When you invest significant time or money into a project, you’ll go to surprising — sometimes gross — lengths to protect it. In this episode we share the full story, including why renovating a house that’s more than two hours away can get complicated. We also gathered practical advice for building a new home from scratch or managing a major renovation with professionals: how to find the right team, common pitfalls to avoid, and why managing expectations matters.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify — or listen to it below. Use this page to check any links, notes, or photos we mentioned. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may need to click through to the post to see the player.
What’s New
- Above you can see how deer shredded roughly two thirds of our gingko tree during a long weekend away. Below, they stripped new growth from our holly trees. Notice where the foliage changes from lighter to darker green? That’s the “deer line” — the height they can reach — and they ate all the bright new growth within reach.
- Yes, there are commercial options for animal urine available online if you’re exploring deterrents.
- As part of our personal experiment, I found a review question that made me laugh out loud in the product review section.
- Here’s the side staircase at the beach house that we’ve been attempting to stain over several weekends. There’s a matching set at the back door; this one gets better sun, which is why Burger prefers to park his buns there.
- This photo was taken after we cleaned and prepped the stairs for staining — we used an all-in-one wood cleaner after a light pass with our pressure washer.
- The first product we tried was Thompson’s Waterseal in Acorn Brown. The next morning it looked different than expected: the coverage was heavier than we wanted and the color didn’t match the cool brown the tester suggested. We’d chosen a semi-transparent stain to let the woodgrain show through, so it wasn’t a good fit.
- After another couple weekends, we switched to a clear sealer — Behr DeckPlus Transparent Waterproofing Wood Finish. It still needs another coat, but it enhances the wood’s natural tone without dramatically changing the color, giving a richer, more finished look.
Building a New Construction Home
- First, thank you to everyone who shared advice on building a new home — publicly and privately. We specifically mentioned Dusty from the blog All Things G&D and some of her posts about building her dream home, which are helpful to read if you’re considering a similar path.
- If you want more details about our experience working with a custom builder on a showhouse, you can tour the finished home or read about the design process in our showhouse posts.
- We also shared the story of finding a secondhand diamond-paned door for the duplex. The door came to us thanks to a friend passing through from Philly — a perfect example of how sourcing secondhand finds can work out in unexpected ways.
- If you have tips for anyone considering new construction, please share them on Facebook or Instagram — real-world advice from readers is always valuable.
We’re Digging
- Currently loving the $19 Goodfellow & Co Linden shorts from Target. They come in multiple fabrics and fits — note that many styles share the “Linden” name but differ in material and waistband. I ordered the 9″ inseam in Slate Blue and Williamsburg Navy. The Williamsburg Navy was actually a seersucker (non-stretch), so I returned it, but I kept the Slate Blue and bought a second pair.
- If you want to follow Sherry’s Instagram obsession, check out @CheapOldHouses for inspiration.
If you’re looking for something we’ve highlighted in a previous episode but don’t remember which show notes to click, we maintain a master list of everything we’ve been digging from past episodes.
Finally, thanks to You Need A Budget (YNAB) for sponsoring this episode. Sign up at YNAB.com/YHL to get your first three months free.
Thanks for listening!
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