exploring, examining, exchanging, expressing
Sunday, June 29, 2008
A New Face
After two weeks of working on the house, it's starting to look like we've actually made progress. All of the siding has been replaced, new exterior doors have been installed, and all of the old windows have been replaced.
Naked house:
New exterior:
Drywall has been hung in the three bedrooms, covering the old ugliness and providing a nice clean slate to work with.
While the walls are exposed, I'm taking the opportunity to add electrical outlets and wiring boxes. Eventually, I'd like to complete a structured wiring project.
Naked house:
New exterior:
Drywall has been hung in the three bedrooms, covering the old ugliness and providing a nice clean slate to work with.
While the walls are exposed, I'm taking the opportunity to add electrical outlets and wiring boxes. Eventually, I'd like to complete a structured wiring project.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Six Months Later
In the six months since I last posted, I've been getting reacquainted with Tennessee. The reverse culture shock wore off after a couple of months. My ear is now retrained to understand the accent of this region. I'm starting to adapt to the culture and lifestyle here.
I'll be here for awhile. I'm planting my roots. That's right - I've bought a house. As of May 20th, 2008, I own my own piece of Cowtown, TN.
The house hunting took many months. I didn't want to go too deeply into debt, but the homes in this area are oddly high. An influx of buyers from outside the region (mostly Florida) have raised the real estate prices. Of course, I wasn't looking for anything extravagant. After living in apartments and rented rooms for a decade, I really just wanted a few rooms to call my own.
Eventually I discovered a house that was a foreclosure, listed by HUD (Housing and Urban Development). My agent helped me put in a bid, which I won. The price was well within my budget. And, although the house needs much work, I believe I will be able to renovate it and still spend less than I would have on a house in "move-in" condition.
The house was built in 1962, is 864 square feet, and has three bedrooms and one bathroom. It's on a double lot, providing a large back yard. And it's only a few blocks from my sister's home.
This is my new adventure. With the help of my very handy brother-in-law and my eager teenage nephew, I will spend my Summer reconstructing this house. We're going to do as much of the work ourselves as possible. In the process, I'll hopefully save some money and gain quite a bit of experience.
I'll be here for awhile. I'm planting my roots. That's right - I've bought a house. As of May 20th, 2008, I own my own piece of Cowtown, TN.
The house hunting took many months. I didn't want to go too deeply into debt, but the homes in this area are oddly high. An influx of buyers from outside the region (mostly Florida) have raised the real estate prices. Of course, I wasn't looking for anything extravagant. After living in apartments and rented rooms for a decade, I really just wanted a few rooms to call my own.
Eventually I discovered a house that was a foreclosure, listed by HUD (Housing and Urban Development). My agent helped me put in a bid, which I won. The price was well within my budget. And, although the house needs much work, I believe I will be able to renovate it and still spend less than I would have on a house in "move-in" condition.
The house was built in 1962, is 864 square feet, and has three bedrooms and one bathroom. It's on a double lot, providing a large back yard. And it's only a few blocks from my sister's home.
This is my new adventure. With the help of my very handy brother-in-law and my eager teenage nephew, I will spend my Summer reconstructing this house. We're going to do as much of the work ourselves as possible. In the process, I'll hopefully save some money and gain quite a bit of experience.