A picture is worth a thousand words....

I thought you might enjoy seeing the rest of the house. Not all of the shots are that interesting - but, I wanted to document the whole thing. 

Enjoy the show!

The side view - looking toward the school.

Living room

Living room /entry

Dining room - looking back toward the back of the house

Dining room - looking toward the living room & the front of the house.

Back room - sloped floor - so we think it used to be a porch

back room

Kitchen -looking toward back right bedroom

Kitchen - looking toward utility room

Utility Room

Dual entry bath - off back right bedroom (1st floor)

Front bedroom (1st Floor) - Closet to the left is also a passage to the living room.

Den/Middle bedroom (1st floor)

Back bedroom on the Left (1st floor)

Living room

The larger bedroom - to the right- upstairs.

Hall Bath - Upstairs

Smaller Bedroom - to the Left- Upstairs (With the always energy efficient saran wrap around the AC)

 Side porch - looking toward the back yard.

Right side of the house - looking toward back yard.

Another view, farther back, of the right side of the house - looking toward back yard.

Back yard - with basketball hoop on grass that my boys love!

Bamboo forest - back 90+ feet of the lot

Hall Bath - 1st Floor

Bedroom window - 1st floor

Another view of the back room (the old porch)

Window from hall bath - to back room. A very classy touch.

Wall art

That concludes our tour of the little creepy house. I hope to have an update on our plans soon. 

The decision is made!

Phew! - Thank goodness I'm back.
I didn't like the way indecision felt! 
I have researched this house project every which way - and have decided to move forward with the demolition.
We will build, in it's place, a modest house that has bedrooms for everyone. There will not a lot of other space - but, hopefully it will be just enough.
I've promised the boys that they can go in and do a bit of their own "demolition" before the big day. I think it's going to be a bit more like vandalization - but they are excited about it.
Once I can get a date scheduled - the creepy little house, or as my friend Sunny affectionately calls it "PEN OKAY" house, is coming down! (If you haven't seen the interior photos - the last owner checked pens, daily, on the walls of the house. Marking "Pen okay" all over the walls of every room)

Sunny has claimed the dutch front door, and my friend Sarah the big book shelf in the back porch/room. If there is anything else that anyone would like - please let me know.
I contacted Habitat for Humanity about the furnace (since it appears to be new) - they are happy to have me deliver it to them, but won't come to get it. (In other words...if you'll come pick it up - it's yours!)
I have a full roof of slate that is in good condition- for patching, etc. I'd love for it to find a good home!
It seems like such a waste to just throw away everything - but, unless I can figure out who would like what, I guess I have no choice.
I think I'll save a few small things - to add to the new house, ie: the shutter dogs, and maybe a few door knobs.


So ...there you have it , the final decision. The next post will include the first photos of the demolition. 
I can't wait!

Not the best picture - but. here's the furnace & water heater. There's also a washer. The inspection did not note any trouble with any of them.

Oh my....

I have a problem. 
Apparently  my body has been taken over by some indecisive fickle alien - because, it is completely out of character for me to flip flop this way!


I filed the demo permit last Friday - and the city was on schedule to have all of the utilities removed from the house , "in about two weeks"


Well - unfortunately for me, in this case, the city was  uncharacteristically efficient. 


Everything was done by Monday morning.
Normally this would be good news, but... 
Sunday evening the final numbers came in from the builder. Here's a surprise....they were much higher than I expected.
Although his prices were very reasonable, for what he was offering, it would still price the little house well above anything on the block.


I have to take a step back.


This has to be a practical decision - made with my head, not with my heart.
All of the benefit of moving to the little house will be lost if I add financial stress to my family.


So....here I go....flip flopping again.


I have to admit - I am embarrassed.
I pride myself on my strong opinions, my ability to weigh all sides before making a choice, my clear head. Yet, here I am floundering every which way when it comes to this house.


Uh oh - I hope this is not what the new 40 year old me is going to be like! 
I liked the old 39 year old version better. (That might be an exaggeration - but I know I liked the 16-36 year old version!)


In an effort to keep moving forward - I am meeting this morning with a representative from the city assessors office. Whether we tear down - or renovate, I want to apply for the rehab tax abatement program.  This would give a more accurate current value of the home, and freeze that assessment for 7 years. It's transferrable - so even if I sell, the benefit will remain with the house.


Hopefully - if I keep moving forward, this project will unfold - and the answer will be clear.


Fingers crossed!

Permit filed....Now I have to wait.

Filed the demolition permit on Friday.
I just knew that it had been too easy - almost pleasant!


I had three calls today from different people down at city hall. 


The first caller wanted to - "make sure that you were taking down another building - not the house, right?" 
When I finally explained - and she understood- that it was our intention to demolish the house (not another building), she explained the source of her confusion.
"OH - cause on your application there was this word that made it sound like another thing. It's dila, dele - what is that word?"


DILAPIDATED 


Scary to think that I might have slowed the permit process all because of the word I used to describe the little creepy house. Maybe I should have said that instead - 


"Description of Work: Demolition of Little Creepy House."


Then maybe I would have had at least one less call today.


The second call was just to confirm my intentions. A separate employee had the application - and just wanted to confirm, before he called to have the utilities disconnected. 


Okay - he gets a pass. I don't mind someone being cautious. After all - demolishing a house is a big deal.


The third call came from the woman that was actually contacting the different utilities for disconnection.


