Changes to the front of the house

We are moving along with the renovations that are needed in the front of the house.  With the trees gone, we were able to make the necessary plumbing repairs.  Now we are ready to change the approach to the house from the road.  Rather than having the garage as the main view as you come down the driveway, now the front door will be more visible.  Next step, landscaping!

Trees are coming down! Sept 12, 2012

This is the way the front of the house looked, nestled behind some trees.  The Driveway sloped down to the garage, then turned and exited on the other side of our "forest" of 5 Pine trees and assorted shrubs.

Trees are coming down!

Concrete driveway is being smashed and removed.

The front of the house is now visible from the road.

 

         

Here we go again!

  Our "New" Old House renovations expectantly will continue this Fall.  We are getting quotes so that we can make the repairs to the water line leading to the house which burst a few weeks gao..  We are going to take down 5 pine trees and redo the driveway.  We will also change the landscaping and front entry area.

Temporary water line going from meter to house.

Temporary line.

The dotted lines show the current driveway. The new driveway will have one entrance, will have a large LEVEL parking area in front of the house.  We will change the front entry and re-landscape.

Summer's end

It is now the end of August, and we have had a busy summer, lots of visitors. We welcomed family and friends and have enjoyed sharing our home.

Back in June, we were down to the wire getting things completed before Kristi and Kyle came to visit June 8th.  We also had Dan and Melissa and the kids here then too.  The bedroom carpet was laid on the 7th, and we were able to get the bedroom furniture moved out of the garage and into the bedroom.  We started to get our clothes out of our temporary closets, but still needed closet rods. (they are in place now, and we have pretty much moved our things in.)  We will be getting the final boxes from storage this weekend.

Master Bedroom

Also completed just in time, the master bathroom plumbing, and the plumbing for the lower level bathroom.  Countertops have been installed in the bathrooms and the kitchen.



Master bathroom and shower



Lower level Bathroom





Kitchen Countertops, dishwasher installed.

While visiting, Kyle and Dan helped move furniture from the storage unit and helped set up the dining room.

They also moved Bill's office furniture, etc. to the new office on the lower level.  Thanks guys!

As the summer progressed, we continued to fix and complete projects.  New furniture was added, some pictures have been hung.

New counter stools.



New rug, chairs, ottomans, plant



This is the view from the dining room now.



Rec room, the chairs open out to become bed for Bella and Grey.



Next phase to come sooner than we planned.  We will be renovating the front driveway and landscaping--we had a leak in a pipe leading water into the house, so now we have a temporary pipe above the ground.  There is always something!

Water leaking under the driveway and front walk.



June 7, the home stretch!

Things are getting finished in the kitchen, electricians and plumbers have been here, handyman Benton doing all of the extras, including tile in the kitchen and finishing the concrete floors in the lower level.  Carpet for the master bedroom comes on Friday, so we will be ready for Kristi and Kyle, Dan, Melissa and the kids this weekend.  We have decided to go ahead with landscaping in the rear, since we had to do grading, and needed grass!

Fans have been installed on the porch!  Just need the railing now.  The cable which will be used to make the railing should be arriving soon.

We got rid of the scruffy area on this side of the yard when we did the grading.  Now we have planted some bushes as border and for privacy.

We leveled the yard and are adding sod.  We have a section of our sunny yard set aside for a future vegetable garden.

New rug for the diningroom

New Rug for the Livingroom

The house has been painted, we have begun the grading for the landscaping.  Trenches have been dug for drainage and for electric service to the dock!

The Painters have been here for several weeks, almost done.  The electricians are putting in the fans 

and lights.

A flashback!  this is what the view looked like last year.  The sliding glass door led from the dining room to the Carolina Room.  Next shows the way the view is now--no wall, open to a huge livingroom.  the porch is to the side.

Floors have been refinished.  Cabinets are installed in the kitchen.  We can put furniture in here next week.

Today we had a fun event at the lake. Each year, there is a long distance swim for kids, and a few adults on our lake..  Entertaining, and inspiring.  These kids were swimming 5k's !

Next week--Countertops, sinks, rest of plumbing, painting, kitchen appliances.  

Getting close: May 26, 2012

Our painters have been here for a couple of weeks now, have done most of the interiors, are now doing the outside.  We chose a color which is like a light cedar, the trim is white.  We do have the best Painters around!  They are here early each morning and usually are here til 6 or so.  We have begun to do the grading around the house, more work will be done this week.

The cabinets are partially installed. The rest of them should be in this week.

Measurements for the counter tops were taken, and forms have been made for the granite countertops.  We have chosen  a Sienna Bordeau granite.  Can't wait to see it installed next week.

This is the peninsula which will have a lower counter on the kitchen side for the vertically challenged .  The space in the middle will be the parking place for my wheeled step-stool.  The plastic curtain is put up by the painters to protect the house when they are painting.

This is a custom built cabinet for our TV and sound system.  There will be space for our Music Box collection too.

Thanks KP (Kevin Pealo, carpenter)

The painters have put on a primer, and use bondo to make sure all spots are smooth.

Next  coat has been applied.  The painters are careful to cover everything to protect the surfaces.

      We are ready for the floors to be done next week.  The granite countertops are due to be installed, painting completed.  The concrete floors in the lower level will be finished, plumbing and electric finishing work to be done, hopefully!  We have the window treatments and will have them installed when the floors are done.  The Refrigerator and dishwasher can be delivered then too.

        On the outside, we have developed our landscape plan, and will complete grading, get the irrigation system in working order,  add gutters and drains.  

May 16, 2012

Kitchen cabinets  have been removed!  Installation of new cabinets begins tomorrow--Thursday!   

No kitchen sink until the countertops are installed--earliest will be the end of next week.

May 12, 2012

There has been alot of progress since my last post.  

The finish carpenters, Kevin Pealo and AL Jacobs have been here hanging doors, building stairs, closet interiors, putting up the medicine cabinets, framing the doors and windows and putting on the moulding.  The crews from Fred Griffith have completed laying the wood for the deck, and have fnished putting up the siding.  The Daniel Croom's tile crew has laid the bathroom tile in both bathrooms. 

The tray ceiling has been framed.

detail of moulding for ceiling.

Doors have been hung and trimmed out.

Window sills and frames

Stairs complete.

      The closets in the master bedroom are going to be great!  Lots of shelves and spaces for hanging things.

Bill's closet has shelves and double hanging rods.  He also has shelves that will also serve as the access to the attic.

The closet off the Master Bathroom is officially called, "Maureen's Closet, but she is willing to share some of the Space with Bill.  There are multiple hanging areas and shelving units that have been built in.

.

Shelves in the linen closet have been built.  The mirrored medicine cabinets have been installed and framed.

We have had the same tile installed in the master bathroom and in the bathroom on the lower level.

We are starting to get the feel of what the porch will be like.  the siding will be painted a shade of cedar, the ceiling will be heint blue.  Trim will be white.

The Kitchen Cabinets have arrived!  (May 11).  They will be installed next week.  Also scheduled for next week are the painters.

The cabinets fill the livingroom space!

Not too much longer now!