Well, where do I start? I wasn't sure I even remembered how to create a post. I'm so far behind, I never feel like I have enough time to sit down and think; however, the house is nearing completion, so I really wanted to get on here and update those who might still stumble onto this page.
We closed on our house at the beginning of November, after selling our home in Knoxville at the beginning of September. Here's how things work when buying real estate in Hamilton County, IL: you hear a rumor that so-and-so might be selling his place. You find someone you know who also knows so-and-so and have them find out for sure. Then you meet with so-and-so to see the house and, if you decide you like it, negotiate a price face to face, have a lawyer draw up the contract, and meet with the bank. No realtors. No endless searching listings online. Very few options.
So, saying we were very lucky to have been here looking for a house at the time this person was selling holds a lot of weight. You might say it was Devine Intervention. Add to that, when we walked through the house for the first time with the seller, he mentioned that the home was built by Tony & Paul Anselment. Tony Anselment was my grandpa. SOLD.
In the interest of time, I'm going with the short version. We started working on updates to the house the week of Thanksgiving. So far we have:
- scraped the popcorn ceilings & re-textured, primed & painted
- replaced nearly all light fixtures
- painted all upstairs walls (one room was paneling and has not changed)
- removed one wall between kitchen & family room, and widened entryway between kitchen & living/dining room
- removed a pantry closet in the entryway from the garage to widen the hallway
- replaced all toilets
- tiled bathrooms
- installed wood flooring in the living areas of the main floor
- removed wallpaper in bathrooms (& carpet!)
- removed cabinetry/countertops/appliances in kitchen
- in process of painting all trim & moldings
So, while we wait 2 more weeks for our countertops to be delivered & installed, there is a lot of painting trim, carpet cleaning (bedrooms & basement), and general clean-up happening. Windows will have to be replaced (and that green has got to go at that point), but they have been temporarily waterproofed for now.
Ok, just realized I don't have an exterior photo. Sorry about that...use your imagination...Brick with sort of Army Green/Olive/Sage trim around windows, gutters, and matching roof.
Here are the before pics:
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| Kitchen - South Wall |
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| Kitchen - West Wall adjoining family room, now removed |
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| Family Room - from kitchen |
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| Family Room - South Wall (yes, 2 doors & a 4-pane window) |
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| Master Bath (1 of 2 stained glass windows) |
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| Master Bath - World's Largest Mirror behind the tub! |
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| Master Closet |
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| Master Bedroom |
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| Hall Bath |
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| Tessa's Room |
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| Jalen's Room - We have some mega windows to replace! |
