This picture below is one of my favorites of the bath tub and light. For whatever reason the electrician said it would not be possible to keep this set-up. Doesn't everyone need an exposed light above their bath???
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Master Bath - before work began
Our neighbors reported a flying blue toilet, sink and bathtub. Here are some before shots of the master bath. It's a tight space - so I did my best to get some good shots.
Room by room
A few vacations, travel and family gatherings have made it nearly impossible to stay up to date with the blog. My thought right now is to do room-by-room posts on where we are at...and if time...where "we" are going.
One would think that hiring someone to "do" the work would give all sorts of time to blog about it? My guess is that I will be much more anxious to show off progress - when it's hey - look it what i spent my entire weekend doing.
I am sure the next few months will test that theory. Enjoy the pics...
One would think that hiring someone to "do" the work would give all sorts of time to blog about it? My guess is that I will be much more anxious to show off progress - when it's hey - look it what i spent my entire weekend doing.
I am sure the next few months will test that theory. Enjoy the pics...
Friday, July 20, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Imagine if you will...
The problem with being on the road while your house is being worked on is that you are completely at the mercy of your husband to update you on what work is getting done.
Yesterday - Steve informed me that they took the plaster out of the master bathroom. In doing so, they discovered that there was an opening for a door on the wall were the sink was. I'd insert a picture here - but for now you just have to imagine.
This door would have connected what we are calling the master closet to the master bath. We know that the master closet used to be the back hallway and there was a stair case into the kitchen. We also know that this back part of the house was not original. Now it follows that this room was added but may not have always been a bathroom. I have often stared at the bathroom and closet doors and wondered why they are different heights. It makes sense if one is not original.
Today Steve came home and was excited to see more garbage in the dumpster - some Kohler boxes. He thought this meant that they had installed some of the bathroom fixtures. Since we did not purchase anything made by Kohler - he quickly came to the realization that this must have been from another job site.
When he went upstairs - he didn't even notice (at first) that the hallway had been extended. The existing blue dining room (soon to be reading/craft room) had a book case in it. The book case was added to frame in a doorway that connected this room to the hallway/stair case. It is so odd to think about what it will look like to "see through" that wall into the room.
Finally, in the existing kitchen (soon to be kids bathroom) - they took out the kitchen sink and have started to prep the kitchen cupboard to be removed.
As excited as I am about all this change - its scary as well. I have only known these rooms as they looked for the last 30+ years. The cleaning out and wallpaper removal that I have worked on are merely cosmetic. Crazy it is going to sound - I am going to miss this space as it once was.
We are doing alot to preserve the footprint of the upstairs. It was like a time capsule up there. You could see (and at one time smell) what life was like up there. The kitchen will never again be a place where cookies are made. The dining room will not be a place for hosting friends for dinner. My grandpa's bedroom will no longer be a place of boyhood dreams.
It seems odd to have these connections to these rooms since I never baked in the kitchen, dined in the dining room, or even saw a bed in grandpa's bedroom. I do take comfort in knowing that the kitchen will now be a host to the smell of clean laundry and bubble bath, the dining room will be a place to relax with family, and grandpa's bedroom will hold toys to be played with in the same rooms my mother and grandfather played in. I also know that prior to my family living in the house - these rooms had other purposes - before the house was a 2-flat. So I guess my "memories" are all relative (no pun intended) and that the house will continue to change as the needs of its caretakers change.
Yesterday - Steve informed me that they took the plaster out of the master bathroom. In doing so, they discovered that there was an opening for a door on the wall were the sink was. I'd insert a picture here - but for now you just have to imagine.
This door would have connected what we are calling the master closet to the master bath. We know that the master closet used to be the back hallway and there was a stair case into the kitchen. We also know that this back part of the house was not original. Now it follows that this room was added but may not have always been a bathroom. I have often stared at the bathroom and closet doors and wondered why they are different heights. It makes sense if one is not original.
Today Steve came home and was excited to see more garbage in the dumpster - some Kohler boxes. He thought this meant that they had installed some of the bathroom fixtures. Since we did not purchase anything made by Kohler - he quickly came to the realization that this must have been from another job site.
