By Amy Anderson | Updated Mar 1, 2023 9:01 AM
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If your home improvement project list is overwhelming, you’re not alone. Here at Bob Vila, we editors are right there with you. In fact, imagine spending all day reading about the creative DIY possibilities for every aspect of your home and garden. All that inspiration has to go somewhere. This year, we’ve narrowed down our lists a little so we can focus on our priorities. To help you with ideas–or just commiseration–we’re sharing our potential project lists with you before we get going. Tune in later this year to see our progress!
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High on my list this year is getting the oft-hidden spaces in my home (particularly the basement and garage) cleaned out and organized—both have way too much stuff in not enough space. I also have aspirations for carving out an emergency zone in the basement, in case my family has to hang out down there during tornado warnings or other emergencies.
What I’m most excited about doing this year, however, is getting the kids’ old wooden swing set out of the yard, and figure out how to use the considerable yard space that it’s taking up: Lay down some pea gravel and install some corrugated metal garden beds? Splurge on a Polywood Adirondack set and a fire pit? We shall see! Here’s the full list:
—Daryna Tobey, Deputy Editor, Service & News
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In addition to my usual list of New Year’s resolutions (e.g., eat better, exercise more, declutter), I decided to get serious about my home improvement to-dos in 2023 and created a “House Projects by Month” list on my phone. The hope is to complete several straggler projects throughout the year at a pace that feels doable, so I can list my house for sale in 2024. After completing a DIY kitchen makeover a couple of years ago, here’s what’s left to get my home market-ready:
If I can stick to this schedule, there will be only minor touch-ups to do before listing the house—and those are a lot easier to squeeze in during the summer when I’d rather be spending my time in the garden.
— Jenny Stanley, Executive Editor, Service & News
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Over the course of 17 years, my 1970s ranch style home has been kind of needy. It has needed a new roof, HVAC system, and hot water heater (twice). The basement used to get wet after every rain, so I installed a sump pump system. I upgraded the old single pane windows to make the place more comfortable year round, and upgraded the outdated flooring to improve the appearance. Maintenance is never ending.
Last year, instead of answering to my home’s needy nature, I decided to splurge on a project for my own enjoyment. I built a covered deck, enclosed it with a knee wall to keep the dogs in and screen to keep the mosquitoes out. The new deck is great. It looks out over my backyard and garden, and into the natural area beyond. I can catch the sunrise with a cup of coffee and listen to the birds sing, watch the flowers bloom, and on a good day, feel a nice breeze. Now I need to finish the job.
This year I’ll complete phase two—upgrading the interior space. Last year I only finished the exterior, leaving the knee wall framing and ceiling joists exposed. Also, I couldn’t find satisfactory screen doors that have built-in pet doors. So this year my to-do list looks like this:
— Mark Wolfe, Staff Writer, Commerce
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Since my partner and I moved into our apartment in 2020 after COVID-19, we have been dying to get a bathtub in the unit. In every house we have owned together (and separately) we have had a bathtub, and we got used to the private, calming oasis over the years. So, in 2023, we are finally going to pull the trigger on remodeling the shower in our apartment’s bathroom.
Since our current standing shower has a glass wall, glass door, marble tile flooring, and a marble frame on the floor, the job is bound to be tricky. We want to keep the existing showerhead and marble wall tiles if we can but remove the marble flooring to put in a tub. But, we are excited about the process that is unfolding:
— Ally Mantella, Commerce Content Update Editor
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We moved into our house last May and finally got some outdoor backyard space, but my focus was much more on getting the indoors livable. We have a set of chairs outside, but I’d really like to make it a little more inviting, especially since we back up to a little wooded area and it’s so nice to sit outside and take in nature.
— Sabrina Serani, Associate Editor, Performance
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I love my house; it’s quirky and the only one like it in our neighborhood. When I moved in, my main focus was furnishing and decorating, and since I’ve lived in the home, my attention has been on day-to-day maintenance. This year, I’m looking forward to adding more of my own style and preferences to the place, mostly outside. Here are a few projects I have in mind:
— Amy Anderson, Features Editor, Service & News
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