Inside progress

I don't have a lot to say regarding what has been going on inside the house this winter. It has been exciting to be moving along, but not a lot of fun stuff to talk about or see. Really what has been happening has just been wrecking our space, but it is a means to an end! This has not always been easy for me to remember. I will be so grateful for a clean organized space again, someday!

 

This is what has been happening in my bathroom...

 

Yes, there is a hole in my floor. Luckily that is fairly recent and we are very close to gutting this room! Disregard the wipes on the floor, funny what you don't even notice anymore when you are living in a mess ALL the time!

 

This is the new hookup for where my washer and dryer are moving to...

 

 

 

Chimney removal

 

 

 

 

 

These are some photos of the kitchen/living room space with the chimney removed...

 

 

We do not need the chimney anymore and by taking it out, we gain a good amount of space for our kitchen. This has been a great area for Owen to "work" like daddy. He takes out his tools and rips apart the wall, hammers, measures, pretends to drill, etc. Although it is great fun now, I often think, "I really hope he realizes that we won't be doing this to the new walls??" Hmm....maybe I will kick myself later for letting him "work?"

 

How do you say no to "work" when he looks this darn cute doing it?

 

 

 

The giant fireplace in the basement is also gone which creates the open basement space we need to finish it. The fireplace took up a ton of space down there, it was huge! Such a big difference without it. I can now see the potential of the finished basement!

 

 

I was almost not going to post the above picture, because the mess is kind of embarrassing, but hey, this is the reality of living through a renovation!

 

Now that's what has been going on around the house lately.

 

Also, a whole LOT of this....

 

 

Just so you know, I am not choosing any of these colors...I still can't decide!

 

And a whole lot of this... 

Shopping for lighting and fixtures

This is the tub we chose

This is the shower fixture I chose

I did choose this bathroom faucet but with the separate handles not together like shown in the picture

 

Shopping, sending text message pictures of things we like, and trying to decide what is going to look good together. This is such a hard process, I have a hard time envisioning how it will all look together. We have definitely become regulars at the stores!

 

The Back

Before the weather got too cold or I should say unbearably cold (Mike was definitely out there working in less than desirable weather) he worked on the back of the house. He resheathed the entire back side, removed the sliding door and added all new windows. For a little reminder, here is the back before....

 

 

Then the back after the deck was removed

 

 

 

Then per a friends recommendation we hired General Concrete Cutting Services, Inc. (I couldn't find a web page, but here is a link to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/General-Concrete-Cutting-Services-Inc/217046531658663) They were done in a few hours and we had a true daylight basement, which we had to quickly cover up!

 

 

Then Mike started on the upstairs. First the entryway window came out. Talk about dark, he had to remove the electrical in that room for some reason, so we didn't have a light in there either.

 

 

This little boy so badly wanted to help...

 

 

 

 But instead I talked him in to helping us do this...

Love these two! Can't resist adding a few cute pictures in with all these fun house renovations!
 

I missed getting a picture of the bathroom window and kitchen window coming out. Then the slider! This came out on one of the first really cold days of the year! Makes sense right? We were freezing, but it had to get done! It was so cold, that our lovely neighbors saw what was happening and knew we had to be freezing and invited us over to warm up! Needless to say though, there was so much excitement going on here, we just couldn't leave!

 

 And then there was darkness and we lived with it for a couple months while we waited for the new windows to come in.

I was so happy to see these babies comes in...

 

The next weekend all the back ones went in! I never thought I would love windows as much as I do, but when you go from terrible windows to, no windows, you really appreciate them! They are wonderful! They look so nice and they are so easy to open and clean!

Let there be light!!!

The wall still needs a little work, but the windows look great!

 

 

That is as far as we have gone with the back as of today. After this we moved onto inside projects as the weather did not allow for more outdoor projects...winter in Maine! Next project the chimney!

 



 

Sneak Peak

Here's a little sneak peak of what we did this weekend! I say, we, because I finally was able to get out there and help! I won't say much about it because I am not ready to write about this. I want this "journal" to be in order of the projects, so I need to play catch up! Since I am so excited about the progress though, I couldn't resist a little tease!!

I'm back!

From here, until the end, I promise at least weekly blog updates! Although, I don't know that I have any followers on here, I have been told by lots of people that they enjoy watching the progress on Facebook. I also want this documentation for ourselves, a little journal of our journey. So, I'm back...for the rest of the my life...because that is how long it feels like it is going to be before this project is finished!

First the before pictures:

The front - can't wait to get rid of that overhang!

The side. Tyvek has been up longer than I want to admit.

The back. Again, Faded Tyvek, and peeling paint. It's a good look, but I am excited to see it gone!
 

The List of renovations happening to the outside:

 

Remove the deck

Progress

All gone. It really emphasizes the beauty of the back! Our neighbors have been so patient!