When he went upstairs - he didn't even notice (at first) that the hallway had been extended. The existing blue dining room (soon to be reading/craft room) had a book case in it. The book case was added to frame in a doorway that connected this room to the hallway/stair case. It is so odd to think about what it will look like to "see through" that wall into the room.
Finally, in the existing kitchen (soon to be kids bathroom) - they took out the kitchen sink and have started to prep the kitchen cupboard to be removed.
As excited as I am about all this change - its scary as well. I have only known these rooms as they looked for the last 30+ years. The cleaning out and wallpaper removal that I have worked on are merely cosmetic. Crazy it is going to sound - I am going to miss this space as it once was.
We are doing alot to preserve the footprint of the upstairs. It was like a time capsule up there. You could see (and at one time smell) what life was like up there. The kitchen will never again be a place where cookies are made. The dining room will not be a place for hosting friends for dinner. My grandpa's bedroom will no longer be a place of boyhood dreams.
It seems odd to have these connections to these rooms since I never baked in the kitchen, dined in the dining room, or even saw a bed in grandpa's bedroom. I do take comfort in knowing that the kitchen will now be a host to the smell of clean laundry and bubble bath, the dining room will be a place to relax with family, and grandpa's bedroom will hold toys to be played with in the same rooms my mother and grandfather played in. I also know that prior to my family living in the house - these rooms had other purposes - before the house was a 2-flat. So I guess my "memories" are all relative (no pun intended) and that the house will continue to change as the needs of its caretakers change.
Monday, July 09, 2007
On the road again...
When you go more than a few days without posting, it is hard to figure out what needs to be left unsaid. I will do my best to keep to the key moments over the last few weeks.
Previously on 108 North...
We had just found out about the water line and were headed for our first cruise. The trip was great and we have lots of fond memories like....being detained in Mexico and leaving 1 cell phone in LA. The Gs safely made it back to 108N and the phone...well...Steve just got the shipping info today - so he promises it will be here shortly.
PT got to vacation with gma, teach and ellie in chambana and had a grand old time.
The house...while in spite of best hopes of progress while we were out of town...little was done inside. The electrical did get updated - so that's a start.
The week of the 4th - which I keep referring to as 2 weeks in 1 - dragged on. Seriously what kind of a joke is it have a holiday mid-week? Tues felt like Fri, Wed felt like Sun, and Thurs felt like Monday AGAIN. Remind me when this happens again in a few years just to take the week off.
We celebrated like it was 1812 at that band concert on the 5th. It actually was nice that work hadn't really started on the house. I just know there will come a point when having people over will not be feasible. We also got news on a new addition for our friends. Not sure if this has been announced - so will just leave names out for now :) We're so excited for you guys!!!!
This morning I left the house bright and early for ORD and a business trip to Houston :) Steve went for an MRI - his back/leg have been messed up. He also reported in that the dumpster is in the driveway, which I hope is an indicator of lots of work getting done this week.
Tonight I am procrastinating because I have work to do. The hotel offered a free movie and popcorn - so I just got done watching WF and JH in Blades of Glory.
Previously on 108 North...
We had just found out about the water line and were headed for our first cruise. The trip was great and we have lots of fond memories like....being detained in Mexico and leaving 1 cell phone in LA. The Gs safely made it back to 108N and the phone...well...Steve just got the shipping info today - so he promises it will be here shortly.
PT got to vacation with gma, teach and ellie in chambana and had a grand old time.
The house...while in spite of best hopes of progress while we were out of town...little was done inside. The electrical did get updated - so that's a start.
The week of the 4th - which I keep referring to as 2 weeks in 1 - dragged on. Seriously what kind of a joke is it have a holiday mid-week? Tues felt like Fri, Wed felt like Sun, and Thurs felt like Monday AGAIN. Remind me when this happens again in a few years just to take the week off.
We celebrated like it was 1812 at that band concert on the 5th. It actually was nice that work hadn't really started on the house. I just know there will come a point when having people over will not be feasible. We also got news on a new addition for our friends. Not sure if this has been announced - so will just leave names out for now :) We're so excited for you guys!!!!
This morning I left the house bright and early for ORD and a business trip to Houston :) Steve went for an MRI - his back/leg have been messed up. He also reported in that the dumpster is in the driveway, which I hope is an indicator of lots of work getting done this week.
