One-Month Progress Report (Plus, What’s Next…And What About The Condo?!)
Well, folks, as of Monday, Matt and I have owned our house for one month. And we’re still not living there. 🙂 Is that weird? Oh well, I’ve never been one to do things the conventional way.
It’s actually been a pretty productive month. Here’s a quick rundown of everything that’s been accomplished, and you’ll notice a “removing/ripping out” theme on most of them:
- Two days after closing, I removed the carpet from all of the original parts of the house that had hardwood floors. And yes, I really did do all of that by myself. In one day. 🙂 The carpet was so old and brittle that it actually tore into strips pretty easily. Unfortunately, all of that carpet and carpet padding is still piled in the sunroom. I dread that job.
- I also proceeded to remove all of the tile from the kitchen (which all popped up very easily), and then I had it and the glue left behind tested for asbestos. Results: Tile, positive for asbestos. Glue, negative for asbestos. Those tiles still sit in my garage while I figure out how to discard them.
- I removed some of the polystyrene ceiling tiles from the hallway. That job is still incomplete.
- I removed the massively overgrown boxwoods from the front of the house, and also finalized my exterior colors that I’ll be using on the house.
- I removed the storm door from the front door.
- I ripped out the 1970s closet from the hallway (definitely one of the most rewarding things I’ve done yet).
- My mom and I removed all of the old baseboards from all of the rooms, which required the plumbers to first remove the original gas valves. I was sad to see them go, but I couldn’t remove baseboards with them there. And I’ve saved them for some creative use in the future.
- I started removing the carpet from the den, only to find more asbestos tiles. That carpet is still only half removed.
- And then, the mother of all projects, I spent two weeks sanding (and sanding, and sanding) and refinishing 1500 square feet of hardwood floors.
- During my breaks from floor refinishing, I also finalized the future floor plan for the house.
- And I also decided on a design plan for our master bedroom.
Phew! Makes me tired just thinking about all of that! 😀 And also during that time, the plumbers came and relocated my hot water heater, added a washer hookup in the correct place (the future utility room/mud room), and rescued my house from generally faulty plumbing, while almost sending me into a rage-filled fury over my hardwood floors. But it all worked out in the end because William, the plumber’s assistant, bravely went where no other man was willing (or physically able) to go — into the tiny scuttle hole and the cramped crawl space beneath my house.
So it’s been quite a month!
What’s next?
I’ve had many of you ask me “What’s next?” and “When are you moving in?” and “What about the condo? You kind of left us hanging!”
Well, here’s the deal. 🙂
I finished the hardwood floors in the house on Saturday, and I’m supposed to leave them alone for seven days.
So you’d think that maybe in seven days we can move in, right? Well, not quite.
You see, at minimum, in order for Matt to move into the house he needs two things: (1) A bathroom that is easily accessible to him (fortunately we have that, so no rush remodeling required), and (2) a bed that he can easily transfer himself to and from, which basically means it has to be a precise height.
Our bed at the condo is on a built-in platform, so it can’t be easily moved. That means that the next project for the house will be building a bed. And that’s fine, since the bedroom is the first room that I want to decorate anyway.
I’ll be building a base that looks something like this:
(That picture is from Pottery Barn, but I don’t think they actually sell that bed, just the bedding.)
And then I’ll be adding an upholstered headboard as well.
In the meantime, I’ll be working on projects that are still incomplete in the condo. Remember that room with the white walls? I painted the desk turquoise...
And then I made that huge headboard…
And then I completely dropped the ball. We closed on the house, and the work in the condo became a distant memory as all of my attention was focused on my new playground…I mean…house. 🙂
Well, I need to finish up the condo. I’ll do as much as I can in the next few days. Then after the seven day curing time on the floors at the house has passed, I’ll head back over to the house and build the bed.
Hopefully then we can move in, move the rest of our stuff out of the condo, and then I can head back over here to the condo and get those last projects finished up (like our bedroom, which is virtually impossible to finish while we’re still living here and using it because I need to do lots of painting). Then I can get the condo staged just like I want it, get the thing on the market, and turn my attention completely to the house.
