The Ugly HUDling

As promised

2010-03-14T13:15:00.001-05:00

Done

2009-10-23T16:38:00.003-05:00

Yep, it's done. We finally fished up the HUDling in September and it is now on the market...all ready for someone else to call it home! It really does look great, especially after going back and looking at old pictures. For all the nay-sayers out there, we have proof that the HUDling cleans up well! I will post pictures soon. (Someone please buy this gem!)

Ahh, Piss on it!

2009-10-23T16:28:00.002-05:00

I realize this post is a little late, but well worth reading anyway.

Our elderly neighbor does a lot of work for us. He is a retired farmer and needs to keep busy, not only to help the time pass, but I think to feel worthy. Unfortunately, he still thinks he can work hard like a farmer and doesn't know when to call it quits. Anyway, he has been cutting the lawn at the HUDling. So one day in August I was taking the boys for a walk and saw that his truck in the driveway over there - must be lawn cutting day. We walked in the backyard to say hi, but only saw the unattended lawn mower, resting in the yard. Where was Ed? My heart began racing as images of stumbling upon a collapsed man formed in my head! Just then Ed came out of the garage from the side door. I said, "Oh, hi. I was wondering where you were." He simply said, "I had to take a piss."

The Dining Room Reborn

2009-03-29T20:09:00.011-05:00

Wow. I continue to be amazed at how fabulous the Hudling is looking! The last couple of weeks have been both incredibly rewarding and very frustrating. A week from last Saturday, we planned on spending the entire day at the Hudling working on installing the wainscoting in the dining room. We really wanted to finish it all in one day...not impossible.

A few months ago, we purchased a Bostitch air compressor and brad nailer. I was THRILLED! This would make installing the wainscoting, baseboards and other trim a breeze. Except for the fact that I was very terrified of using it. Once upon a time in a land far, far away, I worked for a construction magazine as a writer and editor. I wrote several articles concerning OSHA regulations on work sites and read far too many stories of construction-related accidents. I'm now scarred for life. Just ask Rit. I am constantly telling her to be careful. I'm worried that the miter saw is going to leap up and cut off a major limb....or at least a finger. I'm worried that the brad nailer is going to impale one of us...I'm SO paranoid. Thanks, OSHA horror stories, thanks a lot.

Arriving at the Hudling bright and early, we realized that we needed some trim pieces. After a quick trip to Lowe's, we returned to the Hudling only to realize that the trim we purchased wouldn't work quite right. Back to the store. We returned with the correct trim pieces, and after pouring over the scanty instruction guide for the air compressor and brad nailer (heretofore known as "the Beast") 237 times, I finally got up enough courage to turn it on.

I checked the cord and plug, check. I checked the connection to the air hose, check. I checked the connection to the nailer, check. I checked the gauges, check. I took a deep breath and pulled the ON switch.

Nothing.

I looked at Rit. She looked at me. I quickly pushed the switch back in and pulled it back out.

Nothing.

You've got to be kidding me. After all of that, it doesn't even work!?!?! So, one more trip back to Lowe's, air compressor boxed up and in hand. After exchanging it for a new one, we hit Jimmy Johns for some sandwiches and headed back to the Hudling. Yes, that's right. By now, it was lunch time. What a day...what a very productive day.

After a quick lunch and psyching myself up enough to turn on the new Beast, we finally got started with the wainscoting. The first section was a little brutal. As you can see in the photo, we had to cut around the telephone ledge...lots of cuts.

We only finished the first section by the time we had to head home. I was so disappointed. We headed back yesterday bright and early to finish the job. We pretty much cruised through the rest of it. What a sense of accomplishment to look around at the Hudling and see so little left to do.

Almost finished in this photo. We did finish it yesterday. Now all it needs is a little caulk and a coat of paint. It looks phenomenal! I'm so excited! It really gives the Hudling the cottage feel we were looking for. Here's the new light fixture in the dining room:

I can't wait to finish up the last things on our list and show off some official AFTER photos of the entire project. Oh Hudling, you're looking good!

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back...

2009-03-19T12:39:00.009-05:00

So progress on the Hudling as been stilted at best over the past several months. We took a bit of a hiatus over the holidays, and it's taken us some time to get back in the groove. But we've officially arrived...back in the groove, that is. The hudling is coming along nicely. I think we've finally solved the problem of the shower surround, and the bedrooms are well on their way to being finished and ready for carpeting.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sigh.

