Almost done.....

Wow!  So much has been done at the house since my last post.  It’s actually almost done.  And by almost, I mean another month before it’s 100% complete on the inside and for the outside, I still need a deck guy and some sod laid and I think I want to jazz up my front railing too.  But really, I'm almost done.  I am WAAAYYYY over my budget of $50,000 at this point but I’ll still make a profit so no worries.

The Jamaicans finally came and sealed my foundation inside and out.  They also fixed my steps so no more water in the basement.  It looks 100 times better down there too. 

Foundation falling apart above....

 

 

 Inside the "murder basement" before the work....I'll save the after picture for later because I don't want to give it all away today ;)

And you thought I was joking....full on dread locks down to his butt all wrapped up in that hat

 

Last Friday had to be one of the most fun days I’ve had there.  The window installers were there putting in the new windows and doors (2 young French guys – Nic and Frank), Rob, my contractor and I were installing IKEA cabinets, the Jamaicans were working on the foundation, and a guy from Francis was fixing my boiler/furnace.  It was a full house and I was laughing the whole day!  I showed up in the morning before going to the gym to check on things and lay the plans for the day like I do most days but this day I never actually left and never made it to the gym.  With all of us together we did scheme up a pretty sweet plan though.  When I bought the house there were 2 old cast iron claw tubs in the house.  One in the basement and one in the second floor sunroom.  It took Dieter over 8 hours to get the one out of the basement.  Those things are heavy as hell.  I really had no idea how to get the other one down except to literally roll it off the balcony and let it drop to the ground.  So that is just what we did….and it worked. 

 

There is this guy in the neighbourhood who picks up trash for a living – copper, scrap metal, wood, etc. and sells it or recycles it for money or whatever he does.  I sometimes think he’s waiting at the end of the road watching me because, no word of a lie, as soon as that tub hit the ground he pulled up, hacked it up with an axe, threw it in the back of his beat up old pick up truck and off he went to cash it in for money.  I have to wonder how much money one actually gets for that stuff.  Several times my neighbours have said to me “don’t throw that out!  Do you know how much money you could get for that?” and I say “No, how much?” and every time no one ever answers me except to say “huh!  That’s worth money you know….”  So what’s the big frickin secret?  Why won’t anyone tell me?  If it’s worth so much money then why are they standing on the curb with their hands on their hips telling me how much money I could be making.  I sure as hell don’t plan on driving it to wherever it has to go so why aren’t they if it's worth so much money.  It can’t be that much money!  Just throw the shit out already!

Speaking of standing on the curb with hands on hips….my neighbours to the right are Chinese.  I have deduced they only know two English words – “girl” and “thank you” – because every time the man sees me with tools and I’m working he says “girl” and gives me a thumbs up.  The day I tore down and cut up the deck him and his wife just stood there watching me like it was some kind of Cirque de Soleil show.  Of course that only made me work harder so I suppose it was win-win.  The wife sat looking over the fence for hours like Tim the Tool Man’s neighbour in Home Improvement until finally she disappeared for a moment and came back with a machete.  Seriously.  I’m not exaggerating.  It was a huge knife.  I thought she wanted to help me tear down the deck so I thought I had better get out of her way.  Me with a reciprocating saw and her with a machete is surely not a good combination.  But she didn’t come to the deck.  She pointed to a pile of branches I’d been meaning to throw out and gestured like she wanted them so I said “it’s all yours” which of course meant nothing to her.  So I decided on a thumbs up instead since that seems to be the way her husband and I communicate.  Off to work she went hacking off all the small branches until she had about a dozen nice sticks for her garden that the tomato plants and other creepy crawly plants could climb.  I think when her husband realized I could handle the saw pretty well he decided to come and help her.  Again, win-win.  I love how people want my garbage.  I have to pay to get rid of it so it’s wonderful when people come and take it away for free.

