The Durham, Maine House Overhaul

In 2023, our little family took on a not-so-little adventure: we bought our first fixer-upper.

Between a newborn, a brand-new business, and a house that needed plenty of love, life felt full—in the best (and busiest) way. We dove straight into the necessary repairs, then moved on to the cosmetic updates that would slowly turn this house into our home.

We’ve painted nearly every surface, laid new flooring, installed fresh interior trim and baseboards, and tackled a major exterior refresh—replacing siding, painting, and updating corner trim and fascia. The moment we swapped out both primary doors, something shifted. The house finally started to feel like ours.

We’re only about 30% of the way to our full vision, but every step has been worth it. I’ll keep sharing the journey as we go—more to come!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Front of a gray two-story house with a gable roof, three windows on the upper floor, a red front door, and a covered porch area with wooden support beams. There is outdoor furniture and gardening tools on the porch.
A house exterior under renovation with scaffolding, showing a second story with horizontal siding, windows, and construction materials, including a yellow box and green toolbox on the porch.
Back of a house with gray siding, under renovation, with three windows covered in protective plastic and blue painter's tape, and a scaffold on the left side. Two people are working near the door, one bending down and the other standing.
Back view of a house under renovation, with white siding, a covered porch, and construction materials and tools surrounding the yard.
Exterior of a two-story house with gray siding, a small porch with stairs, a door, and several windows. There are logs stacked near the door and a plant in a decorative pot on the porch.
Side view of a two-story house with white siding, scaffolding outside, covered windows, and construction materials and tools in the yard.
A two-story gray house with four windows on the upper floor, three windows on the lower floor, and a white front door with stairs and a small porch. The house has a chimney and is surrounded by a grassy yard, with a blue sky and some clouds overhead.
A white barn door with vertical panels, flanked by two narrow window panes, mounted on an aged, weathered wooden wall. Two black outdoor lanterns are attached on either side of the door, and partial black flashing tape is visible at the bottom.
Wooden front door with glass side panels under construction, with visible framing and interior wall damage, next to a staircase railing.
A man working on removing a window from the exterior of a house, which has peeling white paint and black water-resistant membrane at the bottom. Debris, insulation, and wood scraps are scattered on the ground outside.
View of a house door missing, revealing a lush green outdoor landscape with trees and grass. Inside, a staircase and framed pictures on the wall are visible, with construction debris near the threshold.
A partially constructed small building or shed with white framing and a window, set against a background of leafless trees and a blue sky.
View of a front door with sidelights and a small window above, under construction with exposed framing and a ladder outside visible through the sidelights. Wooden beams and stair railing are in the foreground.
View from the top of a staircase looking down at a white entry door with a window above, with two sidelights and green grass outside. The staircase has wooden railings.
Construction site featuring a front door with sidelight windows, partially wrapped in black tape, with a wooden frame below for porch construction, and siding being installed on the house exterior with exposed sheathing and insulation.
A white front door with a small window at the top and a black doorknob, surrounded by white framed side windows, with a wooden porch and steps leading up to it, under construction with insulation material on the sides.
A two-story house with gray weathered wood siding on the upper level and yellow siding on the lower level, featuring a white front door with sidelight windows. The house has a pitched gray shingle roof and a brick chimney. There are multiple windows,
A two-story white house undergoing exterior renovation. The windows are covered with plastic sheeting, and scaffolding is set up on the right side. A person is standing near the scaffolding on the ground, and various tools and supplies are scattered
Back of a white, two-story house with horizontal siding, three visible windows, and a front door. There's a small wooden staircase leading to the door, with construction materials and tools on the ground nearby.
Back of a white house with vinyl siding, three windows, a door with glass panel, and a small set of wooden stairs leading to the door. There is a brick chimney, a window air conditioning unit, and a partially green yard with dirt, grass, and some con
The back of a white house with multiple windows and a door, surrounded by a grassy yard and some plants, with a cloudy sky overhead.
The image shows a new wooden deck leading up to a house with white horizontal siding. The house has a bright blue door with glass sidelights and a transom window above. There are two black wall-mounted lantern-style lights on either side of the door,
A white house with four visible windows, three on the main floor and one in the attic, with a gabled roof. There is scaffolding on the right side of the house, and gardening tools and equipment, including a lawnmower, are in the yard in front. The sk
A white house with vinyl siding, multiple windows, a small air conditioning unit in one window, and a brick chimney on the roof, under a partly cloudy blue sky.
The back of a white house under construction with a blue door, multiple windows, and a small wooden porch with stairs. There are construction materials and tools on the ground nearby.
The back of a two-story white house with green grass in front, under a clear blue sky with a few clouds. The house has a blue front door with sidelights and a transom window, and four windows on the second and first floors. There is an air conditioni
A small bathroom with green walls and a tile floor, containing a toilet and a small sink with a red countertop, a mirror with a wooden frame, and a window on the right side.
A bathroom with a modern design featuring a white sink with black fixtures, wood and gray wall panels, a black round mirror, two white potted plants on a wooden shelf, a white toilet with a bottle of hand soap on top, a window with a mesh screen, and
View of a wooden ceiling with exposed beams above a window with beige curtains, showing a green outdoor scene.
Ceiling with wooden beams and white paneling, with some green painter's tape and unfinished edges.
Interior of a living space with visible wooden ceiling beams, a chandelier, framed photos on the wall, and a doorway with a window letting in natural light.
View of a living room seen through an open doorway. In the living room, there is a person watching a cartoon on a large TV. On the floor near the doorway, there are some black cords, a mop with a purple handle, and a box or toolbox. The room has two-
A room with a window looking outside at green trees and a playground with a bounce house. The wall around the window is unfinished, and there is a cardboard box of a dishwasher on the floor to the right.
Image of a house porch area under construction or renovation, with tools and materials scattered around including a green powered tool, a broom, a ladder, a large black trash bag, and a window frame leaning against the porch. The porch has a wooden f
View through a doorless opening in a room under renovation, leading to a backyard with a children's inflatable bounce house and green trees in the background. Construction tools and supplies are on the floor and outside on the porch.
Interior view of a room with a door leading outside, unfinished wall framing around the door, and a wooden ceiling with exposed beams. Outside view shows trees and a playset in a yard.
Interior of a room with white walls and a window showing a green landscape outside; wooden ceiling beams and cluttered items including boxes and a welcome sign.
Residential house door with glass panel, digital keypad, and doorbell, flanked by wicker chairs and wooden support on a white siding exterior.
Partially constructed wall tv frame with exposed wooden studs and a window, tools, and construction materials in a room.
The image shows a wooden tv frame structure, mounted on a green wall, with an electrical outlet and heater at the bottom.
Painted tv built it with a wooden mantle.
Television screen displaying a live American football game between the New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dolphins, with scores 17-21 in the fourth quarter, and a photo of a player from the Atlanta Falcons on the right side.
A television screen showing a split-screen of two NFL football games in a dark room with blue lighting.
A television with the words "Stranger Things" glowing in red, framed in black on a red led light lit background.
A living room with wooden beams ceiling, a wall mounted flat screen TV, a split heater on the floor, and a gray sofa with pillows. There are windows with white curtains, and a multicolored poster or picture frames on the wall.