I don’t know what happened, but when my part-time job ended, I decided that it is time for us to start working on the projects that we’ve discussed seemingly forever. Among those projects are:
- Replacing the ceiling fan and light fixture in our living/dining area.
- Install vinyl plank flooring in the basement bathroom and replace the sink and toilet.
- Replace the counter and sink in the main floor bathroom.
The basement bathroom project revolves around us agreeing on which vinyl plank flooring pattern to use which may take a while. Kenn likes lighter flooring, I don’t – especially for the basement bathroom. The basement bath is between the half of the basement that serves as Kenn workshop and the half where my video game consoles are set up. As such, that bathroom sees a lot of muddy boots (Kenn’s) which, in my opinion, are not conducive to a light colored floor. I think he now sees the logic behind going with something a little darker, but we haven’t found exactly what we’re looking for yet.
Our next door neighbor has his own counter/cabinetry business, so replacing the counter/sink in the main floor bath is only a matter of getting on his schedule. We purchased the sink/counter combo for our master bath from him, so we already know what pattern we want – no decisions to make here!
We usually replace ceiling fans and light fixtures on our own, but the ones in the “great room” are going to require a professional with a scaffold or something due to the twenty-foot ceilings. I will dust the ceiling occasionally, but that’s where it stops for me.
We recently undertook a smaller project. Well, it was a smaller project for me; I don’t think it was even on Kenn’s list. We replaced our mailbox. The Cabin came with a rustic mailbox. (Shocking, I know.) The cedar mailbox was great for our rural location and rustic house, but it required too much upkeep for me. The mailbox looked like a house and the previous owners had stained the sides and roof of the mailbox to match those of The Cabin. They had even painted the “doors and windows” on the mailbox green like those on The Cabin. I played around with the idea of repainting the mailbox “door” yellow after we repainted our front door, but… no. The mailbox roof had faded and needed to be restained; it also had moss and lichen growing on it. I mentioned it to Kenn, and he was enthusiastic. “We can clean it and restain it!” However, I strongly suspected that that “we” meant “me” and “me” had no interest in taking on that task. I’m not a high-maintenance person, and I don’t want a high-maintenance mailbox. So, I bought a basic bronze mailbox and we installed it a few days ago.
While we were installing the new mailbox, we were also waiting for an air conditioning technician to arrive. Our A/C had stopped working the previous day, and it was time for us to find out if the existing unit could be repaired or if it would need to be replaced. Based on the date written on the unit, it’s twenty-two years old; I couldn’t help but feel that the odds were not in our favor. However, we dodged a bullet. A new switch and capacitor got the unit back up and running. We know it’s at the end of its lifespan, but hopefully, this fix will keep it running a little longer.🤞
Are you a DIY-er or do you prefer to hire a professional for your home improvement projects?
Linda Lou's Life 
As we’ve gotten older, we lean more to the “hire a professional” side. But if the job is not too big, we’ll do it ourselves. It’s a good idea to have a focused list.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Same. We hire professionals more often than we used to. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I used to do a lot of stripping, staining, painting, and refinishing of furniture. But that was when I had more time and better knees. Your old mailbox was freaking adorable, but I can see why you swapped it out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kenn is trying to figure out how to repurpose the old mailbox as a bat box, so it will still be around for awhile.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good choice on the bronze mailbox! Perhaps the old one would make a lovely starter home for some birds with a few modifications. Sometimes I think “too cute” has run its course, at least for me.
As for DIY or hire a professional, it depends on the job. In the lean years, we did it ourselves as we both had some useful skill sets and not a lot of money. When we moved to Mississippi, we often had to do it ourselves because getting a skilled laborer was rarely possible. Fortunately for us, we hit the jackpot with two skilled and reliable crews, resulting in the wonderful and well-constructed new kitchen, deck, downstairs renovation, and now, the screened porch, driveway, and landscaping. My new motto is “What is the point of having money if you do not use it to make your own life better, as well as the lives of others?” Manual labor and skilled labor literally built this country and kept it running. I will never minimize the value of the contributions of the men and women who build, repair, drive the trucks that move the goods we need, grow our food, harvest and process it for distribution. Life is a systems process: the inputs determine the outputs.
That being said, I can and will still do minor jobs and repairs as long as I am able. Wish you the best of results on the upcoming renovations!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks! I really like the new mailbox.
We’ve done much the same as you and Randy over the years. Our move to The Cabin eight years ago was the first time we hired professional movers. It was well worth the money spent!
Kenn is planning to convert the old mailbox into a bat box if he can.
LikeLike
Oh, that will be great! It has been interesting to see the bats at Julia’s on Blackberry Homestead. If we have any around here, I have not either seen them or recognized them from a bird! Be sure to let us know how the Bat Cave turns out!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good luck with the renovations!
We do small projects ourselves. My husband is very handy. We are slowly repainting our house… one room at a time. We replaced most of the light fixtures, there are a few more to go. We replaced many of the sink/tub faucets. We hired professionals to replace the carpeting before we moved in, remove dead trees in the yard, install a water filtration system, replace the leach lines, and pump the septic tank. 😅
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rock on, Betty! The more we do, the more competent we become.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yay for handy husbands! Kenn is super handy.
We need to have someone out to check our septic tank – after they locate it. We don’t even know where it is!🤦♀️
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am not handy at all, with the sole exception of electrical work – I’ve always been comfortable installing thermostats, dimmer switches, etc. (though I do draw the line at ceiling fans). Anything else? I’m calling a professional!
I love the original mailbox, but yeah, sounds like it was getting to be too labor-intensive.
LikeLiked by 2 people
We call the professionals now more than we used to. Sometimes we just decide we don’t want to do that particular task anymore. The last time we moved was the first time we had hired professional movers. Best money we’ve ever spent!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am absolutely not a DIYer. The ex was a handy man through and through and could fix anything – even our air conditioner. Thankfully (or not), I have a landlord to take care of such things now.
I hope your renovations go well. I like your mailbox! The old one was “cute,” but I much prefer the classic bronze you have now. Have fun!
LikeLiked by 1 person
My thoughts exactly! The old mailbox was cute, but I prefer the new one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m with you about a darker floor in the basement bathroom. Dirt happens so why not hide it a little bit.
Your new mailbox looks like ours. Ours is required by the HOA so no choice, but I like its simplicity.
We almost always hire professionals to do our house projects except like changing lights or ceiling fans. Those we can manage ourselves. At this point everything else is done by someone we pay.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We don’t have any HOA, but there are a lot of similar mailboxes in our neighborhood. All of those mailboxes are what made me decide I wanted something similar – and simpler.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Since it is just me and no one to rely on should I mess something up in a DIY venture, I need to rely on a contractor. What I really need is a handyman since mine had to retire for health reasons, but I am having a difficult time finding someone. I had to get a new capacitor a few years ago, which the tech discovered on a routine A/C check. My HVAC system was installed in 2012, so it is getting older as well, so I hold my breath every time I get my routine checks. I personally like the old mailbox, but I understand your concern as to restoring it and keeping it looking good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad you get a little more time with your current A/C. I have always been a doer. I replaced our water heater, washer, dryer, shingled the roof, plumbing, electrical and natural gas lines. I learned all this from working at our gas company. Now it is too hard and not worth the physical pain so I am hiring everything out.
LikeLiked by 1 person