We have lived in our old Victorian house for 13 years. It is currently 118 years old. We have done many, many fixes, upgrades, and renovations, but mostly restorations. I’ve learned a lot of true things from this experience and, just like my post on house painting, I’m going to share them!
#1 Trust in God.
How many times have I wondered- how are we going to pay for this? We just emptied our savings for something else wrong with this place! Or my plumber would scratch his head and tell us it would be cheaper to do it all at once and we would sorrowfully look at our bank account and say- just this part this time.
But he ALWAYS provided. ALWAYS. Even if it was close, even if it was partial now and the rest later. Even if it meant guidance in getting a loan (HILOC) for things we could never pay all at once (hello double bathroom gutting and restoration).
And, the harder we worked, the more we were blessed.
Every time a pipe leaks, or the paint peels I know God has it all under control and I mentally practice putting it ALL in his hands.
And you know what? He also blessed me with peace, yes, incredible peace about this old place over the years. Truly peace that passes all understanding.
#2 Mental Breaks
You can make yourself sick with worry and let the responsibility crush you, or you can walk away for awhile. The longest break we took was 1 year. Honestly most of our breaks are financially imposed and that is a great reason to stop and rest awhile!
I have felt so guilty about taking breaks in the past, but then I realized it will never stay done. It will never be perfect. And that’s ok. Progress, not perfection.
I also realized that for my own mental health I could not devote every weekend and break and vacation to this place. I did do that for a long time, especially the first years we lived here- and I found myself hating my house. My attitude became so negative about this place. My worry and constant work stole all my joy about living here, and what would the point be of all of this if I couldn’t enjoy it?
I had to fix my attitude, quick. So I practiced saying a positive thing to myself every time I thought of a negative. That re-trained my brain. I also took a lot more time off from renovations and tried to spend it with my family instead.
#3 Labor Breaks
You must take breaks. Even if there are pressing projects and problems that need completing. Living in an old house is a marathon, not a sprint. The long run is long and it can be incredibly frustrating, especially when a fix doesn’t work, or makes a situation worse. Or you are chasing a leak.
I truly believe hard work is good for your soul, I also believe rest is too. Do not skip the resting part of looking after an old house. You must recuperate, sit back, and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
#4 It Doesn’t Have to be All-In, All-Done
Sure, we all want it to be done quickly, but many times, that’s just not feasible. Our giant house painting job is a key example. As much as you can when you can, then wait for the next season. Right now only 2 of the 4 sides of my garage and playhouse are painted and gorgeous. 2 of the 3 stories of my house are the same. It will get done. Maybe 1 side, 1 level at a time. But it still gets there. The biggest mistake I see is people not even starting a project because they think they can’t get it all done in one period of time. The best advice I ever got? Do what you can do but do something! The momentum you build will pay off. Especially if you only have the resources to be the turtle running the race, not the hare.
I have been so surprised over the years about how this really does work. Not only with old house burnout but also in project costs. If you can’t afford to hire someone to do it in one go, you can 100% figure out other ways to take on huge projects- 1 bite at a time.
#5 Vacations
Yeah, this is a big one. It’s a great idea to spend some time AWAY from your building project, ahem, I mean home, if you can. And yes, I do feel guilty before we leave about the money we saved up that will not be used to fix something on our house, but afterwards I’m so truly happy we took a vacation and that we got a new perspective in a new place. We always drive (hubs used to be a truck driver and misses the road so much) and I love seeing how everyone else lives in our country and seeing other old houses!
Leaving and experiencing different places always, always, always makes me so thankful for our home and I come back home with a renewed sense of purpose and love for the work my husband and I are doing. I realize how blessed I am to be able to call this historic house my home. And many times I realize we have a much better house than I thought. Aaanndd, it’s calming to know that all houses go through cycles of decay and restoration normally, and other owners are all fighting those battles too.
You get so focused on all the things wrong with your house you forget to see what’s right. When you see everybody else’s homes and the problems they struggle with, you remember all the good things at yours. Traveling can bring that back to you in a way nothing else can. It makes you remember to say, “Thank you, God.”
With refreshing breaks to you from Kansas Street,
Love,
Jaime
Life on Kansas Street 