I have to learn those Zen thoughts. Too many inconsequential things are making my blood pressure way too high. I have to remember that if it can be fixed with some money, it is not a problem worth my health.
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I have to learn those Zen thoughts. Too many inconsequential things are making my blood pressure way too high. I have to remember that if it can be fixed with some money, it is not a problem worth my health.
How does the condo factor into the equation--could you sell the Saint Louis place immediately for a big profit without doing anything, and concontrate on the other two properties that you are fixing?
Yes to Being able to sell my city house immediately. As for “big profit” that’s impossible to calculate and it doesn’t much matter. We paid $28,000 for it. We could get $400,000 (sez our real estate friend, tho I doubt it.) But the profit is impossible to calculate since it was a gut rehab and we no longer have those records of construction costs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tybee
But then I would have no place to live because that condo is tiny and it does not replace my city house. I will not uproot my life prematurely And cause myself pain simply because DH has decided he’s going to hover over every process of Hermann renovation.
As I see it, this is dumb use of his time, but he can do what he wants to do with his life. There is legitimate work of high value that only he can do, and he doesnt recognize that! As I sit here I am inches away from the nice cabinetry he made for our city living room. I’m looking at the fluting of the trim boards—lovely! I’m looking at the crown molding here and as I’ve mentioned before he is the crown molding king.
But he seems to have a problem in identifying high value work versus grunt work versus semi-skilled work such as painting. And then there is scarcity. We can get a painter to paint an entire house. No one can get a painter to paint a closet, so that is the kind of small jobs he will have to do.
And then as a for instance, several weeks ago he was out back of our Herman house trying to break up a huge piece of concrete to get ready for construction. He’s a 65-year-old man and he’s doing this kind of grunt work that is hard on his body when a machine will come by to do it later. Meanwhile, there’s tons of semi-skilled work he could be doing in the yard, the kind of stuff that will be nearly impossible to hire done such as setting limestone rocks in walls and repairing same. He’s good at that work and it’s hard to find someone who knows anything about doing it.
Fortunately, he seems to respect our contractor and DH is working along side of the contractor’s crew, cleaning out rooms, tearing out a ceiling when needed, scurrying down to the hardware store to buy hardware. I do think he’s having some fun doing that and I don’t want to take that fun away from him.
It sounds like he really wants to a) do something he enjoys and b) leave his imprint on all the houses. If he is volunteering and you're not making him do it, I think you are right to just let him be. It's a hobby. Some people take up quilting, your DH makes homes look beautiful.
My DH frequently does things in a manner that I don't necessarily think are the right way to go. But these days, I am working and he is not, and even though I don't really want a spice rack tacked on to the other side of the Dutch door, I let it go. It makes him feel useful, and also, it makes the house more functional for things he thinks are important, and he's on the deed, so he gets a say in the matter whether I like it or not.
DH *IS*Pretty picky about workmanship. He went through my condo and smoothed out all the plaster walls and it looks absolutely gorgeous. Those walls haven’t been touched in decades. But you know what? I didn’t mind the old bumpy plaster, it just didn’t bother me. I’m thrilled to have real plaster.Quote:
Originally Posted by catherine
I just want DH to have fun in this last part of his life because he deserves it, and we can afford whatever we’re doing.
As for that spice rack! Those battles aren’t worth fighting. But bless the heart of my DH, he has called twice in the past 48 hours to get my “OK “on a couple of things about finishes on this Hermann house. He knows, because it is our agreement, that I am determining all finishes. He’s the construction guy, I am the decorator lady.
Lucky you both to enjoy these interactions. Just saying...;)
Our Hermann house is torn apart and is barely habitable. It’s going to be like this for many months. Here are pictures of our current kitchen facility (microwave oven, and a refrigerator that also contains our silverware, dishes, and paper products) and bathroom.
DH roughs it when he’s here, but I will stay in the Bed and Breakfast Inn on our block So that I have shower facilities. Maybe DH will also use their shower. Otherwise he’s using the hose in the yard as a kind-of shower.
