Renovation

My wife and I decided two years ago that it was time to sell our house and pay off our debt. We hadn’t found our farm yet and it meant we would likely have to rent for a year while we looked, but we knew things would work out in that regard. Our next biggest hurdle was that our house was nowhere near ready to sell! The siding was damaged, the deck that made me love the house was falling apart and the flooring was so mis-matched and gross that it would surely turn people off to the house. For an entire summer I set out remedying these issues. That summer was a big catalyst of my desire to help others learn how to be more self-sufficient. For example, we rebuilt a deck from the studs up. I spent around $6,000 to cover the materials, the permits, and the occasional meal for my father-in-law and friends who dedicated their time. My estimate for someone else to complete the work was over $20,000 and I wouldn’t have gotten to spend the time with my friends and family accomplishing the work. Now, I’m not going to lie. The work was hard! I worked all day long at my job and spent most all of my evening and weekends fixing the house with no breaks. It was worth it though! Another important piece that fell into place during this project was how important having a community is. I couldn’t have finished the work on my own, and what I did finish wouldn’t have been as good. What if you want to try out a new skill and do something yourself, but you don’t know how? Reach out to your community and ask! Just keep in mind that it will be important to return the favor someday. Back to the house though. When we decided to do the work and sell the house there were risks, but we knew we had to take them. Things didn’t go exactly as planned, the pandemic hit, my wife lost her job, the housing market is tough for buyers right now, and our third child was born! These things delayed us, but they didn’t stop us. We have now been in our rental for 2 years instead of the planned 1 but we are getting closer. The extra time also allowed us to do our research and work on the business plan for what our farm will look like. We aren’t there yet, but with dedication and the grace of God we are still moving ahead.