A couple of weeks ago, a reader emailed me to ask what advice I had about diving into a sizable home restoration project.  It got me thinking, and I couldn’t help but land on this post from back in May.

We had just celebrated a year of home-ownership, and a year of work on the house, so my thoughts and ideas seemed so much fresher and more relevant than they do now.  Well, just in case anyone else has the same question….here’s that updated post for you, front and center.

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You may remember this post from the 10 month mark of our restoration.  As with most things, this process has certainly been a learning experience, and I think it’s safe to say we are still learning!

Since we hit the one year mark on Saturday, and we closed on our house about 10 days ago, I wanted to add a couple more lessons that I’ve learned.  Here goes…

1.  Always get a clear and detailed contract in writing.  Always.  Because our contractor is also a family friend, we let this one slide.  Big mistake.  ALWAYS get it in writing, even if it means going with someone else.

2. It WILL take longer and cost more than you planned.  Enough said. Our “4-month renovation” took over a year.

 3. Choose your priorities.  Your budget will never go as far as you think (see #1).  In our house, we chose to have a few rooms professionally painted, but only the trim was done in the other rooms.  We painted those rooms ourselves, and saved a lot of money.  We also plan to paint the porches and foundation ourselves, and re-tar the roof to the front porch, among other things.  On a project our size, you can’t DIY everything, but you can find ways to cut corners.

4. Compromise is unavoidable.  But if you have to compromise, compromise on aesthetics.  Never compromise on the structural things that make your house safe and functional.  Stabilizing the electrical, fixing the plumbing, installing new air ducts…these things matter a whole lot more in the long run that my beloved pink couch.  I can’t believe I just said that!

5.  Invest in the long term.  We chose to install brand new heating and cooling units that are incredibly efficient.  The cost up front was big, but it will save us money long term.  The brick steps, cheek walls, and master shower were other places that we decided to splurge.  But we think they are totally worth it!  One thing that most people would never know we invested in was our bathroom tile grout.  We chose to go with an epoxy grout instead of the regular grout because it is so much more durable, and virtually stain-proof and water-proof.

6. Take a breath.  Any renovation, whether you’re living in the construction zone or not, will take a toll on your relationship.  That also means, if you’re lucky, that you will come out on the other side stronger than ever.  Just remember to breathe.  You’re in this together.

7. Measure twice, cut once.  Ok, my dad taught me this a long time ago, but it’s so true.  Always double check.

8. Reduce, reuse, recycle.  I can’t tell you how much money we have saved by reusing old wood and bricks.  We’ve also reused old doors and moldings, and were even able to relocate the oversized office bathroom tub to our master bathroom.  These really keep our home streamlined, and saves us a lot of money!

9. Think ahead.  I’m not saying you have to make your house wheelchair accessible, but you should think ahead to future obstacles.  For us, we decided to leave the downstairs bathroom a full bath so that our parents can stay downstairs comfortably when they get older, or one of us if we have a surgery or injury that prevents us from climbing the stairs.  We decided to add the tub to the upstairs guest bathroom instead of just a shower so that we have a place to “wash our babies” one day (as my mom likes to say).

10. Blog about it! You don’t actually have to start a blog, but be sure to at least keep a journal and take lots of pictures throughout the process.  You’ll be sad you didn’t later on. One day, hopefully many years from now, when I’m frustrated over something about our house, I can look back and see how much time, money, energy, blood, sweat, tears, and love we poured into it and remember the reasons why.

11. Even when you think you’re finished, you’re not.  We’ve been “officially” living in the house for about a month 6 months now, and we are still constantly finding things that need to be fixed or changed.  (Uhh…how did we forget to add a vent in our new master closet?!)  It’s a never-ending process.  I think this may be worse with an old home, but it’s probably true to some degree no matter the age.

12. Throw your plans and your time table out the window.  I had hoped to have an open house/housewarming party in March, then April, then May.  Now I’m shooting for the fall! The planner in me has had to learn to just let that go. It will be fun when it happens! (Update: it happened in August and it was fabulous!)

And one to grow on….get a ROOMBA!!

For Charles’ 30th birthday in May, he wanted the most romantic gift from his loving wife: a Roomba! So it came early and he is completely in love. I often catch him just standing in the corner watching it work.  He’s even named it (Rowdy the Roomba) and calls himself a “Roomba parent.” It’s pretty sweet.  And I have to admit…that thing is freaking awesome! I would totally recommend it!!

What lessons have you learned in your home? What would you do differently?