Think Outside the House!

When my bff Jo bought her house, I told her to kiss her Saturdays goodbye. I was half joking, but when we bought our house, I had so many ideas, and I knew she was in the same boat. I couldn’t wait to get going on projects, and it seems like we haven’t stopped working since.

The outside of our house was the VERY first thing we redid. When we bought our house in 2009, it was a foreclosure. The lawn was dead, and a lot of the plants were fried. Curb appeal is so important, and our house needed some love. Screen Shot 2017-07-07 at 12.24.33 PM

By 2013, we had it looking in pretty good shape. We replaced the grass and laid new sod, and replaced a bunch of plants too. Check out the 2013 progress post here.

all-things-thrifty-house-front.jpg

And today in 2017, it looks something like this. We have loved adding flower beds, landscaping the entire backyard, replacing trees and plants, and so on. 

Think outside the house-4

But even though we have done a lot to our house in the past eight years, our projects aren’t done yet! We are so excited to be painting our garage doors because it’s been on my house to-do list for the past eight years. I cannot believe we haven’t done it yet to be honest. 

I’m partnering with BEHR for this project, and I’ve chosen the color Havana Coffee, and I cannot WAIT!

To win a $100 gift card to Home Depot, comment below to enter.

Tell me what project you would use the gift card for! 

 

Update: The winner has been notified. Amy F. who commented on July 10 at 6:52am is our winner. Congratulations! 

Published on July 7, 2017

117 thoughts on “Think Outside the House!”

  1. We bought our house 3-1/2 years ago and have not stopped either! I currently do not have basement stairs as my husband is re-doing those. We have so many projects on our to-do list that we are starting to get to know the Home Depot staff by name! We are also working on landscaping the backyard, so I would say I would use the gift card for edging, landscaping fabric, mulch and plants.

  2. With $100 Home Depot gift card, I would begin the process of redoing my kitchen. With this, I’d probably purchase paint for either the walls or cabinets.

  3. I would use the gift card to go toward the deck we are currently building on our house.
    Your landscaping looks great! This is my personal opinion, but when I look at your house, all I see is brown. Have you thought about painting the trim work a light cream or white including the garage doors, that box above the garage with the window inside, the trim on the roofline, and the front door enclosure? I just think that that would give your house interest, but again, just my opinion. I’m just used to seeing all the trimwork a lighter color here in the southeast:).

  4. I love your style. We are involved in a lot of projects. I am using a bedroom you did for inspiration in a kids guest room. We sure could use a $100. Gift card from Home Depot. Our favorite paint is Behr.

  5. I have always LOVED seeing how you transform and change things up with your home. I am excited to see your garage door makeover. You picked a perfect color.
    My latest project is finishing a room in our basement to transform into a homeschooling classroom for one of our sons who needs extra help. This is a year of many first for our family. Thank you for this giveaway, and also for all your incredible ideas and taking time to let us be a part of your life in the blogging world. It is no easy task. Best of Luck!

  6. I would use it to buy plants to plant in the mulch beds I’ve been working on. Thanks for the giveaway!

  7. You did a great job with your house! I would use the card to update our backyard – it is a sorry sight and needs landscaping and a general facelift!

  8. I would use $100 Home Depot card for a new kitchen sink for my daughter’s Katrina ravaged house. Thank you!!

  9. Your landscaping is beautiful! I would use the card to purchase a few unfinished cabinets for a craft/storage table we are wanting to build.

  10. I would use the GC to replace a tree that died this year in the drought. Though repainting the garage door sounds good too!

  11. Looks amazing! I would use the gift card to re do my sons room who is coming 10-7-17! Keep up the great work ?

  12. Oh boy! We are wanting to do so many projects! We’ve lived in our house for almost 4 years, and I’m just now planning out how to make it OUR house. I would love to use it towards paint or a new light fixture in our entryway!