So for the next few weeks, it’ll just be a back and forth balancing act between the house and the condo. But don’t worry! There WILL be closure on (and a complete tour of) the condo.
On a final note, I just want to say how much y’all bless the heck out of me. Your comments and encouragement mean the world to me, and I love…LOVE…the fun interaction I get to have with so many of you, both here on the blog and on my Facebook page. It really makes my day. I feel like I’ve actually gotten to know so many of you, like we’re just good friends hanging out (virtually, of course) and high-fiving each other on our accomplishments, and encouraging each other when we’re feeling a bit discouraged. I truly feel blessed.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Don’t worry about taking your time. My last house took 4 months of Reno to get moved in. And it wasn’t even done!
Wow – I read the list of what you did in one month and am impressed! Here we’ve been high-fiving each other over just getting an armoire moved from our upstairs bedroom into the dining room in the same month that we thought of it.
Lysa – I high-five you for getting the armoire moved (I completely understand!)!!
Wow…you really have gotten a lot done in a month….even without me flying to Texas to help!! Hee hee hee (I’d still love to hop a plane and come….temptations, temptations!) 😉
I’ve been sidelined this week with my back, so my projects have been put on hold for a couple of days. (Although I have managed to do a couple of crafty things while sitting in bed! Lol)
Can’t wait to see all your new projects in your new playground! (Ehhh….house) 😉
Hugs!!!
My friend has been refinishing her floors for almost a year. Since she lives in her house, it’s hard to get to them. She asked me how I’d found your blog and I had to think about it. Then I remembered that I was looking for small bathroom plans and found your cute yellow and blue bathroom in the condo. I look forward to reading about all of your work. My husband and I did that sort of thing when we were younger, but thank goodness it’s done now that we’re in our sixties. Good luck selling the condo!
You friggin fill me with awe at every turn. Because of you I am about to retile the fireplace, from which, in a “Kristi” moment, I tore all of the tiles from in a “these are ugly” “I wonder if there are original tiles under there” “I’ll just remove one tile to check” “O sh** now I’ve cracked some tiles which means I have to remove them all” flurry of activity/ The fireplace now looks like this (oops – can’t figure out how to upload a photo) And we are moving to Hawaii on October 4th. So I guess I’d better get busy! Any idea how to remove those ugly 70’s hearth tiles that were put down with liquid nails????
I don’t know about Liquid Nails, but some glues can be softened with a heat gun to make removal easier. Might be worth a try. Good luck.
Kristi – everything looks so good!! You continue to inspire me to get busy around my house – I am so proud of what I get done by myself! Girl Power!! Looking forward to your next project! HIGH-FIVE!!!!!
Kristi, you are such an inspiration to me! I especially love the fact that you have so many projects going at once. I’m like that, and others “just don’t understand” why I don’t complete something before moving on. It’s all about interest/desire. Some days are better for some tasks, other days for other tasks. BTW: your floors look AWESOME!!! Thanks for sharing your successes and struggles with us. I love it when bloggers “keep it real” for the rest of us!
I know that is a lot of work, but it must feel so amazing to have that much checked off your list! The asbestos tiles freak me out! I am wondering if some tile in my office is asbestos. Were you terrified to mess with it?
You are doing a great job, Kristi. I am amazed at all you get done. There is so much you have to do for Matt, and yet you get SO MUCH work done on the house and condo. You are the hardest working person I know. And…everything you do seems to always look beautiful in the end, though there have been times when I had my doubts, or should I say fears. I should know by now not to worry. I actually haven’t lost a night’s sleep over your projects in a while now. That in itself says a lot! 🙂 I’m really glad that you and Matt will finally be able to spread out in the house. The condo served it’s purpose but I know you are both going to enjoy all that space. I’m very proud to be your mom, Kristi!
Thank you for supporting your AMAZING daughter, Mom!
That’s so sweet!
I just have to pop in here and say that I LOVE the “Kristi’s Mom” posts! This one brought tears to my eyes! Kristi, your mom is so supportive of you and she seems to be in as much awe of you as the rest of us are. It must be so wonderful to have such a loving mom who believes in you and is so supportive and kind with her words (I have no idea what that would be like!).
