I get it. I had a friend who staged her house to sell. it made me think, why don't I fix every little thing too .. for us.

our house was in great shape, but not perfect

so we hired a handyman and fixed every little thing in a big 3story 1902 home.

it was finally perfect

and then ... I came across our current home totally on a whim, and had to startr all ovver again

Don't be so hard on yourself, sometimes life just gets in the way and takes over.

btw lol!

Why? I have no idea but I do it too.

Let me know how the husband fixing works out. Mine could use some work but I'm not sure where to start. ;-)

I just had the same experience this weekend when I finally bought new bedside lamps for our master bedroom. I haven't had a lamp on my nightstand in all of our twelve years of marriage and I really disliked DH's lamp from his bachelor years.

2 new bronze lamps and my room is now so much prettier than before!

In my experience, we don't get all the little stuff that makes a difference done until we are preparing to sell....sad isn't it.

DH and I finally replaced a ceiling fan in the living room with a new light fixture. We both disliked that stupid fan since the first time we looked at the house. Here we are, 2.5 years later, and we finally did it.

I keep going into the living room and turning on the light, just so I can look at it!

It's started that whole domino effect, though. The bookshelves were messy and cluttered, and who knew they were so dusty until we had better lighting?! I've spent two days cleaning and reorganizing. The new (old) fireplace screen arrived yesterday, and will get fresh paint tomorrow. The chairs are done, and the lamp is in the works. I'm shopping for small picture frames. On and on...but it's starting to look great in there.

We were in the process of fixing up the house, a few items a year before we started paying for college for the two Ds, and then my husband lost his job and all projects were put on hold. After a few years, we realized that he had actually retired. Now we are in a position where we absolutely must attend to some repairs, and they will be much more costly than if we had taken care of them several years ago. We didn't save any money by postponing them.

jaysmom, I'd be more inclined to think it was just life "getting in the way" if during the same two years I hadn't painted the dining room twice, a bedroom twice, refinished a bookcase, sewn pillow covers,etc. etc.

I think sometimes I'm too eager to put off something that seems like it's such a small job it can get done "anytime", while I schedule larger projects when I know I'll have extended hours free to work on them.

And then other times I put something off because I think it will be a big chore, and in a wink of the eye, I'm done.

juddgirl--exactly! We don't have bedside lamps, either. I've been looking for the "perfect" ones, and before I can find those, I'll have to have night stands to put them on, right? So, here we are, 2.5 years into this house. My husband uses a flashlight if he wants to see his watch at night.

Sigh.

This thread subject really resonates with me. I TOTALLY feel ya. Like so many have already pointed out, we did the same thing when we were prepping our previous house to sell. It was FSBO so I really felt everything had to be perfect. We did little things - fixing this, fixing that - and a few big things, like staining our never ending 2 level cedar deck, and puting away all of the clutter that had accumulated. The house looked soooo much better. It does make you wonder- why didn't I do this for me?

Now even in our new house I have a few of these wonky teeth I am slowly capping, one expensive porcelain veneer at a time, LOL. The wood desk top for our drop zone that was ordered incorrectly was finally reordered on Monday. I kept delaying our final install for the alarm system- even though we have been in the house since May! That was finally done today. 'Nother tooth fixed. We still don't have a fireplace mantel/shelf in the Great Room. I just couldn't decide for the longest time. Well, that was ordered this week too. Boy, I am on a roll, Woot-woot!!!! Sure feels good to get the little stuff taken care of.

Ha ha, leafy02! I hope it's because we have more important things to do and we think the project is bigger than it really is. I like the name broken teeth - except I would haul my back end to get those fixed right away. Sometimes my husband wants to "help" and I lose total control of fixing the broken teeth, that is the worst!!

Same here..life just has a way of setting up road blocks. Some you can get around quickly, others have many curves, bumps, and pot holes, and the 'trip' takes longer. ;o)

In our home it's taking our daughter's upcoming wedding to get us moving on finishing our now eight year old home. So yes, I get how the little things, and in our case the not so little things, can be easily put off.

