My partner and I are remodeling our house by ourselves while living in it. It hasn't been easy, but it's rewarding.

The author, not pictured, and her partner are remodeling their house. Maskot/Getty Images

• After a water leak damaged the flooring, my partner and I decided to remodel most of our house. 
• We’ve also decided to do it ourselves while still living in it, which has caused some issues.
• Our two young kids are helping out, too, so we are making memories while building our dream home.

My home is a space where you need to wear shoes all day long. Shoes are necessary if you dislike cold concrete or dirt sticking to the pads of your feet. To put it bluntly, my house isn’t a home right now. It’s a construction zone.

Our 1940s, 2,200-square-foot slab house is undergoing a remodel. My spouse and I are doing all the work ourselves — with some help from our two small children — in between our full-time jobs.

We’re renovating a full bathroom, a hallway, and the floors in our living room — plus a front closet (because why not at that point?).

It has been a slow, rewarding process, but I am so ready for it to be over.

We are DIYing the construction project

The project began when a water leak caused us to rip out our floors. Upgrading the standing shower to full size had been in our five-year plan, so we decided that if we were going to redo the floors, why not do the whole bathroom? It seemed so simple at first.

That led to the need to match floors, so we removed the rest of the dated pieces that weren’t original to the house or functional. We were then left with a sizable construction zone.

My spouse is handy and a mechanic by trade, so we own most of the tools needed to do the work. We also decided that DIYing was more affordable. We are cash-flowing the project rather than taking out a loan; this allows us to purchase items here and there while working on the house in our free time.

The first and biggest step was the demo, which involved pulling an enclosed trailer we own to the front yard and filling it with rolls of stained carpet, rotted boards, and more. It was only the beginning.

Home renovations are more than meets the eye

Because we’re dealing with an older house that was poorly remodeled by a previous owner, we’ve run into hitches along the way. We’ve added support beams that, for some reason, had been removed. We’ve had to rethink design plans due to cracked flooring, all while cleaning the weekend mess up each Sunday afternoon in an attempt to have a functional space come Monday morning for the workweek ahead.

The flooring in the author’s home. Courtesy of Bethaney Phillips

The project has also been slowed down due to supply chain issues. For instance, we could not find the right size drywall and had to make do with thicker pieces instead. We’ll have to sand and smooth everything out. Hopefully, no one but us will know.

The cost of supplies has also remained steadily high, even though we’ve found creative fixes for working in an older home.

It’s not all bad, though. I snagged a 1940s ceramic sink for $10 at a garage sale and a lovely front hutch from the side of the road. Just like the house, each item needs a little TLC to reach its full potential.

Family time is the best project of all

Despite the difficulties, I’d start it all over again. We have had a blast learning new skills and teaching our kids that anything worth having is worth the hard work. At 4 and 6, they are also expert helpers, grabbing tools, vacuuming, taking trash to the trailer, and any other task that may arise.

It may have started as a leak, but we’ve always wanted to make the house our own. We purchased when interest rates were low and prefer the financial security of updating a little at a time. Eventually, we’ll have a home that’s perfect for us — with our sweat equity to show for it.

It’s not an easy or glamorous process, but it will be worth it in the end. Together, we’re making a home we can be proud to call our own and making memories the kids will never forget.

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