House Update: Week 9

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You may have noticed that weeks 3-8 are missing. You see...in the blur of buying a house, renovating the house, moving into said house, selling the old house, continuing to work on the new house, chasing a baby who is now a walking toddler, client work, life, unpacking, decorating, and occasionally having a moment to breathe I have forgotten to blog. Sorry guys!

One of our neighbors told us that he considered buying the house to flip it when it hit the market, after years of being uninhabited, but they were afraid that they would have to "burn the inside and start all over." I get it. This house was a big unknown, even to us. It came as-is and is a big undertaking, not just physically and financially but emotionally too. 

That being said, here's a list of things we've done to the house so far in no particular order: 

  • Pressure washed the outside of the house
  • Termite treatment and prevention
  • Stripped the deck of the old stain and prepped it to be stained this fall
  • Cleaned out the gutters
  • Pressure washed the sidewalk
  • Fixed the garage door (that fell on my car and broke the tail light)
  • Removed half wall between the kitchen and the living room
  • Added cross beams underneath the house
  • Built a retaining wall to support pillars underneath the house
  • Added hangers to support air ducts in the basement
  • Replaced the knobs throughout the house (hinges are next)
  • Replaced all wood on the front porch (railing, columns)
  • Cleared the brush in the backyard
  • Installed a new fan in the living room
  • Fixed the 20+ year old A/C units (hopefully we can get another year or two out of them... nothing can stop a Trane!)
  • Pruned the trees
  • Cut the hedges
  • Fixed all loose basement vapor vents 
  • Installed a vapor barrier in the crawl space
  • Removed all of the remaining items left by the previous owner
  • Installed fire alarms (yep, took us a few days to realize we didn't have any...oops!)
  • Caulked bathtubs
  • Replaced vanity lights in the bathrooms
  • Installed mirrors in the bathrooms
  • Removed all carpets downstairs and replaced it with hardwood
  • Existing hardwood floors were refinished with new stain
  • Installed brand new carpet upstairs
  • Installed a custom drying wrack and folding table in the laundry room
  • Baby proofed the house
  • Stripped all wallpaper
  • Fresh paint throughout the whole house
  • Installed brand new appliances (refrigerator, dishwasher, and microwave/oven combo)
  • Installed new toilets in all three bathrooms
  • Fixed and cleaned all outlet covers and A/C vents

Here's what we have left to do this year:

  • Stain the deck
  • Install a fence
  • Various irrigation projects
  • Redesign landscape to redirect water flow away from the house
  • Install new gutter drainage
  • Replace light fixtures in the kitchen
  • Replace counter tops in the kitchen
  • Replace stove top (will more than likely stick to gas)
  • Replace garbage disposal
  • Replace sink + faucet in the kitchen
  • Replace leaking tub in the master bathroom (may be moved to early 2017)
  • Replace counter tops and sinks in the guest bathrooms (may also be moved to 2017)
  • Replace faucets in the master and guest bathrooms

Projects for 2017 and beyond include remodeling the bathrooms, organizing the garage, finishing the basement, and installing a new HVAC system.

Oof. That's a lot.

There's a 100% chance that I've forgotten a few things, however, looking at the completed list helps me realize how much we have accomplished in the past two months. It really has been a blur. These lists do not include decorations, putting together furniture, etc. It's strictly a list of items we're taking to the bank when we refinance in February. Give us equity or BUST!

We're still unpacking. And by we I mean me. We're hosting a small Labor Day shindig so the house needs to be 'complete' by the end of this week. We've been up late every night working on the house and I forgot the last time we've gone to bed before 11pm. It's been non-stop, however, we are also beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

I'm looking forward to having more time and energy to focus on other things that we've had to let go for a bit, including our social life.

 

Ms. Martin, project manager, overseeing the painting of the new porch column and making am appointment with a window cleaning service. 

Ms. Martin, project manager, overseeing the painting of the new porch column and making am appointment with a window cleaning service.