2025 Roundup
A Renovation Journal
Happy New Year! It feels appropriate to round up 2025 before we move on to the next chapter. I love a new year and that feeling of a fresh start. Of course, it’s just a date in the calendar; nothing actually changes at midnight as the year clicks over. But I still like the thought of it. A line in the sand that says something is over, and something new has begun. Whether you choose to acknowledge the line or not, I hope that the time is good to you and that you can look back on some good memories made in 2025.
For me, it was a year of ups and downs. There were definitely a few things that could have worked out better, but also some things that could’ve been so much worse and on the whole, I think we’re happy to have made it through relatively unscathed. I always get to the end of the year feeling like I haven’t achieved nearly as much as I wanted to, but then when I list all the things that happened each month, I’m surprised at how much we fitted in. So here it is. A look back at 2025 and the year I’m calling ‘Almost a Disaster.’
January
I was busy decorating the bedroom in the Old Estate Office. I’d done most of the walls, but this room had a ton of woodwork to do. We renovated all the old cupboards, which I think turned out well, but it was a lot of work. I’m still not sure if it was worth paint stripping them all, but at least I’ve got rid of all the lead paint.
While I was painting, James was working on the workshop. This year, we moved the workshop out of the house into the outbuildings where it belongs. It took quite a lot to get the building ready. This month, James was insulating the roof so we could get a little heating in here, and we put in a staircase to reach the hayloft without using the scary wooden ladder.
We had the plans back from the architect for the ground floor of the main house. I feel much more confident knowing exactly what we’re working towards now. I still can’t really envisage having all this finished, but at least it’s a plan!
Outside in the garden, I pruned the apple trees, took all the ivy off the front of the house and started the greenhouse repairs. I learnt to cut glass, which took a bit of getting used to, but I got pretty good by the end!
February
Still lots of painting in the bedroom, but I also did some pointing in the gym. We decided to leave the walls as bare brick in here, but some bits had a few holes and some of the pointing needed tidying up. I worked my way round steadily, and it wasn’t too bad. Pointing indoors is quite a lot nicer in February!
I was still mending the greenhouse, but outside we also had some new gates fitted on the garden, and all the hedges were cut. I love how neat everything looks with trimmed hedges! I hard-pruned the yew hedge at the top of the veg garden and reclaimed the path there. We also cleared all the vines from the top of the summerhouse. There’s still lots of work to do here, but we’re slowly getting the wisteria under control.
This month, I also took a trip to London for the Garden Press Event. It was a great day, and I met so many lovely people.
March
The bedroom painting continued with the cupboard doors. James refitted them all, which took some doing, and then I painted them all. I also had to refinish the floor, which had some water marks under the protective covering. This was irritating and all down to doing things in the wrong order. Always do your floors last!
In the gym, we sorted out the fireplace, and I rebuilt a brick hearth. We don’t plan to use this fireplace, so I just wanted to tidy it. I think it went pretty well!
The weather was pretty mild, and I got some seeds sown in the greenhouse and a little more hedgecutting finished. I also got up on the scaffolding and sorted out the lead flashing over the bay window. We had this bit reroofed, but I wasn’t happy with how the builder had done the flashing. There’s functional, and then there’s how I want it to look!
April
In the bedroom, I refinished the desk and painted the lock boxes, which have become luggage racks at the end of the bed. Then I moved onto the ceiling and the upper half of the stairwell. I’m keeping it light and airy here.
I also painted the woodwork in the gym. It’s all soft black and industrial-looking. I think it works with the exposed brick.
The weather in April was surprisingly glorious, and so we pushed on with the pool area. I sealed all the brickwork, James built some decking, and then I painted the shed. We also had some steps built into the pool.
I had a wonderful birthday lunch, and the asparagus and wisteria were the stars of the garden.
May
The gym was finished, and with the weather still wonderful, we stayed on the pool project. I painted the new pool steps with latex pool paint and sealed the new decking. James started work on the new pool fence, and we cleaned up some old furniture to use out here.
The garden was amazing, with everything flowering, and the peonies really put on a show.
We also took a trip to Dorset for some fishing and a short break.
June
Another glorious month of weather! Plenty of swimming and enjoying the pool while James finished the fencing.
