Before and after photo of a total DIY home remodel showing the dramatic transformation of a two-story house exterior. The before image features an outdated beige home with a plain white garage door, dark stone accents, and no landscaping. The after image highlights the entire house renovation with a wood-look garage door, freshly painted white stone siding, lush green grass, landscaped flower beds, and a new wooden arbor. This side-by-side photo represents the full inside and out home remodel and total DIY renovation journey.

DIY Home Renovation Before and After: Full House Remodel Tour

DIY, Home Remodel

This DIY home renovation has been a true labor of love. Over three years, countless hours, and plenty of blood, sweat, and tears turned our dated split-level into a gorgeous, modern home. In this post, I’m sharing a full DIY home renovation before and after tour with dramatic photo transformations. From outdated stone and carpet to fresh finishes and custom DIY projects in nearly every room. The transformation is so complete you’ll hardly believe it’s the same house.

before-and-after exterior of our DIY home remodel showing dramatic curb appeal

Related: DIY Kitchen Remodel • Our Exterior House Remodel • How to Upgrade Interior Doors • DIY Girls’ Bunk Beds • DIY Stone Range Hood

Table of Contents

Before Our DIY Home Renovation (Fixer-Upper Tour)

Back in April of 2022, we bought this dated split-level. If you remember the chaos of the housing market, then you’ll get why we were just relieved to land a house at all. It wasn’t a dream home. The inside and out both needed major love, but we knew what we were getting into and rolled up our sleeves to turn it from drab to something we’d be proud of.

excited couple jumping in front of fixer-upper on move-in day

Main Floor Remodel: Major Changes (Before & After)

Come on in! To your left is the shiplap coat rack I built for guests to drop off their coats and bags. From the entryway, you can either head straight into the living room or take a right up to the dining area. For today’s tour, we’re heading to the dining room first.

freshly remodeled entryway with white walls, wood floors, and staircase view

Dining Room Makeover: Before & After

This is the first space guests see when they walk in. It was originally meant to be a formal seating area, but it was the perfect spot for a big table. I love all the natural light in this space. After painting the walls in Sherwin-Williams Alabaster, I then built a floor-to-ceiling fireplace that makes the space feel instantly cozy.

dining room before renovation with mustard walls and empty wood floor
dining room after remodel with stone fireplace, sconces, and large windows

Dining Room DIY Projects

Kitchen Remodel Before and After

As you turn to your left, you’ll head on into the kitchen. When we bought this house, the kitchen was tucked through a doorway and surrounded by more of those awful yellow walls. It felt dark, dated, and way too cramped for our big family.

living room before renovation, yellow walls and dated railings by stairs
outdated kitchen before remodel with white paneled cabinets and laminate counters

What’s a DIY home renovation without a little demo? We made the bold choice to tear out those walls and shift the entire kitchen into what was originally the dining area. It meant moving plumbing, electrical, and even windows, but it was 100% worth it. Just look at the before and after… so much brighter, open, and way more functional!

narrow dining area before kitchen move, yellow walls and ceiling fan
finished kitchen with farmhouse sink, white cabinets, brass fixtures, and window
open kitchen view with navy island, arches, and tall pantry cabinets

I built the range hood using the same stone as the dining room fireplace to tie the spaces together. And those arches you’ll see throughout the house? They’re a small detail that really makes everything feel cohesive.

Remodeled kitchen with stone range hood, brass pot filler, and farmhouse sink

And what went into the old kitchen space? It’s now a roomy walkway behind the island and, best of all, a dream pantry with an arched opening. Tons of beautiful storage that makes all the difference!

open-concept kitchen with arched openings, long island with dark cabinets, and farmhouse sink

I’ve got a full post that walks through the entire DIY renovation of our home’s kitchen, from demo to finishing touches, with tons of photos. You can check it out here > DIY Kitchen Remodel – all the details. I will also link some individual projects below.

