Monthly Archives: April 2010

Remodel List

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This really long list is everything that has to be done in the house we’re remodeling.  If you missed the post detailing why and where we’re moving, you can read that here.  I’m going to list room by room.  And yes, I’m totally a LIST PERSON.  I have all kinds of lists.

Outside:
Repair water damage at back door—replace door and sill and siding under door
Repair siding damage at corner of screened porch
Repair small hole at vent on screened porch
Repair ceiling on screened porch (it just needs to be re-attached)
Remove all downed/dead trees from the tornado
Fence in back yard for dogs and kids
Build new chicken coop
Replace all entry doors (3 of them total)

Inside (all the way through):
Replace flooring
Paint walls and ceilings
New ceiling fans/light fixtures
Possibly new trim?
Possibly new doors (may be down the road)

Laundry:
Possible subfloor repair
Tile, laminate, or cork?  I want cork but laminate may be our budget friendly option.

Kitchen:
Replace damaged subfloor from frig waterline leak
Replace bottom cabinets
New gas stove (Hunter wants to change to electric…we disagree…but there’s a gas line issue that might make that decision for us)
Decide whether to paint or sand/try to match stain on new bottom cabinets
Possibly shorten wall between living room and kitchen
Add a bar to end of cabinets
New light above kitchen table
NEW KITCHEN TABLE…we’re building it dang it.  I am NOT moving this one.

Living Room:
Repair ceiling where Wayne fell thru putting on new metal roof
Possible subfloor repair from above frig leak
New mantle? (maybe down the road)

Small bath:
Replace vanity and sink
Replace toilet
Tile floor
Remove wallpaper before painting
New light fixtures
New faucets

First bedroom (my brother’s):
in good shape minus flooring and paint and new ceiling fan

Second bedroom (mine):
Same as my brother’s we think

Master:
Same as other two we think

Master bath:
Oh boy…
Replace subfloor(leaking toilet) BIG hole from collapse just before they moved. 
Tile floor
Remove wallpaper before painting
Replace toilet
Replace vanity/sink
Replace all light fixtures and faucets

Potential addition:
Close in screened porch
Stain floor or put down cork flooring
Walls up
Paint
Hang cabinet above freezers for canning/food storage

Other Potential issues:
New duct work?
New furnace (a must we’re thinking)

If we close in the porch, the outside of the house will have to be painted fairly quickly.  It needs it anyway so that’s not a bad thing. We WILL pay someone to paint the outside. 

Hunter will also go ahead and add a 10 x 10 deck on the back so we’ll have somewhere to grill. We’re hoping in another year to put a deck all the way down the back of the house, add two French Doors from the kitchen and a door from our bedroom onto the deck.  We have other plans for the yard/walkway but we’ll get into those once we’re settled. 

Overwhelmed yet?

Carrie

Ch-ch-ch-changes

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I’m been putting off telling yall about this.  I don’t know why.  I tell you every blessed thing else most of the time.  I ramble on and on and you read and comment and make me happy.  So, I’m about to dump some news on yall. 

We’ve decided to move and put our house up for sale. 

Yep.

Here’s why in a nutshell, if you will.  The past 2 years have been incredibly difficult and stressful for us financially.  We’re doing ok but we have come to realize that we are just maxed out.  Completely.  Work picked up this spring, thank you Lord, and things are rocking along but we also realize that slow times will be back once the summer heat hits and then it’ll happen again in the winter.  In the past we’ve been able to rely on other funds, big jobs coming up, etc, etc, etc but now its just tight for everyone.  And their funds have all dried up too.  Added to that is the fact that we’re still waiting on a budget where I work, and we’ll probably have shortened work weeks…i.e. I’ll have a smaller paycheck too.

For the past few months, we’ve been talking, considering and planning.  We rounded up prices at the local home improvement stores and talked with my parents.  You see, they moved out of my childhood home and into another house they’d purchased up the street for my brother a few years ago (he’s since remarried and moved into his wife’s house) after my mom had knee surgery.  She had a really difficult time getting into and out of the old house.  Rough terrain and high steps into and out of the house.  So, we approached my dad about remodeling the house and then renting it from them. 

My dad was for it.  We will remodel out of our pocket and then won’t pay rent until the costs of the remodel are re-cooped.  Not only will this help us so much, but they will also be able to take the rent we pay and lower their mortgage on their current house.  Rent will be significantly cheaper than our mortgage.  Hunter and I really feel like, if we do this, we can be debt free in less than 3 years except possibly a car payment when my car does die.  We also feel like we’ll be able to save up to buy land sooner and eventually build our own house.  That’s incentives, right?!? 

I’m excited.  How often do you get to remodel your childhood home?  It’s a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house with a fireplace that already has a wood stove insert in it.  There is a dirt basement so we are losing space but that is ok with us.  In addition, there is a (former) screened porch that we’re talking about closing in for additional room.  That may have to wait until after we’ve settled though.  We’ll see how we do on the budget.