  13. I would use the gift card to help remodel my laundry room and bathroom. We want to take a wall down in between the two rooms to make the laundry room bigger and the bathroom smaller.

  14. We have so many things to work on!! Everything needs to be painted! I would love new doorknobs, revamp the downstairs bathroom, fix up the yard! The list is long!!

  15. I would use a gift card on my bathroom renovations! Mine have the same tile and countertops from the 70s! They could definitely use some love.

  16. I would use it to get my laundry room project up & running! I have some fun ideas and can’t wait to get started!

  17. We moved into our 1980 house a year ago. It needs some updating, namely the bathrooms. That’s what I would use the gift card for.

  18. I have so many projects I would love to do since I recently purchased my first home!! I’ve been saving pins and pics from you for some inspiration-I love your style! My first project is to put cabinets and a tension rod above my washer and dryer.

  19. I would love to use the Home Depot card to build a cornhole set to surprise my husband for his birthday. He has wanted one since we moved into our house a few years ago.? PS- I LOVE your before and after pics- beautiful!

  20. I have so many projects for my house…I want to repaint my kitchen and I want to make a garbage can holder.

  21. I would use it for a new sink in my bonus room bathroom!
    Can’t wait to see your garage doors!

  22. We are working on our backyard right now and would use it for that. We are having our block walls put up now and need gates.

  23. Lots of projects going on inside our house! Too hot to do anything outside now. I’d definitely use a HD gift card to redo my daughter’s closet!

  24. We just purchased a short sale home and have lots of projects. We got new carpet from Home Depot (the best value for the quality!!) for some rooms and I would LOVE to do the rest. And $100 gift card would be a great start!

  25. We’re mid bathroom update and it would be sweet to take that chick away from the vanity we’re gonna get!

  26. We just built a house so I don’t even know if I could pin point one exact project. We need a yard, we need to finish the basement, and that is just the beginning ?!

  27. Paint!! Paint!! And more paint!! I have a few places in my home that need some love. Your house looks great Brooke! Can’t wait to see the after. Happy painting ?

  28. We are buying a home soon and I would use it for supplies and other things for the projects I want to do!!

  29. So many things. We are tearing apart our rec room next, so we’ll be buying a bunch of drywall to replace the existing 1960’s paneling, updating the electrical to include much better lighting and more outlets in logical places, moving a closet out of the room to make it larger, and removing the two non-functional fireplaces and chimneys from the house which will require some framing, sheathing, and siding on the outside of the house. The roof is also getting replaced (sheeting and shingles) anyway, so removing the chimneys fits nicely in with that process.

  30. So excited to see your project done! I’m building a house right now and have so many projects I could use the $100 for ?

  31. I will use the Home Depot card towards finishing the back yard or one of the other projects on the neverending list. Thanks for the chance to win.

  32. I would use the gift card for my DIY baseboards and painting as we try to update our 90s home. I can’t wait to see your finished project

  33. Can’t wait to see what color you paint those garage doors. Whatever you do always looks fantastic! I would use the $100 to add an extension onto my current irrigation system in my front yard. I have one lonely tree and desperately need some ground cover and various plants to spruce up my Vegas desert landscaping.

  34. I would be using the gift card to add batten and board, crown molding, and repaintmm my entryway.

  35. I would use the gift card for paint if I were to win. The interior needs to be repainted and there is no question as to what paint I would use. I love Behr.

  36. Your hpuse looks gorgeous! If i won the $100 i would use it to tackle my master bedroom closet. It’s currently a catch all and my husband is taking up most of the hanging space with his work clothes.

  37. Your landscaping looks beautiful owning a home is always a project ? Would love to do some landscaping of my own with a gift card to Home Depot

  38. We are currently house hunting in a new area and after a few months renting (after being home owners it’s super hard!) we can’t wait to get projects going left and right again!

  39. We are redoing our kitchen! The $100 would be very handy for paint and hardware! New cabinet doors, quartz countertop from HD, and paint all around.
    Can’t wait to see the garage doors! Very inspiring!

