By: Darcie Thom, Citizen Staff

I wonder, is there a way to renovate with ease?! Someone, please tell me that there is! If there were commercials in life and all “bad experience” renovations could be scripted out, I could establish and complete my flip in an hour too!

I am an avid fan of the home flipping and home décor programs on T.V., always looking to find a new idea and technique for the décor of my family home and gardens (weeding out the gardens might be a good start, though!).

Renovating may or may not be expensive, depending on the work that needs to be done but it is really worth it in the end when the project is complete. Buying a new home is such a wonderful dream, but may not always be a reality in people’s lives so flipping, as an alternative, is a way for people to turn a house into their home at a more affordable rate. Sometimes, it can be a lot of fun….. sometimes!

Fortunately, we didn’t have to make a whole lot of major repairs but our home was in great need of a facelift. To be brought into this era, just to modernize if you will. We were instantly sold and knew this was the house for us and that it wouldn’t take much elbow grease to call it home. So we thought!

It took more time than anything, and time isn’t always something that is readily available and at hand.

To be honest, I’m not the best of painters, but I have learned to cover and repair a hole, dent or a break in a wall very well! Painting and renovating has become a real strain in my head these days, wanting more color, the house to resemble our family and a comfy place to call home.

There is also the realization that when you change one thing, you want to change another and so on and so on. It never really ends. A problem seems to occur and the project ends up costing more than originally planned. That’s the perfect moment to hear “and now, a word from our sponsors”! Commercial break. When we return, all is well and we are on to the next project!

I have been advised that I have more than 20 years to finish the work that has been started, but what is now a modern look will not be in twenty years. My philosophy is do it now and be done with it.

Once the kids are grown and moved out, we can go through that empty nest stage and start all over again if we want to. We can furnish the house with all the latest and most ‘hip’ home attire and design (isn’t that what parents do when the kids leave home?!).

Anyway you put it, if you are flipping a house, the word ‘flipping’ may be used in more ways than one! Enjoy!