Tonight I am procrastinating because I have work to do. The hotel offered a free movie and popcorn - so I just got done watching WF and JH in Blades of Glory.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Now this...this is complaining...and a long one...
Steve and I both have had a pretty rough work week. Sometimes planning to go on a vacation feels like more work than it is worth. That is not to say that vacations aren't necessary.
It just seems like this week has been full of things that take longer than you thought and no real time for planning - throw in less sleep than normal and you have 2 cranky, frantic people.
Will shift a little blame to the dog who this week decided might not need the huge comforter in his cage to keep him warm in our un-air conditioned house. He is really found of all blankets and will bury his head under the throw on the couch just to cover his eyes from the light. It clearly made sense to us that he must be getting warm under the comforter. In hindsight he may not really mind the heat. Our little black pup will find the one inch of sunlight on the porch and bake himself until he is panting and we take him inside. He's not like some other dogs we know in Champaign who have taken to bask in the shade. In any event, pretty much every night this week he has woken us up during the middle of the night barking and refusing to go back into his bed. At least once in our drunken sleepiness we have ended up letting him sleep in our bed just to make the barking stop. So apparently we need to give him back his blanket so he will sleep through the night.
I know this is nothing compared to the sleepless nights that parents had but it just added to a crazy week. Today, we got a call from the contractor (who has yet to do more than draw circles on my walls were light switched and outlets will go) - to say that the city is making us upgrade the waterline....a $12-$15k expense we weren't really planning on...
Did I mention we are leaving on vacation in a few days? woo hoo...we should make sure to pack those bags and bags of money we have laying around....
So it's time to re-look at our plans...because the budget is the budget. The good news is that the electrical work will get started next week when we are gone - which will be nice. We have to narrow down where we can cut corners, delay things or what we can do on our own.
Gosh...was my last post some kind of foreshadowing???
It just seems like this week has been full of things that take longer than you thought and no real time for planning - throw in less sleep than normal and you have 2 cranky, frantic people.
Will shift a little blame to the dog who this week decided might not need the huge comforter in his cage to keep him warm in our un-air conditioned house. He is really found of all blankets and will bury his head under the throw on the couch just to cover his eyes from the light. It clearly made sense to us that he must be getting warm under the comforter. In hindsight he may not really mind the heat. Our little black pup will find the one inch of sunlight on the porch and bake himself until he is panting and we take him inside. He's not like some other dogs we know in Champaign who have taken to bask in the shade. In any event, pretty much every night this week he has woken us up during the middle of the night barking and refusing to go back into his bed. At least once in our drunken sleepiness we have ended up letting him sleep in our bed just to make the barking stop. So apparently we need to give him back his blanket so he will sleep through the night.
I know this is nothing compared to the sleepless nights that parents had but it just added to a crazy week. Today, we got a call from the contractor (who has yet to do more than draw circles on my walls were light switched and outlets will go) - to say that the city is making us upgrade the waterline....a $12-$15k expense we weren't really planning on...
Did I mention we are leaving on vacation in a few days? woo hoo...we should make sure to pack those bags and bags of money we have laying around....
So it's time to re-look at our plans...because the budget is the budget. The good news is that the electrical work will get started next week when we are gone - which will be nice. We have to narrow down where we can cut corners, delay things or what we can do on our own.
Gosh...was my last post some kind of foreshadowing???
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Not complaining....just documenting
I am used to operating under such things as a "schedule" or what one might call a "plan". I have even caused Steve to arrive 45 minutes early for his own birthday party in order to satisfy my need to be "on time". Furthermore, I am used to getting what I want, when I want it.
Needless to say this attitude and need for timeliness of actions does not bode well for someone entering into a large house project, which requires the help of people who are not maritally bound to meet my demands of getting things done when I expect them to be done.
We are leaving shortly to go on a cruise with some friends, so the plan was to have things underway so that work on the house could get done in our absence. This was in compliance with "my plan".
I bought things and ordered things to comply with said plan.
Friday we were scheduled to "start" with the electrical box upgrade to 200 amps. This has now gotten pushed back until late Monday. This means that actual work can't start until Tuesday. No problem....just getting to be 2 weeks later than we originally thought. So I can see how this quickly turns into a slippery slope with these kinds of projects.
