Where to Begin? Prioritizing a Fixer Upper

 When you buy a true "Fixer Upper" there are so many projects it can be difficult to prioritize them and to wrap your head around when and how to do each and every one especially when taking budget into account.  At first we found ourselves searching supplies and how to complete one DIY project then another and another because we were so excited to complete them all but we were limited on time and money for each of them because the budget is a reality for us like it is most.  

So we sat down and wrote out a list of major and minor DIY projects then we prioritized each list.  While you might think to just get the major tasks out of the way first, it is also important to see progress and have something to look on with pride for those days when you think you just can't go on and believe me you will have those days!!  So having some minor tasks that take less time and can get checked off your list not only gives you a sense of accomplishment it often gives you something to work on while you are waiting for something on the major project whether it is something you ordered or an electrician or plumber.  

In prioritizing our lists we had many things to take into account including the following and a few others:

• materials 
• cost/budget
• time 
• difficulty  

The entire list of items considered and an example spreadsheet that we used can be obtained by emailing us at contactus@farmhousefixer.com.  It was a very valuable yet simple tool that we created to help us complete all our DIY and outsourced projects on time and on budget!
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After prioritizing both lists then we began to work on the first major task and when we have time waiting for materials or someone or something then we complete a minor task.  Although some of the minor tasks turned out to be much more major than we thought!  For instance, our mud room was on our minor list but then after removing the carpet we determined we needed a new sub-floor which of course added cost and delayed our schedule.  However, that is too be expected.  You will always have some things uncovered, but best to fix them right the first time if you want a quality home for a long time!  Which is why every project whether major or minor needs a contingency budget, just be careful they don't all add up to more than your overall contingency bucket.  We certainly want this is to be our forever home for us and our children and grand children so we must fix things correctly when we find them so the contingency budget is one of the most important things especially for the DIYer!
So while it is going to be a long time coming before our farmhouse is finished we have some minor tasks completed that we can now go look at and take heart in when the major tasks become too much!
We can't wait to share more of our home and progress and lessons learned as we continue to fix our fixer upper farmhouse and farm!!