HOUSE UPDATE
Probably the No. 1 thing I am asked, after How are the kids doing? is How is the house coming along? So here is an update, without current pictures, of what's going on around here. We are doing so many little things that take a lot of time to get done, that sometimes I don't have a great list to rattle off as an answer. Tonight, I have lists for you.
To set this up, here are a few pictures from early fall 2010
These serve the purpose to remind you and me that the item on the list might read:
Build brick wall. But the work and effort required to cross off that line item is huge. So far we have done everything ourselves. We also must fit in our to-do items with left over energy from earning a living, serving in church callings, and the many other joyful distractions of life.
So without further ado, here is the list of how the house is going:
2011 Property Accomplishments
1. Took down two large trees. Cut up and stacked for firewood
2. Trimmed the pine tree, cut up branches and stacked.
3. Cleared backyard flat.
4. Created a garden area
5. Received a free Tuff Shed, placed and leveled for a garden shed
6. Built a chicken coop
7. Rototilled manure into the backyard soil.
8. Planted grass seed/set-up timed watering system with hoses and oscillating sprinklers.
9. Bought and planted 5 shade trees, 6 fruit/citrus trees.
10. Built Ron’s workshop.
11. Gutted Casita
12. Placed a shower pan and tiled casita shower
13. Installed vanity, sink, toilet in casita
14. Scraped off popcorn ceiling in casita
15. Relocated door of casita to south wall.
16. Retextured ceiling and some walls.
17. Installed three new windows in casita
18. Installed travertine floor
19. Painted and installed ½ of baseboards
20. Hung new closet rods
21. Installed water filtration/softener system
22. Installed commercial water mineral filter
23. Installed hot water heater for casita
24. Took down unnecessary fencing in the front yard.
24. Leveled front yard.
You might wonder why we put so much effort into the backyard/garden, etc., when it is the living conditions that needed improving. Well, after 2 1/2 months, I had had it with the dust flying everywhere. The dirt here is poofy, and was blowing like crazy. Hense, the need for grass to cut down on the dust. The bigger benefit was a place for the grandchildren to run around and play. We could sit out and have family dinners on the grass. I sat on the backyard swing and enjoyed the evenings.
The other line of thought was I know that this whole process will be a 5 year project. Why not be able to enjoy the yard as we go? Why not get trees planted now, so when we're done with the house, they've matured and look nice? Why spend 5 years building, then wait another 5 years for the fruit trees to grow and mature? So we planted along the perimeter outside of the area of construction. I have not done anything with the front yard, and probably won't until after the construction is finished.
Today Ron and I were discussing some things we need to do. He ends by saying, "I think this time next year we'll be ready to start the house." I replied, "I thought this time next year we'd have a big hole in the ground and the basement started." That's when I decided to make a list of what we need to be doing next. By the time I got to the end of the 2012 To-do List, I'm afraid to say I think Ron was right. I don't see the extra money and time in the next year to get the list done by July and start the basement, but I'm always open to miracles.
We'll finish up the casita and get it complete. I'll use it to host our Sunday family dinners, visiting and home teachers, other miscellaneous visitors, but I don't think we'll actually move into it until we're ready to start demo on the main house. The three rooms we're camping out in now are actually larger than the casita. We'll see how it goes.
2012 Property To-do List
1. Convert new casita range for LP Gas
2. Mount propane tank and pipe to kitchen for the range
3. Add more electrical outlets on kitchen wall.
4. Install cabinets + microwave + dishwasher
5. Paint & install baseboards and cove molding in front room
6. Install 3 new ceiling light fixtures
7. Have Cox put cable in casita.
8. Trim the 3 large widow frames from inside.
9. Get blinds for front 2 windows. Make curtains for bedroom window.
10. On outside, add mortar around the window frames that were replaced.
11. Get architectural foam to trim out the windows on outside walls
12. Repaint outside of casita to more closely match the workshop
13. Put a conex storage in backyard for work materials.
14. Grade new driveway approach
15. Prepare ground between workshop and casita for cement.
16. Pull up some of the existing cement in front of casita prepare for new pour.
17. Pour driveway. Pour driveway into the shop. Pour entrance area to casita
18. Install garage doors on workshop
19. Paint epoxy finish on shop floor
20. Install the individual heating/AC units for the casita
21. Temporary power pole for workshop.
22. Hardwire electrical connections for the water filtration system
23. Pipe in more water spigots around property
24. Bring storage trailer (semi trailer) here from Glen’s house.
24. Build wooden steps to access trailer easily. Paint to match workshop.
25. Continue going through our packed boxes, rearrange, label clearly, donate extra
26. Move all storage boxes currently being stored in the house to the trailer
27. Finalize house remodel plans.
28. Begin permitting process.
You may ask why mess with drive way, etc., before main house construction, isn't that poured after completion? Yes, normally. Since when do we do anything normal. Much like the backyard, I don't intend to spend the next 5 years driving up to my house on pooffy dirt. Walking to get into my car and getting my Sunday shoes dirty. Since the driveway approach is from the opposite side of the property than the house construction, I'll take the cement now. We'll leave about a 10 foot strip that will be poured to match up to the garage when we're done.
Hope this answers your questions about how the house is doing. Next up, review of the end of our year.