 

All of the hardwood floors are done now too.  I can’t believe they turned out so well.  I wasn’t sure the kitchen was salvageable but it was.  I don’t know what it is about me but I attract people who don’t speak English.  I suppose my extreme use of hand gestures when speaking makes my language universal.  The guys doing my floor were Korean (I think).  We didn’t exchange very many words but the job got done.  Apparently if you want to know anything you “ask Jimmy”.  Jimmy is the boss and he speaks English.  So every conversation I had with the floor guys ended with “Don’t know.  Ask Jimmy.”  I have yet to speak to Jimmy, actually, but there is no need.  The floors are done and they look great.  That’s all I need to know.

Hardwood then.....

 Hardwood now....

We also got all the bathroom fixtures hooked up.  I spent a couple of hours working with the plumber one day. That was a good laugh too.  This is our texting conversation prior to having to get in the tub together to get it working.  I sometimes wonder how anything ever gets done with all the laughing and storytelling and carrying on, but it does.

 

 

So the deadline to have my renos complete for the bank to come and assess was September 6^th and, not surprisingly, I was not ready.  I am sure I am not the first person in the world not to finish a reno job on time so I texted my broker and asked him to get me an extension with my mortgage company.  He did – 2 weeks.  And just my luck a woman has been assigned to do my assessment but also just my luck, due to the extension on the timeline, my file needs to be reassigned because she will be on holidays.  Fingers crossed I get re-assigned to a man.  I don’t know what it is (well, actually I do) but I can typically get away with more when dealing with a man.  There are a few things on my reno list we may have to overlook, you see, so I’m really hoping for a nice guy in a good mood.  Don’t get me wrong I didn’t cut a single corner.  The house is top notch.  I’d live there myself.  It’s just that I tend to do things somewhat differently than most people.  It’s not wrong, it’s just different and those who are unable to think outside the box don’t always see eye to eye with me.  Anyway, I’m not worried.  I have every receipt and a spreadsheet calculation to the penny of what I have spent on that house and it’s way more than they are giving me so it will be fine.  Any guesses on what I've spent so far?

The major work is winding down this week so my contractor Rob is off to another job next week. He’s been working for me for almost 3 months.  When I dropped off materials to him this morning he seemed upset so I asked him what was wrong but he said nothing.  Later in the day he sent me a text that said “Sorry, a little off today.  I think I am sad to leave”.  I know the feeling.  It will be a happy sad day when this is all done.  I will miss it terribly.  I guess I better start shopping around for another J

Main floor laundry room then (was a mouldy shower...)

 

Main floor laundry room now....

 

 Kitchen then.....

Kitchen now.....

 

 Bathroom then....

 Bathroom now....

 

 

 

 

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

Well the clock is ticking so I've had to execute my child labour plan.  My kids call this house "the rip house" because everyday when they ask me what I did I usually tell them a tale of ripping something down like a wall or a closet or a deck.  So they have aptly named the house "the rip house".  They so badly want to contribute.  They have asked to help several times but there just isn't much they can do.....except load trash!  So load trash is what they did.  They loved it!

    

 

Mondays are always the busiest day for me at the house.  I have to touch base with my contractors, make plans for the week, solve problems, make decisions and line things up so the works keeps progressing without any lags.  I don't always do things in the right order but I actually like it that way.  It keeps life interesting.  For example, I called to have my garbage dumpster removed this morning and a new one brought in.  This time, however, I needed the new one parked on the street so that my Jamaican foundation guy can access all edges of the foundation.  Of course, when the bin delivery came the driver was trippin' out about leaving the bin on the road, not to mention the wrong side of the road, without a permit.  I talked him down, signed a waiver that I would be responsible for any tickets and I got my bin....right where I wanted it.  Then I decided I probably should call the City to get a permit.  What's the saying?  It's easier to ask for forgiveness then to ask for permission....I called the City, which much to surprise connected me to the right guy on the first try.  The permit guy in charge of my zone was so awesome.  I told him I already had the bin but that it was not blocking Emergency vehicles or anything like that and he said no problem.  Permit was in an e-mail within an hour.  Sweet!

