THE House!!!

There you have it folks. Our little home! Don't mind the fact that his picture was taken with Michael's cell phone, so it's not that great of quality. It may not look too cute right now, but we have some big plans for it. And that's what this post is about today. I'm afraid we're still not perfectly settled in enough to share inside pictures, so I'll give you a basic run down of our plans sans any photographic illustrations. :)

1. Windows - We're replacing them. They are the original single pane aluminum, put in the house when it was built in 1976. We just decided on the company we are going with to replace them and we're getting a killer deal. It will make such a difference for looks, sound, and insulation. Yay!
2. Shutters - That basically goes along with the windows. We plan on building them ourselves and we know that they will automatically up the "cute" factor. 
3. Landscaping - This is going to happen in the Spring, of course, and will make SUCH a difference on the welcoming appearance from the front of the home. Picture flower beds along the front and down the walkway, with some shrubs, annuals, and perennials. Pots on the porch also. And maybe a tree in the front yard or park strip!
4. Front Door - This one is planned for a bit further down the road, as it's not too essential, but will be purely aesthetic. Something in a nice wood, maybe some panels on the side. Nix the "country criss-cross window panes"!
5. Master Suite - There are 3 bedrooms upstairs and we plan on combining two of those to make a really nice master suite complete with a master bath and walk-in closet. It will be a thing of beauty.
6. Old Garage/Family Room - As you can see from the front of the house, that large room on the left used to be the garage. The previous owners closed it in and built another 2-car garage on the side and further to the backyard of the house. Now there is a large family room in its place. It has steps that go down to basically the level of the concrete. We plan to raise the sub-floor and create one open and level living space from the kitchen to that room. Likewise, that front window is not being replaced right now, but will wait until we alter that room as we'll have to raise the height and possibly put a larger window in too. More pictures to come for illustration!
7. Insulation - You can't see this, but we are upgrading our insulation in the attic. We need this to preserve a more comfortable temperature in the home.
8. Finish Work - Updating with crown molding, new light fixtures, electrical outlets and covers, and paint over time.
9. Energy Efficiency - Basically, that's the name of the game right now, with this home. We are replacing bulbs, windows, insulation, weather stripping, and doing all sorts of other things (tankless water heater included) to increase the energy efficiency of our home. We want to save money and bring it into the 21st century! It's about time!

So, what do you think? We got an amazing deal on the home, and with the market being like it is and rates as low as they are, we expect great things for our future in this home. We're so happy to finally have our own space again, to decorate, live in, and enjoy exactly how we choose. There's something to be said for getting back into your "normal" routines.

Our ward and neighborhood is great. Everyone is so happy to have us here and we have been welcomed with open arms. I love being in a nice family neighborhood with kids who just hop the fence and come into our backyard to say, "Hi". I think we are going to continue to feel happy here and know that his was truly the right choice for us at this point in our lives. We feel so incredibly blessed.