 

Remove concrete from the back wall of the basement to allow for full size windows. A requirement for us to finish the basement!

 

Going

Going

Gone...

Now that's a daylight basement!

 

Replace sheathing and windows. It has been done only on the back of the house at this point. I will keep you in suspense for some pictures. Just know that I lived for way to long without windows in the back of my house. Ever wanted to know what it was like to live in a cave? I could tell you!

 

 

Last we will put vinyl siding on the whole house. That will complete the outside. There has also been some progress made to the inside of the house and we have bought everything we need. Our garage is filled to the brim with our new cupboards (some are being replaced, more on that later) new hardwood floor, new appliances, sinks, etc....It is so hard to see them, everyday, and not have them in here. Especially as I wash dishes (our dishwasher broke months ago) and I have a brand spankin' new one in the garage! I will show pictures of our inside progress and give you a sneak peek at what we chose for our kitchen and bath! I promise the next post will be very soon, not months from now! 

The Decision...

So let me start by saying, Adult decisions suck!

I am not sure that I actually have any followers right now, but I am sorry that it has taken me this long to post about what is going on in our house! The last month to month and a half or so has been a roller coaster ride. We have been both disappointed and excited over and over again. We are currently in a good place, feeling like we have a made a good decision for our family. Let me take you back.

We got our first quote, which was to include the second floor addition (3 bedrooms and bath over main house, 2 rooms over the garage) new windows on the first floor, and all exterior work (new siding, front porch and back deck), new heating system throughout and a sprinkler system (Thank you city of Portland for requiring that...insert extreme sarcasm!) We were fully prepared that this quote was going to come in way over our budget, but we figured lets find out what it will all cost and we will cut things out from there. Well....it all cost more than we paid for our house in the first place. Even after taking all of the unnecessary stuff out, it was still way too much over budget. We were down to only the 3 bedrooms and bathroom upstairs, new windows and siding and we just couldn't stomach it.

Now, if you have read the post about how we are living, you will understand when I say that at this point I was ready to just pack our bags and walk out of this house forever! I called a realtor friend to come over and see if he thought there was any way that we could sell....the answer NO. Not that we couldn't try to sell, but we would never break even. But he was also a general contractor and offered to price the job out for us. He thought he could do it for within our budget. I am so thankful to him for trying, and he came really close, but couldn't do it. For a few days, we were just going to put the loan through, we felt like we had no choice. What else are we going to do? Yes, it wasn't going to be a mortgage payment we were super comfortable with, but we could do it. We would have to have an tight budget and there wouldn't be a lot of extras, but we had to do it.

The next morning, we have an argument about money and an engine light came on in my car (which miraculously has since gone off, think someone was trying to tell me something??) and I thought, no way, we can not do this! There are more important things in life than this upstairs, we need to change our thinking....which led us to this...

What are the things we NEED (not want)

1. More space
2. The exterior of the house done
3. New windows
4. New kitchen
5. New bathroom

For all the money we were going to spend on the upstairs, we weren't going to get the new kitchen and bath that we desperately needed downstairs. Where that money would have come from to finish that...who knows? Money tree??

Anyway, I looked at this list of needs and decided that we could finish our basement. We have a daylight basement, and we don't use it for anything right now, except storage. We used to get water in it, but had a water line leak out front and haven't had any since it was repaired. So we would move our bedroom down there along with a bathroom. We would then move Olivia into our current bedroom and Owen into Olivia's bedroom. This would open Owens room back up to allow for a small dining room for our table. By being able to move the table, we can renovate the kitchen exactly the way the plans show. Then we can renovate the bathroom/laundry room as well. We can put in new windows and vinyl side the outside of the house.

So, by doing this plan we aren't doing any unnecessary work. Everything that we are doing we would need to do with the upstairs anyway. The only things that we aren't getting with this plan downstairs is a nice front entry with closets and a large dining room, but we are able to follow the rest of the plan exactly. We planned to make a hang out space for the kids, and a place for guests to stay later on, in the basement, anyway, so now it is just getting done first. When we don't need the bedroom anymore, it will be perfect timing for Olivia to want a space to hang out with her friends.

This is where we are at. Mike is doing a lot of the work and we are hiring some of it out. At first I was a little disappointed because we have just waited for so long to put the upstairs on, but now I am happy. We are going to spend 3/4 less than we would have. We are getting all that we need and we are living within our means. We will still be able to do the fun things with the kids that we enjoy so much and not worry about every penny we spend. It was a hard decision to make, but the right one....

Our journey in home renovations has taken a new course, but we are still on a ride that I think you will all enjoy! Stay tuned...tomorrow we have a dumpster being delivered and November 2nd someone is coming to cut our basement concrete...pictures, pictures!!

