I AM NOW MARRIED!!!.......
........to a 30-year mortgage that is!
That's right folks, I am now officially a home-owner!!!!
I've finally fulfilled my dream of purchasing a fixer-upper cottage in the country and boy do I ever have my work cut out for me! There are some who would consider the place borderline condemnable, but I've seen far worse homes brought back from the brink of disuse and demolition. The elderly couple who lived in it haven't been able to take care of it for a while and I am facing a lot of repairs.
The current challenge is in getting all of the old stuff they didn't want out of the house and distributed where it can be re-used and/or recycled. But not everything they left behind is total junk.... among some of the useful and/or saleable objects they left behind are: an old singer sewing machine table (the kind operated with a foot tredle, I'm definitely keeping it), an old wood xylophone I found behind the dresser, a large electric pottery kiln (selling it), a late 70s (or early 80s?) model trailer mobile home that was left on the property, and a bazillion different useful tools and whatnot. I will be deconstructing the trailer and using the materials to fix up the main house. People keep telling me that I should scrap the main house and fix up the trailer instead... but I like older homes that have character and history in them. Besides, the main house stands to last longer than the trailer if it is repaired properly.
Time to break out the tools, dig in my heels and put down roots where I have been planted! I am excited to say the least!
Pictures of the good and the bad are forthcoming within the next week. I am intending to keep a working photographic chronicle of the fixing-up process my new home!
My apologies to all of those who have written to me and are awaiting replies. I've been extraordinarily busy and my phone line is not turned on yet, thus the only access I have to the internet is when I occasionally have the time to come into cafes or libraries with wifi.
7 comments:
Hi Seth, congrats
I can't wait to see pics of your "new" place. I should send you a few of my carriage house that I'm in the preliminary stages of getting "permission" to do a restoration(historic district.) The main house needs a bit of work too but the carriage house is almost ready to fall. This is the second home I've owned. The first took 14 years to get where I wanted it then I had to take a transfer to Buffalo, NY.
I moved to Freedom, NH to help my dad out for a while so I only get to work in Buffalo every 5 weeks or so. I get a bit bored at times in NH, to bad you don't live a bit closer I could definately give a hand.
Good luck with your home, the work never ends and you will be house poor for quite some time!
Chuck
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Congratulations on finding a new home! We're also renovating our home because we like places with character that only comes with age.
Had you thought of fixing up the trailer, as well as the house, and using it for visitors?
I'm envious of the goodies you found. Our house was completely empty when we moved in. We haven't found any treasures yet.
How exciting!
Congrats and good luck.
How much is/did the kiln go for? If you think it can be shipped to near Chicago get back to me at bonsaimaniac at gmail dot com.
Thanks to all of you for the best wishes!!!
Chuck, by all means send along a few pics of the carriage house :) Best of luck with helping your dad!
Bacchus, no I've not considered fixing up the trailer because of the thin walls and general inefficiency of the design. Even though the main house is an old dump, it has a lot more potential and I like it for the same reason that you just stated... it's old and has character. I will be deconstructing the trailer and using some of the materials to fix up the main house. What I don't use on the house will go toward building a greenhouse, garage, possibly a better storage shed and guest cabin as well. The rest will be sold or given away.
Re: The anonymous kiln question... it hasn't been sold yet. I'm waiting for my sister to mail my camera back to me so I can take a pic, research it and maybe post it to craigslist. I will likely be asking $3K-$4K for it.
Better late than... Hey there! Congrats and best wishes on the marriage.. eh hm.. new home! Proud of ya!
S
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