We purchased our downsized house in March 2016. Before we moved in, we started our remodeling projects. In our first post, Plans Change, we began sharing our adventure and projects with you.
We finished the last projects in April 2019. I am sure they would have been completed much sooner if we had not started traveling and living in our RV. But, then, we would not have had those adventures and meet so many wonderful people.
Curb Appeal
Taken on moving day. 
Front landscaping in progress
The feature photo for this post is the finished front landscaping project. We spray painted the shutters, replaced the light fixture, storm door, and front door. In addition to removing some plants, Andy rebuilt the stone wall on the left side of the porch and widened the bed.
Looking up in the Living Room
Brightening the ceiling with fresh paint. 
Finished living room
Originally, we planned to cover the popcorn ceiling in the living room with beadboard. When we remodeled the kitchen, we scraped off the popcorn before installing the beadboard. It was very messy! You can read about that project in Kitchen Remodel – Part 3.
Time and experience changed our minds. A fresh coat of paint made a big difference and brightened the room.
Painting Paneling
When we removed the wooden rails separating the kitchen from the stairwell in Kitchen Remodel – Part 1, sawing off the overhang was placed low on our to-do list. We had other projects to complete and, well, you know, we started traveling.
Andy used a Sawzall to cut off the ‘extra flooring.’ Then, he placed trim over the area. We told our realtor that we would be painting the trim only. At his suggestion, we also painted the paneling. We primed it and applied two coats of paint. We were happy with the results and are glad we painted it. The original wallpaper above the paneling looked good and matched the color.
A small portion of the floor has been cut off. 
The paneling required two coats of primer.
Our Largest Renovation – The Sunroom
In 2016, we contracted with a builder to construct a sunroom. You can read about the process and see pictures at Upsizing Our Downsize.
After the insulation and drywall were up, we stopped working on the porch. We needed to work on the patio attached to the porch next. After the patio, we took a break from remodeling projects.
Between nursing assignment in 2018, we worked in the room. The beadboard ceiling was installed and painted. The ceiling fan went up. The trim around the windows was finished. Fast forward to 2019. Time to make our over-sized mudroom into the living space it was intended to be.
Walls are painted and paneled. 
Time for the carpet.
Do-it-yourself Andy did the majority of the work. My contribution was painting, handing Andy tools and helping him whenever he needed an extra hand.
Carpet down and ready for furniture 
Sunroom done!
Basement Gets A Facelift
The basement had been semi-organized while we were living full-time in the house. We even challenged ourselves to get it done in with the 30 Day Basement Challenge. Getting Back to Basics
To get our basement ready to paint, we sold, donated, and gave away the furniture and exercise equipment. The stuff we thought we wanted to keep was boxed up and staged for storage. While boxing items, we often changed our mind and placed them in the donate or trash piles. When the area was cleared out, we gave the ceiling and walls a fresh coat of paint. And the floor received a much overdo scrubbing.
Almost cleared out 
Finished and ready for showings
We made other smaller changes to the house as well, such as new bathroom vanities and closet doors. The remodeling projects were completed by our deadline, and the house was ready for prospective buyers. As we told you in our previous post, Our New Plan, we had a contract within a week of listing, with closing scheduled in May.
Next Steps
It was time to get back on the road, and Andy accepted a nursing assignment, starting the second week of May. In our next post, we will share our May story. If you would like to receive an email when it’s posted, complete the Subscribe section.
