7 Months at CloverLock Lane: What We've Learned (The Good, Bad, and Expensive)
I can’t believe it’s been over 7 months since we moved into Cloverlock Lane. Time really does fly, especially when you’re drowning in boxes and contractor quotes. After finally coming up for air post-holidays, family visits, and vacation, I’ve finally had the time to reflect on what we learned in the last seven months and what’s ahead for 2026.
The Great Unpacking That Never Ended
One of the most surprising things about the last year was what an actual time suck moving can be! I thought it would be easy peasy, nicely labeled boxes, unpacked in a week or two, then onto finding pretty furniture and home finishings. Joke’s on me, my office looks like a storage unit exploded into it. Boxes, totes, random items balanced in random places, and a half clear desk for working. Who knew we (okay, I) had so much stuff?? And nowhere to put it! This has set up my biggest goal for the first part of this year, finish buying the last few furniture pieces we need for storage. We don’t need too much; a couple of bookshelves, a hutch for the hall, and a small bureau for my office. But that much still isn’t cheap to buy or easy to move. Hopefully, we’ll have those pieces by the end of February, and I can spend the rest of the year getting my office into an actual, functional space that I enjoy being in for all the hours I spend there.
Where Reality Meets Budget
Another surprise was just the cost of everything that needs to get done. This is one of those things everyone tells you, and you very much know, but until you’re in the moment, it doesn’t really sink in. Within the first 90 days, we got quotes for our biggest projects: gutters, backyard fence, tree clearing, barn rehab, chimney fixes, and water heater. The total? Let’s just say I laughed, then cried, then laughed again. I will never forget the moment where the tree removal company casually tossed out their quote. I stood there, smiling, nodding, sounds good-ing, while doing the mental math on just how many months of groceries that represented. Spoiler: a lot.
At that point, I realized I was crazy to think I could get them all done within that first year. Some projects, like the barn rehab, got relegated to a DIY. Others like the fence and chimney were deemed things that could wait. The gutters and water heater, were projects that a professional would do best, and that could potentially cause more damage in the long run.
Would I Do Anything Differently?
Looking back, there wasn’t much I would change about the last seven months. I mean there was, I wish we did more with the garden and finished fixing up the shed and a temporary fence for the dogs. Reality check: I was juggling full-time work plus two side gigs. C had long office days and a difficult commute. Free time? Never heard of her. What little time we did have was carefully split between resting, cleaning, and exploring the area on top of working on the house.
The Biggest Lesson: Building Capability
The biggest thing I’ve learned over the last seven months has to be the importance of being self-sufficient. Not necessarily being able to DIY everything (though it would be handy!), but being able to do a lot of the little things, a few of the big things, and otherwise know what you’re talking about when you hire jobs out. The jobs we did hire out for, I spent a fair amount of time with them, asking as many questions as I could to the contractor or researching online. Going into this year, knowing our goals and our budget, we’re going to be spending a good amount of time investing in equipment and in knowledge.
Looking Ahead in 2026
So what does all of this mean for the year ahead? A few things:
First, we are fully embracing the DIY life. Not because it’s trendy, but because it’s necessary. Rehabbing the barn, building a coop, the raised garden beds, fixing up a 40-year-old recently vacant house? We’re figuring it out as we go, and I’m documenting every step. (More on that to come. YouTube, filming, and all kinds of chaos in February!)
Second, we’re getting strategic about what to tackle when. The fence can wait until summer, but the shed needs attention before spring showers. The gardening is happening no matter what, because I refuse to go another summer without my homegrown tomatoes and zucchinis.
And third, we’re giving ourselves grace. Not everything will get done this year, no matter how well I plan. Some projects will fail too. We’ll learn things the hard way. And that’s okay because the point isn’t perfection, it’s progress. And this super chill acceptance is something I’m learning too!
Seven months in, CloverLock Lane still has boxes in the office, projects in hold, and a to-do list that does not end. But it also has a working water heater, new gutters, a dry crawlspace, and two people who are slowly but surely figuring out how to build the life we want.