I've spent a couple of days over at there this week. All of the upstairs bedrooms, formerly known at the green room and the blue room, each have two coats of paint now.

The green room:

The two smaller bedrooms are finished, except for touch up and edges.
The blue room:

The master bedroom, the one with the paneling, is going to need one more coat, but it already looks 2000 times better than it did prior to the paint job.

This Saturday we're planning on putting up the wainscoting in the dining room and baseboards up in the downstairs bathroom. Then the fixtures can go in. It's going to look incredible! We're a little nervous to use the nail gun for the first time. Wish us luck!

The One Where the Furnace Breaks in the Middle of Winter

2009-03-02T18:08:00.002-06:00

Yep, we spent the weekend babysitting the temperature inside the Hudling hoping that it wouldn't drop below freezing causing the pipes to burst. We all made it through the weekend and the furnace is now repaired.

Please, Hudling, please get finished and find some new owners...

The HUDling shivers

2009-03-02T18:03:00.003-06:00

We are ambitious with a new deadline to get this beauty done. So this past weekend was going to be a productive one. That was, until we showed the progress off to Casey and Sonja Saturday morning and discovered it was a bit more chilly than normal. Turns out the furnace got sick. We coddled it through the weekend, and the heat doctor came today and got everyone feeling better! Back to work!

Down to one hand

2008-12-01T18:48:00.002-06:00

I've had some finger pain and hand stiffness following strenuous days at the old Hudling. But now, I'm getting concerned. Last night I awoke multiple times during the night with numbness and tingling in my hand. Perhaps I was sleeping on it funny. I repositioned every time only to awake again in complete agony...the pain, the tingling, the stiffness, the weird sensation.

This is not entirely new. I've had a number of similar night time episodes, only the discomfort was limited to my middle finger. I'm not one to let obscene hand gestures fly easily, so I know it was not overuse in that way, but my hands seem to be getting stiff and sore from all the manual labor at the Hudling. My middle finger swells during the night and is very stiff and sore in the morning. Bending it causes pain in my wrist. I complain, but live with it.

But now, my pain and discomfort have reached a new level. My entire hand hurts and flexing fingers hurts my wrist. And last night was miserable. After getting up the numbness faded but returned when I was showering. And I've lost strength in it...most of my hand strength during the peak pain times. I'm thinking it might be carpel tunnel syndrome. We'll see how tonight goes. Will I ever be able to finish the Hudling?!

Little Brave?... Found!

2008-12-01T18:23:00.007-06:00

OK, this is long overdue....
I made a very exciting find shortly after posting about Anne's Remodeling Project - I connected with Scott(ie) a.k.a. "Little Brave"

It was thrilling to connect with the Hudling's past. We have emailed a handful of times and it was fun to learn that Scott's family lived in the Hudling from 1940s unitl 1997, when his grandmother passed away. Chief Anne is his mom. To those of you who have been following Hudling treasure finds closely, they claim no ownership to the Mistress of the Whip. I have no evidence to prove otherwise, so I guess I have to take their word for it! :)

Anyway, I hope to share some of their stories and or pictures soon, shedding light on the Hudling's younger years. So cool! Stayed tuned.

Grout for the tiles....and a little for my phone

2008-12-01T18:10:00.003-06:00

Well, I grouted the kitchen, hallway, and downstairs bathroom tile yesterday. Wow, what difference grout makes! Here's a shot in the kitchen (I have not yet wiped off the haze and buffed the tiles to a pretty shine so just imagine the finished look). The grout color: malt.

So, about the phone...yeah, I dropped my phone in a freshly mixed bucket of grout. Had I not been in a panicked frenzy to clean it off as fast as I could possibly move, I would have taken a picture of the the dreadful sight. It still works, but it is amazing how many little grooves are on a cell phone! And every little one of them is now malt! And it makes an irritating crunching noise when I open it!

Finally, a tub

2008-12-01T18:01:00.002-06:00

Yes, the tub is in. Ok, it has been in for a while, I'm just behind in my blogging! Anyway, here it is :)

The next puzzle is what to do with the walls and ceiling. More to come about that...

Frost Warning

2008-11-09T15:42:00.005-06:00

Hard work demands serious breaks. So we had a frosty break with our recently acquired free frosty coupons (Thanks Gadds!). When was the last time you saw any fast food item so small (and cute)?

Hey, Nice Doors!