I did get more painting done in the stairwell and the curtains fitted in the bedroom.
I also visited the RHS Hampton Court flower show. It was a super hot day, but very beautiful, and I met some of my Instagram heroes.
July
I continued work on the staircase until I squished my leg in an accident. We were digging out the paths in the veg garden when I managed to tip over a mini dumper. Unfortunately, it landed on my right lower leg, which meant a trip to A&E, but nothing was broken, and it was confirmed that I have bones like Wolverine! It was quite swollen and sore, though, and I struggled on with a few jobs in the bedroom but not much else.
August
James fitted lights around the pool and started the refurbishment of the shutters in the living room of the Estate Office. He also fitted new locks and refurbed the front door.
Meanwhile, my leg got infected, and I ended up in the hospital for a week with a couple of surgeries to clear it out. It was a pretty miserable time, but I was home for Toby’s birthday on the 30th, and it did the job.
September
A slow start back to activity. I did lots of knitting and sewing, and eventually got back to painting the stairs. The garden didn’t do too well, what with a drought and lack of attention, but we still had a fabulous harvest of potatoes, garlic, apples and grapes.
At the end of the month, we discovered a leak in the oil tank, which caused a whole lot of chaos.
October
We drained the leaking oil tank and then got the digger in to clear the area, ready to put down a new base for the bigger tank. That’s when we found what turned out to be a rainwater cistern that goes under the old scullery. I think they collected rainwater to wash clothes, and there would have been a hand pump in the scullery above the tank. Luckily, the new base didn’t need to go over the cistern, so we’ve left it for the moment until we can be sure it’s not still filling with rainwater.
The new oil tank was fitted, which caused airlocks and all sorts of problems with the aga. I spent a couple of days on my hands and knees fixing it all. Aga’s are very basic but can also be a bit dramatic if things aren’t quite right. Once I got it going again, it was fine.
James worked on the guttering and fixed quite a few leaks around the house. An excellent job to get done before the winter. I finished the stairs and moved onto the ceilings in the living room.
November
In the living room of the Old Estate Office, I finished the ceiling and moved on to wall prep. I also fixed the wallpaper in the bathroom that had been damaged when the new window was added. (The joy of doing things out of order again!)
Outside, we finally got to work building our new Woodblocx raised beds, and James made a new door for the storeroom.
We also had a fantastic bonfire and fireworks for a friend’s birthday and then a lovely visit to Crewe Hall for cheese and wine. I had a superb massage, and honestly, my back and neck have felt loads better ever since. I must book massages more often!
December
I got the first coat of paint on the walls in the living room and fixed things like the air vent. Then I moved on to cleaning and decluttering, ready for Christmas. Honestly, I didn’t get all that far, but I took heaps of rubbish out of the kids’ bedrooms, and I got the old workshop ready for Christmas.
And then Christmas was upon us! We hosted 10 for Christmas Eve, but Christmas Day itself was quiet. We went out for lunch for James’ birthday on the 27th and then down to Dorset for a second Christmas on the 28th. Then it was back home for the New Year. Honestly, it’s flown by!
So that’s it. Everything we’ve done in 2025. In some ways, it’s not very much, but then in others it’s plenty. I would really like to have completely finished the Old Estate Office. But we have made lots of progress, and it shouldn’t be long now. I think if it hadn’t been for my leg, it would’ve been done by now. I also wish we’d been able to finish the paths and the raised beds in the vegetable garden, but again, the leg got in the way somewhat. By the time I was back on my feet, the weather was against us. We will get there! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for an injury-free 2026 and lots of progress on the main house.
Thank you for all your support over the last year. I love your messages, so please leave me a heart and a comment here or catch up with me on Instagram. I hope to send you more regular emails in 2026, and I also have some exciting news for those of you who like video. Take care, and I hope you have a very Happy New Year x
Hi Amanda, I loved reading your 2025 renovation journal. You truly live in such a beautiful environment and your home is so lovely. Jeepers, you and James are so talented, I love the carpentry that has been done by James, that wood fence at the pool is stunning! It has been an inspiration being a part of your journey and I am really excited to see what happens this year.
I have thoroughly enjoyed following your renovations!!