 

Work is moving quickly now.  Rest of the floors are scheduled to be sanded and re-finished on Friday.  Baseboards and painting moving along this week. I will pick up my cabinets early next week and the kitchen will be underway.  Bathroom will be finished up this Wednesday.  I'm heading there shortly to rip out the rest of my deck, a small patch of floor I gave up on a while back - time to revisit it I suppose - and rip out a few silly pieces of random wood in the shed.  This morning I had the furnace guy come in.  I was actually afraid.  The house is heated by water radiators and oil.  I have never turned it on yet.  Turns out my boiler is not that old.  It just needs a good cleaning and a few valves and things changed.  Nothing major.  I'm just happy it works.  That's very good news! 

 

My Jamaican foundation guy told me to call him when I had the deck ripped out.  I told him I'd have it done by the end of day Monday so first thing this morning I called him and told him it was done (I actually did it on Saturday) and he laughed at me.  He knows me.  He did the foundation and the driveway for the house I currently live in.  Perhaps he was using reverse psychology on me on Friday by laughing at me when I said I'd have it done by Monday.  You see, I am the kind of person that if you tell me I can't do something, I will do it if it kills me just to prove you were wrong and I could so do it!  Well, it worked if that was his plan because that deck is ready ahead of schedule.  So I tell him on the phone I'm ready for him and he says "ok".  What does that mean?  You'll come tomorrow?  The next day?  Next week?  Next month? God only knows.  I know better than to mess with the man's schedule.  He will come when he is good and ready and for his price you don't argue.

 

There is a tiny bit of tension between my team these days.  Everyone works on their own schedule.  I am not a micro manager at all.  As long as the work gets done I'm happy.  For example, it's not unusual to find my electrician working there at midnight and my contractor at 6:00 a.m.  Unfortunately, that doesn't allow for the best communication. For example,  the electrician will do something at night that the contractors weren't ready for and then it's actually causing more work...and me more money, of course.  I spoke with all of them today so hopefully things will go smoothly from here on in.  It really just makes me laugh, like most things.  Because, really, in the scope of life, a light switch in the wrong place is really not worth stressing about if you think about it.

 

Some Shit You Just Can't Ignore

So much has been done since my last post.  The whole house, save the kitchen and trim, has been painted, the upstairs hardwood floors have been sanded and re-finished, the kitchen is ready for new cabinet installation, the sunroom has been ripped off the side of the house, the backyard jungle has been torn out, and the bathroom is tiled and almost ready.

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."

 







All Coming Together

I just walked in my sock feet on the newly varnished hardwood floor.  It felt like home.  I love that house.  I knew I loved it the minute I walked in the door for the very first time.  It has it's imperfections but that's what makes it charming.  It's old.  What do you expect?

The upstairs is fully painted, floors are finished, light fixtures installed.  Now that the floors are done the baseboards can go on next week and the bathroom fixtures installed then the upstairs will be complete.  The downstairs....well, that's another story.  Actually, it's getting there.  The kitchen has been planned but I have changed my mind 20 times in the past week.  I think I have it finalized now so I need to get the cabinets this week and book the install asap.  Here is the proposed plan:

Tons of cupboard space and a built in island for everyday eating.  There is a formal dining room but if I lived there I would use it for more living space.  That's just me.  I'm not much for formal dining.  Besides, once the second floor balcony is ready that's where I'd be eating every night!

I'm still on budget but that second floor balcony that I speak of may put me over.  The materials won't be too much but the labour will be.  But damn do I love porches and balconies.  Unfortunately, we can't use them for very many months in Canada but that's what makes them so wonderful I guess.  I never take my current front porch for granted.  It triples as my dining table, my office and my hang out spot....

Dining Table....

Office.....

Hang out spot......

 

So the porch and second story balcony are a must...even if it puts me over budget by a bit. 

