What have you ‘done’ to your house since you moved in?

[Theoldwoman]

DH thinks in the 15 years we have lived here, we haven’t done much. He works away so it’s me who organises tradies etc, we have an unwell DC who is in and out of hospital. And well life just gets in the way sometimes. Not to mention the cost of everything!

So far we have:

Completely renovated bathroom and laundry
completely painted throughout
New roof
Roller shutters on all windows
Added 3 security doors
Divided large lounge room into lounge room and study
Added 3 new built in robes to bedrooms
Add air conditioning in 3 bedrooms and replaced the one in the lounge room
Added ceiling fans throughout
Built an amazing garden and chicken coop
Added shelving to front cupboard

Thats all the main stuff. We still have heaps to do ( mainly renovation to the kitchen and new flooring throughout except bathroom and laundry)

im happy with what we have done so far. There’s always something to do!

Oh, we also got rid of the gas fireplace and installed a woodburner 8 years ago

Been at my home 6 years in July so far I've had new doors and boiler put in cctv , and fencing drive gates done garden totally redone. Had to replace my dishwasher & my washer / dryer plus my FF they was all intergrated. I had the blue kitchen stuff from swan but now my kitchen stuff is white gonna replace my kitchen flooring as had a leak ( laminate was all wet and soggy after my washer leaked. I'm just about to do the hallway again.then my room and the living room eventually.

I'm here 3 years last week.

3 years ago
When I moved in, I painted all the way thro, vinyl all the floors before moving in. Replaced fridge freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer. CCTV inside and outside. Built in wardrobes in bedrooms

2021
Saving year to pay for future plans

2022
New front and back doors, patio built, new boiler, new windows, fire pit out the back, replaced shower, attic insulation

Current
My sofa and armchair are being removed this weekend, new flooring is going down in kitchen and living room. Living room is being painted. TV is being changed in living room next weekend and current living room tv to my bedroom and that bedroom tv to the spare room. Fence painted last week.

Summer 2023
pergola and bar area going up this year outside
Outdoor tap
Bidet attachment on toilet
More attic insulation
Boarding out the attic
Drop down ladder for the attic hatch

Fitted bedroom furniture
new en-suite x 2
new bathroom x 2
panelling to stairs
amtico all downstairs
added conservatory
took conservatory down and turned space into garden room open plan
converted back of garage into open plan living space
moved position of 6 radiators & replaced
extended over garage to more than double the size of two smallest bedrooms
added a porch
landscaped garden
new garden gate/full shed/5 mini sheds
new kitchen + utility
loft conversion for office space
shutters
decorated every room an average of twice + replaced carpets twice
new drive

Been in 20 years, haven’t done much in the last five. Probably should’ve moved rather than doing all that but like the location. No scope for more building work now - maxed out.

Do you use your ceiling fans much? We had them in our holiday let instead of AC and i was impressed that they were effective yet silent.
I'm thinking of putting one in our bedroom but DH thinks we'll only use it twice a year

Very inspiring reading through what you have all done ( big and small!)

I forgot to mention some of the outside stuff!

Solar Panels
New hot water (instantaneous)
New back patio
New fencing

We use them all year round in the bedrooms but we live in Australia so need them .

23 years.
Replaced the kitchen which is about to be replaced again.
Replaced the bathroom and separate toilet twice
Replaced all windows (some twice as we couldn't afford Upvc at the time)
Re plastered most of the rooms and replaced the ceilings
Re pointed
Replaced the soffit boards
Fitted 2 wood burners
Rewired
Fitted CCTV and a security alarm
Completely dug out and replaced the driveway
Filled in the ponds (read as holes in the ground) and improved the gardens
Replaced all of the door surrounds and doors
Replaced the garage door and fitted electricity
Replaced the garden fencing twice in some areas including digging up hedging
Built a greenhouse and new garden shed
Replaced the back door
Fitted built in wardrobes
Fixed floor joists and covered all of the floors with plywood to stop draughts
Fitted gate to the back entrance twice
Replaced the landing balustrading? and handrail
Refitted the utility room
Replaced all of the flooring some more than once
Replaced all of the guttering and soil pipes
Replaced most of the plumbing and all of the radiators
Completely redecorated most of the rooms several times
1930s property and obviously in need of much work but was what we could afford to fit in our family a the time and we are still not finished. Pretty much ready to downsize now

You've done loads.

We've been in this house for 4 years. We've fully refitted the kitchen (Inc plumbing, electrics, plastering) new flooring throughout, decorating throughout Inc plastering. Major roof repairs, built decking areas in the garden.

