I agree with the other comment. From an outside perspective your house is ‘done’ and now you are making it match your personal aesthetic in a timeframe you chose to do it in, in a high end manner (no judgement i love high end :). I wonder if being in the middle of it, and choosing to try and remodel the entire house in one year as opposed to doing a few projects along the way has messed with perspective (I get it – the content for the blog is your business). But from an outside perspective you guys have managed to make your career remodeling your own home, or rather remodeling your own home has created a business. I find that amazing and was not surprised to learn you were an enneagram 3 :) Most of your choices were intentional and if you were saying that you were now regretting the remodeling time-line, that would make sense, but it sounds like you are saying you had no idea the house was going to need so much renovation, which other than discovering mold, it seems like it was all personal aesthetics and personal time-frame (unless I’m missing something). I love your blog because you have helped me to look around at what I CAN do when it feels like we will never make it to a home that has elements that would result (*feels like would result ;) in a higher quality of life. We have 2 bathrooms, one has so many issues it is not working and needs to be gutted and remodeled. We don’t have the money bc our son has been very sick for several years. But I honestly feel like because of you I turned a nasty outdoor tool workshop into a craft room for my daughters during covid. A room so gross and overwhelming that I hadn’t stepped foot in it for 10 years. It now looks more like a beach shack and the whole family sits out there (very weird I know but something magical happens when you spray paint an entire space white, pressure wash the concrete, add a vintage rattan sofa you find on the side of the road and paint it caribbean blue, and order a huge butcher block work table). Because of that space my daughter started making jewelry. That space represents hope- what I can do now with what I have and can afford. Now I am working on the laundry room in the same manner– but I really really wish I could remodel my bathroom with all high end everything and take a bath again. I guess my point is that you have a really large audience and we already know the narrative because you made the choice to share it along the way, but to later change the narrative by downplaying the personal choice left me feeling weird. I hope I am not sounding judgemental because I have no judgement for how a person chooses to spend their money – or even the money they don’t actually have, or their time or their time-frames. To each their own, my only confusion is the reframing of all that you have done this last year as something you didn’t know needed to happen or how expensive it would be or how exhausting it would be is confusing to me the way it was presented. So many of us (my story) buy a home and within the first 2 years learn it has so many problems you didn’t know existed and those problems don’t lead to getting to make a high end remodel, but draining all the funds you had hoped to use to make aesthetic changes to create spaces that feel good. Other than learning you had mold under the exterior I can’t think of anything else that you have done that you didn’t see and know you wanted to change when you bought the house. I am a therapist and every week I meet with someone who has lost a job or a loved one during this season. Very few people in the world have made it out unscathed. It feels like some perspective has been lost to share that you would not repurchase this house if you could go back in time, while at the same time posting the things you are choosing to purchase in real time that are extremely high end and expensive, and choosing to remodel working spaces that you could choose not to remodel at this time. I don’t think those of us who visit your blog care that you have made a duo career out of remodeling you home. I think it extremely impressive, genius, and probably required some lucky timing regarding social media. Thats typically how many impressive accomplishments occur (elbow grease and lucky timing). I hope that you can also see that you can put the breaks on things future forward that you now realize were too stressful, enjoy the peaceful amazing home you have been able to create through this business, and realize that most of us are watching you guys live a life that is unattainable to probably 95% of the population. Hopefully people that are watching are mostly inspired and in awe (like me) and those that are critical or judgemental remember they don’t have to look at your blog. In 3 years I have never left a comment before, although lately there have been a few comments like todays post that made me wonder if perspective was being lost. I am aware we all struggle with that – I gripe about all of us using one small bathroom, and there are so many people who think “I can’t image owning a home, having a family, getting to mostly stay at home, having an outside shed to ‘remodel’ ;). My kids hate that our house needs more updating (I do to) I try to remind myself and my kids we are rich beyond measure compared to so many, and not just in financial things. We have never been hungry and there was no food (ok, other than mamma hates going to the store so my kids might disagree :). But we want for nothing we need.
I hope this comment is taken with the intent in which it was written. If you regret buying a home that you knew you wanted to remodel every square inch I get it. That makes sense. If you regret trying to do it in a year, and still trying to do it as other things became apparent and now you regret it that makes sense. The only thing that didn’t make sense to me is what appeared to be confusion that this has happened, and now you guys regret buying the house at all because of what happened. Own your success, you guys are working hard, thank you for the inspiration.

Your feelings are totally valid, and no one should tell you otherwise, but I hope you also realize that so many of us (myself included) would kill to live in a beautiful house like yours, even through a renovation. Especially now when so many are unemployed and it looks like the economy is cratering. I’m sure you know this, but maybe it would would help when you get the blues to jot down some of the things you are grateful for. It might help put things into perspective during the seemingly endless season of renovations.