 

 

I have decided I will move into the house on September 1st.  With all of my furniture and home decor in there it should show really well.  I will list it in September but only for a month.  If it does not sell I will take it off the market and list it April 1st, 2015 at the first sign of spring.  At this time, nothing is moving on the market.  There have been several price reductions in the past month and I would rather live there for the winter than reduce my price by $10,000-$30,000.  It's a big pain in the butt to move only to move back a few months later and I am having a little trouble finding someone to rent my current house due to the indeterminate length of the lease.  If I sell the flip house I need to move back home again so I have a clause that states I can give 30 days notice at anytime and my tenant will have to vacate the premise.  Not ideal for most people but I'm hoping for a young professional here short term on business perhaps. 

 

Moving is not stressful for me though.  I actually like it.  Most people loathe it.  But I thrive on change.  Also something most people loathe.  In fact, I move so often that just today I was walking down Richmond Rd and one of the guys who moved me last time passed me on the road, recognized me and stopped to chat.  I always request the same moving guys from Adam's Moving - JD, Mitch, Leo and/or Leo's son.  These guys crack me up.  Actually, I think I crack them up.  I am unforgettable because I have a pole in my house.  When you move a woman with a pole you don't forget! 

Right on Track!

I think if I ever retire I'm going to go work at Home Depot.  I frickin love that place.  It seems like the whole store is rooting for me.  Every time I go in at least 3 staff members ask me how the house is coming along.  When I went on Monday it was contractor day, meaning 5% off, plus I was using my contractor credit card for the first time so that meant another 10% off (even though I already got my 10% off last time I went in...) so I decided to buy all my appliances that day.  I saved at least $500.

I would say the house is about 1/2 done as of today.  Maybe even more.  The big things left to do are sand and re-finish the floors, install kitchen cabinets, install windows and paint.  That's pretty much it.  My neighbor has been working hard tearing down my second floor sun room which was more of a dilapidated shack at this point.  When the demolition is complete I will build a small second floor porch/deck instead.  The view from up there is great.  You get a good look out over Little Italy and, this time of year, all the gardens that are growing. 

Yesterday I took home a pile of hardwood that we had to rip up.  I sat outside in my backyard with my 3 year old son ripping the nails out of it so we can re-use it.  My 3 year old now knows how to swing a hammer and understands the concept that when removing nails you have to hammer it out  the same direction it went in.  It was a less tedious job than I expected.  It didn't take long at all and not a single board split when removing the old hardwood nails.  Today my son and I brought the wood back to the "rip house" (that's what he calls it) before heading off to summer camp.

At this point the house has completely new electrical and plumbing.  All of the drywall has been patched, repaired and replaced where necessary.  All of the flooring has been ripped up so that we are down to the original hardwood throughout the entire house.  The new bathroom will have the fixtures installed next week and the ceilings have been painted.  Next week the upstairs may be completed :) 

I am mentally preparing myself and my kids to move into the house for the winter because in the past week I have received at least half a dozen listings where the price on previous listings has been reduced.  The spring rush is over now and things really aren't moving very well.  I can honestly say one of the benefits of being single is that I can very easily pick up and move anytime I want.  I would have made a nice amount of money on my last flip had I been able to move my family into it for the winter and list it first thing in the spring but the logistics of moving a whole family - a blended one - gets complicated.  This time I can easily pick up and move.  I love that feeling of freedom.  I have been described by many as a "free bird".  I need to be left to soar freely.  I always return to the nest but I function best when I am left to fly free with my passions and ideas and I have a lot more fire and creativity in my soul when I am liberated.

I decided to see where I am budget wise on Wednesday.  My plan was to renovate the house for $50,000.  The bank would only give me $40,000 for renovations.  Many said I was crazy and that there was no way in hell I could renovate that place for $50,000 but I am proud to say I will make it pretty darn close to that.  To date I have spent $10,796 on supplies and that includes all stainless steel appliances (fridge, stove, washer, dryer, microwave, hood fan, dishwasher).  I have spent $12,750 on labour and that includes all new electrical and plumbing.  I have spent $1149 on garbage bins and removal of demolition materials, $1000 on asbestos removal and $9,000 for all new windows including installation.  That puts me at a total of $34,695.