Ok, well now you went and made me cry.
Oh, how I miss my mom.
You are so supportive and loving. Kristi is blessed to have you!
Crazy hard work! You are an Amazon Woman (must say in a foghorn echo kind of voice for full effect). Can’t wait to follow along and am completely crushing on the turquoise desk. I’m thinking it needs some opal or glass handles/pulls! You deserve every bit of encouragement each of us can give you! Go Gurlie!
Kristi you are awesome! I am such a fan of your blog. This might sound super crazy but I wish I were your neighbor and I could come over and help you (even though you NEVER asked for help, haha). Its a selfish dream of mine because I know I would learn so much from you. I think all that you is beautiful.
I think there would be a “tribe” of us coming down, if we could. It is that impulse to help a fellow DIYer that lives in all of us. Kristi just never knows who she may eventually meet, all because of her wonderful blog!
Frankly, I think we should all just suprise the shoes of Kristi and Matt both by organizing a group DIY event where a horde of us just show up one weekend and start helping with the remodel! Kristi might be compelled to call the police if a bunch of us are standing on her lawn, peering in windows, paint brushes at the ready!
Kristi – Fellow Texan here 🙂
I am always so excited to open my email and see that you have posted an update! You are an amazing DIY’er, and I love that you are sharing your and Matt’s journey with all of us. P.S. Do you ever sleep?!?! 🙂
As I have said before Kristi, you inspire me to let go of the fear of trying to do something new, and I can’t thank you enough. I didn’t make my first diy workshop- I had the flu and couldn’t even move and I don’t like to infect others. My next one is scheduled for the same day I have the water heater and water softener systems replaced- so I have to fine tune that day, but I am moving forward. Since I live in a northern climate in a double wide I am focusing on getting my house winterized and if the decorating can be fit in there ok, but then I have to decide what I want…ugh!
You have done a phenomenal amount of work in a month and I can’t wait to see the next adventure.
Man, you’re like… Super Woman. You have done more in one month than we have done in almost three years of living in our house! Crazy! I’m TOTALLY jealous!! I think our first mistake was moving into the house when we had plenty of time to do the things we wanted to do (and still haven’t done) while we were not in the house. It definitely makes it harder to paint walls and replace floors once you have all your furniture in there. PROPS TO YOU! This is our first house so we’ve definitely learned our lesson. Live and learn. You are on a roll! Great job!
Kristi, thanks for sharing your decorating adventures with us! I can’t say how impressed I am with all you’ve done. It makes my day when I see an update in my email, and I look forward to future episodes as well! The floors look absolutely BEAUTIFUL! You geaux, girl!
You have done such an amazing job…I truly don’t know how you do it! I have every confidence your new home is gonna be awesome!
Keep up the great work…it’s so worth it!
http://queenoftheisle.blogspot.ca/
Wow! That’s quite a list. I’m impressed. You sure have accomplished a lot and are so organized as to what comes next and so on. Looking forward to seeing the finished condo AND the projects on the house.
Your schedule seems completely efficient to me. Working in the condo when you can’t be in the house is really smart. Just wondering…..are you retired or do you work outside the house as well?
Hi Karen~
I’m neither retired, nor do I work outside the house. 🙂 The blog is actually my job, and makes me a full-time income. In addition to that, I also design WordPress blogs and websites for other bloggers and small businesses. http://www.linauerdesigns.com
My work has kind of evolved over the years. Before the blog, I was a self-employed interior decorator. So I’ve been self-employed, doing one thing or another, for about ten years.
Kristi, thank you for allowing us to take this amazing journey with you. My heart has sunk when yours has, and burst in pride with your accomplishments. Always happy to see another post! Your progress is so astonishing that I wonder where you’ll be in another month. I’m thankful you can handle both mortgages while you’re working on both, but I will dance for joy when your condo is sold to eliminate one of them, freeing you up to concentrate 100% on your new playground.
