10 HOME RENOVATION TIPS for DIYers & Beginners *What I Wish I Knew Before* | XO, MaCenna 

You’ve gotta save all those floor plans and frame them somewhere in the house!

The thing I've learned as a home owner is that, whatever you think it will cost, it's going to cost double. So, aim for something that only costs half of your maximum budget.

Your content is so fun and valuable but I gotta say- your channel is straight up eye candy. The lighting, the music, the fonts, the color palette, the backgrounds- all your effort and the beauty of these details make an exceptional product. An XOMac video is a beautiful place to be.

Back in the 1960s when my folks were building their house my brother and me helped our folks do tons of work on the inside such as sanding trim and molding and baseboards and doors and wood floors. We stained the floors and paneling and did the varnish on all things wooden. Working together as a family saved money but what it meant to us as a family was far more valuable. I'm sure that you all have discovered this truth in doing your renovations. The results will stand the test of time and become bonus prizes one day should you still have the house and your family no longer be around. Memories are golden. I wish you and your family the best of times with good health and safety and happiness. ...I richly enjoy your channel. Thank you.

You are so good at this, and by “this” I mean, the renovation, your skills at presenting, your editing skills, all of it. I can totally see you with your own tv show and I will be there for it. Love your channel and all you do. Thank you for entertaining me, I’m loving it and can’t wait to see what unfolds next. Love from the UK. xx

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate Macenna's passion and work ethic?! GURL you are so spontaneous, creative, hardworking giving us all the content on your main channel and vlog channel while in the process of renovating your house?! Props to you and so excited for the upcoming intermission of thrift flips and room decor :]

MaCenna, you are one of my favorite humans ever! It so funny you mentioned about how you have had your moments of stress and tears because I was literally just thinking about your videos like yesterday and how stressful it must be but you never let it show! You are always so positive and Inspiring! I watch every single one of you videos! Thanks for all you do! ❤️

This is one of the best series on RU-vid. Thank you so much for talking us with you!

You can also sell or let others salvage stuff that you don't want. It stops it going to landfill and reduces your waste disposal costs. I managed to sell a 20 year old basic builder grade kitchen, plus saved the cost of a skip to dump it in. We also were happy for "skip divers" to help themselves to old radiators and windows. It freed up more space for us

I've been watching you for while (years) and I love your vision. Had I found it 30 years ago you and I would be besties. I'm now 62 and try to incorporate your ideas. We are in no whey moving to a new cottage but your inspiration encourages me to rethink. I love your vision Girl go with it...I'm along for the ride.

🚨As someone who lives In an old house, make sure you check the main house for any and all holes that could allow insects, snakes, or mice in!! It’s rat snake season, and they’re making their ways indoors!! (We had three that made their way into the house, and our house is about the same age as yours!😭)

This is THE most valuable series on RU-vid right now! I've always dreamed of renovating an old house, and this is such a great way to kinda experience the process of it before I even buy a house.

When my husband and I were renovating our home, we (he) decided to do the wooden floors ourselves - sanding, staining, finishing. Oh my gosh, it was such a disaster. We wasted so much time, money, energy and went through hours and hours bent over on our hands and knees doing back breaking work and in the end, we gave up :( We got floating floorboards put over the top as we had really messed up our floors. It was a big lesson for us and we wish we had researched much better and had just hired a pro from the beginning and then tackled an easier project for ourselves. T'was the great floor debacle of 2019!

You literally described Hygge when describing your design style

What a fantastic video. I am truly enjoying this series! I don't know what's more awesome: the progress being made on the house, or the personal transformation it is bringing out in you. It is so apparent how much this project means to you, and how much it is helping you in experience and confidence. Watching you demo a whole kitchen or reframe it WITH YOUR BARE HANDS, i couldn't help but think, "Wow, she's come so far from just hot gluing rattan on a flower pot." You should be SO PROUD of yourself. 🖤

You have accomplished so much MaCenna! You are truly an INSPIRATION!

You are a true inspiration to us all😃. I am just so impressed by everything that you have been able to do your self. I love watching these videos plus the thrift shopping 😄😄😄. Have a wonderful week. Xoxo 💞💖💞

Another thing to check before buying a piece of property is " is it in a flood zone, etc. "👍🤔

I had been dreaming about renovating my kitchen for years. Then we finally were able to do it and I started freaking out inside because I was thinking what do I want! I went back and forth with dark and moody or white and airy. Pinterest was my friend to figure out what I chose. I went with dark and moody and I love it!