Yesterday we got a call that the bathroom tile was in. Yeah! We decided to go get it on Sunday since Saturday was jam packed with activities. Steve and I headed in the direction of the tile store in separate cars since there was a chance that 130 sq ft of tile would be too much for one car. On the way, we stopped at Kohls to exchange swim trunks I had bought Steve for our trip. He picked out new ones and I got in the returns/exchange line for a bit. I sent Steve on to the tile store so that he could get his half.
After 25 mins in line, I was pleasantly suprised to learn that Steve was able to get all the tile in his car. So I headed over to my parents to pick up a suitcase to borrow. We chatted for a bit. My dad went in to the ER last night for kidney stones- so there was a bit to talk about. So far no sightings of the "golden nuggets" (as my mom is calling them).
By the time I got home, Steve had already taken all 20 boxes upstairs. I was happy to have gotten out of manual labor - but a little disappointed when I realized 7 of the boxes were the wrong tile....
We loaded up the tile and I called the store. "Oh Chip must have put the order in wrong".
Admittedly the order was slightly confusing since 130 sq ft was of 2 in all white hexagon tile with a white square and 72 sq ft was of 1 in hexagons with an ebony center hexagon . Sounds like the same thing - it's not.
I conjured about my best Grandma Rose* impression and was off to give them a piece of my mind. By the time I got there I wasn't willing to start making a scene until I gave them the chance to make things right. They claim to be ordering the right tile and it should be in Thursday. God help them if it's not.
Yes I realize it's not the end of the world - since the likelihood of the contractor laying tile while we are gone is slim. I still feel like it is my natural born right to be a pissed off customer when I don't get what I want.
*Grandma Rose was a former inhabitant of the house, who chose to speak her mind when given bad customer service and well to be honest sometimes they deserved it and sometimes they didn't. She wasn't a public cusser - though she did own a necklace that said "Oh Shit" - but had she waited in that Kohls line - they would have heard how ridiculous it was. And she would have been right. Nothing is more infuriating as a customer than to see 1 person at a customer service desk and other workers nearby not coming over to help. I know perfectly well that the person I am seeing is probably not trained for customer service and is probably tasked with putting away returned stock...it just doesn't make my wait any shorter.
Needless to say this attitude and need for timeliness of actions does not bode well for someone entering into a large house project, which requires the help of people who are not maritally bound to meet my demands of getting things done when I expect them to be done.
We are leaving shortly to go on a cruise with some friends, so the plan was to have things underway so that work on the house could get done in our absence. This was in compliance with "my plan".
I bought things and ordered things to comply with said plan.
Friday we were scheduled to "start" with the electrical box upgrade to 200 amps. This has now gotten pushed back until late Monday. This means that actual work can't start until Tuesday. No problem....just getting to be 2 weeks later than we originally thought. So I can see how this quickly turns into a slippery slope with these kinds of projects.
Yesterday we got a call that the bathroom tile was in. Yeah! We decided to go get it on Sunday since Saturday was jam packed with activities. Steve and I headed in the direction of the tile store in separate cars since there was a chance that 130 sq ft of tile would be too much for one car. On the way, we stopped at Kohls to exchange swim trunks I had bought Steve for our trip. He picked out new ones and I got in the returns/exchange line for a bit. I sent Steve on to the tile store so that he could get his half.
After 25 mins in line, I was pleasantly suprised to learn that Steve was able to get all the tile in his car. So I headed over to my parents to pick up a suitcase to borrow. We chatted for a bit. My dad went in to the ER last night for kidney stones- so there was a bit to talk about. So far no sightings of the "golden nuggets" (as my mom is calling them).
By the time I got home, Steve had already taken all 20 boxes upstairs. I was happy to have gotten out of manual labor - but a little disappointed when I realized 7 of the boxes were the wrong tile....
We loaded up the tile and I called the store. "Oh Chip must have put the order in wrong".
Admittedly the order was slightly confusing since 130 sq ft was of 2 in all white hexagon tile with a white square and 72 sq ft was of 1 in hexagons with an ebony center hexagon . Sounds like the same thing - it's not.