"Why do we wait so long?", because we CAN. As for me, I can do anything at someone else's house with ease because I know I have to get it done. Sometimes I am super lazy at getting to projects at my own house because I know I can put it off.

I was in the opposite situation - for a while. I moved into a new-to-me old house and immediately fixed a couple teeth. Within an hour of signing papers and getting the keys, I removed a shelf that was in a ridiculous place and ripped out a curtain on the inside of glass doors of a hutch in the dining room. Later I moved the house numbers to a better location. Three projects down, 997 to go.

Doing minor projects gives such a sense of accomplishment.

I have two projects that I've been putting off for at least a year. I have a built in china cabinet in the dining room, and a wall cabinet in the laundry room that would look SO much better with paint. I even have paint colors and hardware picked out, and these won't be difficult or expensive projects.

But what a chore! Empty the cabinets, sand, mask, prime, and paint, all in the house! I dread the mess, the inconvenience, and the potential for something to go wrong. If this was free standing furniture, I would have hauled them out to the garage and been done with it long ago.

I so agree with this thread! I have dozens of those little things around the house... just last weekend, I finally took off the mounting hardware on our stairway walls that held the baby gate - I spackled and painted the walls. Glorious! Now that my "babies" are 8 and 10 - about time right?

I just had the same experience this weekend when I finally bought new bedside lamps for our master bedroom. I haven't had a lamp on my nightstand in all of our twelve years of marriage and I really disliked DH's lamp from his bachelor years.

2 new bronze lamps and my room is now so much prettier than before!

Now I am looking at my husband....

Are you trying to get me fired? I just laughed so inappropriately loud for the type of work I do!

I just had the same experience this weekend when I finally bought new bedside lamps for our master bedroom. I haven't had a lamp on my nightstand in all of our twelve years of marriage and I really disliked DH's lamp from his bachelor years.

2 new bronze lamps and my room is now so much prettier than before!

Inertia.

Great thread leafy ... I've been on a roll since the end of summer getting all kinds of little things done that I'd been putting off.

Started with the deck ... paid someone to power wash it and re-apply stain ... boy did it need it ... wy did I wait so long? It looks great.

So then had to move onto the house ... scraped and repainted all those little spots that have chipped and needed attention ... the outside of the house hasn't looked this good in years!

Put a blind up in my computer room so I can use the computer when the sun is setting ... that took years! LOL!

The list is continuing ... I am suddenly so motivated, it's amazing. I feel ridiculous that it took me so long to get to many of these items.

Adaptation and familiarity.

Since I had planned on renovating the bathroom, when the cold water ran all the time in the sink, I turned it off at the shut off, When the drain developed a hole, I turned off the hot. I washed my hands in the bathtub. Since I didn't need the sink I took it out. Two years later when I knew I would be putting the house on the market I redid the bathroom. At least with the house not selling, I get to use it.

I read this interesting blog the other day.

She said it really helped her to actually make the list and that got her motivated. She's checking them off as she finishes the project. Cute.

Now...where is my list!

Here is a link that might be useful: projects to do list

Prioritizing helps too, along with the lists! ;o)

I'm so bad at this too.

We replace all the ceiling fans when we moved in 10 years ago with some of the cheapest ugliest fans Lowe's offered. I figured they'd die and I'd get to replace them with something nicer. It still hasn't happened. I finally started pulling them down 1 room at a time and spray painting the horrible gold LV looking fans. They look so much better even if they are still to ornate. But who knew a $50 fan would last this long.

The craptastic metal mini blinds that have been there since we moved in finally got changed out for the 2" blinds that have been in the closet for 6 months.

I think we just overlook stuff and it normally takes an event or party to make us look closer.

rafor, I like her list. It's probably quite motivating to have those photos staring right back at you!

I sit in about six hours of deadly dull classes per week, so I have great lists on every topic-- from household projects to things I could cook if I was a person who cooked, to great names for dream dogs I'm going to have one day when I grow up, to all the reasons I should move to New Mexico and get away from all this gray......