I live for sundays thanks to you 🥲

Man...could you imagine having family to come help like that?!?! Thats crazy. I think it's wonderful they have so much support. I can't get anyone to even piss on me to put out the flames. Haha.

Love watching your journey!! We are renovating our second old home. It's such a process, there are moments of extreme reward, overwhelm, and "What have I gotten myself into?!". It's so worth it though. We are also documenting our journey which has brought on a whole new level of motivation. If you're thinking of renovating an old home keep in mind that nothing is ever square or level and all renovations will take twice as long and cost double but don't let it stop you. The reward is exhilarating and you'll be reeling for the next project!

I just found you, this evening, because I was looking for a way to boho my plant stand. And wow, did I fall in love! You are just amazing. And your mum is a wonderful artist. I am an artist myself, and she is so good! We bought a house with my parents just months before Covid hit. Man, did prices go up, and every plan we had had to be thought trough again and again. We are still living in a renovating project. So let me just say this about tears, frustration and seemingly inventing the wheel again - make a small space with soft cushions and candles where you can take some time out. And realize you got the attention, emotional recognition and downright admiration from someone near twice your age, and from another continent. You are my new hero, seriously. Take care, keep enjoying creating stuff, and just be you.

We're currently renovating our old farmhouse kitchen! I 100% agree a baby crowbar is essential!

I haven’t heard you talk about the HVAC system. Will you be running new ductwork or installing a ductless system?

I always love to watch your videos, not only because it’s informative and how passionate you are of what you do but because of your personality, giving me so much positive vibes! Whenever my husband see your video, he’ll say “your friend” and I’ll say “yes, my happy person🥰”. So, thank you ❤️

I only found your channel about 3 months ago and trust me when I say I have binge watched every single episode 😂

I couldn’t imagine just renovating OR just filming and editing each week. I cannot believe you do both, perfectly!!

we are in escrow right now (fingers crossed) and if everything goes smoothly we will have a place that I will fix up. it’s all original 80s lol. Your making so much progress!! I get excited when you update us on the cottage

You’re such an inspiration .. I love your humor and you’re attitude towards life ! You are so up lifting... God Bless you on your journey with your home! I can’t wait to see it all done ❤️

This was PERFECT! I bought 1918 house 5 years ago. I'm not a DIY'er; but, I'm learning, little by little, as I didn't know that I bought a fixer upper! I ended up being lied to EVERY step of the buying process, so the first project I tackled (the bathroom) turned into a complete fiasco, going through 3 contractors, 4 plumbers, 3x overbudget, and 6 months to get a working bathroom! That was just the beginning! I've gotten so discouraged so many times. Every time I think I'll tackle something, I quickly get reminded that I cannot do that, as nearly everything is dependent upon the foundation getting fixed. Previous owners took down interior walls, which ended up compromising the structure. I may put them back. I am "jealous" of your firm floors, and wish I could find a foundation contractor that could do for me, as you've had done to your home, that wouldn't cost me a year's salary! I found myself going through the processes, as you've described. Too bad I didn't have your videos to lean on 5 years ago! Keep up the good work, MaCenna!

I just love Sundays... the excitement and positivity is contagious. May God continue to bless you and your family...can't wait for the finished product ♥️

As a designer (landscape architect) who works on occasion with architects and interior designers, I really love love your channel. You definitely have all of the design thinking right and it brings me joy to see your cad floorplans - I often watch while also working on cad! Seriously, these are fantastic tips and a great approach to all of this. Great job!

$15-$16 per piece of lumber is a steal! Up here in Canada, the price for that size wood has gone up to $50-$60 per piece!!! I truly love this series and seeing a strong, confident young woman doing all of this demo and renovation!! We need more of you in the world!

You put an incredible amount of work into each video. You're basically producing a mini movie Every week! Every detail you talk about you take the time to add a visual cue to. Thank you for putting so much care into your content, it shines through and inspires!

I have been saving ideas on Pinterest for my future home and these are some that I really love. If you are painting your doors and/or baseboards; spray them; don't brush them. You get a smoother finish and when it comes time to clean your baseboards; it will be infinitely easier. Create a wood or metal shallow cabinet next to your toilet between the studs to hold your toilet brush and plunger. Eliminate something unsightly. If you need one an outlet in the middle of the family room for lights on an end table and don't want cords running across the floor; ask your electrician how to add those before finishing your flooring. Also consider where you can use outlets with USB ports (kitchen, family room, bedroom nightstands, etc.) Figure out where your wall mounted tv's will go and ask your electrician how they can hide the wires in the wall. Is your coffee bar going to have a tiny sink/faucet? If not; you might consider one so you aren't constantly having to go to the kitchen sink to get water or clean up. When planning your cabinets, consider pieces that offer space for broom and mop. And if you can't reach the top of your upper cabinets, they have folding steps that are integrated into your base cabinets that blend seamlessly. Lastly; any cabinet that has a deep shelf; make it a pullout. Things get lost or forgotten in the back. Future video suggestion: How to research and interview prospective contractors, plumbers, etc. Getting the "wrong" one can lead to costly mistakes. Love all you do; sorry this is so long; I share your love of DIY and having specific wants!

