Wes and Sarah Childers are do-it-yourselfers.
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Over the past few years, the couple's North Augusta home has been a renovation in progress.
Their projects have ranged from repainting walls to renovating bathrooms and the kitchen.
"There's always something to do. Something's going on most of the time," Wes said.
"We've changed things gradually, little by little."
Doing it themselves not only saves money, it allows the couple to incorporate their tastes, Sarah said.
"I like how personal everything is, from the art to the furniture to everything we've done in the home," she said.
One reason they decided to spread out their projects was to give them time to save money toward the projects rather than borrowing it. It also gave them time for research so they knew how much to budget, Sarah said.
"Some things would change from our original plan, especially if we found a deal somewhere, but our goal was to stay within our budget, and we did that," she said.
"We took our time and looked around so we knew what things would cost and knew whether what we found was a good deal or not."
The home is decorated in mostly a modern style with warm colors and artwork created by Wes.
"It works out well to have an artist," Sarah said. "I like having that touch."
The couple's next project will be a deck, she said.
"The first phase would be building the deck, and the second phase is going to be creating a work space area for Wes," she said.
The couple's advice to others considering do-it-yourself projects is to not be afraid of the time and effort it takes.
"You have to remember that you are adding to the biggest investment you can make in your life," Sarah said.
"It's definitely worth it."
Neighborhood: Pinehurst
Location: North Augusta
Nearby attractions: City parks, Greeneway Trail, shopping, restaurants
School zone: Hammond Hills Elementary, Paul Knox Middle and North Augusta High schools
Major nearby highways: Interstate 20, Martintown Road, U.S. Highway 25
Corey Perrine/Staff
Ruby's bedroom Oct. 6, 2010 in North Augusta, S.C. The 1970 ranch style home has 1,700 square feet three bedrooms and two baths. \nCorey Perrine/Staff
The Childers' guestroom Oct. 6, 2010 in North Augusta, S.C. The 1970 ranch style home has 1,700 square feet three bedrooms and two baths. \nCorey Perrine/Staff
The Childers' bathroom Oct. 6, 2010 in North Augusta, S.C. The 1970 ranch style home has 1,700 square feet three bedrooms and two baths. \nCorey Perrine/Staff
The Childers' master bedroom Oct. 6, 2010 in North Augusta, S.C. The 1970 ranch style home has 1,700 square feet three bedrooms and two baths. \nCorey Perrine/Staff
The Childers' bathroom faucet Oct. 6, 2010 in North Augusta, S.C. The 1970 ranch style home has 1,700 square feet three bedrooms and two baths. \nCOREY PERRINE/STAFF
Wes Childers playfully lifts his daughter, Ruby, 17 months, while his wife, Sarah, looks on. They live in North Augusta with their pet Chihuahua, Buckley. The couple has done most of the renovations on their 1970 ranch-style home themselves, doing the work a little at a time.
The Family: Wes and Sarah Childers, 17-month-old daughter, Ruby, and 6-year-old chihuahua, Buckley
The Home: 1,700-square-foot. one-story ranchstyle brick home with three bedrooms and two baths
It's a Fact: The Childerses received a Best Kitchen Remodel Under $10,000 award from apartmenttherapy.com in 2008 for their kitchen renovation.
Neighborhood: Pinehurst
Location: North Augusta
Nearby attractions: City parks, Greeneway Trail, shopping, restaurants
School zone: Hammond Hills Elementary, Paul Knox Middle and North Augusta High schools
Major nearby highways: Interstate 20, Martintown Road, U.S. Highway 25
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