The only thing left to buy really is my IKEA kitchen cabinets, baseboards and the lumber for my new porch/deck and about 3 more weeks worth of labour I figure.   Oh ya and I need to pay the guys that will sand and finish my floors.  So I might end up a little over budget but not much.  I have to personally do some work outside next week.  I need to clean up the shed/garage.  It's a small job.  And I need to rip out a fence and the so called garden.  I'm not sure what I will do with that space yet but I'm sure a creative vision will come to me when I am in the weeds.

Huge shout out to my dream team - Rob, Mel, Dan, and my favorite (just because of his name) Derl!  This is all so fun for me!

The Love Story Part of the Plot

Even the greatest action movies and all the superhero movies have an underlying love story theme.  Perhaps it's so they can attract both male and female viewers.  I'm going to estimate that at least 50% of my 3000 readership (yes, 3000!!!  Thanks everybody.  Y'all know how to make a girl feel real special) are female so I thought it fitting to add a love story to my house flipping venture.

I would love nothing more than to put on my work clothes and work on the house today because being physical is the best and most effective coping mechanism I've got.  I can't though because I'm headed for Toronto on business.  Business that requires me to sit in an air conditioned meeting room for the next two days.  I can't even bring myself to pack my bag I dread it so much.  But duty calls so I must go.  The second best coping mechanism I have it writing.  So here I go....

They met on the side on the road.  Literally.  They started out as friends.  Actually not even.  All he wanted her for was a one night stand.  But somehow it never ended.  It was a slow progression.  So natural.  Never forced.  And before they knew what had hit them they had crept up under each other’s skin and almost melded their souls into one.  It could be said they were soul mates if there is such a thing.  How though?  He was 26, she was 37.  They came from opposite sides of the planet.  His skin was as dark and as smooth as chocolate.  Hers so pale and freckled.  But the level of the soul was equivalent.  They had an understanding of each other that was so profound.  He almost didn’t have to speak and she knew what he wanted.  She understood his fears, his worries, his ideas and his philosophies.  She respected them.  He treated her special from the rest.  He put her before himself.  He understood her fears, her struggles, and her philosophies.  He respected them.  She taught him that true love does exist.  He liberated her. They were inseparable.  Eating, sleeping, cooking ,exercising, talking, listening, watching movies, sharing ideas, caring for the children – they did it all.  With ease.  She understood almost from the moment she met him what made him happy.  She surrendered her control and let him lead.  He understood that, in all her complexity, it took very little to make her happy.  He considered her needs and never missed the small things.  He was appreciative and helpful.  She was loving and affectionate.  The energy between them was mystical.  Even a complete stranger would recognize the connection these two had so long as they were both in the same room.   They did not even have to speak.  The energy connection was almost visible to the naked eye.  Both fulfilled a very important need within the other.  Both stood complete as individuals - intelligent, strong-willed and independent.  But together they seemed to drift through life rather than battle life. They never fought.  They communicated so well.  But the fairytale was temporary.  Both knew that.  They say you know when you know.  The same rules apply to the beginning as they do to the end.  As she lay her head on the pillow she sensed the end was near.  She wiped a tear, and as always, accepted this life as it is.  He came to see her the next morning  but did not need to speak.  They both knew it was time.  Time to part ways.  And so it was.

That day was today.

Alright, back to work now.  The house is coming along so well.  I have assembled the best dream team ever.  We have "Derl" the plumber, Dan the electrician, Rob the contractor, Dieter the German neighbor, (we're not really sure what he does)  and my latest addition is Mel.  Here is the story of how I hired Mel.  First, I placed an add on Kijiji (oh how I loathe Kijiji) looking for a carpenter's helper.  I was flooded with responses.  Within 2 weeks I had 3 no shows, 2 that only worked for a day and then disappeared and 1 that I fired after about 5 minutes.  So I moved on to Facebook.  I posted a status update looking for anyone with a son (or daughter) who might be looking for work for the month of July. Well, it turns out my old high school buddy Mel is in construction.  Fuckin eh!  We met, I hired her and she blends right in.  We all get along so well.  It's one big laugh at the house all the time but work is getting done. 