2008-11-09T15:18:00.010-06:00

Paul finished installing and our doors and windows yesterday. Nice. Very nice. Here's a first look at the doors (old and new).

The new front door does not have the character of the old one, but the old one was well beyond its best days, not to mention probably completely energy (d)efficient. Speaking of energy efficiency, the old back door had plexiglass in its window....but the window opening was about an inch bigger than the piece of plexiglass! Anyway, as flurries fly, its nice to have new doors :)

Jim's Falling for the Hudling

2008-11-09T15:12:00.002-06:00

So our plumber, Jim, tripped going up the stairs and fell into the recently textured and painted wall. Unfortunately, Jim's a big guy and drywall is no match for his stumbling, bumbling body. Needless to say, the wall needs TLC.

The Week Ahead...

2008-11-02T18:46:00.001-06:00

So, lots going on this week at the old dame. Bathtub installation upstairs, more painting...mostly upstairs, dining room wainscoting installation (and first-time use of my new air compressor!!! :) ), new front and back doors, installation of new windows upstairs, kitchen tile...

Uck, I'm tired just thinking about it! Here are some photos of the front and back doors...the "before"...

BACK DOOR

FRONT DOOR

More photos of the new doors to follow this weekend!

The Random Photo Spread

2008-11-02T18:35:00.000-06:00

As I was looking for the photos of the wood floor from yesterday on our digital camera, I came across months of forgotten Hudling photos. So, enjoy this little montage. Hudling, this is your life...

That is A LOT of cracks...and a lot of plaster repair, believe me...A LOT!

Our good buddy Mel rockin' more of the unending plaster repair.

Oh Hudling, the sorry state of your plaster walls...This is the master bedroom ceiling during the patch and repair phase of The Master Plan.

Not only enormous cracks in the kitchen wall, but also years of grease and...yeah, I don't know what that is. Ew.

The master stud finders. Yes, that is our beautifully patched and sanded and textured master bedroom ceiling. Although they were small holes...holes which will be re-patched and painted, the Hudling still wasn't too fond of the whole experience. Little did she know, that was just an inkling of the demolition to follow that day.

One of the bedrooms following the great texturizing event. Textured walls rock.

Yep, those are some mighty fine looking windows. This is the dining room pre-wainscoting.

Hudling Forewoman...Rit, hard at work. I believe this was taken during The Great Kitchen Tile Layout Design Debate of 2008. Check out the phenomenal kitchen cabinets in the background. They look fabulous!

The upstairs hallway, halfway through the paint job and mid bathroom demolition and wall reconstruction. Notice the lack of subfloor in the bathroom.

Ouch. The bathroom wall is no more. And yes, the air really was that dusty. Luckily, I was working downstairs that day. This was Rit's party.

I hope you have enjoyed this stroll down memory lane. Stay tuned...

From Ugly Hudling to Beautiful Swan

2008-11-02T18:09:00.000-06:00

It's not that I don't love the Hudling...it's just that I am way past ready to bid her a fond adieu. Wow. What a lot of work! But the old dame is really starting to sparkle...all dressed up, head held high. She's shed her cobwebs and creaks and cracks and we're almost nearing the point where some finishing touches are all she'll need to be ready to welcome her new family.

I have to say how proud I am of Rit. She was able to see past the mess to envision the majesty of that beautiful old house.

We have encountered more than our fair share of hiccups along the remodeling road, but it's been such a great ride...full of interesting projects and new experiences.

Yesterday, for example, we thought we'd take advantage of the extra hour that daylight savings affords and get in a very long day of work. We dropped the dogs off at Ed's house and headed over to the Hudling at about 7:15. Rit played around with the kitchen tile layout, while I finished painting the living room windows. Wow, talk about a lot of work. I love plaster and wood putty and caulk. I love manipulating them until all flaws seem to disappear. Add a crisp layer or two of paint, and it's like the gouges, scratches and cracks were never there. LOVE IT! The windows took a lot of time and elbow grease, but they look amazing...practically new! That bright white against the warm creamy butter on the walls is perfect.

Here's the area all prepped and ready for the flooring. Anyway, after lunch, we started laying the hardwood floor in the living room. We opted for a snap-together, pre-finished light birch rather than try to match the dark oak in the adjoining dining room. Neither of us has ever laid a wood floor, but we were anxious for the adventure.

Here's the first couple of rows. We took a short Wendy's frosty break mid-afternoon and then a short dinner break around 6.

