Paper Anniversary Retrospective Part 3: The Make My House a Home Checklist
I had a summary prepared for the last third of the project, but really, it’s all too recent to be fun to read (or write!) about again already. A few things I’ve learned sum it up well enough. everything is started, nothing is finished. Paying other people to do work for you doesn’t always make life easier. And, of course, winter weather sucks when you’re trying to get stuff done. Instead let’s look at what still has to happen before I can live in my house!
- Love. There’s been plenty, but that’s clearly not enough.
- A chimney that will take the carbon monoxide out of the house (In the pipeline – I combined this with the insulation for financing.)
- Plumbing that isn’t rusting away. (This is roughed in, so it’s there but mostly not working.)
- Wiring that won’t burn the house down. (Also roughed in.)
- Insulation (In, pretty much, but they’re coming back to do a blower door test and possibly more air sealing once the windows go in.)
- Which reminds me, I do need these 3 windows back.
- And this patio door. I could live without it, but cutting out the brick wall will be such a mess I’m getting it done while the house is a mess. And plus, the existing back door is in the way.
- Closets big enough for clothes to hang in (Mostly framed out!)
- Bathroom tile, now that the old bathroom is gone (Trying to get this started.)
- Walls (Many of these are on hold until the windows are in and the air sealing is finished.)
- Siding here
- Floor finishing before I can bring in much furniture
- Kitchen cabinets (I was going to temporarily reinstall the old ones but it doesn’t look like this will work.)
- Appliances, sink, countertop (Not thinking about these yet, except the countertops might end up being those old flat doors.)
- New woodwork and refinished interior doors.
This list doesn’t go far enough to make the house perfect. The front windows are awful, the brick is disgusting, there will be boob lights upstairs, cinder block patches on the back walls, and what I have to furnish the house comes short of what anyone would call decor. Still, I don’t think any of these things are needed to make the place a home. I just need it to be habitable.
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Seems like you have all your priorities in order, Chad! Keep us posted as the checklist gets checked.
Hahaha. I’m glad I’m not the only person who calls them boob lights. And who doesn’t like them…
Oh I thought everyone called them boob lights. I did hear “ugly nipple light” once… but I’m not feeling contrary enough to say that’s not the same thing. Trouble is there aren’t that many really nice choices for a flush mount overhead light. Luckily I think I’ll only need one in the back bedroom; everywhere else the ceilings are well over 8 feet.
I have two left in my house, too, and I do call them “boob lights.” I took out most of them while I was being treated for breast cancer. Couldn’t stand to think about boobs all day and then again when the sun went down. 🙂
This comment is epic! Also, kudos for finding a way to laugh even in the midst of breast cancer
I totally agree that hiring someone to do the work is not always as great as one would hope. You’ve come a long way. All that debris! YIKES. Now the fun begins? Jo @ Let’s Face the Music
That’s the plan, but a funny thing happens with the best laid plans.
I think the bones of this house which you are so careful with will end up being plenty of decor – the floor and the exposed brick and the beautiful doors are all wonderful assets! Not to mention the tiling that is to be done…
[…] in, but most of the visible things that make the house look good were not. I wrote 3 posts last year to commemorate the paper anniversary. This year the anniversary should be cotton, but I’m […]