  40. We would finish up a family room project, we just did a wall treatment and are painting the room. We are thrifty….so the project only gets worked on when we have cash to pay for supplies.

  41. I bought my house 2 years ago with big plans And a long to do list, none of which included $6k in termite damage and remediation and a broken hot water heater but that is homeownership. I would use the gc to do some of those updates I’ve really wanted but were pushed aside for more important things.

  42. We bought a home built in the 70’s….along with its original orangey wood doors, trim and ugly door knobs!! That gift card would go towards white trim/door paint and spray pant for the knobs! So much work has been done but still so much to do!!

  43. Our laundry room desperately needs some paint and organization. I’d love to use a gift card to Home Depot to get it done.

  44. Your house looks beautiful! I’m new to your site and I enjoy your posts. I would like to enter to win $100 gift card from Home Depot. I would use it for things around our house too.
    We just bought a house, our very first house October of last year. We wouldn’t have been able to do it due to the down payment, unless it was for the benefits of our VA loan and no down payment required. So, we are super grateful! My husband is the only income earner,at this time,because I have a chronic illness. With that being said, I have tons of ideas too… But not much in the way of extra money to go forward with some of them, that aren’t using repurposed stuff. Some of the things I would want to buy her some paint to paint some of the rooms downstairs and the supplies that are used to paint. That would be awesome and make me feel like we have done something before the end of the year. I really like the attitude and the tone of which your blog is written, you just seem really approachable and the blog is easy to read and keep me interested going from one post to the next. Good luck with your garage update, I get a chance to do our garage doorsI’m going to repaint them white and put metal strappings on the side and then do black openings for the top to make it look like their Windows. I’ve seen it online and it looks really cool and would give it some character. Our garage is detached… Well you know if you’re interesting like me there are so many ideas that couldn’t fit in five composition books lol Anyway I look forward to the garage update and your future postings! Oh yeah I saved your best white bread recipe ever, recipe and I’m going to serve it with some lasagna in a couple weeks when my friends from Georgia come to visit. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

    Sincerely,
    Katherine P.

  45. Your house is looking great! I would use the gift card to either finish up some landscaping projects or add it to a bathroom renovation that is next on the list.

  46. We are impatiently awaiting the closing date on our first family home. I would use the gift card to spruce up the neglected yard that the kids and I plan to spend every free moment in. 🙂

  47. when I see your blog I got the inspiration from you and a thought come in my mind that slowly and steady wins the race and that you have proved in it. Keep it up your good work.

  48. I would use the gift card to buy the feet for a table(s) I’m making out of tree stumps and the rope and other parts I need to make two floating side tables for my bedroom! Fingers crossed!

  49. I am trying to remodel our downstairs guest bathroom. It needs new paint, toilet and updated vanity!

  50. We bought our house 2.5 years ago, it was also a foreclosure. This past week (with my mom’s help) we start adding pavers to extend our rear porch and living area. The gift card would be great for more pavers, they add up quick!

  51. There are so many projects and not enough money or time. One the list are staining the deck, mulching and putting border in for the flower beds, getting new hardware that actually stays closed for the gate, paint the kitchen cabinets, put in a backsplash in the kitchen. Those are projects just off the top of my head. The list keeps growing and growing.

  52. I would like to repaint my back door and change the color and also paint an older stone wall in the backyard!

  53. I need to repaint the outdoor window shutters: they are pealing and faded.
    jslbrown2009 at aol dot com

  54. Oh wow! That transformation is beautiful. After living here for two years, we finally repainted the ugly yellow on our house to a classic grey color. Next up, updated landscaping and pavers on the walkway.

  55. I need to update my bathroom vanity, build an office, do something about the entry, dress up there bedrooms… The list goes on and on. Your doors look fabulous.

  56. I would paint my garage doors as well. The house is light gray, white trim and doors, it needs some contrast!

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