I was thinking somewhat grumpily that we've done very little, but thinking about it properly I wouldn't say that:

Replaced the boiler
Replaced two radiators
Fitted new toilet with built in storage around it
Replaced shower parts too bloody often
Replaced living room's old fireplace with very modern style one
Painted the living room, the hall, stairwell and landing
Replaced the melted and sagging (heatwave 2018) polycarbonate roof on the garden roof with a new solid roof with downlighters
Changed some light fittings
Pulled out fireplace in bedroom and plasterboarded the gap then put a wardrobe in front of it
A new shed and a garden office installed
Put land drains into the rear garden to sort out the winter flooding
Had the rear garden landscaped with patio, lawn and hard standing around the garden buildings
Replaced the back fence adjoining NDN
Redesigned the front garden

That is nothing compared to all the work that needs to be done though 😬

Been here 6.5 years……1870s semi
utility room and downstairs toilet extension
kitchen and bathroom renovation
family / dining room plastered and redecorated and furnished
lounge decorated and furnished
new log burner fitted
all 3 bedrooms plastered and decorated and furnished
new flooring through whole house
brickwork all pointed
new fascia and guttering
new chimney
leading and felting to bay window roofs
New paving to driveway and patio at back of house
new lawn
summer house built
pergola built in garden
raised beds built in garden
hall, landing and stairs decorated
new garden fencing and back gate
new composite back door
new French doors in family room
new bathroom and kitchen uvpc windows
replaced all radiators with traditional style ‘school’ radiators
whole house rewired.

just starting now with redecorating ….just begun to re decorate lounge …,which was the first room we decorated

this Is our 4 th home….and the only one we have ever finished….but I’m 58 and children all long left home so we have more disposable income these days

Not anywhere near as much as actually needs doing but the change in cost of living means we no longer really save enough for anything big to happen anytime soon.

Within a year of moving in we did a new roof, new flooring throughout, all rooms replastered/skimmed and knocked a couple of fireplaces out that had been boarded up. Full paint and decorate and a bit of carpentry work such as skirtings, some shelving etc, replaced all the light fittings, switches and extractor fans (all were very old and grubby/unsafe), new TV aerial and phone line as the house had neither, replaced some glass in windows and had a new door and window put in the shed/outhouse building.

There's been a fair bit of work in the garden but we did it ourselves.

The house really was a doer upper and still is. When we moved in it was very dated and not particularly well looked after. It's perfectly workable now and looks reasonably fresh and more modernised albeit definitely nothing special as budget just doesn't allow.

The kitchen and bathroom really need redoing and I'm a bit embarrassed of both (thought I know that's an awful attitude) but they're functional and get the job done.

Replaced cracked toilet - that's it. Been here 8 years

We have been in their house 11 years we have:
Done the kitchen and all bathrooms
Replaced all the windows and doors internally and externally including internal facings and skirtings
Put in a new patios doors
New flooring throughout: carpets, tiled floor and wooden floor.
Redecorated and new curtains/blinds throughout.
Added wood burner
Rendered the outside
We are now landscaping the garden

Added a garage
Demolished an outhouse
Three complete new bathrooms
New kitchen
Replaced garden fencing, removed decking and re-turfed
Removal of huge overgrown eucalyptus tree
Painted everywhere, more than once
Removed old carpets and installed oak flooring downstairs, new carpets upstairs
Retiled large hall floor
New windows and doors throughout
Re-insulated the loft
New built in wardrobes
Reshaped the driveway, new paving and cobblestone border
New limestone fireplace and real fire
New boiler

Been here 18 years this year.

Been in this house for 15 yrs. So far we have:

Replaced ancient back boiler with combi
Replaced some of the radiators
New kitchen sink and fittings
New back porch
New fence
Laundry cupboard installed
Insulated loft
Replaced a couple of the windows.
Repainted most rooms
New carpet in 2 rooms (waiting on the rest as there's still work to be done elsewhere)
Stripped down to bricks and replastered & painted main bedroom
Re-wired and put in a ton of new sockets
Had patio and outside steps redone
New front/back gates
Dining room ceiling replaced after leak
Chimney benched over and fireplace bricked up
New taps throughout
New lighting
Loft ladder installed
Some new interior doors
House repainted (twice)
Garden re-done

Still have a lot to do but think that will likely pass on to future owners! House is still a mess inside though despite all that!

