Happy Friday everyone!!! This blog is long overdue! As most of you know, I purchased my first home back in August! Woo hoo!! I was so excited to finally be a home owner-even more excited that my purchase exists in a community with a Home Owners Association (lawn work is not for me!) While the space of the house was lovely, it needed many, many updates.  Many updates. As in all of them. Everything. Since I consider myself a HGTV connoisseur I was ready and willing to take on the challenge…even during wedding season. I love to decorate and I like to believe I have a good eye for it (you can all be the judge when you see the images below!) I pulled inspiration from Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn and Houzz. I am very impressed with myself because despite my champagne taste, I was able to save with a few DIY projects….and don’t even get me started on Home Goods! I splurged on a few designer items but mostly saved by using Joss & Main, Home Goods, and recycling some oldies but goodies.  I truly love how everything came together… Sometimes I just look around and stare because I think everything looks so pretty! But going from old to pretty was an adventure on it’s own. Let’s recap. Day one: “Oh my gosh, I own a home! My hand hurts from signing papers. What did I sign? Whatever, I own a home! I should go to Home Goods!” Day two: “They left the pink puffy curtains? Oh wow, they’re covered in dust. Everything is covered in dust. Why are the shelves sticky? What do you mean the electrical box is a fire hazard? That’s my decorating money! I should leave. Oh my gosh I own a home.” Day three: “Me and mom can hammer out the old bathroom tile no problem,” I say to myself.  We made it as far as a five-inch square, oh and I was wearing sandals. Day four: Enlist friend to help pull up carpet…. Surprise!!! You now have to remove 2.5 million staples! Day five: Call contractor…. let him handle it. All of it. Hiring a GC was the best decision I ever made. I still had to pick everything out and be available for deliveries-but that was easy! Or so I thought. Order flooring from Build Direct. Wait for delivery. “Here you go ma’am. 1,200 pounds of flooring right on your curb.” Me: “But wait, sir. Can’t you bring it up?? I’m on the second level condo all the way down that sidewalk!”  His reply, “No.”  Call my friend JP to help carry up flooring for beer. Fast-forward two days… 7am phone call. It’s the GC. “Hey Tiffany, the flooring is warped and can’t be installed.” Now, imagine that phone call before your morning coffee! Call Build Direct. “Ma’am you have to bring the flooring back to the curb.” 1,200 pounds.  Weeeee!!! Isn’t this fun?! Meanwhile, I decided to interview some plumbers to see who can install a new fixture for my newly refinished tub. One showed up drunk. It was the early afternoon on a weekday. How’d I find him? Ohhh well one day I was driving in town and saw a Buffalo Bills sticker on a truck. Then proceeded to see a small plumbing decal. I thought to myself, “He’s a Bills fan! He must be a good guy!” Moral of the story, trust your GC and don’t find the help on your own. Time to order a refrigerator-oh perfect! I found one brand that makes a French Door stainless steel counter depth in the measurements I need. Go back to order online the following day…Out of stock. After a chicken hunt to find this model, I finally succeeded. Hooray! Delivery day! After four hours of waiting, two big men get out of the truck and come to access the space. “Oh I’m sorry ma’am we can’t deliver this refrigerator in this space. We need a third person.” I’m sorry, what?!?!? Two days later all three men arrived with the refrigerator. Two to carry, one to cheer. Seriously? If they needed a cheerleader didn’t they know I was captain in Varsity basketball?!?!? Anyway, I feel like I could write a book. There are so many more funny stories like the ones I shared…but after all you’re here to see photos! I also want to say thank you to all those who helped me on this journey…my fantastic realtor Adam Vandervoort, my attorney Dan Glaser, my contractor Colton Hill and his team, my lighting expert Mike Kowalczyk (and assistant Nate Fiedler!), my incredible painter Rudy, and a handful of other amazing friends (you know who you are!). Thank you all SO much!!! As a side note, I left out the TWP home office because that deserves it’s own blog-so stay tuned for that! I started with the before images that were posted on the MLS when the house was for sale…. Get ready for this folks…. Here we go!!!

XOXO,

Tiffany

If you’re in the market…this is seriously the best team!

Realtor: Adam Vandervoort, My Capital Region Realtor
Contractor: Colton Hill, Hill.Colton41@gmail.com
Contractor/Electrical: Mike Kowalczyk, MJK82059@gmail.com
Painting: Rudy, 518-364-1735
Attorney: Dan Glaser