The House

*I wrote this 6 months ago but never posted it for some reason? Post with completion pictures to follow…

We began looking for a house in September 2010 but weren’t having luck. In May 2011, I found a post on Craigslist about a house being renovated down the street. It sounded promising, so we checked it out. Although it was gutted, it seemed like it had more potential than anything else we had seen, so we went under contract. As the months passed, nothing happened. Our closing date (originally July 2011) got pushed back a few times as nothing and nothing and nothing happened. We were buying it from a lady who was flipping it, and everything basically fell apart for her. We felt very sad for her in the process, but a lot of the problems were because she hired a less-than-honest and non-licensed contractor to do the job (we didn’t know this until after). It got to the point that she couldn’t complete the project, so we bought it from her as-is. We didn’t get a steal because of her loan situation, but it still seemed like a good option. We  finally closed in November 2011.

We then hired our own contractors to begin/complete the project, and we were we glad we did! They said the work the previous guy had done was the worst work they had ever seen, and it all had to be ripped down. Overall, the project turned into a bit of a nightmare for most everyone involved, mainly because of an improper bid and some misunderstandings. Regardless of all of that, we moved in March 2012, 10 months after going under contract. What a year! The house has some issues of course, but overall we are happy to be here and have had a great first year.

Here are some pictures of the renovation, starting with what it looked like when we went under contract.

When we went under contract
When we went under contract – she’s a beaut!
Upstairs room add-on by the fake contractor
Upstairs room add-on by the fake contractor
Inside the house: future eating area and kitchen.
Inside the house: future eating area and kitchen.
The back, once our contractors got started. They tore off the other guy's work and had to rebuild the back room on the bottom because it wasn't up to fire codes.
The back, once our contractors got started. They tore off the other guy’s work and had to rebuild the back room on the bottom because it wasn’t up to fire codes. And yes, snow got in the house! To the right are trusses ordered by the fake contractor that don’t even fit the house.

 

Work inside - new hole cut to move the cellar stairs.
Work inside – new hole cut to move the cellar stairs.
Work inside - building the stairs
Work inside – building the stairs (extreme math project for someone)
Work inside - Joel standing by the frame of the back bedroom window
Work inside – Joel standing by the frame of the back bedroom window

 

Work inside - hardwood on the stairs
Work inside – hardwood on the stairs (more math)
Work inside - hardwood in the kitchen
Work inside – hardwood in the kitchen

 

Work inside - tiling the upstairs bathroom
Work inside – tiling the upstairs bathroom

 

The brick is scraped, the old porch is ripped off, and the new porch is framed
The brick is scraped, the old porch is ripped off, and the new porch covering is framed
Planting our new tree in April!
Planting our new tree in April! (before we fixed the grass behind us)