Keys! We has them

It’s official. The house is ours. Today is officially day 1 of the renovations. No we can’t do it as fast as Ty and the crew from Extreme Makeover but we will try to do it as quickly as possible so we can get moved.

From this day forward all posts will be labeled starting with the day in our project. This is going to be so much fun.

Ryan opening the door for the first time. Technically this was the first time we had used our keys to unlock the door.  

Getting Key's Friday

Just heard the news. The in-laws are closing on the house Friday morning and should have the keys shortly thereafter.

I wanna do a happy dance and throw up at the same time. I know that's weird, but that's how I feel.

There is so much to do and I don't have a clue as to where to start. Luckily the in-laws are experts so they will be able to keep me calm and hopefully motivated.

Oh, and for the record, I am totally getting M&M's keys made for my house keys. If you have to ask why then it's obvious you don't know me very well or don't know who I cheer for in NASCAR. I think I just heard a groan from the other room. Ryan's not amused.

But, YAY! Keys on Friday!!!!!!!

Update: Round 2 of Bidding

Last week we were crushed to find out that our bid on the house had not been accepted…that and a few other things kept me from updating the blog. Sorry about that.

We found out after bidding that the bank who currently holds the deed on the house would only accept cash, something the realtor failed to mention to the in-laws or us. Seriously, regardless of whether or not it’s a foreclosure shouldn’t the realtor showing the house know this? Just saying.

Ryan and I were both upset with our bid not being accepted but decided to trudge on anyway. We started looking at other properties in the area and everything else is either ridiculously overpriced or looks like a giant money pit of doom.

We found out yesterday that the in-laws had put in a second bid on the house so we have our fingers crossed yet again. Wish us luck!

Let the (Bidding) War Begin

You ever get that feeling in the pit of your stomach? You know that feeling you get when the bottom falls out? I just had that feeling.

Ryan just got off the phone with his mom. Apparently there are now two people bidding on the house we want. It’s funny because when we asked the realtor on Monday if there had been any offers or if anyone had shown a lot of interest in it she said “no, no interest at all.” And then suddenly there are two people bidding on it? Really?

The good news is that his parents got the bid in first. The bad news is that we don’t know what the other person bid. His mom has been on the phone all day going back and forth with the Realtor trying to get an idea of our chances but since she can’t tell us what the other person bid it’s just “wait and see time.”

In the meantime I suppose I will just play with Lowe’s bathroom and kitchen designer program. It’s addicting.

Understatement of the Year: “The House Needs Some Work” (Pictures)

Today Ryan and I had the chance to get inside and see the house. We already knew his parents planned to put an offer in regardless of what we decided. Still we wanted to get inside and take a look for ourselves because peeking in the windows doesn’t really tell you much.

We knew before we opened the door that the house was in desperate need of repairs and that we were going to have to put a lot of work into it. Knowing that and seeing the reality of the situation are two very different things.

Before you look at the pictures below remember a couple of things

• The house has been vacant for quite sometime.
  
• It was a foreclosure
  
• The asking price is less than $20,000

With that in mind brace yourself. It’s not pretty. But it has a heck of a lot of potential and if I can look out my back door each day and see the amazing weeping willow pictured above everything will be fine. I fell in love with the tree and the back yard the moment I saw them.



Nothing a few new boards, a new front door, and a good power washing can’t fix. (Ignore my finger in the the photo)



This is the smallest of the three bedrooms. It’s right behind the living room off the hallway. According to my in-laws it would make an “excellent larger bathroom.” Wait until you see the existing bathroom. You will understand. I am all for a bigger bathroom but I would also like to make the living room a bit larger. Regardless this paneling has got to go….it’s all through the living room and the hallway as well.



This would be the second bedroom. It’s a little smaller than the one pictured below and its an addition to the original house. The carpet needs ripped up and the doors to the closet and the room itself need replaced. A fresh coat of paint and a little elbow grease and this room would be livable.



This would be the master bedroom. I have a fear of blue bedrooms so that paint has got to go. (once had this bright idea to paint our bedroom dark blue….it was a horrible disaster). Not sure what is up under the window and the giant boarded up window there on the right is where the back of the house used to be….from what I can gather. This room also has another entrance door in it (as most older homes do) but it has been sided over so that will need to come out
.


Talk about a train wreck. I simply cannot shower or use the restroom with all the fish looking at me. The bathroom has got the be the first renovation done. It’s a dark hole off the kitchen and the “Under the Sea” theme is not going to cut it.



The good news is that the window is over the toilet rather than in the shower like it is where we live now. Thank God for frosted glass.



Picture it Sicily….oh crap, wrong show. The kitchen is another room where we have a blank slate. All that exists are some cheap cabinets and a sink. It’s big enough to make an eat in kitchen and if I am a good girl I might just get an island. For Ryan and I a kitchen that is this large and has this much wall space is a luxury. We have about 1 1/2 feet of usable counter space in our existing kitchen so this would be amazing.



Something else we haven’t had in a long time is a flat yard….actually come to think of it we have never had a flat yard. Not sure of the exact size but there is plenty of room for the four legged children to run. We are also happy that there is covered off street parking and that the rear of the house is surrounded by some pretty sturdy looking privacy fence.

You might be reading this and thinking that we are getting in way over our heads. Truth be told, we might be but Ryan’s parents have become experts in rehabbing homes in the last decade. There is nothing they can’t do to a home and with this they/we are getting a blank slate. Yes, it’s nuts but it’s also better than throwing money (rent) into something we will never own.

Anticipation

I've never been very good at waiting. I might be the most impatient person on the planet. I'm one of those people who want everything done right now...waiting means you have more time to worry about things going wrong. This project is going to be hard, I mean really, hard for me.

It's funny that I am starting this blog before we even know for sure that we are getting this house. In my mind it's already a done deal even though the offer won't be put in until Monday. (It's Sunday morning right now.)

One thing I am very thankful for today is my in-laws. Without them this project would not have been remotely possible. This was ultimately their idea and it's going to be a lot of their sweat and time going into this project too. Most people don't get along with their in-laws or if they do it's a strained relationship. I have admit that I have the most amazing in-laws on the planet.

Anxious is a good word to describe how I feel today. I'm anxious to get started and anxious to get finished. I'm also annoyed with the sheer number of things I am going to have to pack. Packing is my least favorite chore. I swore the last time that we moved I would not move again unless I had the money to hire movers....sadly the wallet is empty and it looks like all my extra (sorry I just laughed a bit at the thought of extra money) money will be going into the house for a while. Oh well. At least I have Ryan to keep me company while I fill the boxes....Lord there will be a lot of boxes!

New Beginnings

Welcome to Floor 2 Ceiling a journey to new beginning for a family and a house. We hope you will come back frequently to check out our progress as we attempt to turn a broken down house into the home we have always hoped for. 

We don't claim to be home improvement experts and I'm sure along the way we will encounter bumps, bruises, and even a spilled paint can or two. I'm sure there will be times when we will want to kill each other and when we are so frustrated with the lack of progress that we feel like giving up, but through it all we will laugh...because that is what we do.

Join Ryan and I (Katy) as we do floor to ceiling renovations.