I'm not sure I'm more likely to start a project because it's on my home decor or household to-do list, but I know I feel terrific when I find an old list and see that I really HAVE gotten a lot of it done! That happened to me a couple of weeks ago, and I really thought I deserved a pat on the back.

tomorrow i am buying the curtain rods i need to finish hanging my master bdrm custom made curtains.
they've been half hung for three years.
lol, thanks for the push i needed!

Oh man.
My house is a toothless wonder.

I have built and must paint 102 linear feet of cabinetry.
I have a grill I bought 3 years ago in November, still in the box on my living room floor.

I have the cardboard on the floors to protect them from the drywall finishing that should have been done 10 months ago. ($$)

I have unusual circumstances, but I know exactly what you mean by one little thing changing everything. I had primed 16' of cabinet doors but hadn't put on any paint. I go SO SICK of looking at all the CRAP I was sticking in the open cabinets I put them on just primed. The peace it gave my eyes was astonishing. I've finally given them their 1st coat ... without taking them back down.

I have a habit of sitting and staring at something I'm making, seeing it finished in my noggin. Then I'll build something and sit and stare at how great it looks.

I can't imagine having all the walls up, finished, primed and painted, then with all the electricity finished AND moulding and trim installed. I won't know what to do with myself!

fallingwaters, glad this little thread helped! I am still tickled every time I come home to see how much I notice the little things I've gotten done.

CEFreeman, it does sound like you've got your work cut out for you :) I know that feeling of having started something and not finished it too well. I decided this year for Christmas I am going to give myself ONE room that has no started-but-not-finished projects in it. It will be okay if there are projects I still hope to do that aren't done yet--as long as they aren't started, either.

I think it will give me a big feeling of accomplishment. And as you say about the closet doors, visual peace.

Oh man.
My house is a toothless wonder.

I have built and must paint 102 linear feet of cabinetry.
I have a grill I bought 3 years ago in November, still in the box on my living room floor.

I have the cardboard on the floors to protect them from the drywall finishing that should have been done 10 months ago. ($$)

I have unusual circumstances, but I know exactly what you mean by one little thing changing everything. I had primed 16' of cabinet doors but hadn't put on any paint. I go SO SICK of looking at all the CRAP I was sticking in the open cabinets I put them on just primed. The peace it gave my eyes was astonishing. I've finally given them their 1st coat ... without taking them back down.

I have a habit of sitting and staring at something I'm making, seeing it finished in my noggin. Then I'll build something and sit and stare at how great it looks.

I can't imagine having all the walls up, finished, primed and painted, then with all the electricity finished AND moulding and trim installed. I won't know what to do with myself!

I did a couple of things this week that had me thinking about this thread.

I cut and installed a couple of pieces into my kitchen cabinetry that make a 42" cabinet look like a 30" topped with a 12" cabinet. I didn't have 42" doors, so...

But the space between the upper and lower doors was bugging me, but I hate standing on the counter. Well, I finally put it them in and even unpainted, it removes a bit of visual clutter.

I did a bunch of other, little stuff and felt like a load was off my shoulders with each step. Nothing's completed, but they're moving forward! :)

I'm thinking this week I'll put the racks into a closet I built so I can hang coats this year. Drywall isn't done, but I can take these down just as easily as I can probably put them up!

Broken teeth....

Wow, I thought I was the only procrastinator on forum. I bought all the things I needed to be gone with the "70's" intercom system and speakers thru out the house over a year ago! Then promptly threw in garage.

About four weeks ago got up the gumption to reclaim the wall space. LOL

Within 3 days all were done and painted, made a lot of dust, but why oh why did I wait so long to be rid of those ugly things?

maid

CEFreeman, glad you're feeling like progress is happening--it is so much better than just having "I should be doing ..." hanging over our heads.

My I have two little half-broken teeth in my dining room--some wobbly edges on recently repainted trim and a cafe cutain to be made. Right now I just have the curtain fabric hanging from the curtain clips, ragged edges and all.

Wednesday is my day for getting these two little tasks done and then I will officially have one room in my house with NO unfinished projects. Drumroll, please!