I'm currently working floor plans for our home remodel. I did start going to school for architecture but didn't go far enough (lack of money hindered my continuation), but creating my own floor plan has been interesting. I love seeing your videos to keep reminding me of different things I need to look at or change to be better. It's amazing watch you in more "real time" get all the things done! Thanks for being sincere and transparent about the process!

These are all great tips for home renovation. But you forgot what should have been your #1 tip .... have great parents like yours who are so helpful and supportive. Keep up the great work. Love your channel and your effervescence.

I'm actually about to start building my weekend house (hope to live there one day or transform it into a boutique hotel) and want to get lots of things second hand and I can't wait! Your videos are giving me great ideas on what to do even if I don't live in the US ❤❤

We bought our first home a 100 plus year old town house in France. We love it and are not practiced renovators or diyers but one thing we have learned through all this is an organized tool/supplies kit can save you money! Also having large durable trashcans to take things to the dump is simply wonderful. Might be good to mention that if you live in a home the renovations never end lol 😬 Happy renovating!

I've been loving this series. I appreciate you taking us along on the ride.

Great advice. A plan and timeline are critical. Agree with you about trying to do what you want to DIY and being realistic on what you don’t want to do.

I didn’t think I would like these reno videos, but I am in LOVE!! To go and look for the earliest photo of this home, keeping some details (doors, handles, locks), tear down, sketching everything, AND thrifting at the same time! ❤️🇨🇦😘 We’re currently doing renos on our house - windows, new stucco, patio door, deck, siding - and I’m wanting to change the colors on the walls, décor, and to be intentionally a minimalist. But I have no clue lol

Such a great resource for getting started on a project like this. Thanks for presenting this info in a way that is not overwhelming, but actually useful and informative.

We call crowbars "woundabar" 'cause it can wound whatever it comes in contact with ;)

Hello from France ! I love your channels so much ! It's so inspiring... and so fun. I love your creativity and your energy ! I learn a lot with you and it's always a great moment. Thank you so much. I can't wait to see the next chapter of this beautiful adventure!

I have never been this excited for someone , i love you girl have a great journey with this house

love that you can document this for yourself

Don't forget to design in your floor plans, the place you are going to have your central heat and air conditioning placed, and also how many vents you are going to need, and where the duct work will need to be run, in the attic of your house. It's looking great, and I like the layout for the rooms, and the pictures you have saved on Pinterest for the look you are going for. Thank you and your family for letting us in on your journey, to restoring you new home.

My fav RU-vidr 😍😍 never thought I’d consider doing demo on my future home, but now I will!! Can’t wait to see more!

This series has been so inspiring to me. We're going to start renovating our house in the next couple of months and I'm so many taking mental notes from you and your journey 🤓

I have so much respect and admiration for your ability to take a task and put all your energy and efforts into perfecting it! Your content on this has been amazing and you’re such an inspiration taking on all this work with such confidence!

This was so informative!! You are amazing.

You are such an inspiration for me! It's really putting a fire under my butt to get renovations in my house done, and doing more myself vs hiring someone!

This is exactly what we need to know now that we are almost in our first home. Thank you so much

No words! I literally don't have words how amazing you are! I learn so much from you, beacuse I am renovating my 110 yrs old house too in Ontario, Canada. Love the quality of your videos!

Quelle femme incroyable !!! Quelle belle énergie et quel courage !!! Bravo, 😍😍

Love love love the series! It is original, you are so nice and so passionate! Really love the energy. We (me and my husband) bought an apartment two years ago and little by little (renos) is becoming our house... so you are so inspiring even if your house is 110 years old an my home only 40! XOXO from Italy!