We finally headed home around 8:30, wood floor finished and looking rather stunning. It's all starting to come together!

Anne's 1966 Remodeling Project

2008-11-02T10:08:00.004-06:00

Found this on the back of a piece of paneling...Chiefs & Indians (and Little Brave) involved in Anne's Remodeling Project, December 10, 1966. I'm trying to find out more information about Anne's project and the crew involved. Stay tuned....

21st Century Stud Finder

2008-10-26T19:02:00.005-05:00

This is a technical as you can get (and one thing to try when your actual stud finder bites the dust).

Calgon, Take Me Away!

2008-10-26T18:37:00.006-05:00

Well, the upstairs bathroom has caused more headaches (see Damn Bathroom) than we anticipated. Much to our dismay, we could not find a tub to fit into the space available. So although the claw foot discovery was a delightful find, putting that tub back in was not even an option given the space available (someone cut into the wall studs to get that tub in and still allow the door to open so the only way it would fit was the make-shift built in job that had been done....remember that? I've added a picture to refresh dusty memories).

Anyway, after exploring the options, we opted for the labor heavy choice - bump the wall out into the bedroom. So, today was the day for that job. My brother-in-law, Justin, and my dad came to help with this task. To my mom's (and Annika's) disbelief, we finished mid afternoon....well before dark. The heat vent still needs a hole, but the bathroom is tub ready :)

Progress?

2008-10-26T18:28:00.004-05:00

Yes, we are making progress, despite the lack of blog posts! Actually, we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel :)

Most of the main floor is now ready for flooring and finish work! The most arduous task was texturizing walls. Not bad if you only need to do a room, but we did several rooms plus up the stairs and the upstairs hallway. It looks good, and quite amazing now that it is painted. Here is a shot of the prepainted texture work. I'll take pictures of the painted rooms this week.

Damn Bathroom

2008-09-13T18:55:00.004-05:00

Bathroom issues...can't find a tub to fit into the space we have. It's a little more than frustrating. So we're considering a few different options: skip the tub and put in just a shower, get the clawfoot tub refinished and put it back in, or bump out the wall to the bedroom about 6" to allow more space for a tub. Personally, I'm not in love with any of the options.

Any suggestions?

We still have to solve the issue of moving the plumbing to the other end . After removing more of the subfloor, we've found that there is a heat duct that goes through the a good chunk of the small bathroom. This throws a curve ball into the moving the drain over. More issues. Hmmmm.......maybe we should have just kept that beauty as is.... perhaps just some new caulk, a little paint, some flowers, a couple of throw pillows...

Painting and Flooring and Plastering...Oh My!

2008-08-31T21:07:00.009-05:00

So, the Hudling is coming along...slowly, but surely. Rit has been spending all day, every day at the Hudling this weekend. Meanwhile, I'm working feverishly to get our current abode ready to show. Yep, that's right. We're selling our house!

After looking around for five years, we've finally found a house we can agree on. Although leaving this house is bittersweet and we've loved our time here, we're anxious to be settled in the new house.

The Hudling is really starting the look transformed. Rit's been working really hard on the kitchen cabinets. Since the wood cabinets were nice and sturdy, we decided to simply clean them up and give them a fresh coat of pain and some new hardware. They look AWESOME! Even better than I imagined. Although the hardware isn't on yet, here's a sneak peak at the new look.

Our sweet friend Jan came over to help Rit cut and lay cement board to prep for the tile. Although we aren't laying the tile until after the walls are painted, they started with the prep. (By the way, our big purchases this week included a texture sprayer and a paint sprayer...YEAH!!) Here is a view of the back hallway leading to the kitchen.

The upstairs bathroom is the most desperate of the lot. It's almost completely gutted. We've removed all of the fixtures plus part of the wall to the studs and the subfloor over the bathtub plumbing. We're relocating the shower/bathtub plumbing the other end of the space. Why? Because the previous owner in all their wisdom installed the shower on the slanted ceiling. Not even I in my towering 5'5" glory could have stood up straight in the tub without hitting my head on the shower head. Nice. Plus, in removing part of the built-out wall, we can install a typical 54" tub instead of the 48" tub that was there when we laid eyes on the wonderful disaster. It's a sorry sight now, but it will shortly look fabulous.

