Crickets and……the List!

Crickets!  Weeks of crickets!  No, not in the house!   —  they were here on my blog. 

And in my head.

I heard crickets every time I tried to write.  I will be the first to admit that writing is not my first love.  But then, neither are crickets.  And I’m sure you will agree with me that the chirping is quite annoying when there is nothing else going on.  

I’ve tried to put into writing all the potential that this mess of a house had.  I wanted to explain my reasons for wanting this house.  I found that I either had no words OR I had waaaaay too many words.

I know that many of my readers have been fans of the HGTV Fixer Upper TV show.  So you’ll understand when I say………you know how Joanna walks into a house and starts telling everyone how she envisions the house?  That’s me!  

I immediately knew the wall between the kitchen and the living room needed to be opened up.  And I knew the black MOLD needed to be removed.  And you’re thinking…..duh! lol   I knew that there were design issues to the left of the fireplace that I would have to figure out.  And………you know what?  I think it might be easier for me to make a list of the changes and repairs that I wanted to do.  

These are not in any order. 

 The List

• Remove all sheetrock that has mold on it.
• Treat and/or remove the black molded 2 x 4’s that’s part of the framing. That’s a whole other story!
• New roof and replace the two skylights.
• Gut kitchen.  Several of the lower cabinets are fuzzy with green mold.  Ugh!
• Change ceiling in kitchen from being 8′ high and vaulted in an area to 9′ all the way across.
• New windows in kitchen, allowing for cabinets and sink to be below said windows.
• Add a pantry to the kitchen, taking the space from the corner of the screened-in-porch.
• Remove doorway between kitchen and dining room.
• Extend the living room floor where the opening to lower level was.  Remember the tree in the pot in the lower level?
• Change the stair configuration going to the lower level.
• Remove all of the popcorn ceilings in the entire house.
• Remove the mauve carpeting in the whole house cause it’s every.where.
• Remove all of the 2″ peach-colored painted trim on the main floor.
• Prime and paint all of the bedrooms and bath upstairs, including trim and ceilings.
• Carpet the upper bedrooms.
• Tile the upper bathroom.
• Paint the upper bath vanity.  because it’s peach colored too
• Open a section of upper-hall wall overlooking the living room.
• Add on to coat closet and move door to closet.
• Have entertainment center built to fit space for TV in living room.
• Build and stain/finish new railing and spindles.
• Move plumbing in kitchen.
• Move laundry room (more plumbing) to lower level (for now).  It was at the back door, as in stepping over laundry to enter house.  Ugh!
• Have hardwood floors installed on main floor and upper hall.  
• Build stair treads and finish.
• Build new mantel and finish.
• Design new kitchen cabinet layout and find cabinet maker.
• Finish all of the new cabinets for the kitchen, master bath and powder bath.
• Build counter tops for kitchen, master bath and powder bath.
• Remove soffit from perimeter of master bedroom.  Guess what we found in the soffit?  More plumbing to move!
• Wire house for electronics.
• Gut master bathroom.
• Reconfigure master bathroom and closet.  I know…..more plumbing and wiring.
• Move windows in master bedroom, installing new.  Windows were in a corner and behind a door.  Who does that?
• Install ceramic tile floor in master bathroom.
• Create and extend wall to the left of the fireplace and up. I’ll explain more later.  It was weird.
• Paint exterior of the house.
• Install new wide trim on all of the main floor and lower level.  Which will all need painted.  I know. I know.
• And I almost forget to list…..Open up wall between kitchen and living room.

 

If you’ve followed along through that long list you are to be commended!  Thank you!  And I KNOW you think I must be crazy to want this house!  

Now, don’t forget that Eric and I are self-employed as Cabinet ReStyling by MorningStar and we refinish cabinets.  So not only are we going to remodel and DIY all of this house, we are going to work out of the studio part (otherwise known as the garage!).   

That list was created in May of 2011.  It’s now the end of 2017.  Most of the list has been completed.  Additional projects have been added to it along the way.   And you’re not suprised by that are you.  lol   

Will you follow along with me as I share what we’ve done and are doing to the house, the food we eat and even some work projects?