I'm currently started to remodel my kitchen by painting the cabinets and let me tell you it a lot of work, I started this project the 5/15 and I finally finishing it up this week, it looks amazing. My next project is epoxy my countertop,

Macenna! If I would of known you weren't aware of prices I would of told you 😂😂😂 we just finished up our custom home build and INSTEAD of 6 mths it took 9!! With this being our 2nd custom home build I have learned so much and absolutely LOVED (not the waiting part 😂) the process and creating our own home plans!! Being on the property EVERY SINGLE DAY sometimes several times a day to make sure things are being done right, or to answer questions or be there when a problem arises catching a mishap early saves money AND time! we video taped our ENTIRE house build the inside most importantly because that way you know where wires are, beams, etc, because our county only allows a certain amount of windows (you can have as many as you want but the price doubled) we had our builder frame out our extra windows and then sheetrocked over them and put up the exterior Hardy siding, (we kept all the left over GOOD scraps left behind just for this project) we took pictures and all measurements that way after we got our CO and closed we now can go in and cut it out and install our extra windows! ( which i've already ordered (12 weeks 😳) I'm loving seeing the process it's so EXCITING! (just not when it comes to buying the pretty things a lot of places are out of stock 🤦‍♀️)

You are so inspiring! The “fun” has been shining through!! Thank you for being so honest through the process 😊

I beginning to see how beautiful it will be!! You are really making progress!!

Need this. Thank you!

I'm so excited for the outcome of your plans...but I'm most excited of kitchen and living area. Gogogo girl!!

Omg I’ve been waiting for this I love you ❤️❤️❤️

I LOVE watching this story unfold! And you tell it so beautifully. My only advice is to research contractors, ask for real recommendations (at least 3) and ask to see the work done. Also research what goes into your contract and timeline. You should never have to pay tons up front! 🥰

Excellent recap. I have shared your blog with SO many people. It's such a joy--your joy!

Thank you for sharing that even you had moments of doubt and feeling overwhelmed. Just know you are doing an AMAZING job and your vision will come to life because of all your hard work and determination. YOU are AMAZING! 🥰❤️🍀🙏🏻🤞🏻🌸🌼

Great video! Very helpful info! I’ll be starting a renovation soon and I’m super excited to get started and you have been a great inspiration!

I love your video it is very structured and organized. We always see that through out your video's how you plan and SketchUp everything you do. And as French German here I know how much work that is😉 I wish that you get through this process to your dream house. Always happy to watch your content 😊

I’m about to start demo on a major renovation (kitchen and primary bed/bath) and it’s all about planning!! I was so lucky to have a designer friend who put my vision on paper for me and tweaked it over and over again! Also, shopping around for plumbing fixtures/tile/etc. I had picked out a bunch of tile samples that I was mulling over for the bathroom and I happened to go to Lowe’s and see some almost identical tile at about a 1/4 the price! So now I have a literal ton of tile out in my backyard shed waiting for the reno to begin and I saved so much money!! (Which of course now needs to be diverted to offset sky-high lumber prices!)

This is awesome that u are choosing to DIY a lot !!! I’m a super DIYer too!! Thank u so much for sharing this!! I have built a small home before with the help of the guy I was with at the time. He was experienced in almost everything he needed to be to do it, and show me how to do it correctly! Also another feeling that makes it worth it is the connection to ur house u get, like the house and u are bonding when u do the work on it… plus u now know every little detail about what went into the house such as where u ran the wire for electric power or the pipes for the plumbing.

This video was a valuable resource for someone like me who's new to DIY home improvement. The presenter shared insightful advice that helped me avoid common pitfalls and feel more confident tackling projects around the house. I highly recommend this video to fellow beginners looking to embark on their home renovation journey. Many thanks!

love watching your videos in both channels.....and this journey here.....so so amazing....keep up the great work you, Romeo and your parents have done.....you have such amazing ideas and concepts to different things.....i appreciate your gift and talent.....may God continue to bless all of you.....tfs

Love your video's!! Lots of really good info happening! It's REALLY NICE to see you saving ALL that you can from the house & re-using it! With wood prices sky high, that's a HUGE savings. Not to mention, the wood used to originally build the house is soooo much different than what we have now! Your a girl after my own heart. Love old houses!!!

What a good vibe you transmit 🥰 I love you ✨💛

This is so thoughtful and detailed. I love this!!!

I love watching you making your journey through the renovation even though I would never be able to renovate my house like you do. Here in Germany about 98 % of the houses are made of stone which makes everything concerning walls very difficult. Removing walls makes a mess in the whole house and walls you want to remove often are load-bearing and then a steel beam has to be put under the ceiling which makes even a bigger mess LOL And you can't just put in a new door or a new window or remove a window like you will do in your living room. I love your style and your determination to get what you want resp. to do what you want to do. And your videos are so well made and so refreshing to watch, I am always happy when a new one somes around. I love to see you smile and talking about things, it's always an excitation. Thank you so much for sharing all your works an thoughts on it. It's iike being a part in something I'd like to do if I could.

