Renovation Recap: The Touch Gold and Skyline Project

Mom and I were crazy enough to take on renovations at the same time. While we do not regret it we might advise you otherwise 😉Here is our renovation recap with tips and encouragement to taking on your own renovation!

SKYLINE PROJECT

My renovation is what we call the Skyline Project and it took me about 6 months. We took it down to the studs and replaced almost everything but the hardwoods which we did refinish. We also converted our garage into our master bedroom. I was so nervous about this because I really didn’t want it to look like a garage conversion.

I chose to renovate rather than buy completed because I really wanted to live in a specific area. My husband and I have a heart for this downtown district being revitalized in the heart of our town and really wanted to be a part of the changes being made. We own a gym within a mile distance to the house and a coffee shop that’s walkable as well. All the homes here are from the 1960’s with two prong outlets and all. We began sticking notes in people’s mailboxes to see if anyone would sell us theirs and purchased a 2 bed 1 bath ranch for a steal of a deal! It was such a God thing.

TOUCH GOLD PROJECT

We have shared the Touch Gold Project a ton on the blog! It was such a fun project. The house was totally stuck in the 80’s and bringing it to today took a lot of white paint and a little bit of layout revisions with the living and kitchen.

Mom chose to renovate because she wanted to live close to the lake and a new home off the lake with a little bit of property was going to be a fortune. This home might have needed renovation but it gave them space, a lake view and everything else they could have dreamed of.

BEST TIPS FOR RENOVATION

Renovation was a little harder than I thought it would be. It wasn’t like the HGTV shows where you open up the walls and it’s going to be $20k more, but it was stressful and took some work. My biggest advice to make it a breeze is to take your time in planning.

As for the Skyline Project, we lived in our home before we renovated so it made it to where we were constantly thinking about the upcoming project. It was actually a requirement for our loan to live in the home for over 6 months…so we lived in it with basically no outlets working, no hot water because we had to replace most of the plumbing, and orange linoleum. As a millennial I’m thankful for the time to gain a little perspective shift 😋We all need a season of getting “unspoiled”.

When we began the project we moved into mom’s house (the Touch Gold Project), as the last pieces of her project were coming to a close. We brought all 3 of our dogs and lived together with 6 dogs and 5 people…We also became a little less spoiled there lol.

The hardest parts to plan for me were flooring choices. Hardwood color and tile gave me a run for my money, but my best advice is just to commit to what you love. Don’t think about changing trends or what you’re going to think about in the future. It will just keep you overthinking. If you love it you love it.

As for the Touch Gold Project, mom’s biggest problem was finding a space for “normal life” while living in renovation. It’s most definitely a challenge cooking, eating, sleeping and just relaxing all in your bedroom. You’ll see in the video that it all got a bit out of hand.

FAVORITE PARTS OF RENOVATION

The best part of renovation is seeing your vision come to fruition. I mean nothing is better than a solid before and after! Mom and I both have really fun before and afters of our spaces. Her living room was a crazy transformation!

WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE TO FINISH

Oh man, does the skyline project have lists…Below is a screen shot of my list in my notes on my phone. It is not a short list, but it truly EVERYTHING I want to do to this house. We have many weekends DIYing ahead. Some of these items on the list might seem small, but remember we are not the most handy people ever.

For the Touch Gold project, the next big project is the master bathroom. Mom says it’s going to be the biggest transformation yet. We can’t wait to see it finished, but it’s nice to have a break from projects every now and then.

Do you have a renovation project you’re hoping to take on? I hope this encourages you to make that cosmetic update you’ve been putting off or even take on a full on fixer upper. We’d love to hear your thoughts and questions below. What’s holding you back or where have you been most inspired?