Real Progress!

Finally, some great news!

Our floors are going in!

Last weekend, we demoed the half bathroom on the main floor (except the toilet base because it was glued to the tiles or something).

Last week the flooring company demoed the weird layer of particle board we had under all of the main level floors.

Now, we’re down to some squishy, not-really-safe-to-walk-on base floor level …

and a whole bunch of wood!

So. Much. Wood.

The risky base flooring meant we couldn’t really do any work this weekend at the new house … but, we can finally start to see how things are coming together, and it’s relieving. The continuity of the new floors is going to look amazing. And, even though it’s been an ordeal, the widened doorway and installed pocket door were necessary and have already proven to open up the flow of the main level. It’s starting to feel like we’re actually making progress, and that’s an emotional turning point in this rocky-start of a project.

Among other news … I plan to wallpaper the half bath and foyer area on the main level. Originally, I didn’t intend to wallpaper the foyer too (always just the half bath), but the walls were such a mess, that it just makes the most sense. Well, that and we looked into having the drywall guy skimcoat all those walls too, and that was another few hundred $$ we don’t want to spend. So, I plan to use the same paintable beadboard wallpaper I have in our current kitchen, which works really well and is kind of like a little secret (because no one ever realizes it’s not real beadboard). [*On a side note for those who hate wallpaper (I really like wallpaper) … this stuff peels off easily long term, even after being painted. (I guess by really easy, I mean as far as using a steamer and taking down wallpaper goes … it doesn’t just peel and fall off; it’s still wallpaper.)*]

Also, we finally bought some new, cheap curtains to hang in the front windows. We thought it was time to not advertise our construction zone. Plus, since the floors are going in this week, it’s starting to look and feel more like our home, which is something I don’t want people peeking into. (If it’s still a construction zone, and you can just walk right in the front door because there is no hardware on it yet … I’m all for that, even if it is legally questionable. 🙂 But once we put the floors down, and contractors are no longer parading in and out every day … well, it just feels weird now that it looks like our home minus furniture.)

We’ve met several of the neighbors … and apparently news travels pretty fast in this little community. When the first lady found out about the work we were doing to the house (note: by inviting herself in one day when the contractors were there, looking around, and asking them all sorts of questions about the new owners?? She is really nice though), well, since then, most of the neighbors we’ve met have sort-of just known stuff about us and our house renovations. We understand. The previous owners lived there for 46 years. They didn’t even tell anyone they were moving; most of the neighbors found out via the For Sale sign. We’ve been told that they kept mostly to themselves and did not like kids on their lawn. Literally no one we’ve met has ever been inside of our house. So, safe to say, the previous owners were not friends with the neighbors. And, since a lot of our neighbors have also lived there for 20+ years, we understand their curiosity … but, maybe don’t be so open about your snooping ways. Maybe don’t tell us that you took a solo tour of our house. Maybe don’t tell us that the other neighbors already filled you in on our story. Just be nice, say welcome to the neighborhood, and maybe in a few months (if we know each other better), fill us in on how we were the neighborhood gossip back then. We’ll all laugh about it.

It was time for curtains.

But, really, everyone has been super nice and super friendly. And the fact that everyone seems to know about everyone else is a bit different for us. But, it’s good to have neighbors who notice things and care about keeping the area clean, and friendly, and community-ish.

And, another win for us … If you ever read our first blog, you would know that yard work – not our strength. At all. We pay people to mow our lawn. I plant only things that need very little attention, just enough sunlight, and where rain water is sufficient. Luckily, 2 of our 3 immediate neighbors have said that the previous owner was very picky and meticulous about his lawn. And then immediately followed that statement up with … “I hope that you’re not those people because we definitely are not!” 2 out of 3! Can you imagine our luck? When we had our leaves cleaned up that first week we bought the house, the one neighbor said it guilted him into being out there to clean up his yard! We definitely told him not to do it on our behalf! So, Patrick’s first thought … I can have the best lawn in the neighborhood now!*