Kitchen DIY Projects

Homeschool Room Built-Ins (DIY Renovation)

Just beyond the island is what used to be the breakfast nook. Since we didn’t need two dining areas, we turned it into a built-in office that doubles as our homeschool room. The storage is perfect for school supplies, and painted the same custom dark gray as the island, it ties in seamlessly with the kitchen.

breakfast nook before remodel with oak built-in cabinets and lace curtain
home office after remodel with dark built-ins, wood desktop, and three chairs

As we turn the corner, there was just a little sliver of space before the steps down to the living room. Rather than let it go to waste, I built a family command center there. I’m always up for adding more storage during DIY home renovations!

hall command center with slim built-in cabinet, small desk, and arched pantry nook

Living Room Remodel Before and After

And with that, let’s head on down into the living room. This is what it looked like the day we moved in, before starting our DIY home renovation. Two words… UGLY and dated.

living room before remodel with dark rock fireplace, old built-ins, and beige walls

We demoed the fireplace surround, swapped the stone for something more modern, and I built a new mantel. The built-ins got reshaped arches and fresh paint. And the carpet had to go. We replaced it with the same flooring we used throughout the entire first floor.

living room after remodel with stone fireplace, wood mantel, and arched built-ins

Living Room DIY Projects

Hall Closet & Powder Room Makeovers

As we head out of the living room and back toward the front door, there are two small spaces I re-did off the hall: a coat closet and a powder room. For all the details on those makeovers, including the before photos, you can check out the full posts.

hall coat closet makeover with vintage floral wallpaper, green shelf, and boots
powder room with dark green beadboard, floating wood shelves, and floral wallpaper

Basement DIY Home Renovation (Before & After)

Now that you’ve seen the first floor, let’s head down to the partially finished basement. My goal for this portion of our DIY home renovation was to create a multi-purpose space that could handle everything from overnight guests to family movie nights.

basement room before remodel with damaged drop ceiling, small window, and bare carpet

I’d call this mission accomplished! We swapped the carpet for the same plank flooring as the main floor, replaced the drop ceiling, added built-in storage, and even tucked in a Murphy bed for overnight guests.

Cozy basement living room after DIY home remodel with green built-ins, projector, and sectional sofa.
DIY basement bedroom remodel with custom dark green Murphy bed built-ins and styled bedding.

Basement DIY Projects

Basement Laundry Room Makeover (DIY)

Also down in the basement, we had a laundry room, but I envisioned something brighter and more inviting (no small task for a DIY home renovation in a basement). This turned out even better than I expected. Absolutely gorgeous! All the details are here. > DIY Basement Laundry Room Makeover

Basement laundry room before DIY home renovation with exposed pipes and unfinished walls.
Basement laundry remodel with stacked washer and dryer, subway tile, and wood shelves.

Upstairs DIY Home Renovation: Bedrooms & Baths

Now that we’re finished in the basement, let’s check out all my DIY home renovation projects upstairs, and be sure to admire the staircase on the way. We redid the treads and risers with plank flooring, swapped in a modern railing, and added the stair runner.

Staircase before DIY home renovation with yellow and red walls and oak railing.
Home remodel before and after of staircase with black iron spindles and light neutral walls.

Guest Bathroom Remodel Before and After

The guest bathroom started out as the most basic builder-grade space. Now, the after looks like it belongs in a luxury hotel. From the molding to the arched shower alcove, this room got a serious glow-up. For all the details on every project in this space, check out the full post here. > DIY Dark Green Bathroom Remodel: Complete Guide

Outdated bathroom before remodel with beige tile, dated vanity, and shower curtain.
DIY bathroom remodel after with green paneling, marble shower tile, and gold fixtures.

Girls’ Bedroom Built-Ins (DIY Remodel)

My three girls all shared a room, which meant for this part of the DIY home renovation, I needed to maximize storage space, build custom queen-size bunk beds, and give them a beautiful room that would make them feel like princesses!

Bedroom before DIY home renovation with plain walls, old carpet, and mismatched furniture.

I’m so happy with how this room turned out. I used two pieces from IKEA to give me a head start on those built-in cabinets on the side, then created an entire bed from scratch, including the ladder. This space turned out absolutely beautiful! Find more details here. > DIY Girls’ Bunk Beds and Decor

DIY home renovation bedroom with custom white bunk beds, built-in storage, and blue wallpaper.

Malcom’s Room Built-Ins (DIY Remodel)

This was actually the last DIY home renovation project I tackled before we moved, so I wanted it to work well for us but also be practical for the new owners. I even found a way to hide that awkward air duct bump-out in the corner.

Nursery before makeover with cluttered corner, crib, and beige walls.

Along with adding neutral wallpaper, I built custom built-ins that work as both a headboard and nightstand. The center opening was perfect for a crib, but it’s big enough to fit a queen bed or even a desk, giving the new owners plenty of options for how to use the space. Check out the step-by-step process here. >DIY Headboard with Storage (That Looks Built-In!)

Plaid wallpaper nursery after DIY home renovation with custom built-ins and crib styling.

