Welcome to our new home, or as I am now calling it our Homestead. We have been here about two months now and we are loving it. The kids have adjusted well to having room to run outside and inside! The straight line through the house makes a great racetrack for them. We have already started several projects as well and I am so excited to share them with you all! This is the start to our dream of having our own farm and being more self sustained.
Being self sustained has been a dream of ours for a while now. When we found this house and the property with it, we knew that it would be perfect for our family! We are situated on five acres that is already setup for a few cattle, chickens, and a good size garden, all of which are in the works. We may be jumping in a little too quick this year, but we are excited, and I am already looking forward to the next few years as we expand!
We have already tackled a few projects but have many more under way! So far, we have replaced the AC/heating unit in our master bedroom and the kid’s playroom upstairs. We have had to work on some plumbing issues in the master bath. The kitchen got an updated stainless-steel farm sink, which made a world of difference! Outside, we removed a giant tree that blocked the driveway and posed as a threat to the house or barn if it were to fall.
Now on to what the future holds and the upcoming projects. We will have to table some of these and become more frugal on some of these since job situations have recently changed due to COVID-19. However, due to these circumstances, more time will allow for s few to be taken care of with resources we have already!
Outside
For the outside of the house, we have started and almost finished some grading around the house that we were aware of when we bought it. By doing this we are preparing the property for a facelift that is mostly cosmetic. We are scheduled to get a concrete front entrance done in the next couple of weeks. This will be at the front door and wrapping around to an entrance out of the master bedroom. Eventually, we will be pour concrete down the entire length of the house to make a porch, which is my favorite part of houses! We also would like to get a garage built that attaches to the house so that I can park out of the weather. This will be a while down the road so we can save for that addition. We also will need to have a contractor that is familiar with pole barn homes to help us.
We are in the processing of getting our chicken coop built and the area secured for them to protect the chickens from predators. A few cattle will be joining us soon as well and we couldn’t be more excited. We are preparing the pastors for them and getting their shelter and feeding areas set up. In the process of getting them set up, we also became aware that we need to get some work done on the barn. The barn is over one hundred years old and needs more support footings and blocks. We have noticed that wood bees have caused sever damage to some beams that will now need to be replaced. This is a project that we will have to slowly work on but requires immediate attention. Oh, how we wish we could get some barn restoration guys out here and fix her up! Have you all seen the work they can do with old barns? It is so amazing and absolutely beautiful!
Inside
Transitioning to the inside, we plan on replacing the front door with a more updated one that is more our style than the current one. To finish the entrance into the house I will be building out the mudroom to reduce to amount of dirt brought in. I have always wanted a mudroom and have the perfect space for it here. It is a blank canvas for me to make my dream come true! I am so excited about this project! However, this is currently the chick’s room! We will be adding a light in the stairwell going upstairs as well. These are some minor things that will not be too difficult to get knocked off the list.
I fell in love with the kitchen the first second I saw it! It is so open, has so much storage and the pantry! Y’all, I can’t even tell you how much I love the pantry! Coming from a house with a third of the storage, if that, to this house with cabinets and a pantry, I felt like I won the lottery! There are a few up grades that I want to make, but I have no plan on anything major here right now. All I want to do in the kitchen is to get the gas line ran so we can get a gas stove again and run a water line to the refrigerator for ice and filtered water. These are things we have already had bid out and now just need to have scheduled to be completed once funds are more stable again.
Long term goals we will be replacing the flooring in the house to have a better flow. Currently there are six different floorings in the house, and it does not flow very well, but it works. Since flooring can get expensive, this is not a high priority but for sure on the wish list! We also plan to vault the ceiling in the main living area to make it seem more open. Right now, a drop ceiling and small windows makes it seem like a dark dungeon. Especially with the rainy weather right now. We have also been made aware of a mice issue in the drop ceiling, which we are told is not active currently, but definitely makes this project even more desirable! I know that living in the country and on a farm, mice are going to happen, but if I can prevent it at all, I am all for it!
There are many projects going on and tons of work to do but this house is feeling more and more like home every day! We are so excited about the journey of starting our homestead and Brian being able to be more involved in the farm. Stay tuned for more on our garden, the chickens and the cows!
Have you had a dream of becoming self-sustained or any experience in any of these home improvement projects? We are open to advice (constructive that is, I don’t need any negativity) and welcome any tips!
Until next time, enjoy this spring and the time with your family! I am praying for each of you!
