I realize most of these projects were actually completed at the end of last year, and this spring, the goal was to tackle some of the outside tasks! From my experience, I believe that when you go to sell a home, the details truly matter. And no, I don’t plan to sell right now! This means all the projects, big and small, add up! Since I own multiple properties, I have found it is easier to keep a rolling list of wants/needs organized by property. The needs list is what is tackled first, but realistically, they are always evolving. Perhaps in another post, I will share that list and show you how it correlates to budgets.
For this post, I wanted to share 5 recent larger projects that I have done to the lake house, and let me tell you – I am so proud (and grateful) of this house! I caught some slack with a recent reel I shared and want to say this…
If you are new here, I have never claimed to be a professional drone driver or have a professional production. I have simply been sharing my life for over a decade through this blog and social media. I was a professional photographer from 2009-2015 and started blogging about weddings and bits of my personal life. I blog because I want to share and connect with all of you. In full transparency, you will occasionally find links that are commission-based, but I can promise you the commission is minimal, and it’s just smart business.
I have been building and renovating for well over a decade, and if you did not see, we recently launched The Hummingbird Homes. I plan to continue to share projects we are working on with our construction company. For those of you asking, yes, we are a fully licensed residential general contractor and hold a light commercial license. For a long time, I was just someone with a design eye, a keen sense of real estate, and a vision. Now, I am someone who not only does that with my own projects but also with other’s projects! Know that other projects that are not mine are going to be shared soon on this blog, too!
I am wrapping up this lake home post, and my goal is to inspire you. Remind you to take things little by little. Budget. If you are living through construction, it is never easy, but it gets better! I can say all of this because I have lived it while being a single mom doing it “on my own.” I say “on my own” because those of you know I have had people, past relationships, other contractors, employees, connections, and so many more talented eyes that have played a part. Friends, you are never alone.
For those of you who are new here, “welcome.” For those of you who have been here over the years for all of my different seasons and builds, “thank you!”
Now, here are my 5 recent lake house projects!!!
1. New Roof
This roof was 25+ years old and double-layered! This means that when they replaced it before, instead of taking off the old roof, they just put a new one on top. I’m SO happy that this big project is done, and because the previous roof was not up to code, my insurance stepped in to help!
2. Chimney Cap & Skylights
While we were replacing the new roof, we went ahead and replaced the chimney cap. This project also included removing 4 (yes, 4) satellite dishes that had been collected over the years and even putting in 3 skylight replacements on the home that were pretty old!
3. New Closet & Foam
The loft upstairs didn’t have a closet, but there is SO much attic space in this home—literally three attics. It just made sense to add a door and build out a closet instead of keeping it unfinished attic space. Now, it can be used for upstairs essentials like linens, blankets, family art supplies, vacuums, etc. Eventually, if needed, the loft could also be converted into a bedroom, which would add value to the home!
I am big on efficiency, and I am also a big fan of foam over the rolls of insulation. For any new home builds we do with The Hummingbird Homes, this is a step we will be taking. Yes, it is more expensive, but it is overall more efficient and better for your health! In December, when so much was out of the attic for the holidays, I went ahead, organized, and knocked this task off the list. This meant they had to suck out all the old insulation from the 1980s. The difference speaks for itself!
I am not sure I have ever even shared the loft before have I?
4. Driveways Repairs
A simple fix that has made a huge difference was the driveway repairs! This is a total game-changer. At first, it was always paved; it just had potholes and some very uneven spots, but now it’s a beautiful, smooth, asphalt-paved driveway. This keeps the cars cleaner, helps with runoff/dirt, and makes it so much nicer to drive. Plus, it adds value to the house! We also added some parking at the new detached garage so that people didn’t have to walk down a mile-long driveway and fear getting out!
5. Landscape Fixes
Any landscape that did not make it over the last couple of years was replaced. We also got rid of the pine straw in most places and replaced it with mulch.
For the banks, we did use Mulch Glue by Petra because it was so steep. Full disclosure: they did comp me the sprayer and a bottle of glue. I had to go back and buy three more bottles. We only did it on the banks, so there are pros and cons to that. I had so much yardage which took a lot of glue and you can see where I did spray it, it did darken the mulch a bit. Thankfully, it is holding up and keeping the mulch from washing down the banks. It will be interesting when fall comes around if we are able to blow leaves off easily. Overall, I would recommend it. I just had a lot of space to spray, and it’s definitely not a cheap thing to do.
I can’t forget a major shoutout to my oldest, Roman, for leading the charge on the landscaping updates! It was a mess after the new driveway and a year of neglect. He did a great job helping redo the rocks, spreading nine pallets of mulch, and replacing a good bit of plants!
Here are some images from 4 years ago! Did it change a little?