We are going with carpet in the upstairs bedrooms and as a runner on the wood stairs. I felt that carpet would be fine in the living room. Rit disagreed...and won. We are not only going with wood in the living room (which will look amazing...), but we are also installing it ourselves. Huh. We've never installed wood flooring. Should be interesting.

Meanwhile, the Hudling gets cuter and cuter every day.

Old Ed

2008-08-10T15:51:00.002-05:00

Yep, here's Ed. For those of you who don't know Ed, he's our neighbor. As a retired farmer, Ed appreciates a hard day of work. Although his stamina has faded in his old age, his desire to help is alive and kicking. Sometimes it's hard to find tasks that feed his hunger to be a workhorse, without risking cardiac arrest! So, here he is helping clean up after demolishing the cabinet in the basement.

A little house party and the HUDling gets plastered!

2008-08-03T21:10:00.003-05:00

We opted for a day of fun and a day of work this weekend. So after a picnic at the beach, a matinee movie, and some fun at a friend's open house party, today, we headed over to the HUDling to roll up our sleeves (ok, no need to roll short sleeves), and get dirty. Today was plaster day and the HUDling surely got plastered...cracks, holes, loose spots - all targeted by our lean, mean, plaster repair team (Kate, Rit, and Mel). Thanks to Mel for her help again this weekend! And thanks to Frank and Peg for the toilet Mel delivered! Finally, a place sit down to take a break (there are no chairs over there).

Our kind neighbor, Old Ed, also chipped in and helped tear apart a cabinet in the basement. Neat old cabinet, but really was doing a better job serving as a moisture/mold sponge, so it had to go!

Pictures, you want? Yep, took some but left the camera over there so enjoy the suspense.

Sing along: I'm being swallowed by a....

2008-07-28T19:41:00.004-05:00

Vine-a constrictor? Yes, and a very hungry one. One that swallows windows, gutters, antenna, and anything else in its path! Check out this thing! It was so merciless that it practially ate Kate while she wrestled with it! Actually, we only finished two sides of the house. That means we have two more to go! I hope its growth doesn't catch up with us. Otherwise, we will spend the rest of our days circling the house, battling the V.O.U.S. Vines of Unusual Size? Don't think they exist? (Watch your back!)

But because it looks cool, we just tamed the beast rather than putting it en tirely to rest.

Yes, we're still alive...and so is the HUDling!

2008-07-28T19:17:00.006-05:00

OK, we have not accomplished nearly as much as we had hoped by this point in the summer, but we are still working toward our deadline of completing the HUDling before school begins....Yikes!

Here are some pictures from our recent work (removing the tub, getting down to the studs). Check out the newspaper clipping found in the walls - October 1950 Sheboygan Press - what a deal on blouses!

Thanks Ted! and other stuff

2008-05-24T18:50:00.005-05:00

Dry laid stone foundations were common 100+ year ago. Inspector Brad noted that although this house's foundation was in good condition and is structurally sound, some of the stones on the interior wall were loose and the mortar on a small portion of the exterior had deteriorated due to vine growth. So, Ted came today to do some tuck pointing. I forgot to take the camera along, but the deed is now done! Thanks Ted! I'll take pictures tomorrow and add them to the post.

Didn't get a whole lot else accomplished there today.....tore out the carpeting in the basement, topping off the already full dumpster...time to get it emptied! Also took out the really bad wall framing in the basement. The paneling that it once flimsily supported was already long gone. And I tore down some of the aggressive vines on the west side of the house...in part to get them out of Ted's way.

We also picked out some paint colors today - Heirloom Lace for the kitchen cabinets and Winter Wheat for the walls, most likely living room, kitchen, dining room. The online images don't look like the paint samples we picked up, especially the winter wheat. I don't even know why I included the links here. It is really more of a warm yellow.

Playing Cinderella

2008-05-04T19:23:00.003-05:00

Scrubbed kitchen cabinet doors today....scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed (my hands are so fatigued I'm having a hard time typing!). There was all sorts of splattered food, sticky schlaar, and fuzzy mold spots from what I can only assume was years of cleaning neglect! Fortunately the top cabinet doors weren't bad at all :)

Plugging along at a snail's pace.

It's got feet!

2008-04-27T19:34:00.016-05:00

Another fun find! OK, not quite as plot thickening as the Mistress of the Whip DVD, but today I discovered that the don't-touch-with-a-ten-foot-pole shower is actually a bit of a diamond in the rough. Under concrete packed corners and faux tile paneling walls, there lies a clawfoot tub!

