curb appeal | home sweet bargeron.

Of all the things we've done to our home since we purchased it in December 2016, this update is my most favorite! I have been honest about my first impression of the outside of the house when we went to check it out for the first time -- it had potential, buuuuut it was going to take a whole lot of hard work to get it to where we wanted it. Another honest statement -- it has been SO much fun making it "our own" over these past 3.5 years! Going at our own pace has been so gratifying, too, because we've been able to dream together, save together, and practice patience along the way.

When we first moved in, we thought it would be ten years before we got to the point we're at now. Part of that mindset was because we were so overwhelmed by all that needed to be done, and the other part was the biiiig financial commitment it would take. We're so proud to be ahead of our original schedule, working hard to do things responsibly and reasonably. And we're even more proud to say that our house no longer looks like a "rental" that is "empty" -- yep, I still think about those womens' words from 2018. They lit a fire in me, and I channeled it for our good. LOL!

Last year, we were able to complete a few large projects to get us closer to our goal. And this year, our hope is that we will have all of our home projects COMPLETE by the end of 2020 so we can switch our financial focus by 2021. A huge chunk of our savings has gone towards these renovations this year and last year, and it will be so exciting to enter a new financial chapter!

Now, without further adieu, here is the progression of having ZERO curb appeal to having MAJOR curb appeal...

January 2017
*One month after we moved in.

February 2018
*We decided to rip everything up and start fresh. This process took about a year.

March 2019
*We got a new roof and extended it to over our porch.

April 2019
*We painted porch beams white and added pickets.

March 2020
*We have now have PLANTS, y'all! Beautiful, unique plants, flowers, and shrubs that were planted with so much love.

We got all of our plants from Martin Garden Center, and started digging and planting as soon as we got home. I wanted a mix of unique plants, and I had one non-negotiable -- HYDRANGEAS! I've always wanted a yard with bright hyrdangeas scattered throughout, and my dream finally became a reality. Eeeeek! After we planted, Teesh got our mulch from Henson's in Simpsonville. And because we're nuts, we did the buying, digging, planting, and mulching all in one day. Whew! My birthday was the next day, and my man wanted me to wake up to my dream yard. Yep, he's wonderful.

We came in under budget for this project (YAAAAAS!), even with the additions of adding gutters to the front porch AND buying those three gorgeous ferns you see hanging between the pillars. Shout out to our friends, Connor and Dusti at Burdette Hardware, for those! I just love a porch with hanging ferns, and I'm so excited to be in the club now.

There's nothing like beholding the fruit of your labor, and this was definitely true after we stepped back and looked at our house that we're so proud of. She has come so far!

About to load up and ready to head home to start planting!

My man and me, compliments of our little photographer, Braxton. LOL!

TJ dug a long trench to put our gutters underground. So far, it has worked great!

Our landscaping update is now just over three weeks new, and I'm still swooning. It still feels so surreal for this big project to be behind us. This was the most important thing to me from the first minute I laid eyes on the house, but it took time and a lot of hard work to complete it. We have probably spent a total of months digging up shrubs, planting grass seeds, getting trees cut down, cleaning up, etc. since December 2016, and I don't regret a second of it. It has been AMAZING to watch our dream come to life!

Many of our neighbors have lived in their homes for many years, and several of them have repeatedly told me how they've loved watching us bring it back to life again. A few of them have even asked us if we're fixing it up to sell it, and we quickly tell them no. We don't know what the future will hold, but we are very content to stay here for a looooong time, which is sort of becoming counter-cultural. We view our home as an investment in more ways than one.

I still can't believe what a huge transformation our home as undergone in just three years! Just look at the difference...

JANUARY 2017 // APRIL 2020

Stay tuned for what's next for Home Sweet Bargeron! This process has taught us a lot of things, but mainly this -- never underestimate the power of a DREAM and a BUDGET!