Never Pay Full Price

Jeff + I are HUGE believers in never paying full price when it comes to home decor, clothing….pretty much anything.  If you have the patience, take the time to keep your beady little eyes out for what you need + aren’t completely set on having the exact look that you saw in the magazines, you can achieve what you desire for A LOT less.

 

 

As November rolls by, we’ve been steadily working on “Sally” our  patched up, crazy, lovable rental house.

Today, Jeff was en fuego!!!!  Earlier in the day, he put up a door for our tiny back patio area to give us more privacy + security.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Towards the back alley behind our house there is a horrible, heavy, wonky swinging gate to which we placed a deadbolt.  But the front part of the patio was always wide open to the world.

We found this door at Habitat for Humanity Restore for $30 y’all!!!  But as you can see, the original patio structure is crooked – causing the unsightly gap.  Can you see Jeff peeking out through the gap?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Problem solved!!!  Jeff took some wood that was lying around the property + framed in the existing structure to create a level door jam so that we can actually close the door.  Don’t ask me how he did it.  But he did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It ain’t pretty, but we don’t give a hoot!!!!  It’s a rental property, people.  As long as the indoors look like a Scandinavian/Japanese folk heaven, we could really care less what the outside looks like as long as it’s done on a budget + is functional.  That’s how we roll.

Jeff also created a water trough ($4.50 dismantled heating duct from Habitat) with an angled bracket (made from found wood) to divert the unrelenting amounts of Vancouver rainwater from damaging our awesome $30 patio door.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finito!!!!  Fin!!!!  Owarimasu!  Done!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$34.50 patio door people.  Ghetto as hell, but our house is a little ghetto + we ain’t trying to keep up with the Joneses!!!!!

Meanwhile, as Jeff was creating patio door nirvana, I was creating succulent terranium majesty with the plethora of cacti that Jeff lovingly gifted to me as a reminder of my Southern Californian roots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thassa lotta cacti, mis amores.  Terranium DIY is a post for another day…..

Later in the evening Jeff tackled this ugly, blah wall leading towards the back entrance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s Jeff prepping in our back laundry room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I saw him I started singing, “I hear the train a’ comin’.  It’s rollin’ round the bend.  And I ain’t seen the sunshine, since I don’t know when.  I’m stuck in Folsom Prison, and time keeps draggin’ on….”.  He looked like he was whittling in a prison cell!!!!  Bwa ha haaa!!!  Oh, I really do amuse myself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Always leveling, my Jeff.  I usually just eye-ball it.  It really works for me.  But usually not for anyone else that has to live with it.

Back entrance done!!!  $20 mirror from the Ikea “as is” section!  Coat hanger left from previous tenants!!!  Ikea shoe rack from thrift store for $3!!!!!  Shaka.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But, wait!  There’s more!!!  Laundry shelving!!!!

The wire shelving + metal brackets above the washer/dryer Jeff ingeniously salvaged from our old fridge that we had sitting in our front yard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The overhead drying rack is a towel bar from Habitat for $2 + the sea grass baskets were on sale at London Drugs (CVS or Savons for you Yankees) for $5!!!!!!

Boy oh boy, we’ve been havin’ a rip roarin’ time fixin’ our little house up on the cheap!!!  But there’s always room for improvement!!!  Stay tuned for more budget rental house DIY!!!!!