I guess that's one way to get a built in tub! Check this out:

I get by with a little help from my friends...

2008-04-27T19:33:00.000-05:00

Our friends, Hooter and Mel, came to help out at the HUDling today.
p.s. they are great workers! Thanks, you guys!

Anyway, we made a little more progress with the demolition (thanks to them)!
Here are some pictures showing the progress. I threw in some before shots to help.

Let it Rain!

2008-04-27T19:00:00.002-05:00

Finished the gutter last week (finally!). Well, almost finished it...I still need to attach the downspout bracket. But with the amount of rain we've had lately, I'm extremely glad that it is no longer being deposited right at the house's foundation. I had never done a gutter before, but it was really quite easy. The most difficult part was doing it alone. I found it a bit difficult to hold long pieces of fascia boards up and attach them without someone helping by holding one end. Anyway, it's done. Let it rain, baby, let it rain!

p.s. also got rid of the oversize fridge last week! I responded to a plea on Freecycle and someone in need came and got it. It turns out that I actually knew the family through school. A pretty wild group of guys showed up to pick it up. They had to take the doors off to get the beast out. An hour and a half later, it was gone. Glad to see it (and them) go :)

The Gift of Life

2008-04-07T18:30:00.005-05:00

So I gave blood today. It's always a nice time to relax, read the paper, and look forward to the goodies afterwards (all while doing a good deed for those in need). So when I arrived, I had to wait a bit. I grab a few newspaper sections and started to browse. When I realized the Green Bay Press Gazette's Sunday real estate section was in my pile, I knew I had enough to keep me occupied. So I take that paper into the little room where they prick your finger (and it hurts for a week), check your iron count, and take your blood pressure. Probably in an inconsiderate way, I continue to peruse the open house listings while the kind, Blood Center blood collection specialist stabs my finger. She asks, "Are you looking for a house?" I said no, but admitted that I enjoy window shopping. She said that she enjoys it too. We talked a bit about the local real estate market....she mentioned that a real estate agent recently told her that our harsh winter put a damper on house sales but now things are really picking up. She said it was amazing how houses that sat all winter are now disappearing.

She started to tell me about one in particular....she watched it all winter. It was empty. She even climbed into the snow to peek in the windows. She liked it. She liked the arches and brick...

She said she finally called an agent about it and was so disappointed that it had sold! She couldn't believe it. She was so mad she waited and now to find out it sold for only $38,000! What? $38,000? A brick house with arches? Empty all winter and now it's gone. DAMN! That's our house! That's our HUDling!

I laughed! I laughed hard, slammed my hand on the table and said, "I bought it!" We were both stunned. It was great.

Umm...Yeah..."Stay Out of My Way" and Other Common Weekend Shopping Phrases

2008-04-06T20:24:00.004-05:00

So, Rit and I are not known as "shoppers." We do not love to shop. We do not look forward to shopping. It's long and crowded and unbearable and much too easy to end up punching a fellow shopper. We mostly just buy stuff online.

This was a long weekend of shopping. Yuck. We spent WAY too much time in Menard's and Lowe's. Granted, as far as shopping goes, those are two of my more favorite places. I love home improvement projects. But, hours later, we emerged tired and hungry and sans patience.

Love the house...hate the prep. Go figure. But we did score some fab finds: a ceiling fan for the master bedroom, window treatments for the living and dining rooms, hardwood flooring samples, bathroom light fixtures, new gutters, paint, porch light and almost a refrigerator. Seriously, we picked out the fridge, walked away for 15 minutes, and by the time we came back, it was gone. Rrrrrr...it was a steal because it was the floor model. That was when I almost punched someone. Rit had to quickly usher me out of the store. Foul mood. Not a good time.

Rit has started on some demolition and I can totally visualize how utterly amazing this house is going to be. I can't wait!

Waiting List...

2008-04-05T20:10:00.003-05:00

Due to an unprecedented amount of communication regarding the aforementioned DVD, there is now a rather lengthy waiting list. Loan times will be abbreviated accordingly.

GROSS!

