5 Things To Do When Moving into a *New* Older Home

5 Things To Do When Moving into a *New* Older Home!

Ahh…old homes.  Is there anything more beautiful than character filled pieces of history?  Don’t get me wrong, new homes are beautiful too, but I am just drawn to the uniqueness and craftsmanship of older buildings.  My husband and I have owned two different older homes (one built around 1900, and one built in the 50s).  When we bought our first house, I was like any other novice home owner, and thought about all the ways I could make it ours. PAINT! DECORATIONS! LIGHT FIXTURES! OH MY!  Luckily, my husband, the carpenter and Mr. Voice of Reason, insisted on doing a few other things that I never would have thought of. (I say this now, but at the time I was DEFINITELY not so appreciative or cooperative).  This time around, I am at least a little more realistic.  (I at least don’t fight him every step of the way).

That being said, when you buy an older home there are a few things that you should check out or do within your first year there. 

1. INSULATION IN THE ATTIC- This is one of the most important things!  If you’re in the business of throwing away money, let me know!  Oh wait, you want to save money?  Well this is the quickest way to do so.  Most older homes are poorly insulated in the attic.  If it is winter, there is an easy way to check.  Go into your attic, and just feel how warm or cold it is.  If it is noticeably warmer than it is outside, it means that TOO MUCH heat is escaping from your home, and you are wasting money!  Trust me, it cut our electricity bill by a 1/3 in our first house.

2. PURCHASE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS- A must have in any home, old or new!  In our house, we have them in all the essential places: kitchen, bathroom, utility room, and garage.  Be sure to get the right ones for each area though (the boxes will explain what they are used for).

   3. WEATHER STRIPPING- Perhaps the most boring of the fixes, but also one of the simplest.  They are easy ways to let in/out heat and cold air.  Just like with insulating, you are throwing away money and energy if they leak.

4. HOOK UP A LAND LINE, EVEN IF YOU DON’T GET IT CONNECTED- This one may appear pointless if you are not planning on paying to have a landline subscription, but just hear me out!  IN MANY STATES, LANDLINES ARE 911 CAPABLE, EVEN IF YOUR PHONE IS DISCONNECCTED!  In an emergency, you don’t want to be searching for a lost or dead cell phone.  Imagine this: you are at home with your sick toddler, and she starts seizing from a high temp.  You cannot find your cell phone, and so you have to go find a neighbor who is home (in the middle of the day I might add) just to call 911.  This is a true story from a family member!  Don’t be caught without the option if it is available!

5. START BUDGETING FOR UPCOMING FIXES- There will always be unexpected fixes in a home, that’s a given.  BUT you can start planning for things that you can anticipate.  Is your hot water heater more than 10 years old? Furnace? AC (if you are lucky enough to have it)?  How are your shingles looking?  Do your windows or doors need replacing? Does your electrical panel need updating (we already had to pay for this!)?  Make a plan.  You don’t have to be exact on your numbers, but just start saving SOMETHING.  Trust me, it will make footing the bill for expensive fixes a lot less painful!

Hope this helps you through that first year of old home ownership, and you save yourself some money in the process.  This is just a start, so don't limit yourself!  What key things have you done when moving into a new home?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

DIY Mason Jar Soap Dispenser

DIY Mason Jar Soap Dispenser

Ever since I have began putting some "lipstick" on our main bathroom (apparently I don't love mauve and sea shells as much as the previous owner), I have been eyeing these mason jar soap dispensers.  It fits right into the theme of the updated bathroom, and seems so super simple!  Soooo...... in the midst of tearing apart our kitchen and insulating our attic this weekend, I decided to take a break and make one!  It took maybe 10 minutes, and I had everything on hand!  

P.S. If you can handle a scissors, you can definitely handle this!

What do you need?

Mason Jar w/ ring and lid (any size would work, but the smaller ones, I think look better and don't take so much soap to fill)

Pump bottle of soap (I used Bath and Body Works foaming soap)

Screw Driver

Tin Snips or Good Scissors

Sharpie

Hot Glue Gun and Glue

The first thing you are going to want to do is poke a hole big enough to fit the straw from the dispenser in with the screw driver. It should be pretty easy to poke through the metal.

If you are using a regular dispenser, this should be big enough to fit the pump snugly on the lid.  If you are using a dispenser like the Bath and Body Works ones, they have a BIG bottom area underneath the part that shows, and so you will have to make the hole bigger.

If you need to make your whole bigger, insert your dispenser, and mark how big of a hole you need with the sharpie.  Then remove your pump.

Take your tins snips or scissors (I started with tin snips, but found scissors to be WAY easier) and cut an X in the metal lid however big you need your whole to be.  Fold all of the four edges back (trust me, it makes the whole bigger and easier to cut).  

Folding back up one section at a time, cut out your circle.  BE CAREFUL!  It is really sharp, and little pieces that you shave off can really hurt (not that I would know that from experience or anything).  Keep trimming your hole until it is the right size to fit just your bottom part of your pump.

The rest of it is super easy!  Just hot glue your pump onto the lid, and trim the straw from the pump to fit your jar.  Add your soap and you are done!

I love the little touches in places like the bathroom.  They are usually small with little space for decorations, so when I can combine function with vision, I ABSOLUTELY love it!  What is your favorite little touch you have in your house?  Let me know in the comments!