We just finished signing for and purchasing our 1915 Colonial Foursquare. So usually you get a nice set of keys to all your locks - but, we got a key to a padlock on the side door. Yes, even the locks need work!
We couldn't wait to walk around OUR house. Walking into our forgotten house - it was hard to see the beauty - believe me, piles of plaster rubble, dust, and broken glass - were not beautiful, but the journey to making what is broken, whole and useful again, that is what this adventure is about. We appreciate the quality of construction, the patina, and the character that an old house brings with it.
The first thing we wanted to do was take more pictures. The first thing Claire wanted to do was sweep! Yep, she's definitely a mini me. Only one chance to get all the before photos of how the house was with all the dust, grime, and paint chips. Jeff's new phone camera does amazing photography- no, those rooms are not really that big! (Now I know how the realtor's get those amazing photos.)
Strap yourself in and get ready to be a part of our epic journey. We just loved this music, and felt it portrayed the adventure we are embarking on. Click below to watch our before video.
What else did we do on our first day at OUR house? Jeff did some inspecting by pouring a bucket of water (no running water yet) down the drain to see if the bathroom drainpipes work - they work, but they leak, of course. Claire and I spent time picking up pecans in the yard, from our eight pecan trees, and we chose the all important limb for a tree swing. We all did some sweeping, yah! We picked up the dining room mantle that was laying down on the floor, and other than being painted purple and peeling, it WILL be very pretty!
Day 1 is a wrap! Yes - we own a dusty, falling apart heap of potential house, on a little lot in a small town. But it's OUR house and we are excited to be a part of this epic journey to restoring it to it's original character.