Seems to me, the "we've done" on here,has actually been done by tradesmen, builders. We have been in our bungalow 11 years. Had a new boiler and consumer unit installation just because of regulations. New doors windows, conservatory roof, soffits, gutters, solar panels,by "experts". Both working full time with long commutes,me just over a hundred miles round trip,DH 80, WE removed and replaced radiators,new internal doors, completely re fitted kitchen... which involved digging up part of floor to install sink. Completely new bathroom,new back door, laminate flooring throughout. Redecorating times 2, throughout. Installed fitted wardrobes in both bedrooms. Added light fittings, extra sockets, replaced timers, pumps on central heating.This was partly because of cost,and partly because of the difficulty in getting a decent job done. Re planting garden,made arches, for little garden "rooms". Installed 3 green houses and a shed. We've always bought doer uppers. Our last house was 1930s, hadn't been touched since the 70s,no central heating, double glazing.

Nowhere near as much as I would like to do! Semi detached modern house. Lived there over 5 years.
Got a decorator in to paint living room, hall, stairs & landing & paper a feature wall in the living room
Painted DD14’s room ( had to rescue it after she did it a very patchy bright pink!!)
Laminate flooring in living room, hall & DD’s room
New living room doors
New front gate
Downstairs windows & front door draughtproofed
New bedroom furniture for us ( not fitted)
New light fittings all through & curtains
Blinds in DH’s office & painted
New fridge freezer, washing machine, dishwasher & tumbledryer
Summerhouse in back garden
New shower head
What we want to do:-
New bathroom
Decorate our room & replace the flimsy curtains
Laminate flooring in our room & on the landing
Remove carpet & paint the stairs
Paint upstairs doors
Generally tidy front garden & remove a dying palm tree
Varnish front gate
Paint back garden fences & gates
Clear out garage & loft
Oh & I would love a double oven!

We’ve been here a year. Had a new kitchen, new front door and garage doors, installed a new fire, had new flooring throughout the house, new internal doors throughout, new banisters throughout, new downstairs loo and 3 upstairs bathrooms, decorated every room bar the nursery and had the garden done.
We’ve got 2 bathrooms, the hallway and utility room and the nursery left to do.

Here 20 years (!) and skint for a lot of it.

New windows and repainted early on (had been lots of bright orange).

Later, new bathroom, loft conversion, new kitchen extension and downstairs bathroom, new garden patio. All of the above with help from my DM or DGM.

DH decorated the main bedroom recently and we redid DDs bedroom walls a few years ago.

Not much else. Downstairs needs redecorating after 20 years and the stair carpet is past its best. After DD finishes Uni we should have the money to spruce up. Can't wait!!

Been here for 13+ years. The house was a bit of a wreck and exH and I didn't have any much money when we first bought it, so just tinkered with the cosmetic side. Since our divorce 8-odd I've done things as I've had money to do them but it certainly still has its quirks. Mainly the plumbing, which seems to be a mixture of domestic pipes and pipes from random industrial machines.

• Removed knackered panelling and repainted
• New boiler
• Removal of dodgy fireplace
• Replaced pellet loft insulation with modern stuff
• New windows and front door
• Recarpeting upstairs x 2
• New hard flooring downstairs
• New garage door
• Rewiring throughout
• Kitchen gutted and rebuilt from the bricks
• Dining room replastered and decorated
• Back garden landscaped
• New central heating system
• Hall, stairs and landing replastered and decorated
• Understairs cupboard replaced with fancy storage system
• EV charger installed in the garage
• New front porch and front and back doors

I've done the odd bit of painting over the years as well.

Been in current house 30 years.
Replaced all windows and doors
Replaced garage door
Replaced kitchen
Replaced all 3 bathrooms
Had a large conservatory installed
Replaced Perspex conservatory roof with glass
Put in a new boiler
Put down wooden flooring in all downstairs rooms
Replaced stair and bedroom carpets
Installed CCTV and a call centre linked alarm system
Decorated all rooms several times
Landscaped the back garden
Landscaped the front garden and added a double driveway

Been here 15 years and for the first 10 did very little - combination of DCs and setting up a business meant there was little spare cash. The only thing we did was replace the boiler and tart up the bathroom a bit.

In the last 5 years we have done:

Kitchen
Carpets
Decorated throughout
Ripped out and replaced the downstairs cloakroom
Fitted wardrobes
Had the open porch built in
Replaced the windows
Added a conservatory
We're now just waiting for a date for the bathroom to be ripped out.

We've got a few things waiting to go, chiefly the front and back gardens and some understairs built in storage, but need the bathroom sorted first.

Been in 18 months and have:
Replaced boiler
Replaced two main Windows
Stripped and repainted two bedrooms and an office
Built a pond
Started our little allotment down the end of the garden

Next I will be repainting downstairs and this summer I want to knock down and redo the steps to the front door.
Lots of other jobs to do and bits to add!

Our house is 400 years old, is a listed building and we've done loads.
It took us 14 months just to make it liveable, so we've done pretty much everything.