What Would You Do To A New TV Home
 

We have the home and will be visiting off and on until the big move to The Villages in September 2015.

We've already done or in the process of some of the most common "improvements":
coated garage floor
installed attic stairs
lights in all ceiling fans
replaced "builder beige" carpet with hardwood
sealed lanai floor
golf cart

Will have TVs mounted, but that has to wait until after the move.

If you had 1-3 other "to-dos" before moving in what would you recommend?

Solar light tubes

custom closets

Buy furniture.

water system (Pegasus...Robert, 352-748-7873)
custom closets (hanging rack in laundry room)
pull the pine needles up and get rock (even if you don't do a full blown landscape now)

granite and stainless

We just purchased and will take our time thinking how to making it "ours". We won't be living there for 3 years and don't want to jump into anything at this moment.

What is a must is remove carpet in the living area and it's a shame because it's brand new. Possibly, enclose the lanai for more of an open feel. Do something with the cookie cutter landscaping may be a near future decision.

If your house is new. It is AMAZING how the landscaping grows into something beautiful and lush and dramatic in a couple of years. We are so pleased with what the builder gave us in this home AND at our first house in Hadley.


AND in answer to the question of "What would you do to a new Villages home?". I would put in it ONLY things I loved, we loved, and if I needed to buy a new thing, I would search until I found the most beautiful new thing we could afford. I would use ONLY my favorite colors and Sweeties, and I would try to make it the most beautiful and comfortable and welcoming place I had ever lived in. I would put in it personal things and pictures that always made me smile and blink back tears of good memories.


My advice. Take your time. Savor. Enjoy the process.

We have seen them and don't like them. Thanks anyway.

We have seen them and don't like them. Thanks anyway.

Done, thanks.

That's what we are thinking.

Don't do rocks. That is not landscaping, it is hardscaping. Ugliest thing I have ever seen. Cant imagine how hard it would be to get rid of them. Definitely no curb appeal. JMO

We bought an older home and wanted to put in some necessary items and then something to "dress it up" and make it different.
Necessary: custom closets, additional storage for the utility room, plantation shutters, AC for the enclosed lanai, pull down ladder for the garage, replace vinyl tile floors with wood and porcelain tile
For the icing on the cake: replaced 2 sets of sliding glass doors with French doors that have the mini blinds between the glass, replaced Formica counters in kitchen and bathrooms with granite, changed all light fixtures and redid the shower
You are wise to do it before you move in.

I would consider radiant heat barrier in the attic and on the garage door. Reduces the temps by about 30 degrees. The garage now matches the outside temp instead of acting like a blast furnace. Best thing we did in our CYV. Check the SECO web site for details and discounts.

Crown moulding always looks nice.

We will be tearing out the carpet and replacing with hardwood and tile. The hideous white appliances will be replaced with stainless steel and putting in granite counter tops in kitchen and baths. We are unsure about the landscaping as we want to wait and see what it looks like in a few years. We have no houses behind us so we will put a palm tree in the backyard. The epoxy garage floor, attic stairs and floor in attic are being done Monday.

All lighting fixtures will be changed, and were adding ceiling fans in every room. We also want to have skylights in the kitchen and master bath.

We are not bringing furniture other than one bedroom set so we can really make the house our own style, which is modern. The stuff we have now has been well used and were sick of it. I am so excited to spend up a bunch of money on furniture. A new house justifies new furniture!

The only furniture we are bringing is the dining room and kitchen, everything else is new, with a custom office in the third bedroom.

Nicely said and great words to live by. Thanks for an important post to remember, Gracie.

Plantation shutters

I kept a couple 5x7 pieces of the carpet and had them bound for area rugs

Wow, you have done many already. We would recommend gutters around the house and a slide away screen door on the front door. Best wishes.

Hello alanmcdonald,

We are coming up on our 1 year as full-time residents in TV. For various reasons we waited until the the past month or so to begin to make our house our home.

We choose to spend most of our first year making friends, getting involved in both familiar and new activities and "working on" our new and exciting lifestyle.

Much of what we origanilly thought we wanted to do to our home, both inside and out changed as we settled into our new lifestyle.

Waiting for at least a few months, (especially outside landscaping) helped us determine what we really felt comfortable with.

Our home could be what we want anywhere, but the lifestyle we want can only be here in TV.

Regards,
Don

Several more things:
1. I would do the things you are certain, you know what you want.
2. I would take my time to ponder some of the changes, as you might change your mind, if you jump into something. For instance, I had high definition laminate installed, instead of granite, (cost is 2K, vs 10K). I have heard of people who have done this sort of thing, and then decided they wanted something different.
3. Ask TOTV for contractor recommendations, as we know who does a great job that will be reasonably priced.

I found it to be so much better pacing oneself, than feeling, "I have to get this done, in a big hurry". You will get too tired, and not enjoy yourself as much as you should. Some things don't have to done immediately. It's like eating an elephant but "one bite, at a time".

I have been here for eight moinths, and still have projects, that need to get done. I'll admit, the list is getting smaller but things, do pop up, along the way.

Having fun!!! Isn't that the reason, you moved here!!!

Enjoy the process, you'll get there, and have some fun along the way. :smiley:

Yeah...they are something new for us. Always had different mulch's in SW Fl, or pine needles once even. Not sure I even like the slate/rock, but my husband wanted it. Its supposed to keep the bug (read: palmetto) population down, but I really haven't seen any since I moved here. And it sure does limit your options for change. OK...that was a bad suggestion... :(

I recommend a whole house surge suppressor as the very first thing you add to your home. After that, window treatments, then whatever options from the previous posts that you like.

Don.

You might look to see if you need additional gutters and downspouts.
:)

Oooops, this WAS mentioned earlier. My mistake.

I have a solar tube in my kitchen and in my guest bath. One of the best things I did !!
Sliding screen doors for the garage.

Where do you get rugs bound? Where is a good place for carpet..that you can get bound and delivered?

Solar shades on the lanai

I love our rocks. We chose the dark brown ones the same color as mulch. They don't need to be replaced like mulch does, they don't disintegrate and become soil for weeds to grow in, and we trained our dog to pee on them so he doesn't kill the grass. So far, in two summers, we haven't had a problem with them overheating and affecting the landscape shrubbery.

First Choice...And Second Isn't Close!
 

Number 1 and 2 isn't even close.

Have the whole house repainted with the colors and paint brand of your choice. The Color Wheel paint used by The Villages is crapola. Only a light cleaning with a wet rag wears the paint off. It may be that when they spray it on, it simply isn't thick enough to stand up to light cleaning. That and the off-white color they use on everything makes you feel like you're living in a refrigerator.

It's a whole lot easier and less expensive to have the whole house painted when it's empty than after you move everything in.

Get golf clubs and balls, sign up for lessons (golf and pickelball) get pickelball paddles, stock up on beer and wine, get a "free beer....tomorrow" sign, and schedule a meet the new neighbors event at your house.

:welcome:

there is no better advice then this.. DO NOTHING for another year or two.
No matter what you do, you will wish you hadn't.
NG