This is the day my wife has waited for. It might even be the reason that she agreed to do the bootcamp with me! Today you are going to do a house project.
Our plan is to take a few hours today to do some physical repairs to our house. Because we are overachievers, I am also sending her to her favorite store, Hobby Lobby *[not a sponsor… yet.] to pick up some artwork to fill and empty space on one of our walls. I know that we might be a little strange. We really enjoy working up a sweat and doing home projects ourselves.
Our previous house was a mess. When we purchased it, there was a hole in the floor where mice came in, fleas in the carpet, and giant wasp nests in the windows. It took five years, a lot of hard work, quite a few costly mistakes, and an incredible amount of determination, but we were able to make that house into a home, and eventually sell it for a profit.
This is not an endorsement for house-flipping, but rather a collection of observations from someone who has endured the long-term struggle of doing home renovations over a long period of time. Here is what we learned and why I included this assignment in the Bootcamp:
- You are more likely to want to host people in your home if you have worked to improve your home.
Just like a kid who brings home a piece of artwork to their parents, we like to show off our accomplishments. They provide a great ice-breaker to a conversation too!
- Space matters
We like to act like space doesn’t matter, but anyone who had to work from home during the pandemic knows it is not a good idea to wake up, roll over, pick up your computer, work from bed all day, roll over, and go back to sleep. Intentionally or Unintentionally, you will assign meaning to your location depending on the overall atmosphere and activity that usually accompanies your presence. This is true of your personal life, and especially true of your guests as they enter your house.
- “Living Room” and “Dining Room” are excellent names for those spaces
The two places where you will most likely entertain guests are around a table and in a room with seating. Most people call these their living room and dining room, though they may be combined with each other or adjoining rooms. The point is, optimizing these spaces for entertaining guests will help to mitigate the barrier that you may feel toward inviting someone into your house. Next on the list is the bathroom.
- Doing something yourself gives you ownership.
There are few things that make you feel a sense of ownership than doing a home project. For me, as a guy, that usually includes learning a new skill, tool, or system. Not only does it save a lot of money if you are able to fix a leaking seal on the underside of the sink, you also get more respect from the Home Depo *[Not a Sponsor… yet] worker if you don’t giggle when he says you need to replace your “P-trap.”
Don’t be afraid of this house project. Again, it can be as simple as rearranging the furniture that you already have in order to optimize conversations rather than TV viewing angles. If you do have the financial flexibility to invest in one of these spaces, take the challenge of doing it yourself seriously. Don’t bite off more than you can handle. Remember, the goal is to be able to finish what you start in one day.
You can do it!
Jason Hundley 