Home Improvement Dissatisfaction :(

Mom32712

We have a fairly newer home but EVERYTHING is builder grade boring.  The people who lived in it before us did nothing but paint so we are trying to make it our own.  They also didn't take good care of it...scractches in the hardwood, paint all over the trim, no landscaping etc.  I have lots I want to do and change and I feel like we will never get there.  We will do something and I'll be satisifed for a little bit but then something else starts to bother me.  So frusturating b/c I love the house and want to be happy, not just walk around and think what do I want to change / what don't I like....  Any advice?  How do I see past this and enjoy what I do like?

Sunshine+Wine

I love my house and have worked very hard on taking it from builder basic to our own. However, I have the same problem of focusing on what to do next, instead of enjoying the work we have already done. I have blogged about all our DIY projects that we have taken on with this home, so I re-visit old posts and pictures of prior projects. It helps me remember how far we have come. Do you have photos of your before and afters that you could revisit? Also, I focus on one room/project at a time. After that space/item is finished, we take a short break before starting another. I use this time to help plan future projects, organize and clean my home etc. Remember how lucky you are to have your own home too:)

StevieJo

I know EXACTLY how you feel!  It's really hard because you want to feel like your space is your own.  And when other people come over you want your home to be a reflection of you but when there is still so much thats not you, it leaves you feeling dissatisfied.  I agree with Sunshine, looking at B&A pics helps me a lot.  Other than that I try to tell myself to "enjoy the ride".  I know I'll get there eventually so why be bothered in the meantime?

glittergal73

I know what you mean.  I have a similar problem with an old home we bought.  We love this house so much--but there are so many things that need attention.  We decided to make a timeline of prioritized projects that will give us the most bang for our buck and make the most of the time we have to invest.  I really think that planning it all out makes the process more efficient and we're getting more done with the outline of what to do first, next.  Before we were just doing little things here and there in each room, but by planning the projects we're sticking in one room more and I can see more getting done.  Every little project contributes to the whole package, and I agree about the before and after photos.  That helps see how far you have come.  It'll all be worth it.  

TarHeels&Rebels

IMO, 3 things will make a house feel like home faster than anything else: paint, curtains, and artwork.  Anything else is just gravy. 

We've owned several homes, and since college, I've moved on average once a year, so I move into a home and make it feel like us ASAP.  Sure, a faucet might be an ugly brass, but if the rest of the room is attractive, it's not that bad.  If the whole house is builder white walls with nothing up at the windows, it's going to feel builder-ish and cold forever.  You can have a 30 year old home with people who don't know how to decorate and it'll feel like the contractors just left yesterday.  Make the house feel friendly and living with the small stuff (like that kitchen chandelier that's driving you crazy) will be much easier to handle.

MommyLiberty5013

Im hear ya! Our previous owners have a different decor style than us so we're having to snail's pace slowly go through and update stuff. Sometimes I feel so unhappy. Like, "when will we finally get it the way we want it? Ugh that light. Ugh the door knobs. Ugh the popcorn ceilings..."

Not to get all philosophical on D&R, but, I've identified that this whole issue is really a battle within myself. Contentedness versus discontentedness.

Anyway, I've found what helps me deal with my discontent in my home is to say thank you often and out loud for what I do have...the small stuff like the new drapery rod I just bought that is moving me one step closer to decorating my DD's bedroom and the big stuff, that I have a huge roof over my head that many go without.

 

Pitterbull

I agree with all the above advice, especially before/after pictures.  Ours is an old fixer-upper, so I've definitely felt that concern about the house not being the reflection of me that I want it to be.  

To add another point, remember that the people you have in your home are friends and family and they know you for who you are and so if your home isn't the perfect version that you would like it to be, that's okay.  Don't let the desire to create a lovely home overshadow enjoying using your home now, as it is.

JessicaLovesBrian

We moved into our house 4.5 years ago and I still have a giant "to do" list. I think unless you have $$$$ to drop on everything at once, or your home was custom buuilt and stylized for you, that for most of us, working on improving our home is a continual project. I finally got to the point where I focused more on enjoying the space than worried about the room not being finished.

Something that has helped me from getting overwhelmed is that I have a schedule. Every week I focus on a different room in the house and only that room. I had a set rotation (ie. yard, basement, office, kitchen, dining room, living room, son's room, daughters room, master bedroom, bathroom). The "room" of the week is what I focus my attention on. This works even on weeks that I'm broke because my focus is on tending to anything that needs tending to in that room, whether is be a purchase (large or small), paint touch ups, deep cleaning, moving something, etc.This week the focus was on my daughters room, I bought new sheets for her crib and fixed a broken closet door knob. Nothing major, but small things that needed to get done. Next week is the master bedroom. Depending on how much $$ I have after bills, I will either get new side table lamps or a couple of picture frames for some prints that need a home. I will also fix a broken light pull.

kimberlygo

We have a similar problem of our own doing. We moved into new construction and cannot afford a lot of the upgrades that would make our home "our home." We have been adding a lot of things here and there and have found that art work makes a huge difference. We've purchased a lot of great things on etsy.