I conjured about my best Grandma Rose* impression and was off to give them a piece of my mind. By the time I got there I wasn't willing to start making a scene until I gave them the chance to make things right. They claim to be ordering the right tile and it should be in Thursday. God help them if it's not.
Yes I realize it's not the end of the world - since the likelihood of the contractor laying tile while we are gone is slim. I still feel like it is my natural born right to be a pissed off customer when I don't get what I want.
*Grandma Rose was a former inhabitant of the house, who chose to speak her mind when given bad customer service and well to be honest sometimes they deserved it and sometimes they didn't. She wasn't a public cusser - though she did own a necklace that said "Oh Shit" - but had she waited in that Kohls line - they would have heard how ridiculous it was. And she would have been right. Nothing is more infuriating as a customer than to see 1 person at a customer service desk and other workers nearby not coming over to help. I know perfectly well that the person I am seeing is probably not trained for customer service and is probably tasked with putting away returned stock...it just doesn't make my wait any shorter.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
The little woman will do it
I only wish I had a picture of this, but last weekend Katie and I worked together cutting the lawn. (I am alternating using the push mower and the gas mower hoping to get to a point were I am using the push 2 times for every time I use the gas - to save some oil. The reality is that the push mower doesn't cut as well as the gas mower.) So it was time to cut using the gas, but Katie wanted to try using the push. She cut a good sized portion of the lawn just pushing and I did the rest with the gas. A passer-by even gave Katie the thumbs up for plugging away. Needless to say, I was impressed by her not just trying but doing. Now on to the renovation's - starting as early as Friday. We got our first permit to start work!
Friday, May 25, 2007
In honor of Memorial Day
I thought it would be fitting to post a few pics of a former owner of the house in his navy uniform. I believe that some of these were my grandparents engagement pictures...
My apologies for how these are scanned. I need to go back and re-scan them!
Monday, May 21, 2007
Pretty toilets?
When we first looked at toilets - my thought was...a toilet is a toilet, right? As long as it isn't some funky color (like the existing blue one) - this should be an easy choice. Steve was all about the "elongated bowl" - I am not even sure what that means in terms of functionality...but sure - if he feels strongly about it. No problem.
But then I saw it and knew it had to be mine....The Pegasus Structure from HD....
Oh wait - is that a matching pedestal sink???
Justification
I think we have most of the bathroom stuff picked out, which I will post pictures of later. It now comes down to justifying the purchase of a double vanity for the kids bathroom.
After looking at HD, Menards and Lowe's - I stumbled upon exactly what I was looking for....at Pottery Barn....Teen. As if it wasn't bad enough to pick something that is from PB - now it is in the teen catalogue? They do have a similar item in the regular PB - its just the wrong color.
Here are some pics of the fabulousy over-priced item that I want more than anything and am struggling to justify....
Do you see all the cute storage spaces?
Of course I realized now - that if I get this I will surely have boys - who will have no appreciation for this at all...... I guess I will have to think about this one a little more.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Tile and bathroom inspiration
I'm too lazy to take the time and document where I found these pictures. I am leaning towards the very last picture, which uses the hectagon tiles....
Monday, May 07, 2007
Shopping!
We had the contractor over this evening to do another walk through and talk more numbers. The goal is still to start things in early June. With that in mind we really should be doing more to box things up - the less we have out and in their way the better.
We also walked through all of the purchases that need to be made - which is clearly the more fun part. Here's what's on the list (side note: Steve wanted me to write all of this down when the contractor was here - just so we don't forget what we need to do.....I hear where he is coming from - but this is shopping....no chance of me forgetting what we need on this one!):
1. Double vanity, 2 sinks, 2 faucets and a large mirror for the new bathroom upstairs (existing ktichen) - we have started referring to this as the kids' bathroom
2. Single Vanity, sink, faucet and mirror for the master bath - I am starting to think pedestal - but we will see on that one. I figure if we do for pedestal I will have more options on side storage cabinets.