Kristi I also can picture us high fiving and laughing and helping…..waaaa….did I say helping? whew forget that…..who would want to take all the fun you have in your playground….hummm home… away from you….not us friends….we just like watching you work and inspiring us to do a little in our own playgrounds….You are the best for sharing all of your ideas and hard work and finished spectacular remodels and decorating with us. Thank you and take a few breaths of air and enjoy your patient hubby.
We spent 10 months renovating my mother’s house. Did all the work ourselves, except the roof. (also, my parents rehabbed a house when I was a kid – it took almost three years of nights and weekends.)
It completely amazes me how you casually say things like ” i just have to build the bed”.
Not much more to say really except, Cor blimey.
Cheers from straight to summer, bypassing spring in Brisbane.
I am singing “wonder woman, wonder woman” over here.
You inspire me and I take that inspiration and scare my husband with my next project 🙂 You do realize that the condo will sell 2 days after you put it on the market. It is adorable now, can’t wait to see the finishing touches, you are going to make some real estate ageent a very happy camper when you list. That said, you better get to work on that bed so you and Matt have a place to sleep. I’m looking forward to the next chapter. Congrats on a job well done. I’ve never thought about using navy in a room but after seeing your posts can’t wait to see what you do. Keep em coming!
Kristi, no worries. After two year in Reno-mode, I am still not in my home. This Friday will be exactly two years since I closed. **SIGH** you motivate me or so you have in the one month since I started reading your blog. Cheers to you!
You rock, Kristi!!!!
Oh my gosh…when do you ever sleep???
Yeeks! You’ve accomplished so much already! I’m so excited to watch all of this take place!
I’m so tired from reading what you’ve done in a month that I’m tempted to crawl back into bed and get some rest. Rome wasn’t built in a day, (and remodels take much longer than building from the ground up), so please, feel free to take another month to finish up. I won’t tell you how long I’ve been “renovating” my place. It will never end…never. Why? Because I can always find something else to do…and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Somehow, I think we’ve got that in common!
Kristie you rock! You must be exhausted. That’s a crazy amount of work done. Good for you. So very excited to see what your plans are.
I love all hard work you have done over the last month! Can’t wait to see your finished house!
I am just amazed every time I read your blog updates! Those floors look awesome! You really inspire me to get working on some projects I’ve been putting off.
You’ve done an amazing amount of work in the last month and should be proud of yourself. I feel positively lazy when I read your blog. I loved the wonderful post by your Mom, as she is obviously very proud of you and all you’ve accomplished. Can’t wait to see all of the future projects in the new ‘playground’ and the completed work in your condo. It’s a joy to check your blog each day and see what’s new! Thanks.
I LOVE YOUR POST,ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I LOOK AT WHEN I GET HOME FROM WORK!!!
Great job Kristi! They look so awesome! What an accomplishment!
Kristi~the floors look amazing! I can’t believe how much you’ve accomplished in 1 month–such an inspiration! The before photos of your home completely remind me of my grandparent’s house when I was a child–green shag and all. I’m excited to see your projects unfold and the way you will be completely transforming this new space. Blessings!
You make me feel like a slacker. I’ve been in my new house for 2-and-a-half months, and here’s what I’ve done:
1. Made curtains for 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, and the dining room.
2. Pulled a bunch of weeds.
3. Currently going to classes to learn how to switch from grass to xeriscape (low water) landscaping.
4. Put in new towel racks and toilet paper holder.
Ummm…I’m sure I’ve done a few more things, but nuthin’ like what you’ve been doing!
I am having so much fun following along on this monumental life-changing adventure! I’m learning a lot too! Those floors are still amazing to me! I just want to run my bare feet over them – they look smooth as silk! I look forward to each and every post and am so impressed at how much vision and energy you have! Thank you so much for letting us tag along! Hugs, Leena
So you accomplished all that in just one month?
Excuse me while I take a nap.
You are amazing. I am so crazy about this blog, I like it as much as coffee. And I really like a good cup of coffee, Kristi.
The only thing I would like better than this blog is to have you as a nextdoor neighbor!