Primary Suite Remodel: Bedroom + Bath Before and After

Our primary suite was nothing to get excited about, and the bathroom was tiny and awkward. We made the somewhat controversial choice to steal a few feet from the bedroom to expand it. By shifting the window down and bumping the bathroom wall out about three feet, we gained just enough space.

Outdated bedroom before remodel with popcorn ceiling and plain white walls.
Outdated bathroom before remodel with green walls, corner shower, and old tile.

We completely gutted the bathroom and rearranged everything. Now it has a huge walk-in shower, custom concrete counters, heated floors, and more. This is what a primary suite bathroom should be! Full post here. > DIY Primary Bath Remodel on a Budget

Primary bathroom after DIY remodel with gray shiplap, arched shower entry, and brass fixtures.

Even with bumping the bathroom wall out, we still had plenty of space in the bedroom. Together with the expanded bath, the primary suite finally felt like the relaxing retreat it was meant to be.

Cozy primary bedroom after DIY home renovation with neutral bedding and leather bench.

Interior Door Upgrades (DIY Home Renovation)

The easiest DIY home renovation with the biggest impact… upgrading doors! All through the house I upgraded the basic hollow-core doors with some paint, trim, and new hardware. It was so much cheaper than replacing them, and the difference is huge! Easy instructions are posted here. > How to Upgrade Interior Doors – Affordable!

closet door before upgrade
White paneled closet door upgrade after DIY home renovation.

Front Exterior Remodel: Curb Appeal Before and After

The before and the after photos here hardly look like the same house. It was so brown and drab. I couldn’t wait to do something about it.

Exterior of split-level house before remodel with dated siding and plain garage door.

Over those three years, we tackled so many projects on the front of our home. Everything from laying sod and pouring concrete curbing to building a garden arbor, and so much more! I pulled them all together in one full post for you here. > This DIY Exterior Remodel Took 3 Years—Here’s Everything We Did

Front exterior after home remodel before and after project with new garage door, stone siding, and landscaping.

The DIY home renovation project that got the most backlash? Covering up that ugly 1970s stone. But just look at the difference it made! The whole house finally feels like it belongs in the 21st century.

Split-level home before DIY home renovation with outdated siding and stone accent
DIY home remodel after photo with updated siding, wood garage door, and new landscaping

Backyard Remodel: Patio & Landscaping Before and After

One of our first backyard projects was tearing out the failing paver patio and replacing it with a bigger, better concrete one. From there, the backyard projects just kept rolling.

Backyard patio before DIY home renovation with old red bricks and no furniture
Backyard remodel after with new patio, Adirondack chairs, and landscaping

Backyard DIY Projects

backyard remodel after with new patio, Adirondack chairs, and landscaping

DIY Home Renovation Before and After: What’s Next?

We loved giving this house new life, and one of our biggest philosophies has always been to leave a place better than we found it. In just three years, we poured so much into this home and transformed it top to bottom. Now the Army has moved us on to a new city, which of course means a brand-new fixer-upper just waiting for its own DIY home renovation.

Family sitting on front porch during DIY home remodel project with updated curb appeal

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FAQ About Our DIY Home Renovation

How long did your DIY home renovation take?

Our remodel took just over three years from start to finish. We tackled just about everything ourselves. From demo and painting to building custom projects. All while also juggling work, kids, homeschool, etc.

Which DIY project made the biggest difference?

Covering the dated 1970s stone on the front of the house made a huge curb appeal impact.

Was it cheaper to renovate your fixer upper yourself?

Absolutely. Doing nearly all of the work ourselves saved us thousands. It took more time and energy, but DIY was the only way we could pull off such a full renovation on a budget.

What’s next now that this DIY home renovation is finished?

The Army has already moved us to a new city, which means we’re starting over with another fixer-upper, and another round of before-and-after transformations!

How much did your DIY home renovation cost?

Costs vary by region and scope, but we saved thousands by DIY’ing most projects and using budget-friendly materials (stock cabinets, paint, and smart re-use). We break down what we tackled ourselves vs. hired out in each project post.

What order should you renovate a whole house?

Tackle it in layers: safety/structure → electrical/plumbing/HVAC → floors, walls, doors → kitchens/baths → exterior/landscaping → decor. Doing it in this order avoids rework and protects finished spaces.

Where should you start with a DIY home renovation?

Start with safety and structure, then mechanicals (electrical, plumbing, HVAC), then walls/floors/doors, then kitchens and baths, then exterior and landscaping, and finish with decor. This order prevents rework and protects finished spaces.

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