Progress is slow

I'm not sure the progress is that slow, I am just getting so anxious to be done that it feels slow. Wes was supposed to take the camera today to take pictures, but he forgot. So... we will have to wait for progress pictures.

There has been mudding and taping and sanding and all that going on. Wes has been doing some work on the exterior while the contractors have been inside doing their bit.

The siding has arrived and will hopefully soon go up. I am hoping to show signs of real progress soon. There are so many little details and things to remember that it sometimes feels like we are standing still, but we are not. And Wes has lost a ton of weight from working too hard.

It has been a long few months and this little family is starting to miss Daddy. So I am hoping and praying that God carries us through the rest of the project so we can get to the other side as painlessly as possible.

I am, however, exceptionally proud of my husband. He has done such a wonderful job, he hasn't compromised on quality and he has done a vast amount of work (with some help from suppliers, but much of it on his own) in a time that most people would never dream of accomplishing half as much.

Hopefully we will have pictures soon.

Happening this week

Wes has been very busy putting up drywall and ordering supplies for the next items on the list.

We have ordered the siding, we had quite a time picking the colours but we are fairly happy with our choices. Wes has been getting quotes for the mudding and taping, hoping that if we get a supplier in it will speed this process up a bit.

He is having my cousin's boyfriend come help him tomorrow with the concrete in the basement tomorrow.

Things are moving along. We are hoping to have it ready for the market by early to mid May.

So if you know of anyone looking for a remarkable little home in a great area let us know.

I am hoping to have pictures soon as having drywall up always help show the rooms and their sizes.

Framing inspection

The last of this round of inspections was today, the framing, and it passed. Wes started with the insulation today. Now it will start to look like something. I'm excited to see it develop.

Yeah for Wes, I'm soooo proud of him.

Inspections

It has been quite a while since I have posted. There has been a lot going on, but none of it was very "news worthy." So now...

The electrical, plumbing, gas and heating inspections have already taken place and everything passed. The framing inspection is set for Monday. We would do it sooner, but Wes is going to be on a bit of a house vacation. I am going away for the weekend so he will be watching the kids. I wonder if he'll be anxious to get back to renovations after his little "break."



Here are a couple before and after pictures.

Here is the electrical panel before the renovation started.

Here is the new electrical panel.

Here is the old furnace.

Here is the new high efficiency furnace.

We feel it is very important to not just make the house look like it has been improved, but to improve the workings of the home as well.

Next steps are insulation, drywall, siding... It is coming together. This is where the home will really start to show off how it looks and feels.

So what's next?

Again there isn't much going on that is worth trying to show in pictures. But, that doesn't mean there isn't a lot going on. The plumber is coming tomorrow, so Wes has been busy preparing for his arrival. After that the heating guy will be coming to work on that too. I think electrical is going to go in later this week as well. All very important things.

Thankfully the horrible deep freeze of last week is gone and we are back with mild weather. Whew! Its a bit scary sending your husband off to work when it is that cold.

I'm super excited for this next couple weeks. If all goes well we should be doing drywall fairly soon. And that will make for nice pictures!

Rough layout change

I wanted to help you all get a visual of the changes that Wes has made to this little house. I drew a rough (ahem - Wes would so not approve of this) sketch to show the layout before. I only included the upstairs as the basement was completely undeveloped.

Nice drawing eh?

These plans show the "after." Note there have been some subtle changes to the layout, but the basics are here. At the end of the project we will do some before and after pictures. I just don't know how much sense they will make since nothing is the same.

There is a large ensuite/closet in the the master. We have changed the layout of the kitchen slightly. It is still a U shape but the opening now faces the dining room. The front office room can easily be converted to a third bedroom if necessary.

There is a nice sized deck off the dining room and a large veranda/entry at the front of the house.

In the basement we are planning on moving the furnice and water heater to the east wall of the house freeing up that room for a large play/excerice room.

The plans have as I said changed slightly but hopefully this will give you and idea of the space, how it has changed and what it will be like when it is completed.

And please no comments about his drawings being better than mine. In fairness I did mine in about 45 seconds and he took hours to do his.

No pictures lately

There isn't much going on right now that deserves pictures. The temperatures have dropped for this week. But, if the long range forcast is to be believed they will hopefully be short lived. We simply can't believe how great the weather has been for this project. Wes was able to get the back deck completely last week with the warm temps.

There is much going on at the moment. Prep for plumbing, heating, electrical and framing. All we have been discussing is bathrooms and tubs and what is best for the house and the potential buyers. We took the kids to Ikea for breakfast and to look at ideas for storage. The kids love Ikea and I feel like I do nothing but chase them. Oh the drama!

Soon, hopefully we are on our way to getting some of the items on our list checked off.

It isn't a dramatic post but Wes is still working hard and making good progress. I am very excited to start to see things take shape.