Day 5: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

 Because the little cape cod is located on a ridge, the chances that we would hit shale were pretty high. This isn't a good thing because hitting hard rock means renting the jack-hammer-like attachment for the excavator which equals big bucks (about $1000 per day). Since I didn't have any wiggle room in my budget, my thoughts that day were: "Please Don't Hit Rock! Please Don't Hit Rock!"

But first, here is a picture of what a boy in Heaven looks like...kind of like Caleb sitting a few feet away from a "big digger" digging just for him.

When it comes to renovating an old house, there is so much more that can go wrong than building new construction. One thing in particular, that could literally bring the house I just bought crumbling to the ground is the foundation. Old houses usually mean rock foundations. Mine is no exception. To make the foundations stronger, they often built the walls like pyramids with the sills sitting on the top and the wall tapering out at an angle. So, when the excavator was digging the new foundation, the goal was to get as close to the old house as possible without disturbing the old foundation, because I definitely DO NOT have money to fix that!

Good thing our driver has lots of experience!



In the mean time, I continued working on the demolition inside where I finally got my hands on a sledge hammer. So Much Fun! and I only bashed my hand once!



Out comes the kitchen.

One of the joys of living in the country. Caleb and I found a caterpillar half in its cacoon. Oh, the things this boy will learn out here!

Day 4: Rest

I didn't end up going to the house on day four. I took the time at home to work on the budget and make lists ( i heart lists!) of all the stuff I have to do. Great time to get some extra day time cuddles in with my babes.

Day 3: Demolition Dad

Here is where the fun begins! I say that every time we start a new project. I wonder how long I'll last before the projects start feeling like work. I'm really enjoying each day of this experience because I feel so fortunate to have the time to spend with my family. My dad and I are doing most of the work at the house, but there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes. Keith continues to work hard at his job, so I can take my maternity leave. Mom is working in Ottawa and we're missing her terribly! Caleb does a really good job of being careful and not getting hurt; he is actually the hardest worker on the sight and most eager to help. And , last but not least, Charlotte is the perfect little angel that waits around patiently in her various jails (car seat, swing, exersaucer, Bumbo, and bouncy chair) so I can get lots of work done between feedings. 

Day 3 Goals:

1. finish chopping and moving the tree
2. demo the closets in the three bedrooms
3. carefully remove the baseboards to be salvaged

I recommend doing the baseboards a little at a time. You can break up the job over a couple of days or trade the job off with someone else...patients runs out for even us elementary school teachers and breaking things just seems easier.

Two of my favourite guys!

And there he is: DEMOLITION DAD!

Day 2: Timberrrrrr!

So, if you're paying attention, by now you've probably realized that my days do not line up with the calendar. That's because I'm about ten days behind. Once I get myself caught up, I'll post quick highlights daily, usually with a photo or two. Day three was all about cutting down trees and ripping up the carpet/vinyl flooring in the kids rooms upstairs. My goal is to finish their bedrooms as quickly as possible while the foundation for the addition is being laid, so I can move furniture up there and out of the way.

Today was all about cutting a big apple tree down (don't worry, there's more) to make way for the addition. Do I enjoy dragging giant branches up hill with a baby strapped to my chest, you ask. Uhhh, no! But it needed to be done. So, with the end result in mind and adrenaline pumping as I cursed thought about the people who had stayed home that day, I dragged the tree...in the rain!

Mama's boy

Don't lose the kid!

 I also brought my Japanese Maple out to the house day two, but I haven't decided where to plant it yet.

Here's what the floors look like now. Not finished, but it looks better already. We plan to sand the floorboards and leave them as is. I love the rustic look of the rough wood!

Day 1: Baby, It's Cold Outside...and Inside Too!

People have pointed out many facts that suggest I am a little crazy to take on this project at this point in my life. Some have tried to discourage me from buying the house, doing the work myself, and involving my family in the whole process. While I appreciate their honest input, people close to me know that telling me I can't or shouldn't do something only makes me want to do it more, if only to prove to doubters that I can. Yes, I have two children. Yes, one of them is an extremely energetic three-year-old who seems to have a death wish. Yes, I just had a baby. Yes, I realize all the trees on my land sprout leaves, not money. I consider all of these things...challenges. 

One of the challenges I will face in renovating my little cape cod is making it as energy-efficient as possible. So, before I started with demolishing all the ugly, I had to find out how to keep cold out in the winter, and the warm in. To do this, I arranged to have a Pre-Energy Assessment done on my house. The results: this little cape cod needs some new insulation, Baby! Wooo hooo! How exciting! 

Did I fool you with the "woo hoo?" Ya, didn't think so. Hand me a sledge hammer, please.

Old House, Young Family - Round 2

I'm doing it again! I've sold a house, bought a house, had a baby, and moved...again! This all happened three years ago, but I'll get to that later. For the past two and a half months, I've been planning, sketching, re-sketching, meeting with contractors, stressing lots, and sleeping little all in hopes of getting my second home. Well, the deal finally closed and we've started renovating, and by that I mean breaking things, digging holes, and generally making a big mess. Most of my friends and family know I'm a little bit obsessed with everything to do with houses. I have books and books full of floor plans I've drawn and a freakishly large interior design magazine collection. So when I started telling people that I bought an old house and plan on building/renovating, I've had a lot of requests for before and after pictures. So many, that I decided to start blogging about the whole experience. 

I'll start with some before pics and keep you posted on the progress. When you see the before pics, keep in mind that I have a real estate broker as a father, so I grew up touring houses for fun and appreciating hideous homes for their "good bones." 

The house is over a hundred years old, and it has had pieces added on over the years. The obvious ones are: a front porch, a wood shed on the side, and a carport. Originally, the house was cape cod style house, and that is what I intend to restore it to (with all the bells and whistles of a modern home of course). My little cape cod sits on five acres overlooking the river valley. 

The house comes with that cute little boy too!

When you walk in the front door, the living room is to the right of the stairs. The plan for this room is to sand the hardwood and replace the sliding glass doors with hung windows to match the kitchen. Later, I plan to tackle the paneling.

Nice, wide staircase.

Turn right, and enter the big, eat-in kitchen. I can't wait to renovate this room! It's definitely my favourite room to design.

Future upstairs play room.

I plan to create a cozy, reading nook for the kids.

Caleb's room

Charlotte's room. Caleb wanted to keep the "red room" because his favourite colour is red. Try telling a three year old that this wallpaper is hideous!

We'll demo the homemade closets and the creepy closet under the eaves to make the room a little bit bigger. I plan to put my double bed in Charlotte's room and get myself a nice, king size bed. Can't wait to have more than 10 inches of sleeping space...I think the other Mommies out there will understand this.

I've concluded that the previous owners thought wallpaper was even better than duct tape. They use it to cover messes, fix holes, insulate the walls, and last but not least, make things "pretty."

Front porch will be coming off!

Key ingredient to making lots of land pretty with little maintenance...perennials.