All good plans (part one)

The day finally arrived, the day we were moving in. After numerous pushbacks and stresses, we were waiting in a café for the call from our solicitor. The vans were ready to go to our storage unit and collect two containers worth of ‘stuff’, and finally, after what felt like the longest morning ever, we had the call to say the legalities were complete, and our Georgian Farmhouse was just that: ours. 

As soon as we entered the house, I knew we’d made the right decision. Any major financial and legal decision is fraught with doubt, so I was relieved to feel genuine peace as we walked in the door with our keys to the place. Whilst we waited for the vans to arrive, we meandered around the house and finalised what we’d been discussing for months. We had so many ideas for our new home and had been daydreaming about them for the entire buying process, and now we were starting to feel like they were actually going to happen.

Now thankfully, a lot of the Georgian character has been retained and reinstated over the years, so we don’t have to go out of our way to replace cornicing or fireplaces. That was part of the reason we put an offer in in the first place: the features and the warm character the house exuded. The majority of what we would be spending our time doing was cosmetic work, such as redecorating each room to our own taste and style.

However, there were some issues we were made aware of early on, such as faulty electrics, damp, rotten windows and so on. Obviously, these were big and expensive jobs, and we couldn’t tackle them all at once. So we decided to renovate room by room, prioritising importance based on how essential the works were, and how much we would use that room. 

So let me tell you about those ideas, and what we have planned for each of the 15 rooms within our farmhouse.

First on the list was the reception room labelled ‘Bedroom 5’ on the floorplan. It was previously used as a dining room, but we’ve always preferred to eat within the kitchen as John loves to cook and I like to sit and drink wine whilst he cooks. Where else would I do this crucial activity if there was no dining table to sit at in the kitchen? Therefore, we knew we’d make this room into a playroom. Low budget (approximately £400), small timescale (2 weeks) with immediate need as Everly had a shitload of toys. 

Next on the agenda was the kitchen and adjoining reception room, which we referred to as the ‘snug’. The kitchen that was there when we moved in was well-made and around 16 years old, but it wasn’t our style, and we knew we needed to get stuck in to fix some of the damp and electric works. The snug area was ideal in its location for socialising and helped us visualise having friends over and dinner parties with good food and music playing. The kitchen was always going to be the biggest expense as it’s a large room, and we couldn’t do any of the works ourselves. We could do the snug ourselves though, including some built-in alcove cabinetry! We aimed to have both of these rooms done by June 2024.

Next up on the renovation checklist was the hallway. The front door was not very functional, although it was pretty, but we wanted to replace it with a more ‘Georgian’ style door with stained glass and make the hallway feel more traditional, with patterned tiles, wall panelling and some rustic or antique furniture. We also knew we’d need a new carpet, plus some damp-solving work, so this project was going to be expensive. We wanted to get this done before Christmas 2024, as it’s the first impression anyone has of the house, whether or not they’re invited in, and the impression it was giving at the moment was ‘please look at my crack (on the wall)’. 

Downstairs has a lot of rooms (8 in total), and the further 2 reception rooms of the living room and garden room have so much potential. The living room was already decorated nicely, but the garden room felt like a dead space for us. We didn’t like the flooring, but with a room that’s 37 square metres/402 square feet, it was going to be a hell of a job (and cost) replacing it, not to mention painting the 3.5m high walls. We absolutely adored the number of windows in it, and we wanted to make it a sociable entertaining space as it goes straight onto the side garden. I’ve not even mentioned our plans for outside yet, but they’re big and ambitious and you’re probably ready for me to shut up now. 

And so my friends, until next week, when my overactive imagination has likely changed all of these plans for the 2847^th time and John is filing for divorce.