This is just the beginning....the bathroom is going to be high class. Grey/black/white is the colour scheme and I spared no expense on the tub and shower.
This is all that's left of the second floor sunroom. Turns out the beams are still good so I will build my second story balcony from this.
Neutral colours throughout. Salvaged the old door and window casings.
Love my new baseboards from Classic Hardwood Mouldings on Collonade Rd.
Currently meditating on how to landscape the backyard....
The ripping down of the sunroom yielded a ton of trash but good old Dieter (my German neighbor) just can't throw anything away. He is a pack rat! He can't bare to throw something out that might be of good use in the future. I, on the other hand, am the complete opposite. I throw everything out. My philosophy is if you haven't used it in the past 6 weeks, you're never going to use it! So I'm outside pitching things into the dumpster and he's pulling them out faster than I can get them in. Finally I yell "Dieiter! You're never going to use this stuff. When the hell are you going to build whatever the hell you told me you're going to build out of this old wood? You're busy 24/7!!". He ponders my fit of rage for a moment and says "You know what? You're right.". I almost fainted. I don't think Dieter has ever said to anyone, living or dead, the words "you're right". This man is a know-it-all. It drives me crazy but I listen because I know he's only trying to help. However, every once in a while I'm forced to lose it on him because I just can't take it anymore. So I won that round. The garbage is in the garbage!
Dieter in the trash bin pulling things out faster than I can put them in!
Today I added a new person to my dream team. When I bought the house it was clear the basement leaked but frankly, what do you expect? The house is over 100 years old. My intention was just to clean it up and leave it but when it's been coined "the murder basement" by everyone who's been in it, I suppose something must be done about it. It does leak, there is likely mold, it's kind of creepy, and it's not even fit for storage at this point so I finally broke down and called my cement guy. Now let me paint you a picture of my cement guy....because, surely you didn't expect me to have a normal foundation company do the work now did you?!?!? My foundation guy is Jamaican. Full on Jamaican. Dreadlocks and a tuque on his head 24/7 to keep the hair all tied up in. He speaks straight up Jamaican Patois expecting you'll understand him (I actually do because I spent quite a lot of time working on a resort in Jamaica a few years ago but I am a little rusty). He drives a Toyota Corolla and owns very few tools but a scraper, a pick, a shovel and a broom. This is all the man needs to get the job done. He's 61 years old and has been doing this since he was 14. He works 7 days a week. Today he was supposed to meet me between 3:00-4:00 p.m. but he showed up at 5:15, of course. Let's face it, stereotypes exist for a reason. Anyway, he scoured my foundation with his little scraper and as he inspected every square inch he kept saying "oh no....oh no....oh no". He finally looked at me and said in his thickest accent "I know you lady. You're not afraid". He's right. I'm not. You can only ignore shit for so long and then you have to face the music. Deep down I didn't think for a minute I could sell that house with the foundation in it's current condition so I was prepared. When we went outside again he scoured the layers and layers of parging that have been put on as a Band-Aid solution over the years all the while mumbling "oh no, oh no". I don't dare interrupt his thought process I just wait patiently until we have to talk numbers. He stands in silence staring at the wall (that means he's calculating) and then he says "5, 3". In plain English that means $5300. I agree on one condition. He has to re-do my front steps too. Deal. He agrees to do it because he says if he doesn't it will make the rest of his work look bad.
See my beautiful foundation crumbing apart....
I will no longer be moving into this house. I can't find anyone to rent my current house with such an uncertain lease. I really really didn't want to move. It's a huge pain to move all my stuff over there only to move it back potentially 30 days later. So I guess, as usual, all my dreams come true. I didn't want to move so that is just what the Universe gave me. No tenant = I'm not moving. I will float both homes and hope that the flip house sells quickly. As for staging it, I will simply rent furniture from Smart Choice like I did last time! Everyone needs to pray that the housing market picks up in the fall when I am ready to list because I can't float two homes forever.
Today I received a call from the appraiser who needs to come and look at the house before September 6th to see if I've completed the renovations I said I would in order for the bank to release the mortgage funds I requested for improvements. Um ya, that should be fun. There is no way in hell the work will be done by September 6th but it is very clear that a shit ton of money has been spent and a shit ton of renovations are underway. I really hope I don't have to fight with them. This is not an argument that someone wants to have with me, trust me. Anyway, I will avoid the call until the last possible day and hope that I am close to finished. Sept 6th marks 90 days of renovations!
Those 90 days were most certainly filled with a lot of laughs, a lot of learning, new friendships, and a lot of cursing. I know I am flat out crazy but I have loved every minute of this. Even the guy at Home Depot said to me the other day "you scare me". I laughed and said "I know, I scare a lot of people."
Totally inspiring and it's already looking great - well done!! Lori B
ReplyDelete