"Yes Mam - I'm callin' cause I called Dominion to cut off your power, an they said you just turned that power on - so, you sure you want to turn it back off."
Hmmmm - let me think.....
YES! 
I am sure that when I have a bulldozer come in, knock down the walls and turn the house into a pile of rubble, that I do not want the power on in the house. 100%!


After all of this, I was discouraged to hear that it will be 2-3 weeks before I get the final approval to go ahead and take the house down. 
Now that I have a plan - I am ready now! 


I can't wait to get started.

Going to file a Demolition permit!

Whew - what a whirlwind! 


Researching online led me to Demo companies - which led me to think about projects that I had seen recently- which led me to make some calls to friends- which led me to look at their budgets to see what worked.


By the end of the day yesterday I had spoken to so many people - I am glad that I took notes.


Ultimately, I found myself standing in a beautiful house -  with a builder that had just completed an attempted renovation, turned demo project.  It was beautiful. I can't imagine ever being able to make the little house that nice.


The numbers make sense. 


The time frame makes sense. (5 months from contract to completion)


Apparently Elin & I are on the same page! Okay - well, maybe not the same page-( She's demolishing a $12 million dollar, 8 bedroom home in Florida) -but it's the same concept!


The good news that I found out today is...
We are still eligible for the Tax Abatement program even if we demolish & start over. I had thought that we would be required to maintain the existing structure - or at least part of it. So - at least for the first 7 years, our assessment would not increase. 


A penny saved = a penny earned!

Could there really be a plan C ?

At this point, if you think I am crazy, I don't blame you. 
I am starting to think I am crazy too.


I spent 3 hours at the house yesterday working out the details of how to make this work. I spent two hours today laying out the ideas - and changing the floor plan.
I brought the plans by my friend Sunny's house this afternoon - just to get her thoughts (she has super hero spacial ability - something that I completely lack)


She made some practical suggestions on how I could alter things slightly - and better maximize the space. 
After that we decided to go back and walk through the little house again.
Well - that didn't go so well. Although she liked the plans on paper - seeing the little (creepy) house again, really solidified her opinion.


"I don't think you should live here....
 I don't want you to live here....
 Don't live here."


Doesn't leave much room for doubt!
All I could do was laugh - how else could I react? It was such a funny thing to say - and yet she was so sincere!


"I think you should just demolish it - and start over."


Hmmm......
I hadn't considered a plan C.


So - I have spent the afternoon (after work hours - I am not slacking!) researching house demolition on the internet. It's pretty interesting. Did you know that a 2000 sq ft house can range between $7k and $24k to demolish? I didn't. 
I even found the funniest thing....



Kind of even sounds like my Blog. If I choose plan C - maybe I will change the name!


Tomorrow I am going to research this more fully. It seems like the only logical thing to do. What if this is the less expensive option? I'd be foolish not to ask.


So, Thank you Sunny! I value your opinion - and always appreciate your input.
I'll let you know what I find out!

Some First Floor Design ideas...

Enough Already!

Enough already with the indecision! 
There - I said it - so you won't have to.
I spent two hours over at the little house today. After countless hours of weighing the options, I had finally decided to move forward with the house as a project - not our home. I thought I had made the right decision.
Then, today, I met my friend Sarah (the interior designer) at the house to discuss plans and drawings. Although I did focus long enough to listen to her ideas and agree on a plan - I left feeling more unsure than ever! The more time that I spend making decisions, determining where the walls should go, and deciding on the kitchen configuration, the more  I want to live in the little house!
I know - I have a problem.
Although my heart is fickle - my head is not. I have made a decision, and I am sticking with it.
So...
The plan is - to renovate the house without adding any additional square footage. We will be moving interior walls, gutting & rebuilding the kitchen and baths and, in general, making this house so adorable that I am going to wish I could keep it!
Ugh - I wish I felt better about it. 
You know that feeling - when you have struggled to make a decision- thought about it, talked about it, prayed about it and lost sleep over it ? When finally  you come to a conclusion -  Relief right? 
That's what I expected - but I am still conflicted. Clearly I have issues!
Regardless - I am moving forward. 
The first utility bills arrived. I took them as a sign - driving home the message..."You are wasting time and money! Get off your ass and get something done!" 
Since I never ignore signs - I decided to get in gear. Here we go....
I'd like to put some of the ideas out there - to see what you think. I'll need to make this house as marketable as possible - so your feedback will really help.
First - I am making the house have 4 bedrooms. Although the little house was listed as  a 5 bedroom - there are really only 3 obvious bedrooms. I am going to create 3 small bedrooms out of the 2 on the second floor. They will be small - but I feel like 3 bedrooms would be too few.
For the master, I am going to combine the downstairs bedroom and the den. The combined space of the two rooms is 27x11. Sarah suggested that we make a dressing room/closet out of one section. So the bed part of the room would be 19x11 - and then there would be a cased opening to the 8x11 dressing room. 
I like the idea on paper. I hope it will turn out as well in real life.
Upstairs - there is one full bath. I'm thinking I might like to have 2. One decent sized one with a bath, and then another smaller one with a stall shower. I know that the extra bath would of tremendous importance to my family - but, how about yours? It will be a lot of additional expense. Do you think I need to have 2 baths upstairs for the 3 bedrooms?
It would make a big difference to me - but, I am not buying the house.
I hope to have some more interesting pictures to post soon - if not of progress, at least of demolition!
In the mean time...here is a shot of my lame attempt to make the house look festive for the holidays.
Happy New Year!