Meet Our Next Renovation

Exterior BeforeSo, now you know we’re moving and as promised, I’m sharing a complete tour of our new home today, and it’s not pretty folks (inside or out). Brace yourself for a complete disaster, but before I share the tour… join me on Facebook live later today at 12:00pm EST to chat about the upcoming reno and anything else. Ok, onto the house… we have friends in Salt Lake who looked at the photos online prior to meeting us at the property and commented, “I guess the photos make it look wayyy better than it is in person?” Ha! I’ll let you be the judge as you follow along. Here’s our diamond in the rough; it’s going to get a complete overhaul these next 12 months… we’re talking interior, exterior, and possibly even an addition! Here’s to hoping I can look back in one year and barely recognize where we started.

Exterior Before RenovationYou know how I feel about a ranch, and this one is no looker. We’re hoping to have room in the budget for an addition that will add some architectural interest. Obviously, the landscaping is getting an overhaul, and you better believe I’m going to paint the brick. BUT… before we get to any of the fun stuff, it will need a new roof, updated HVAC – air conditioning & furnace, as well as new windows and doors. Immediately after that, our first “cosmetic” project will be refinishing the floors.

Bedroom Reno BeforeThe photos actually make the floors look nicer than they are in person. They’re definitely salvageable, but neglected. There are carpet staples, tacks, and a lot of messy paint that will need to be removed prior to sanding.

Kitchen and Dining Room Before

Kitchen BeforeNext, we’ll demo and address the kitchen- because obviously this space is a mess and extremely gross.

RenovationThe “backsplash” is actually a chrome sticker. At first, I thought the original KitchenAid oven was charming, but it turns out it isn’t functional… so every single thing in this space has to go.

House Reno Before

Gibson Kitchen BeforeI do like the open concept kitchen, dining, and laundry area. Our plan is to open it up even more and demo a portion of the wall.

Laundry BeforeIn the living room, Emmett’s plan is to remove the shelving on the righthand wall, but add an entire wall of built-ins around the fireplace.

Gibson Renovation

Living Room BeforeIn the hallway we’ve got doors on doors on doors. Not to mention, the doors do not match. My favorite part of the hallway are the smoke alarms… there’s one from every decade. Ha!

Hallway Before

Gibson Renovation BeforeThe bedrooms are pretty typical… but I’m thrilled we have more closet space than our current home, by at least triple! That was on our wish list- additional closet space. For our complete wish list during the house hunt, click here.

Bedroom BeforeThe bathroom will be another complete demo- everything must go (except maybe the tub because it’s original). We also had a good laugh at the tank on the toilet… it’s on backwards. Yep, the flusher is totally on the backside.

Bathroom Before Reno

Bathroom BeforeAt this point, the best part of the place is the location and mountain views… plus, it’s less than 5 minutes from this pretty spot!

Salt Lake CitySo that sums it up! Do you guys think we’re nuts? We literally just went through this same process four years ago, and apparently we’re ready for more. I’ve already started the design process and Emmett has been planning demo and the budget. Ask me anything today at 12:00pm EST on Facebook Live!! I’ll chat about our renovation, the blog, and plans. I’m excited to start a real life dialogue with you guys!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

21 Comments

  1. georgia (jorjah_b) says:

    oh, my goodness! i can already see the amazing things you’ll do with that house! what a diamond in the rough! it actually reminds me a lot of my house… same doors (including the closet doors) and trim as in ours. And similar wood floors. But ours isn’t brick, and i envy that part! Have always wanted a brick house. This is wonderful.

    I happen to love ranches! I think you will too when you’re done with this one! It has great lines and bones to start with!

    Can’t wait to follow along as you transform it!! As for that pretty view… WOW!

    1. Thanks, Georgia! Everyone keeps telling me that… that I’ll fall in love with ranches and love living in one. I do like the open layout and not having stairs to climb everyday will be nice! And yes- can’t beat that view!! Thanks for the encouragement and for following along :) xo

  2. georgia (jorjah_b) says:

    p.s. i also love that oven! too bad it’s not functional. we have a similar oven in our 1960 ranch, original to the house, and it still works. maybe Amana brand was built to last longer than the Kitchen Aid???

  3. I actually love the house! It looks like it has so much potential and compared to a lot of ranch style houses I’ve seen, it actually seems to have some charm :) hello brick and original wood floors! I don’t think many of the ranch homes in our area tend to have that. What a fun project. Can’t wait to see what you do with it :)

    1. Thank you! Yes, I’m super thankful for the natural light, brick exterior, and hardwoods. It’s going to be a fun one! xo

  4. I definitely feel your pain on the “everything needs work” front, but those views!! It will be totally worth it.
    We had our floors refinished before we moved in. It has meant we have had to treat them with kid gloves as we have done projects, but it was totally worth it to avoid the mess.

    1. Yes!! Loving the view for sure. That’s our plan… do the floors before unloading the Uhaul. Fingers crossed it goes quickly. xo

  5. Ann Heltzel says:

    Love, Love, LOVE it! I’m going to LOVE following this. And I DO like the ranch. We lived in a ranch when we were first married. I thought I didn’t like it. Now the kids are gone and I’m longing to go back to a ranch.

    1. Thanks so much, Ann!! I think I’m going to like it. xo

  6. Allison Hasserd says:

    OH! wow!!! holy cow serious overhaul!! i can’t wait to see what you guys do with it! i’m sure it will be gorgeous with your touch!! cheers to a new adventure!

    1. Yes!! Everything must go. Ha! We’ve already started demo and are currently refinishing the hardwood floors. Thanks, Allison! xo

  7. Cassandra LaValle says:

    ohhhhweeeeee, girl, that’s a doozy! so many projects!! i can’t wait to see your vision for it all – but, i gotta say, i actually LOVE ranch style homes!! with an addition, you’ll love it even more ;)

    1. It’s so gross right now… BUT I think it has potential. So glad to hear you like ranch style homes- that’s sort of reassuring. I’m sure once it’s all done I’ll be happy with it! Bring on the projects. PS. jealous of your Nate Berkus kitchen advice. xo

  8. Hey sarah! I can’t wait to see all of the afters. Do you have a post about how you plan out your budget and renovation plan? We are purchasing our first home and I don’t know where to begin!
    Xo

    1. Hi Holeigh! Great idea for a post- I’ll work on it in the next couple weeks, so look for that one soon! xo

  9. Beth Schaefer says:

    So…4 month later, I’ve finally had time to find these lovely pictures in your blog! Excited to see the beauty you guys will make it into and glad to have time to catch up on what you’ve done so far. You guys are amazing and oh so talented!

    1. Thanks so much, Beth!! I haven’t posted much of our latest reno yet because I want to make sure to include styled “after” images. Hopefully soon! Hope you had a Merry Christmas. xo

  10. We are considering refinishing our hardwood floors as well on our own. I read your blog about your experience with this process. I noticed you applied stain on time and poly 3 times buffing after each poly application? Is that something that is normal? Some other blogs I read said they did more then one stain application. Our floors are in good shape, they are just an ugly golden oak and we wanted a more updated look.

    1. That is normal… that’s the way the professionals refinish flooring. You shouldn’t need more than one stain application unless you’re trying to get it super dark. Hope this helps :)

  11. Yes it does! Thank you Sarah!