3. Two toilets!!
4. Corner shower for the master bath
5. Shower/Bath combo for kids bath
6. Tile for both bathrooms
7. A whole mess of light fixtures
8. A storage chest for the kids bathroom linens - hopefully we can refurbish something from a flea market or garage sale
So when all is said and done - we will have tripled the number of working bathrooms in the house. We have done pretty well with just the one small bathroom - but there have definitely been some difficult moments when it would have been nice to have more than one. We also opted to keep it a single sink in our bathroom. A double would probably fit - but since the bathroom ceiling is sloped - I figured I'd rather have the storage space than the extra sink. Besides - I can always regulate Steve to the full bath downstairs or take over the kids bath until they are of age to realize it.
I have collected a few pictures of things I like so far. I am sure this will change when I actually go see them in person.
ok - I give up. I am using Steve's laptop and it is very slow. I am going to go search for a few pics of my "dream" bathrooms - to get a few more ideas and call it a night...
One more thing. We also will need a new washer and dryer, but since we are keeping the ones we have in the basement - there is no rush on this purchase...here is the Maytage Neptune front loader washer. Teach and the doc just got new appliances - so I will have to get some recommendations from them on this one.
Did I mention that Steve checked in on me mid-post and asked if my OCD had kicked in yet? That was a good 30 mins ago, so I think the answer would be yes now.
We also walked through all of the purchases that need to be made - which is clearly the more fun part. Here's what's on the list (side note: Steve wanted me to write all of this down when the contractor was here - just so we don't forget what we need to do.....I hear where he is coming from - but this is shopping....no chance of me forgetting what we need on this one!):
1. Double vanity, 2 sinks, 2 faucets and a large mirror for the new bathroom upstairs (existing ktichen) - we have started referring to this as the kids' bathroom
2. Single Vanity, sink, faucet and mirror for the master bath - I am starting to think pedestal - but we will see on that one. I figure if we do for pedestal I will have more options on side storage cabinets.
3. Two toilets!!
4. Corner shower for the master bath
5. Shower/Bath combo for kids bath
6. Tile for both bathrooms
7. A whole mess of light fixtures
8. A storage chest for the kids bathroom linens - hopefully we can refurbish something from a flea market or garage sale
So when all is said and done - we will have tripled the number of working bathrooms in the house. We have done pretty well with just the one small bathroom - but there have definitely been some difficult moments when it would have been nice to have more than one. We also opted to keep it a single sink in our bathroom. A double would probably fit - but since the bathroom ceiling is sloped - I figured I'd rather have the storage space than the extra sink. Besides - I can always regulate Steve to the full bath downstairs or take over the kids bath until they are of age to realize it.
I have collected a few pictures of things I like so far. I am sure this will change when I actually go see them in person.
ok - I give up. I am using Steve's laptop and it is very slow. I am going to go search for a few pics of my "dream" bathrooms - to get a few more ideas and call it a night...One more thing. We also will need a new washer and dryer, but since we are keeping the ones we have in the basement - there is no rush on this purchase...here is the Maytage Neptune front loader washer. Teach and the doc just got new appliances - so I will have to get some recommendations from them on this one.
Did I mention that Steve checked in on me mid-post and asked if my OCD had kicked in yet? That was a good 30 mins ago, so I think the answer would be yes now.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Hard at work
In order to keep ourselves busy before we "start work on the house", "we" have taken to yardwork. Steve wants to go organic - so he spent several hours this past weekend digging up dandelions.
Fortunately, "the supervisor" was out there to make sure he got the work done...
Even the supervisor needs a break, right?
In the end, Steve learned that cutting the grass is one way to make all of the dandelions disappear, which was nice for the couple who came over to take pictures in our yard after getting married at the church across the street. Hmmm, we could probably make a few bucks renting out our front porch and yard for weddings......
Fortunately, "the supervisor" was out there to make sure he got the work done...Even the supervisor needs a break, right?
In the end, Steve learned that cutting the grass is one way to make all of the dandelions disappear, which was nice for the couple who came over to take pictures in our yard after getting married at the church across the street. Hmmm, we could probably make a few bucks renting out our front porch and yard for weddings......
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Teach and the Doc
I've been giving my little sister a hard time about her attempts to get a blog going.....and she finally gave me the link to her site.
I'm sure many pics of the new house, Ellie Belle and life in Chambana to come!
I'm sure many pics of the new house, Ellie Belle and life in Chambana to come!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Upstairs Pictures
I was really bored one day and took a few pics of some of the details upstairs....
