Improvements By Project

It's amazing to see how far we have come on the house in just a month.  When a project nears completetion you forget just how much work went into it.  Here's an update by project with pictures which speak more clearly than words.

Project:  Swimming Pool 
We are glad we invested the time and money into getting the pool ready, especially with how hot the weather has been.

  

Project:  Elisabeth's Room 

                                                        

Project:  Masterbedroom

Project:  Ben's Room

               

Project:  Kitchen

Project:  Exterior

                     

    



    



The Week In Review

Well, we didn't make our goal of having the pool ready by July 4th.  However, Monday, 25,000 gallons of water will be delivered and Tues. the filter & pump will be installed. 

     

Elisabeth's room has become a ray of hope which encourages us to keep on working hard.  The door has been replaced.  Only the closet doors need to be hung and her room will be finished!

 

     

Every bit of wallpaper has been removed from the master bedroom, even what was on the ceiling.

Insulation and drywall have been added to the kitchen walls.

Over 2,000 pounds of building materials were taken to the dump.

The tv antenna and tower are down.

 




Praise the Lord for strength and safety as we work on our home that He has so graciously blessed us with!

THE POOL : }

It's bigger than the main part of our house.  When we took the cover off everything on top of the cover ended up in the pool.  There's no filter, hoses, vacuum, chemicals, etc.  Nothing, noda.  Ben is in the process of draining the pool so we can asses what needs to be done in the way of repairs.  It does hold water though!  Hopefully we'll make our target of having it ready for swimming for July 4th. 

Renovation Pics

The garage is turning into a kitchen.

Elisabeth has her room colors picked out = orange and pink.

The doorway's been cut through the living room wall.

Paneling and ceiling tiles are GONE in the master bedroom.  Now the wallpaper needs removing.

The 1/2 bath and closet are framed out.

What a busy 2 1/2 days!!!

       



 

Let The Renovations Begin!

 Settlement didn't exactly occur without any glitches.  The main glitch was the wire transfer of the money from the mortgage company to the title company.  We started the paperwork at 10:30 AM but we weren't permitted to have the keys to the property until almost 3:00 PM.  Once we had the keys in hand we went right to work on the renovations after taking time to pray and thank the Lord for this miracle He's provided for us. 

Within 3 1/2 hours everything was out of the current kitchen:  cabinets, lighting, ceiling tiles, flooring, etc.   Next step, frame out the bathroom and closet area.  That will be in the area where Jay is standing in each picture.

The Big Day

Well, tomorrow is the "big day," settlement day!  Unfortunately, our friend, who just happens to be our realtor, will not be able to be with us.  She's been by our side over these past 2 1/2 years of searching for a home.  We are happy for Jane though, she"s in France with her daughter and family waiting for the birth of another grandchild. 

Our excitement is building as we get closer to 10:30 am, June 22.  Although, we can't help being a little reserved since we don't have the house keys in hand yet.  We have been going to yard sales and picking up things we'll need for the house.  The hardest thing we've had to decide on is what appliances to put in the kitchen. 

Value Achieved!

Thank the Lord the second appraisal came in $13,000 above the amount we are mortgaging!  Apparently the new renovation plan greatly increased the home's value.  Now we are waiting to find out whether settlement will be on June 17, or June 24.  It certainly is a good thing that we're not moving into this home right away since we weren't sure we were even going to make it to settlement until this week. 

What Adds Value?

The appraisal was done on the house and even with the renovations figured in the appraisal value was $30,000 less than what we plan to mortgage.  Obviously this is unacceptable not only to the mortgage company but also to us.  Sure this may be a so called "buyers" market but home values have dropped considerably.  So it was back to the drawing board regarding renovation plans.

A finished basement doesn't really add any value to a home nor does it increase a home's square footage.  We came up with a plan B and had the contractor go to the house with us to discuss the possibilies and cost.  Plan B is to take the existing kitchen and turn it into a 3rd bedroom and a half bath.  Then take the oversized two car garage and turn it into a one car garage.  The half of the garage closest to the main part of the house will then be coverted into a kitchen /dining area measuring 11' x 23'. 

Since plan B renovations are all on the main floor of the house this will add value as well as square footage to the house.  We are waiting for the contractor's estimate and then we will request another appraisal.  Unfortunately, we have to pay another $350.00 for a new appraisal but if it gets us the value we need then it will be worth it.

In a way, we are glad the original plan to finish the basement didn't work out because we like this new plan so much better.  Later, if we want, we can finish the basement.  Our only concern is, can plan B be accomplished with the allotted monies for the renovations?

This but not That

Our meeting with the contractor went well this morning.  We've come to the realization that what we definitely, positively, and absolutely need is more space.  The kitchen cabinets are sufficient and with a little elbow grease and the right hardware they'll look attractive.  So. our biggest expenses in the kitchen will be a stove, refrigerator, and new counter top.

Finishing the basement is top priority and where the majority of the renovation funds will be spent.  When completed, there will be another bedroom and full bathroom as well as a family room and laundry area.  Amazingly even with all this rain the basement is dry!  Thank the Lord. 

If anyone has any experience with in ground pools we'd love to hear from you.

Little by Little, Inch by Inch

With the offer accepted, reality has begun to set in and it can be overwhelming at times.  Ideas need to be thought, creativity needs to flow, figures need to be figured, and estimates need to be estimated all before the appraiser comes out to the house. 

With help from a Home Depot kitchen designer we now have a design for the kitchen to work with.  Sitting down with pencil in hand and some graph paper, we now have a design for the basement as well.  Now we can communicate "intelligently" with the contractor on Saturday, April 23. 

When our kids were younger they enjoyed listening to Patch the Pirate songs and stories by Ron Hamilton.  Those songs and stories touch not only the lives of our kids but also us as adults.  Patch's song titled "Little by Little" has become our theme song for this project.  The lyrics are:

When mountains tower rugged and high

rise to the challenge, look to the sky.

Trust in the Lord and start out to climb,

reach for the goal one step at a time.

Little by little, inch by inch,

by the yard it's hard,

by the inch what a cinch!

Never stare up the stairs,

just step up the steps.

Little by little inch by inch.

Pray that as we take on this challenge we will take it one step at a time!

 



Offer Accepted!!!!

The Burringtons are on their way to becoming home owners again!  Our offer on a bank owned home has been accepted even with the seller's paying the 6% closing costs.  Since the home is bank owned it needs some renovations.  The mortgage, as well as the renovations, will be financed through a homepath renovation mortgage.  The amazing thing is this is a conventional loan but we only need to put 3% down!  Settlement is scheduled for the end of June after which we have 3 months to complete the renovations.  We don't anticipate moving in until sometime in Aug. when our current lease is up.

The home is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, rancher with a full basement, 2 car garage on a 1/2 acre with an inground swimming pool.  Below are pictures of the house to give you an idea of what renovations need to be done.  Our goal is to completely finish the basement to include a full bathroom, a bedroom and family room.  The other major renovation would be to the kitchen.  Other minor repairs need to be done throughout the house as you'll see in the photos.  There is nice hardwood flooring under the carpeting.

We look forward to being able to post the "after" pictures.

              





Florida Room

 

back bedroom door missing



Master bedroom



stain on LR floor