 

The job has turned out to be a lot bigger than I expected but surprisingly less money than I thought. So windows have been ordered, bathroom is almost finished, final touches on the upstairs walls and floors and we are ready to paint and finish the floors.  That's the upstairs anyway.  Next week, the kitchen will be measured for cabinetry, then dry-walled and prepped for painting and cabinet installation.  Windows are ordered and on their way.  Turns out the window guy knows me from the gym.  Sweet.  Guess who's getting a rush order, and a deal, on the windows ;)

I have 90 days to complete the work or the bank will not release the funds for renovations to me.  I am on day 33.  I suspect we will make it just in time.  Like I said "dream team" is hard at work so I am 100% it will be amazing when it's done.

This project brings me so much joy.  When I walk into Home Depot now the guys at the Contractor desk shout out "Hi Natalie!" and random people always help me load my truck.  Actually today a random stranger helped me unload my truck too.  I pulled up in front of my house to unload the ceramic tile I had bought and this guy biking by stops, gets off his bike, grabs a box of tiles and carries it in.  How can you not love life when random acts of kindness (or rather random acts of craziness) happen daily.  Everyone working on the house has never worked with as odd a girl as I but I swear the serendipity of my life is sometimes downright scary.  But I love every minute of it, even the so-called "hard" times.

Start the countdown because shits about to get real and you're all invited to see the finished product on day 90!

Thank God I'm a Country Girl

So you know the name "Daryl"?  Well, if you live in the country you say it with a twang and it comes out as "Derl", right?  Well my plumber is actually named "Derl".  His parents must have been so country that they just spelled that shit out phonetically.  I love it!  He's a really sweet guy though.  Takes his job very seriously and explains things to me very thoroughly.  We're going shopping together today at Home Depot.  That's a site to see.  I went shopping with my fishing buddy electrician last week.  I love how, as a girl, I can go from stilettos and mini skirt to steel toed boots and ripped up jeans.....and still look great in both, I might add!  I sometimes wear the stilettos to Home Depot just for fun though.  And then I load that wood all up in my truck myself, stilettos and all.  It's too funny to watch all the men in the parking lot.  Some of them are clearly ready to leave but they stay in their trucks just to watch the show.  If only I knew at a younger age how much power woman hold in this world....

I love this old house so much.  There are always new discoveries - some good, some bad.  For example, when we pulled up the bathroom floor a couple of days ago we realized it's a miracle that whoever sat in the tub last didn't fall through the floor and end up in the middle of the kitchen. 

Just kidding.....

We've since re-enforced the whole floor and made it way more structurally stable.  And we've made a new layout plan for the bathroom at least 3 times now but I think we've hit the jackpot.  This new layout will make it easier for the plumber (which saves me money) and will accommodate the larger of the two pedestal tubs I have.  The good find occurred  today after we ( and by "we" I actually mean my contractor....I'm still in a skirt as we speak) tore down moldy drywall where the kitchen shower used to be and found an old staircase.  The house must have had an addition added to it but surely not long after it was originally built because the outside stucco and inside construction all match.  It's hard to say if it was a fire escape or an inside staircase but I love it.  I want to keep it and turn into shelves or something.  I'm thinking about it.  I have to keep it.  I don't want to cover it up with drywall.  It's way too unique and full of character to cover up.  God knows how long it's been hidden behind the wall.  Decades, I'm sure.  They are where I plan to put the main floor laundry room so I think shelving is appropriate.  But I may come up with a more creative idea over time. 

 

Anyway, things are progressing well.  There is still more demolition to be done but at least we are also starting to build things too.  I made my first mortgage payment yesterday which is a stark reminder that I better get moving.  I don't have time, or money, to sit around.  Off to Home Depot with Derl now....