You just amaze me! I love watching you!

I am living vicariously through you!!! I'm a handy woman myself and I feed off of your energy...... you are always so wired!!!

You are so well organized and love watching your videos,you are also such a hard worker!!!

I love the crow family!!! You are amazing! I feel all is well with the world when I see a video of yours!

Wow!!! This is so so useful. So many wonderful tips. Wish I had seen this before doing my renovation. Thanks for sharing.

Once a week, I am truly exhausted from watching you work. Years ago, I might have been able to keep up with you but no more. You kick butt and look good doing it. 👌

I am so enjoying this series. I look forward to every video.

I just discovered you yesterday and have been bin watching your videos. I just love you!

I work in architecture in the U.K. and am really impressed with this video, great advice 😄 really enjoying this series too - good luck with the rest of the project!

This is my 4th home. I bought it January 2020. I am taking my time & what I find is that doing so, the space tells me what it wants. Even though I planned to put x there, it suddenly is obvious it would be better somewhere else. Go with the flow.

This video was so well-made and informative, you're a queen!

Thanks for reminding me that it is fun and a beautiful creative outlet 💜

I wish you good luck with the building to come, you are such an inspiration to me and I really love you and what you are doing!!!

Your work ethic and dedication is inspiring ❤️

Thank so much for make this video!!!!!!!🧡 I love it and it is very helpful

We closed on our dream home in Flagstaff, AZ in mid-February - a 1400 sq. ft. pier and beam built in in 1978 and had some character (exposed beams + great windows) and the most incredible mountain view, but everything else was 1970's home owner special, complete with the entire house having heavy textured walls over paneling.... yikes!! I found your channel late last year and could not believe we were purchasing at the same time! While your reno and budget are more substancial (we are not changing the floor plan other than taking down a few walls and our budget is about 50k for reno all in), I have to say I feel like I have a friend in this process and look forward to your videos every week! Because of you I am making my carpenter/ very talented husband finally take the time and help teach me how to use a so many tools (most recently a miter saw) as we install our own floors. I am always saying - MaCenna can do it so I better learn how - haha! Thank you for all the effort you put into your videos and content - I just adore all of it and am a fellow die hard thrifter/ vintage lover. To your question, I think patience is truly key for any reno - planning but also taking one day at a time as it can be overwhelming but the end result will be so, so worth it. Just try doing it with a 5 year old.... takes patience to a new level. :) xo, Tosha

I am super invested in this housebuild. I’m learning so much from you (even though I don’t think I’ll be DIY building a house, who knows, right?). Also, your style speaks to me. It’s also what I gravitates to that’s why I’m so excited to see how it turns out. 💖

This video is so informative and helpful..me and my husband just sold our second home..and planning to buy a property to build our own dream home.. we've already have our eyes on one..waiting for the owner to respond.. but it takes ages.. starting to give up tbh..your new series couldn't hv come up at a better time to lift up my hope once again. Thank you so much 🥰🥰

Very informative. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

I would like to add that when buying a house, also check the parcels of land and if you have the size you are supposed to. When my son bought his house, there was two other lots that used to be with the house lot. The realtor pointed that out to us. And we then had to find out (after closing) who the other lots belonged to. To get the full size of lot that was listed and he was supposed to get. Was about a half acre difference And also if the taxes are homesteaded or not. You pay more if not, which means you won’t live on the property, like you renting out the house. Hope this helps someone. ❤️❤️❤️❤️Love all your videos MaCenna!, ! And your so empowering for all people to be able to do it themselves. Thank you so much for that.😊❤️.

Excellent and thank you. Also your Mom is an amazing support.

We’ve bought our next home and moved in March. Making progress with a full renovation but boy it’s hard! A lot of mess at the moment and moments of desperation but we know it will all be worth it in the end. I agree that it’s taking each day as it comes. We’ve tried to cover a lot of the work ourselves to save on cost which has helped massively. It’s always hard knowing whether to do one room at a time or the whole house. Looking back I wish we’d started one room at a time (too late now!) Especially as contractors are fully booked for several months if not a year away. Just enjoying the process and remembering to walk before we can run. This renovation isn’t a sprint and it will get there eventually. (Too impatient!) Loved the vlog and can’t wait to see future ones x