We bought our first house in late 2023 and, since moving-in in January 2024, I’ve been chipping away at home improvement projects. Since I’m a software engineer and spend my day in front of a screen, I enjoy working with tools as a change of pace.
Now, some upcoming projects will clearly outstrip my capabilities and I plan to hire professionals:
– Replace roof and gutters
– Replace furnace and central air conditioning
Other projects are probably beyond my capabilities, and I will most likely hire professionals. But, I still spend a fair bit of time thinking about doing them myself:
– Get/build a shed
– Trim and/or take down tall oak trees (they’re quite tall and we’re in a residential neighborhood…if we lived out in the country, I’d totally try to do this myself!)
– Install a handrail with columns on basement stairway (to prevent falling-off the stairs into the basement)
Other things I plan to do myself:
– Install water-powered backup sump pump (in progress!)
– Clean gutters (which have really old and difficult-to-remove sheet metal “leaf guards” on them)
– Fix oddly-wired light switches in bedrooms
– Power-wash house, driveway, and sidewalk
– Re-caulk exterior of house (ugh, really not looking forward to this…lots of scraping old caulk required!)
– Install a new duct and register in main, finished basement room
– Install new PVC drain pipes for kitchen sink and garbage disposal
– Build my own garage workbench
I’ve got a bunch of hand and power tools already, but I’m running into a roadblock when it comes to obtaining and moving larger objects: I don’t have a truck!
This is currently preventing me from doing things like:
– Getting plywood and 2x4s for my workbench
– Getting an extension ladder for cleaning out my gutters, trimming tree branches, etc.
– Purchasing a used refrigerator for our garage
– Purchasing a used table saw for our garage
Instead, we’ve got a 2007 Honda Civic sedan and a 2019 Kia Sedona minivan. Neither of which have roof bars or a towing hookup.
I’m debating installing a roof rack on one or both cars. I’m also considering purchasing a towing hookup for the minivan and getting a trailer from Harbor Freight.
Otherwise, I’m on the lookout for a good deal on a used truck!
Given the truck roadblock, I’m also trying to figure out the best order to tackle these projects in.
I think it makes sense to start with getting a shed, since that would clear out more space in my garage for a work bench.
After that, though, I’m not sure. But “figure out a way to be able to transport large things” is definitely floating around at the top of the mental list.
Any thoughts on how best to tackle some of these home improvement projects? Am I making too big of a deal about not having a truck, and should I just suck it up and either rent one or buy one? Let me know!