After moving here at the age of 13 with my parents and 2 siblings, I have never felt the need to leave, with the exception of holidays. I am now 32 years old, and have a family of my own. This blog is all about sharing the culture and everything fun happening in this wonderful town. That and a dash of a personal journey wish will detail a home transformation.

After becoming a home owner, I have not really made much of an effort to bring out the best in the space given to me. For the paint on doors being chipped, handles broken, and a unkempt garden. I want to change all that, but not lose the will to go out and immerse myself in the delights of Arlington, and meet new people.

That’s the trouble I’ve had in the past when meeting new people, if I ever had a side project that I was excited about, that would always be a priority, which is a shame, because there is so much more to life than that as I soon found out after visiting a number of bars and markets nearby. Needless to say, the building work still needs to be done if I really want to make a change in how i’m living. It’s more of a lifelong goal than anything else.

Lengthy hours of tidying up the dining room awaits

One of the most frustrating things with my lounge and dining area is the amount of clutter that’s always found there. Because it’s what I call the central point in the house where people are coming and going all the time, things just get left forgotten about and it piles up overtime. The first task in this home makeover is to ensure both the lounge and the eating areas are sufficiently clean and tidy, then perhaps it will be suitable to have guests round!

While on the subject of that room, it has a rather old and worn down fire place that doesn’t fit the look or style of the room. And it’s quite clear, as my wife would agree, that it’s bringing the beauty of the room down with it. So I will probably end up finding a decent insert, or possibly even a wood stove to bring a modern, yet homely feeling. Still undecided what to go for as of yet, but i’m sure there are plenty of reviews and guides out there to help me with that.

The trouble with the kitchen

The kitchen looks antique. It seriously looks about 200 years old, and not in a good way. Half the plumbing is broken, or faulty and that will be one of the focus points along with the kitchen faucets on the sink. Then looking at the other bits and pieces in there, we will need a new dishwasher, and more counter space, which could well include knocking down a wall on the right hand side of the room to add a few extra meters in walking space. I’ll take photos of this work both before and after, so you get an idea of what’s happening, and perhaps be inspired to change things up in your own household. We have an update on the current progress here.

Heating the house

One of the first things we noticed upon purchasing the home, was just how cold the rooms were. Drafts seem quite common as it’s quite old. Needless to say, there will be plenty of work being carried out in the coming weeks to find a good heating source. I have been conducting research into various options, such as wood stoves, or general fireplace inserts. Still undecided on what I will pick. Keep tabs on what we are doing about the heating situation here, this will get updated each time we fix or improve something.

Home gym installation

In addition to all of the above, i’m also looking to improve the equipment from my own home gym, and perhaps convert the garage into my own personal training space. In total, I have about seven different cardio machines to take out of its packaging and set up, which only adds to the workload.

Balancing going out with nights in working

With all the renovations under way, I have to find the right balance between spending time with my family and friends, and building our visions for the future. It’s not been easy, as I always had poor time management to begin with. But hopefully, if I can get into a rhythm, I can keep it going, and it will become second nature to me. I should never forget the important stuff, and I will treat the family for a night out once in a while, perhaps a nice steak restaurant, or even the cinema.

The more I think about specifics in each room, the more my mind wanders and daydreams. I have even drawn up a few plans for a games room to be built. Nothing fancy, a few TV’s, console, mini bar, pool table, and a en-suit bathroom with high end bathroom features like bidets and a dual flush toilet. Just a place to kick back whilst spending time at home more.

I have been looking at the guys advice over on the DIY Network for putting these ideas and plans into place. There is some great topics that will help me sort out some of the more difficult jobs that I haven’t yet undertaken.

Keep checking back for updates and pictures. They will be posted as soon as I have had time to take them all and upload them.