Of course it is! In this current pandemic world, it’s actually nice to have some projects to work on around the house. We aren’t checking out the local sights, or shopping or dining in the local establishments, so we need to keep busy somehow.

A few years ago, we purchased our future retirement home on a NC beach. We aren’t beachfront. We’ll let the 3 rows of houses between us and the water take the brunt of the storms – and there have been some doosies in the last few years – Florence, Dorian, Isaias… We had 3 feet of water under the house after Isaias blew through. Since the house is on piers, that’s not a big problem for us (we just can’t leave a car parked there during a storm). The house is currently an AirBnB and the summer is the high season here. That works great for us, as we’d rather be here now and in the spring and fall.

We’re taking this extended stay to get lots of little projects done. In the 3 weeks we’ve been here, we’ve –

• Replaced the HVAC system (it was working “ok”, but given the age we didn’t want to get the call on the hottest day of the year that the A/C is broken)
• Bought a new refigerator
• Replaced all tv’s with Roku tv’s (cable adds $120/month to the internet bill)
• Restocked with new bed linens, blankets and bath towels
• Replaced most light bulbs with LED bulbs
• Changed air filters
• Replaced all smoke detectors
• Replaced fire extinguishers
• Fixed torn window screens
• Fixed the porch screen door so that it swings and closes properly
• Bought a new outdoor couch for the screened porch

One tiny thing that we did is something we comment on almost daily. Our kitchen cabinets are the “sleak” design with no knobs. For some of the doors, it’s not clear what side opens. As those rubber bumpers age, they turn more to glue, and you can break a nail trying to open a cabinet – usually because you’re trying to open the wrong side. I went around the kitchen with a $3 pack of new bumpers and now the doors swing open with ease!

Anyone who knows us knows that we cook – and bake – a lot! This kitchen has counters of 6″ tiles. How are you supposed to roll out a pie crust on that? We’ve been using the glass-topped dining room table for those kind of things, but that’s not ideal. Before we came down, I found someone selling a nice marble pastry board and that’s been a great addition to the kitchen. Unfortunately, we can’t leave nice things out for the guests (someone will use it as a cutting board), so that will be packed away when we leave.

Our “To Do” list is pretty short now, which feels good. We leave a goody basket for guests, so I’ll make sure those supplies are stocked for the upcoming season. The vacuum cleaner is on it’s last legs, so that will probably get replaced.

We have big plans for when we move here full time. For now, the vacation rentals have been working well for us and we really enjoy spending time here whenever we are able to come down. It’s the best AirBnB that we’ve stayed in! Let us know if you need a beach vacation!