There are no work crew here today so I can use the bathroom with no fear of lack of privacy. But normally there’s a crew of 2 to 4 men here.
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Wow!
That is down to the 2x4s!!!! Nice to see the steps unfold.
Is it possible to just do a room at a time so you could live there? Why do it all at once?
When you hire a crew it’s faster and cheaper to do the whole house at once. That’s how our house was done. When I was young and poor we did a room a year because that’s what we could afford.
No can do a room at time. This is major construction that requires moving plumbing, electric service HVAC service. we’re building a double garage we’re bumping out the basement, we’re building a room on top of that, we’re moving the kitchen from one side of the house to the other.Quote:
Originally Posted by frugal-one
When we were in our 30s we did our our city house a room at a time, yeah that took 25 years. There is no way I will do that again. I don’t have another 25 years on earth. But I will say that I think it’s kind of funny that here I am sitting in this room looking at studs and an old floor in an old house. This brings back memories. And really we’ve never stopped gutting houses because when we got our city house dry walled with a great deal of finish work done, we started working on tiny houses. It’s just what we do.
Seems to be the story of our lives as well. From a 1903 bungalow when we were 23 to this mid 60s split level in our 60s. And all the ones in between. With the price of houses now, I fear one last re-do is in our future. I am tired just thinking about it.Quote:
It’s just what we do.
I think it's a very fun hobby. What a creative endeavor!Quote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
On a related note, I've discovered two design shows that pass muster for me: One is No Demo Reno which I like because it drives me CRAZY when they waste materials in the name of the Trend Du Jour.
The other is the British show Grand Designs, which my son turned us onto. IL, I'm thinking you would love that show.
IL, am I wrong in thinking that original 2x4's would be thicker and stronger than today's green lumber? I imagine craftsman builders and carpenters loving the quality and strength of the old wood in the framing of your house. Am I under illusions?
Probably the 80-year-old wood is better quality than the new stuff, but I don’t know if they can reuse the old stuff if they have to cut it out. I don’t really know how that works.Quote:
Originally Posted by razz
Quote:
Originally Posted by razz
I believe the change in lumber came after 29, but I don't remember the date. Prior to the change, a 2x4 was truely 2" by 4" and the waste was off of their end. After, the milling waste, your new 2x4's are 1 1/2" x 3 1/2", so just by dimensions, the older lumber is a little bit stronger.
My friend who loves my Victorian neighborhood in the city often remarked that the joists in our homes were cut from the king’s forests. In other words, when those trees started growing, king George owned the forests here.
Another interesting fact about England and Missouri and Wood is this: Missouri Oak wood forms the barrels that Scottish whiskey is aged in.
We just had part of our deck redone to get rid of a stupid stage area that was 6 inches higher and make it level with the rest of the deck. Holy cow lumber is expensive. We used ipe since that’s what the rest of the deck is and the stuff is hard as a rock so it will last forever. For 16 ten foot long boards it was almost $1500 for just the wood.
Lumber has tripled in price locally since the pandemic. Some friends are building a house and it’s really costing them. So IL did you set a budget or is it in the doesn’t matter category.
It doesnt matter. It will cost what it costs. We can hardly set a budget on lumber alone since that is a must have. So, I am not paying any attention to cost of lumber.Quote:
Originally Posted by Teacher Terry
Meanwhile, we have still not paid our contractor a dime. He has a crew of men working for weeks now, plus a subcontractor who is digging out a foundation for new sunroom has done work.
One of these days I guess he will give us a bill. It is all very quaint. He must really trust us.
It’s probably because it’s a small town and people are more trustworthy. I can’t wait to see pictures when done. It’s nice to have things just the way you want it.
Time for an update on our Hermann house. All walls are bare to the studs. Sun room is nearly complete in basic construction. New siding nearly complete. We have had no running water inside for weeks now. DH stays there several days each week and lives with that—he goes to the outside spigot to get water. There continues to be a fully functioning toilet, tho.
I stay in the Inn down the street or in the cheap motel in town when I go there.
even though I said DH would not do any work on this house ha ha Ha! He’s there working 3 to 4 days a week. What in heavens name is he doing, you might ask? We have a construction crew there.
