Back to Normal?
Yesterday we took our neighbor to the airport in the early afternoon and started unpacking when we got home. So far, about 10 boxes have been emptied! It will take a long time since a thorough cleaning must precede the emptying of boxes.
Thankfully, our new neighbor brought us all kinds of delicious food. We’ve been feasting on her good cooking for the past couple days, which has allowed us to not worry about unpacking all the kitchen items.
It’s a daunting task to be sure, not just the unpacking, but trying to figure out where to put everything. How our lives will fit into this new space. No doubt, things will be moved several times until they settle into their spots.
The office is the first space that is being put in order. My desk and computer were set up last night so I could download these photos and write this post. Being without my main computer and my photos has been a bit of a challenge. We also need to get back to work.
How long would you last without your computer?
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Boxes, Boxes, Everywhere
We found this note on the table of the new Maine house:
There are boxes everywhere, stacked to the ceiling and filling the rooms. Now begins the long process of cleaning, unpacking, and figuring out how our lives will fit into this house. In essence, we will set to work making this house a home. My computer is still packed up and thus I can’t download the photos from my camera yet. Tomorrow we’re off to the Common Ground Fair!
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Wash, Rinse, Repeat
House showings, they’re kinda weird. Both houses we have purchased have been for sale by owner. So we met with the owners of the homes and they showed us around. Definitely my preferred method of purchasing a house. This house, we listed with a realtor for a variety of reasons, mainly our gated community rules. It’s really weird for us to leave for an hour while strangers come and look around our house and someone who hasn’t’ lived here tells them about it.
The worst part of it, is stopping everything we’re doing, mopping the floors, and leaving for an hour. So far, we’ve had four showings and it feels like all I’m doing is vacuuming and mopping the floors and sitting in my car waiting. Let’s hope we either move or someone makes an offer soon!
What do you think is the best way to purchase a home, through a realtor or for sale by owner?
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Friday Favorite: the New Stairway
Mr Chiots and I were talking about all the work we’ve been doing around the house and which part was our favorite. Oddly enough, with two new bedrooms and a new bathroom, my favorite part is the old stairway that just got a bit of a redo. They were covered in beige carpet, the only remnant of the original house. They were plain pine stairs, just like the ones that went to the basement. We debated on covering them with wood that matched our hardwood floors, but the way they are installed would make it very difficult and it would have been very expensive.
I decided to paint the risers and trim white and stain the stairs dark. The results were nothing less than remarkable. Instead of spending almost a thousand dollars on wood and the headache of trying to figure out how to install it, I spent only about $30 on supplies (paint, stain and some moulding) and a few days painting and staining. (I used a mix of half Mahogany half Walnut Minwax Polyshades)
The area needed a bit of flair, so I printed out a bunch of old Grow Your Own posters and hung them. This stair area, which used to be the only eyesore left in our home, is now a real focal point. It’s my favorite part of the house redo.
When it comes to stairs there’s nothing I dislike more than carpet. I find them very difficult and tedious to keep clean. The wood, on the other hand, cleans up in a snap! This stairway is my current favorite thing about our little house.
When it comes to stairs do you like with or without carpet?
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Crossing the Finish Line
Late last night, Mr Chiots and I finally crossed the finish line on the upstairs project. We now have two extra bedrooms, a bathroom and a nice sitting area. Working around the clock is almost an understatement when it came to this project. I snapped a few quick photos and then we fell into bed.
We still need to have the tub installed, we’re going to have a plumber to that. We’re still waiting on a few parts to arrive for that. I can’t wait to see how it looks in the bathroom with the show attachment!
We crossed the finish line just in time because we have two showings today. One this morning and one later this evening.
What was the last home improvement project you completed?
