We moved into the house a week earlier than we had planned, because Sam got the idea into his head that we would, so we did it. We moved from Elgin to La Grande on Saturday, March 14, and since there was only one more week of school until Spring Break, I wanted the kids to go to the same school that week and start at a new school after the break. That meant driving early in the mornings from La Grande to Elgin (20 miles) Monday through Thursday, and sometimes coming back to La Grande during the day to get things done, and then having to drive back out to pick up the kids and drive them back home to La Grande. It was the best solution under the circumstances.
This home is large, and the land it was built on is an acre. I didn't know how big an acre was before, but now I'm glad I have only an acre. Everything, and I mean everything, inside and outside, about this house is unfinished. There is so much work to be done. Not only that, but it is filthy. I have never had a true concept of filth, though I thought I did, until now. The kitchen cupboards were so covered in grime that had to be scrubbed for a really, really long time before it even made an iota of difference. My mom came over and helped to clean my kitchen for a couple of days before I moved in. Nothing had been cleaned before our move except what we did. A dumpster was parked outside the house - I think it was the biggest we could get - and it was filled to the brim with garbage taken out of this house and around the yard. The ceiling in two rooms on the main floor had to be removed because of a water problem upstairs that had to be resolved. The house stank like moldy wood for days and has been airing out since before the move. None of the rooms in the house is completely finished. Nearly every window sill in the house has yet to be put in. The house is at 95% completion, so we get to decide on the finishes we'll put in, flooring we can install, wall colors to paint, edgings, light fixtures, and all manner of coverings. There are mature fruit trees outside, just waiting for a different season before we can harvest their fruit. There is a big, fenced playground in the back for the kids to play on. There is a vast area ready for preparation to plant a garden. There is a chicken coop and run area that we have been preparing for our baby chicks, who have been living in a special plastic tote in the sunroom (we have a sunroom!). We have so much room to work and play, and I am happy that we found this wonderful home! It's a work in progress, that's for sure, but I can see the potential. Every day it looks a little better. And all of us are happier to spread out - and to be closer to Grandma and Grandpa Jensen!
4 comments:
Are you guys renting this house or did you purchase it? It sounds dreamy, grime and all! I would love an acre for my kids to play on. Good luck getting it finished and all put together. What fun!
LOVE your title! So perfect. It does take some bravery to tackle a project like that, but it is so worth it. Stressful, but worth it. It reminds me of our first house, which we gutted basically to the studs. I remember scrubbing the oven (one of the few things we tried to salvage)for days, thinking the inside was black underneath all the grime. I was surprised to find (after nearly a week of work) that it was a pale baby blue! Then I found a cockroach inside one of the dials, and that was the end of that. All that work down the drain. I dragged it outside and threw it over the edge of the porch.
Good luck! It looks and sounds like such an adventure. I'm a little jealous.
We're in a lease agreement with intent to buy in a few years.
Oh, my goodness, Andrea...what a story! I haven't seen anything like that, but it is pretty disgusting. The oven has its issues (like the fact that it doesn't close all the way, so baking is out of the question for now), and the "built-in" dishwasher is probably one of the first ever made and it doesn't even work. We already had a portable non-working dishwasher that we brought with us, so now we have side-by-side closeable dishracks! Anyway, yes it can be stressful, but I am eager to do some fixing-upping!
Your title is so perfect! You are brave to take on so much work, but I think it will be so worth it. And I'm sure the kids are already in heaven with that huge back yard to play in (now if it would just stop snowing....)
It's a cute looking house! Very big compared to your Elgin house! I can't wait to see more pictures as you finish more little projects.
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