I’ve been cleaning out for about 3 weeks now  (which is why I’m lacking in posts…I typically write a good bit on Fridays and now Fridays are cleaning day) and its also A LOT of work to clean out 35 years of stuff.  When the moved, they took things slowly so there’s a ton of stuff left.  A ton. I’m probably about half done.  I have two rooms left.  To put this delicately, my mom has a clothes problem.  Like, she could open a store with the clothes she has.  So,there is so much to sort through.  It’s ridiculous.  Its not wonder I hate to shop.  I foresee a large yard sale in May or June!   

And to prove that it’s been 2 or years since anyone has inhabited the house, last Friday I pulled out two blankets from one of the closets on Friday and A FRIGGIN’ LIVE SNAKE fell out.  Did yall hear me scream?  I’m certain you probably did.  And did you see me run into the hall door trying to get away?  I hate snakes…terrified of them.  Throat closes and nearly passes out scared.  NOT COOL.  I called my dad screaming and made him come and get it (it was a black snake he told me, like that makes a hill of beans to me) and I refuse to finish that closet OR my brother’s old closet since it backs up to that one.  I.don’t.care.  Snakes are beyond me.   Someone else will do those closets.  It took like 40 minutes for the chills to go away and we won’t talk about the paranoia from then on.  Oh, laugh all you want.  I’m sure you got a kick out of this.  I, however, did not. 

That’s our news!  A new home and a remodel is in the works!  I should answer the obvious questions.  Yes, we are going to put our house up for sale toward the end of summer, after we move.  And yes, I know it’s not good to show an empty house but I also know that there is no way I can get it clean and keep it clean, do this remodel, maintain our lives, survive t-ball, Awanas, and swimming lessons.  I’m already praying for a buyer.  We’re hoping and praying it will sell and sell quickly.  I’m just grateful that we have somewhere we can move that is in the same area (6 miles) and on the same street as my family.  Most of them anyway.  

I’ll be sharing pictures and plans over the next few weeks (including our budget which will be fun and force me into some accountability) and DEFINITELY looking for decorating/remodeling advice!  I should have another post up this week with a list of everything that has to be done before we move in.  It’ll be fun to document this on the blog as we go along. 

Right now, we are planning to move in September hopefully.

Have you ever made a drastic decision like this and survived?  Who’s remodeled a house? 

Carrie

More often than not…

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More often than not…

There’s a gigantic pile of dirty laundry in our house.  (I’m not talking about one of those cutesy baskets either…a GIANT pile that’s shameful.)

There’s a gigantic pile of clean laundry waiting to be folded or put away.
There’s dirt on the floor because I haven’t swept.  Or mopped…in centuries it feels like

I often hope no one comes by because I don’t want them to see our house.

There are clothes on hangers, waiting to be put in the closet.

There are piles of shoes next to the front door. (How many pairs of boots does one family need? And flip flops and Crocs…Lord help me)

There are small bits of trash scattered in the yard because of the puppy.

There’s debris from Hunter’s latest job.

There are weeds in the beds, beds that need pine straw and, ok, a dead plant or two we haven’t pulled up.

There’s a quick supper because I’d rather be outside with the kids.
There are dishes in the sink because I choose to get in the bath tub instead and read a book.

There’s dust…because I don’t do it.

There’s yelling because of “selective hearing” as we call it.

But, do you know what I’m coming to realize?

There’s laughter because the boys are wrestling…dirty floor and all.

There are clean clothes to wear and shoes to put on our feet, even if we pull them out of the basket.

There’s yelling as they conquer the Mount Laundry.

There’s peace because I did take a few minutes for myself instead of trying to be the perfect wife and mother.

That it really doesn’t matter how much I sweep, we’ll just track it all back in anyway in 30 minutes. Just get to it as I can.

There’s good food, regardless of whether or not its 100% homemade or 0% not homemade, and regardless of whether the dishes pile up.

Debris is a sign of work….who’s to complain?

There’s a really cute, demonic puppy that’s going to destroy any beds I try to fix, pee on anything I plant, eat my flowers, and just pull out more junk to “play” with.

There’s good, true friends and family who don’t really care what your house looks like. They came to see YOU.

The important things stand out more so now than ever. I’m learning to let go, to care less about what others think and more about what my husband and my kids think and to just laugh and love more. Those are the things that I will remember in 30 years, not that I got the dishes done and the floor swept on April 8th (although I did manage to accomplish this yesterday afternoon!  And mopping).

More often than not, I am embracing the small things, loving the (loosely) controlled chaos of my life, counting my gratitudes and loving this life that I’ve been given….

(from my 1000 Gifts (Gratitudes) list)
#20 sticky kisses from sweet lips
#21 watching the boys with their grandparents and seeing the love
#22 seeing JP play his first tball game oh so excited he was!
#23 really noticing the moon phases this month and enjoying God’s show
#24 rough hands rubbing my arm in church and him leaning over to whisper that I look beautiful
#27 my herb seeds growing!

Carrie