Mike got me the coolest (yet, most belated) b-day gift evah!
It's a kitchen clock/tv/radio/DVD player/CD player/iPod player! Oooo! Total techno geek stuff right there. We installed it last night and I have high expectations for its future awesomeness.
ir a principal |
Ir a lateral
SnapShot: May 2011
Search
SnapShot: May 2011
Blog Story
My now husband Mike and I purchased this quaint home back in spring of 2004 - our first home - and, being the handy folks we are, expected to have the entire thing renovated in about a year or so.
And here we still are... renovating away.
This house needed a complete overhaul. Its plaster walls were uninsulated, its attic floor covered in 2" of bat guano, its basement - dirt and snakes, its exterior - asbestos siding, and lead paint windows in every room. The electric had not been updated and light sockets hung bare from the ceiling. Plumbing featured cast iron radiators - and only one for the entire upstairs.
We began by gutting almost the entire house from top to bottom. (sans bathroom - we needed to pee) We rebuilt the entire upstairs, with a new floor (not new carpet or wood - the once unstable framing underneath) and turned 3 small rooms into two. We reinvented the downstairs by turning a closet into a hallway and eliminating interior exterior windows and doors from old half-assed additions.
New insulation, windows, electrical wiring (including phone and CAT-5 internet), plumbing and baseboards, and drywall were all added.
We purchased kitchen cabinets from a yard sale. (None existed previously.) Our families helped us replace and purchase new appliances including the once also missing washer & dryer.
Then we had the entire house lifted - straight into the air - dug out the dirt, and had a real basement foundation poured. We updated our oil tank and burner and created heating zones.
Outside, we took down trees and planted grass. We dug out an awkward hill to create a 2nd part to the driveway and used the rocks our house once sat on as a retaining wall. We electrified and repainted the garage.
And of course, we spent many an hour on finish work like paint, trim, closet doors, lighting fixtures, hardwood floors, curtain rods, dimmer switches, and many other things everyone else takes for granted. We are still working to complete all this final finishing, but happy to report that we are FINALLY nearing completion of all little things in all rooms!
In 2008 we began overhauling the exterior by creating a new french door entryway and building a farmer's porch and garage addition. We replaced our roof and then stripped off our siding and replaced with new clapboards. We then planted two new flowering trees and a maple in the front yard - our first major landscape purchases. I'm happy to report that here in 2011, the porch is nearing completion and the back yard is on the road to recovery with some new loam and grass. More plantings soon to come!
In 2012 we plan to attack the last MAJOR (emphasis on major) job in the house - the dreaded BATHROOM! We plan to first add a second bathroom in the basement. Then, demolish our current bathroom and rebuild it, adding a second bathroom on top for the upstairs.
And that pretty much brings you up to date. The battle continues day to day as we try and complete everything.
And here we still are... renovating away.
This house needed a complete overhaul. Its plaster walls were uninsulated, its attic floor covered in 2" of bat guano, its basement - dirt and snakes, its exterior - asbestos siding, and lead paint windows in every room. The electric had not been updated and light sockets hung bare from the ceiling. Plumbing featured cast iron radiators - and only one for the entire upstairs.
We began by gutting almost the entire house from top to bottom. (sans bathroom - we needed to pee) We rebuilt the entire upstairs, with a new floor (not new carpet or wood - the once unstable framing underneath) and turned 3 small rooms into two. We reinvented the downstairs by turning a closet into a hallway and eliminating interior exterior windows and doors from old half-assed additions.
New insulation, windows, electrical wiring (including phone and CAT-5 internet), plumbing and baseboards, and drywall were all added.
We purchased kitchen cabinets from a yard sale. (None existed previously.) Our families helped us replace and purchase new appliances including the once also missing washer & dryer.
Then we had the entire house lifted - straight into the air - dug out the dirt, and had a real basement foundation poured. We updated our oil tank and burner and created heating zones.
Outside, we took down trees and planted grass. We dug out an awkward hill to create a 2nd part to the driveway and used the rocks our house once sat on as a retaining wall. We electrified and repainted the garage.
And of course, we spent many an hour on finish work like paint, trim, closet doors, lighting fixtures, hardwood floors, curtain rods, dimmer switches, and many other things everyone else takes for granted. We are still working to complete all this final finishing, but happy to report that we are FINALLY nearing completion of all little things in all rooms!
In 2008 we began overhauling the exterior by creating a new french door entryway and building a farmer's porch and garage addition. We replaced our roof and then stripped off our siding and replaced with new clapboards. We then planted two new flowering trees and a maple in the front yard - our first major landscape purchases. I'm happy to report that here in 2011, the porch is nearing completion and the back yard is on the road to recovery with some new loam and grass. More plantings soon to come!
In 2012 we plan to attack the last MAJOR (emphasis on major) job in the house - the dreaded BATHROOM! We plan to first add a second bathroom in the basement. Then, demolish our current bathroom and rebuild it, adding a second bathroom on top for the upstairs.
And that pretty much brings you up to date. The battle continues day to day as we try and complete everything.
Archive
This Rant Brought to You By:
Old House Restoration and Repair Advice!
Authoritative source for old house restoration and repair guidance by a panel of experts.
Authoritative source for old house restoration and repair guidance by a panel of experts.
Places to Go Peeps to See
The Infamous LIST
- More Blue Stone in Driveway
- Playground Improvements
- The Handle Bar
- Install Porch Speakers
- Bathroom Trim & Towel Racks
- Re-Stain Porch & Paint Trim
- Misc Trim & Window Bottoms Throughout
- Farmer's porch front railings
- Hallway outlet
- Backyard Fence
- New lamppost
- Stair Light Dimmer
- Complete Radiant Heat
- Mudroom Baseboard trim
- More Blue Stone in Driveway
- Playground Improvements
- The Handle Bar
- Install Porch Speakers
- Bathroom Trim & Towel Racks
- Re-Stain Porch & Paint Trim
Zazzle Designs!
Found Me, Now Check This Out!
Other Awesome Blogs
-
-
13 products that will make your life easier - Bookmark this travel packing list because you’ll want to refer to it as your trip gets closer. It’ll serve as a tool to tell you exactly what to pack, whet...1 year ago
-
Doesnt matter they in everything. - Today on the Natalie Dee Machine: Doesnt matter they in everything.3 years ago
-
-
Hello Knitty - The evil feline spares nobody, not even those who love to knit. The only logical reason to create a Hello Knitty is if you want those who love to knit to g...10 years ago
-
How can you claim to speak for 99% of people? - We don’t claim to speak for anyone, we merely present stories.12 years ago
-
Christmas Card Preview - Ribbons Of Joy Christmas Card Christmas cards by Shutterfly. View the entire collection of cards. Just so that everyone knows that YES, we are still alive...13 years ago
-
By DBR - I grew up here. Lived my whole life here. Worked at this gas station; I learned to live like a man. I learned that I loved trucks and four wheelers and dir...17 years ago
-
-
-
-
Save Now!
use code:KITR3781
New Customers Only. Restrictions apply.
0 comments:
Post a Comment