If you're wondering where we've been these last few months, the answer is here. We've moved. Nothing dramatic, just across town, but it's been a different process than normal for us.
Early last year, we had someone randomly express interest in our house. It wasn't exactly for sale, but we had been contemplating a move in the next year or so for a couple of reasons. The family who expressed interest was looking for a new home and their realtor just happened to be Josh's business partner and his realtor (for his construction business). They drove past our house and really liked it, so much so that they asked about the possibility of just seeing it even though it wasn't listed. They saw, they liked and they eventually made an offer we accepted.
It's been a different process, mostly because we weren't planning to move at that moment. There was no new house waiting for us to occupy, as there has been for the last two houses we've lived in. We did have a really great option this time, but it required a little work first.
By little, we might actually mean a total-house renovation.
We've moved into an older part of town, into a nice, established neighborhood with big shade trees and quiet streets. There's even a city park just a few short walking blocks away. There are some really good schools just down the street that our kids can actually someday ride the bus to if they want. Those are the selling points.
The catch is that the house was built in the 1970s, an older-style ranch, and it hadn't really been updated since that time. Josh gutted the house, and we started over from scratch. Walls and doors were taken out or moved. Wallpaper was painfully removed. Laminate floors ripped out. Bathrooms completely replaced. And, well, you get the idea.
So THAT is what we've been doing these last few months. Between working our day jobs, taking care of the boys and all the normal everyday stuff, we've been renovating our new house. I couldn't even tell you how many hours we've logged over here, but it's been a lot. Let's just say the boys were perfectly used to the new place before they ever actually got here to stay.
Here are a few before and after photos to give you an idea.
The kitchen ...
The living room ...
The front room (aka the office) ...
A bedroom (King Connor's in this one) ...
A bathroom ...
The laundry room ...
There's still a few things to do - a kitchen island to finish, a bathroom wall cabinet and mirror to install, some trim work, some dry wall and paint to touch-up. You know, details.
But it's mostly done. We've been over here about a week. We're finding our new normal. Or at least we will after Josh finishes up the one major repair at our old house for the new buyer - replacing the entire first floor laminate wood floor with real hardwood. That's also kept us a little busy!
So we'll try to get back to our regularly scheduled programming - lots of photos and the day-to-day lives of three busy boys and their big puppy!
The rest of the remodel pictures - the before, during and after - are here. We didn't start taking photos soon enough, so some of the early stuff is after walls had already come down. So it goes.