Mood boards

I might have a new obsession! As you can imagine by my last post, I am extremely anxious and excited to finally make our house a home. Get it organized and decorated in a style that I love. I have been over at www.Olioboard.com where you can put together a mood board. You can add your own pictures or search through their categories and find examples of things you would like in a room. Here is my first mood board for my master bedroom. A lot of the items I found on their site were out of my budget, but it gives me a good idea of the style I am looking for, or at least the pieces I want to see in my room! Here it is...

The List...

Of things that drive me crazy about my house...

After reading this post, I don't want anyone to think that I am not grateful for what I have, because I truly am. I know that we are very blessed to have a house in a great neighborhood, but there are more things that drive me crazy about this house than things I love! Here they are....

Closets- We have one in our bedroom and one in the hallway that acts as storage for linens/storage for extra food and kitchen supplies that we can't fit in the kitchen/art supplies for the kids/pet care and cleaning supplies. Those ARE our ONLY closets in the WHOLE house....

Bedrooms - We do now have 3 bedrooms...thank goodness. But my complaint is our bedroom that acts as storage/office and adult hangout. Since we don't have a place to put a desk we have a bookshelf that acts as our office in our bedroom. I can't wait to have a bedroom that is just a bedroom, a retreat. I know that sounds corny, but really I would love to have a cozy, relaxing looking space to hide spend time in. As much as I hate my bedroom space now, I spend WAY too much time in it....which leads me to my next ugghhh thing about this house...

Bedroom Location - The kids bedrooms are right off the main living area. RIGHT off the kitchen and living room. This is not ideal for ANYTHING. During the day when Owen naps I have to hang out in my bedroom (or at least at that end of the house which is only my bedroom, hallway and bathroom) when he is falling asleep because if I don't he can see me if he comes to the door. Then of course he talks to me and calls out to me and I get aggravated and he doesn't sleep. Then once he is asleep I still don't dare go in and do anything loud on that end of the house like clean the kitchen for fear of waking him up. He is a very light sleeper during the day, and when he wakes before he is ready, he is a grouch and that makes me grumpy! At night, it is hard to be out here with the lights all on with the kids trying to fall asleep, and of course for some reason they both HATE having their doors closed, so instead we watch TV, use the computer and hang out in our bedroom....I feel like I am in college again, living in a dorm room...we just need a mini fridge and we'd be all set!

Bathroom - Our bathroom is tiny and very akwardly shaped. We actually have to walk into our bathroom and shut the door in order to get to the toilet....who designed this space...really?? It was even more difficult when I was pregnant with the kids and my belly was giant. We also have a turquoise sink and tub. We used to have the toilet too, but we replaced that a while back.

Bay window - Although this is a hit with the children for use as a stage, chair and place to play with toys, etc, it is not a hit with me. Knowing we are not keeping it we haven't wanted to spend a lot of money to get a good window covering, but finding a cheap covering that looks good and keeps everyone from seeing inside is pretty impossible. I can't wait to have it gone. It also has crank out windows that let it no breeze which leads to my next gripe...

Crank out windows - We have no regular windows, they are all crank outs. We also have no screen doors, so basically we have no way of getting a breeze to go through our house. We run our air conditioner from May through September constantly. I don't mind air conditioning, but I also love to be able to open all the windows at night and feel the breeze. On days that are not so hot I would love to be able to open up the windows and air out the house...but we would fry! It gets so HOT in this house in the summer and we get no relief without the AC.

Kitchen - It sucks...plain and simple. I have 4 accessible cupboards and ONE drawer. I have a stove that is supposed to be built in so it is on a platform and looks terrible (but it is better than the tiny stove we had before) and the tiniest fridge ever. It is like one step up from dorm fridge. Our dishwasher sounds like a jet plane is taking off from our kitchen. Our sprayer in the sink sprays water at me when I run the water and my counters always have stuff all over them because I don't have enough room for everything....

The Exterior - One word...EMBARRASSING. Chipped paint, Tyvek, broken panel in our bay window (thanks to Mike and a snowball this winter), crappy front lawn (thanks to not one, but two, water pipe leaks in the past year that had to be dug out), overhang that looks ridiculous (another one of the previous owners stellar "add ons) Now can you see why I don't want to admit where I live?? I don't mind saying my street, but if I can avoid saying exactly which house, I do!

Then of course there are all the little things that are still unfinished around the house. No crown molding in most of the rooms, no transitions between different types of flooring and no trim around certain windows and doors. And our garage.....thats a deserves its own post on another day!!

You may think, why have you been living like this?? Well, it really doesn't make sense to fix these things just to rip it up later. If we had to wait any longer for this renovation we would have fixed the outside and done the rest of the cosmetic work on the inside, but we came to the point where we knew it was close and spending the money just didn't make sense. Having this renovation be so close, literally has me giddy with joy, I can NOT wait!

Pretty soon I will post pictures of all these things. How the house looks presently before we strip it down for the big move! Still no word from the contractor....still waiting, and not as patiently as before...starting to get ansy! Hope to be posting word on Monday!