throughout the house
upgrade hvac system to ductless
switch out storm door
switch out patio & balcony doors
new window treatments throughout the house
remove popcorn ceiling throughout the house
upgrade the interior & exterior lighting
complete garage insulation & drywall
clean out & repair garden bed
I feel like I might be missing a few things, but I guess, by default, that means they aren't a priority. The aforementioned list are things that are constantly top of mind for us or at the center of our many MANY home conversations.
At the time of writing this, many of these have already begun and/or are near completion, while others are a long ways away — some are actually even done! — but with a quarter of the year already gone, getting a handle on what we can realistically accomplish with the rest of 2021 is one of the things I have been thinking about most lately...
What do we have the mental bandwidth to handle?
What are we physically capable of tackling?
What impact with upcoming projects have on our finances?
You know... typical homeowner shit, lol.
If you read my 60 day homeowner update, then you know that in our first few months here, we tackled A LOT, but with this being our first home + an older home, there is just TONS left to do. TBH, we will likely have a never ending, always growing, list of projects that need our attention... or that we wanna give our attention to.
So here's a breakdown of the priority list, in terms of what we've started and/or will start by the time this post hits the interwebs...
Renovate Kitchen
The kitchen renovation kicked off, officially, 01/11/21 and should've, technically speaking, been done by now. But alas, here we are, with a half done kitchen. We're currently awaiting our countertops — fabrication & installation — and from there we can start to wrap everything else up. It was at the top of our 2021 home goals list and even with the delays, to see it so near completion is a HUGE win for us.
Upgrade Pantry System
What's a kitchen renovation without a pantry upgrade? While it wasn't originally on the radar, as I dove into planning the kitchen organization, it only made sense to work on the pantry as well — for function as well as for looks. This upgrade hasn't begun yet but it's around the corner, and will include installing wallpaper to the interior and a custom Elfa pantry system from The Container Store.
Complete Bonus Bedroom
After getting out of the habit of calling the third bedroom a "guest" bedroom — because what guests lol -- I decided that I want to use it as a bedroom nonetheless. Other options that were on the table were fitness room, home office, and dressing room. P.S. I have a whole post on 10 different ways you can use a spare room, in case you're looking for some inspo now that home as to be all the things.
We went with using it as an additional bedroom simply because we didn't have an actual need for the other options, and already had everything we needed to complete a bedroom, lol. It was really a no brainer... but a great in-between-projects project.
Upgrade The Mini's Closet System
So the house has a few closets that you can tell they installed closet "systems" years ago, but only one was actually upgraded to a system that I am almost certain is from The Home Depot. Upgrading hers would absolutely make it function more efficiently — for hanging and folding — to be a companion to her dresser. Ultimately, I want her to be more self-sufficient when it comes to things like putting away her laundry & getting dressed in the morning, and an organized closet totes makes that feasible.
Renovate Laundry Room
The first renovation of the house, the laundry room is actually "done" and it still feels very surreal. It was not only the first reno, but it was our first major DIY project and so many lessons learned! But I am just happy to report that, even if we make changes later, it is something I can actually cross off the goals list for 2021.
Remove Carpet Throughout The House
Talk about an ambitious project but it's one that has been top of mind since day one. The carpet being predominately on the house's main level and the entire upper level hasn't left much room for us forgetting about it. But admittedly this is a project that has forced us to take a beat & readjust our priorities. Not too long after moving in, we were able to remove all the carpet in the bedrooms, but to do the main level and the hall leading to the bedrooms would be another huge undertaking... but wasn't as pressing as the bedrooms. , Here's the thing, the main level — living, dining, kitchen, hall — currently has 3 floor types: the living & dining are both carpeted, while the hall and kitchen each have a diff luxury vinyl. God willing, this'll be something we can tackle before the year closes because man do we want that carpet gone; but when we do, we are fully aware that it'll mean redoing the ENTIRE main floor... not just matching up the flooring. Two words: cha-ching.
Upgrade HVAC System To Ductless
This is neither exciting nor sexy, but very very necessary. All the heat in the house in from individual wall heaters in every single room. This system is not efficient or consistent, so moving to a ductless system for heating & cooling, while a hefty investment, will benefit us in the long run while also adding value to the house... so, yes please!
New Window Treatments Throughout The House
Getting custom window treatments has been a long time dream of mine, especially after years of helping other people get their own. There is something truly satisfying about having window coverings that you know are made for you and your home. This is something we could never explore as renters, and even though we have been more than happy to bring our store bought drapes to the house... it's time to level up our privacy.
We want bespoke. We want motorization. We want bells & whistles! We started this process -- because it is not a quick one -- back in 2020 and can't wait for the final installation of all the coverings.
Remove Popcorn Ceiling Throughout The House
So it's no surprise that popcorn ceilings are not for us! Very early on, my husband decided to tackle the popcorn ceiling in what would've been the media room -- learn all about how from my Emily Henderson blog post here -- which made us realize it'll be worth it to hire this job out! He has since decided to tackle one more room that we haven't shared yet, but the bulk of the removal will def be a professional job.
Upgrade The Interior & Exterior Lighting
Fun fact: lighting can absolutely date a home and/or give away its age... for better or for worse... and usually for worse. Even with all the obvious upgrades -- including the lighting -- we could absolutely tell how old the home was simply because of the lighting. Now it all needs to go. As we tackle room by room, we get into the lighting. It's a slow and ongoing process but worth every single time we've had to turn off the junction box, lol.
Complete Garage Insulation & Drywall
There are so many phases to what we what to ultimately accomplish in the garage but none of that can happen until the insulation and drywall is completed. They did drywall some parts but it's clear the garage was more utilitarian for them, so not a huge interior design priority... which I totally understand. For us, however, that's not the case. We're in there fairly often and without insulation, the cold is unbearable. Drywalling will make it look finished but also allow us to add additional & uniform storage solutions, which'll be one of the many next phases for the garage. TBH... I'm just glad we've cleared it out enough since the move that now one of our cars actually fits inside!
Clean Out & Repair Garden Bed
Fun Fact: our backyard has a little garden... that they actually used to grow different fruits & veggies. Dope right?! Unfortunately, it hasn't been touched since we bought the house. In addition to not knowing the first or second thing about gardening, we bought the house right before winter so gardening was not top of mind at all. Now that spring is here, however, and summer is around the corner, cleaning our the abandoned garden bed is imperative to seeing what -- if anything -- grows. Being that it's a wooden raised bed, it's def in need of some repair/loving, and while that project may not happen till 2022 -- if I'm being completely honest lol -- I def want to make sure I'm keeping the garden on our radar so that we don't completely squander this blessing.
Despite our best efforts, things may not always go as planned. We can easily get derailed by our own scope creep
Scope Creep: nonstop changes and/or additions to the original plan -- or scope -- after the project has already begun.
Trying to avoid, or at least minimize, scope creep is how I knew I was overdue for sitting down & prioritizing. My husband jotted down on a notepad what his project priorities were, and I noted mine. Together we broke those down into what steps would make each project feel complete... all in hopes that it would help us get a better handle on everything.
To be clear tho, this list is more like a guide/wishlist because nothing is set in stone. Things change all the time, especially with a home this age + we're still learning as homeowners.
I hope this goal list, if nothing else, helps you think about what you would like to tackle for the rest of 2021.
Head over to my feed and share some of your 2021 home goals -- big and small -- and maybe we can check in throughout the year and see what progress we've made.