This is the light fixture in the upstairs back hall (our master closet)
This is a calendar that was hanging up in the kitchen. I considered it a good omen since it is Steve's birth year.
This is the knob for the chandelier in the dining room (reading room to be).
This is the view out the door in the master bedroom. It goes out on to a balcony that is over the back porch. I can't wait to have guests out there!
Where the Sidewalk Ends...
One of Steve's projects over the last few weeks has been clearing our sidewalks of the grass that has overgrown the edges. This is weather and time permitting as it is a long and tedious undertaking. He's made it about 1/2 way down the block (on one side).
It will be great when it is done to have a wider path to walk on it. I'm sure that even once he is done - it will be a battle to maintain each year. We'll keep you posted as to where he is in a few weeks!
It will be great when it is done to have a wider path to walk on it. I'm sure that even once he is done - it will be a battle to maintain each year. We'll keep you posted as to where he is in a few weeks!
Friday, March 16, 2007
1864!
I have not only been negligent in my blogging, but we have also lost momentum on doing house research.
Today, however, I got a call from Value Net a company that is contracted through our bank to appraise our house (without actually seeing it) for a possible home equity loan which will be necessary to fund the home rennovations. This is all still very tentative, but since the appraisal is free - we figured it had to be done at somepoint, right?
The bank let me know that this person would be calling to confirm some details on the house - such as have we added a big pool or any other big improvements. So I was kind of expecting something along those lines. The interesting thing is what they do is compare your home to others that have sold in the area and my understanding is that they only do an in-home appraisal if the amount of the loan is above $250k (which thankfully, ours is not).
She confirmed the address and if we are in a subdivision. Then she asked me to confirm the year the house was built, "Does 1864 sound about right?". I confirmed :)
We had always known that the house was most likely from the 60s (1860s that is) - but had never pulled up the public files to get any further details. For some reason it was strange hearing it said out loud and thinking wow - this has been around for 143 years.
This also means the house was no spring chicken (in its 50s) when my family moved in 1916....so it had so much history even at that point.
In any case, we should know the outcome of the appraisal early next week. The only other notable suprise was when she asked me what I thought the house was worth. So I very quickly did the math, what we paid + how much we need for a loan = my answer. Really I'd love to know what they do with that information. What sane person would ever give a number different from how I calculated mine?
So that's the big news of the day. I hope to fill in some other details from the last month or so - but no promises. In a few months, there should be pictures of Casa de Champaign from my little sis - hopefully she will let me share. Especially since she is the one who calls me to remind me I haven't posted and also claims she has started her own blog and just doesn't know how to do it yet :)
Today, however, I got a call from Value Net a company that is contracted through our bank to appraise our house (without actually seeing it) for a possible home equity loan which will be necessary to fund the home rennovations. This is all still very tentative, but since the appraisal is free - we figured it had to be done at somepoint, right?
The bank let me know that this person would be calling to confirm some details on the house - such as have we added a big pool or any other big improvements. So I was kind of expecting something along those lines. The interesting thing is what they do is compare your home to others that have sold in the area and my understanding is that they only do an in-home appraisal if the amount of the loan is above $250k (which thankfully, ours is not).
She confirmed the address and if we are in a subdivision. Then she asked me to confirm the year the house was built, "Does 1864 sound about right?". I confirmed :)
We had always known that the house was most likely from the 60s (1860s that is) - but had never pulled up the public files to get any further details. For some reason it was strange hearing it said out loud and thinking wow - this has been around for 143 years.
This also means the house was no spring chicken (in its 50s) when my family moved in 1916....so it had so much history even at that point.
In any case, we should know the outcome of the appraisal early next week. The only other notable suprise was when she asked me what I thought the house was worth. So I very quickly did the math, what we paid + how much we need for a loan = my answer. Really I'd love to know what they do with that information. What sane person would ever give a number different from how I calculated mine?
So that's the big news of the day. I hope to fill in some other details from the last month or so - but no promises. In a few months, there should be pictures of Casa de Champaign from my little sis - hopefully she will let me share. Especially since she is the one who calls me to remind me I haven't posted and also claims she has started her own blog and just doesn't know how to do it yet :)
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