Well he does a little consultation with them now and then, but mainly he’s been doing work to save the pro’s time. Recently, placing electric boxes where we want them so when the electrician comes it saves him time. Last week DH started working on the storage areas in the attic bedrooms, planning and building drawers and cubbies under the eaves.
This Works beautifully because our contractor works on a time and materials basis so it’s not as though DH is doing any work inside of a set construction estimate. I will say that he’s already undone a little bit of framing the crew put up according to architectual plans, but that was only two hours worth of their work and DH’s work.
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Hermann decor: kitchen decisions!
i have finally decided on kitchen cabinets in a cream color, the door pattern being that faux headboard stuff. I could’ve been talking to wood cabinets if I could see in actuality bigger doors in the woods I like, bigger than the samples in the store. So I can’t commit based on the small samples. I’ve always been attracted to beadboard type cabinets for little cottages.
I want a pretty granite countertop. But I don’t want it to be too busy. So I have found, at the big box store, a pretty rather “quiet “but yet interesting granite that has lots of cream in it. The backsplash will be off-white tile in arabesque shape. So to me that’s a lot of non-Color but I think I can jazz it up with accent colors. My dilemma is a red stove? A blue stove? A black stove? A cream stove?
There’s a particular stove I love made by Hallman but I think it’s very cute. I’m stuck its little peg legs. But it comes in a limited range of colors and red is not one of them. And yes I have already ordered a color sample of the burgundy and it is not red. Don’t send me photos of red stoves because I know all of them. If I want a red stove I’ll probably go with Zline or Big Chill. None of them are as cute as the Hallman stove which seems to me to combine old style with new style.
So today I am thinking this color scheme: everything pretty much cream colored with black stove and vintage style black cabinet handles. I could have red accents with appliances and curtains and etc.
Sounds unique and effective!
Red accents sound like a good idea with your other colors.
I like black kitchen appliances, so I'm on board with your idea. And cream beats white for me, because it's warmer. Thumbs up!
Il, color scheme...good plan for you. I didn't think the Hermann house would be on a hill. My ignorance of mid west geography is to blame. I thought it was all FLAT! Looks like you'll have a nice view. Now, WHERE are the Iris - can you see them from the sunroom?
I'm in favor of the cream/black and red accents, too!
This is Missouri River bluffs area so there are hills and valley. Our house sits high on a hill with a wonderful view, hence, the Sunroom and orientation of nearly all windows toward that view.Quote:
Originally Posted by nswef
iris beds are not a big part of that view they are too small and close in to the house.
I love the sunroom and deck!
Had to go back and have another look at the photos and agree with RR. Like the trees in the background too.Quote:
Originally Posted by rosarugosa
Actually, I actively dislike decks because they require maintenance and I think they are usually ugly, especially on our
victorian houses in the city. My city house has a big brick patio that is beautiful and low maintenance.
But a deck is practical for this Hermann house and it doesn't look too far out of place I guess. Mainly I am interested in the aesthetics of the front of this house and am less concerned about how the back looks. It is a Cape Cod wannabe and has a unique, charming setting where the front nestles down into a rock walled entry. Cute and cosy and cottagey.
I couldn't agree more about decks. Hate 'em. Mine has long since given up and died.
But I understand they are the only solution in some circumstances.
Decks are hideous carbuncles on the face of lovely structures all too often. Our neighborhood historic building standard prohibits them on front facades. They can be built on the back according to code, and I can live with that.Quote:
Originally Posted by JaneV2.0
A deck is a far cry from a Juliet balcony, indeed.
"Hideous carbuncle" sums them up nicely.
Sounds like things are progressing! Congrats.
It is a very nice bald Cyprus that occasionally gets into our plumbing, but otherwise it is pretty well behaved.Quote:
Originally Posted by razz
I love sunrooms! Decks require lots of upkeep.
Not a fan of decks either. I'm trying to convince dh we need to remove the small one out back (that is in horrible shape at this point!) and put in a patio. Hopefully....!