Mistress of the Whip

2008-04-05T20:04:00.004-05:00

Hidden treasures are always fun. Well, almost always. Tearing out the cabinet in the kitchen today revealed a mound of treasures...many of which I'm sure fell behind the cabinet and were forever devoured by the so-close-yet-so-far-away black hole behind it! Rummaging through the goodies, a rare find emerged. A DVD, but not just any DVD, a true classic - The Mistress of the Whip. Maybe you've seen it. I have not. After reading the label, I don't think I will anytime soon! This is one that needs to be saved for a special day :) It might be hard to get this at your local video store (even though it is not a new release, I'm sure its popularity keeps it elusive).
If this has piqued your interest, but you are having a hard time finding it at your local video store, we'll consider sort term rental agreements...for close friends and family only.
Please note - this is NOT FOR SALE!

Baby Steps

2008-04-05T19:11:00.008-05:00

What a great day to do outside work! OK, so I set off to replace the gutter and down spout on the back of the house. The rest of the gutters are in good shape, but this one had rusted out. Even though I'd never installed gutters before, it seems pretty basic and definitely a task that can be accomplished in a day! Well, it's 7:00pm, I'm home, and here's how the new gutter looks:

Obviously, it's not an invisible gutter.... I didn't get it done. Due to some rotten fascia, I tore it all out. Now before I put up the new gutter, I have to paint and put up the fascia. The day was still not wasted. I did tear out the bad kitchen cabinet (see before and after shots) and the living room carpet. Take a look:

Go ReStore!

2008-03-25T18:28:00.000-05:00

So we went to the Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity ReStore today. Gotta love the ReStore! Where else can you get great things at great prices and support a great cause? Manitowoc is supposed to be getting a ReStore, but until then we must frequent nearby Appleton, Sheboygan, and Milwaukee. The main purpose of our trip was to pick up a great stove, which our beloved Jeri (friend and Milwaukee ReStore Director) nabbed for us when she found out about our little project. By the way, the stove is great - a stainless steel, GE Profile, electric range. Anyway, we also wanted to look for other items for our project. We got a handful of things to get us started and will likely be back for more! If we had the means to transport, and another few houses to work on, I think Kate would have left with about two dozen doors, a colorful collection of sinks, cabinets, and enough desks and other furniture to fill a small school! It is cute to see her drool in places like this. If only we had a 25,000 square foot building to renovate!

The Layout

2008-03-25T18:27:00.001-05:00

Photos

2008-03-25T18:06:00.001-05:00

OK, so you've seen the outside view. Want to see the inside? Here is a photo album of the initial pictures taken (before we even placed a bid). Click on the picture to view the entire album.

HUD house

Each area of the house shows up somewhere in these photos, although some areas are not represented well. Overall, the house is in rather good condition. For the most part, just cosmetic work is needed. The upstairs bathroom is a tad gross. Anyone want to shower in there before we tear it out? We will take more pictures before we begin some demolition work this weekend.

Getting it...Kate Style

2008-03-24T09:46:00.000-05:00

How could I possibly say no? Rit cracks me up. She spent so much time researching the details of buying a HUD foreclosure, getting bids on necessary repairs, creating spreadsheets...She's so detail-oriented that I knew she had covered all of her bases. Her home improvement savvy together with my eye for home interiors make us a great team. We're so excited to get started!

Tomorrow we are taking a trip to the ReStore in Milwaukee to pick up some much-needed items for the house. We'll take some photos of the trip and our amazing finds.

It's ours!

2008-03-24T09:29:00.001-05:00

We finally closed on it! Here it is...the blank canvas. Ok, it's not really blank. As a matter of fact, it's splattered with all sorts of not-so-attractive work. Our task is to transform it into a coveted piece of art...ok, more like just a nice house. Cute on the outside, but needs quite a makeover on the inside. Follow along with us in this adventure. Today is a big day - step one - getting the utilities hooked up. Just sitting here waiting for the gas guy to call this morning to get started.

Getting It

2008-03-24T09:09:00.000-05:00

Working with HUD is interesting, to say the least. The entire process was rather frustrating, but we made it through. The bidding process works like this: During the first 10 days a HUD house is listed, bidding is open only to owner-occupants. All bids placed within that time period are considered simultaneous. If HUD receives no acceptable offers during this time, bidding opens to everyone. Bids are taken each day and results are posted online by 1:00 the following day. HUD will either accept a bid or reject it, no counter-offers (well, sort of). I don't know if it always works like this, but the pattern I observed for this house was that after 30 days if HUD has no acceptable bids, the price drops and the first 10 day period begins again. After a couple of drops in list price, I was ready for my first bid. The question - what to bid?

HUD must have some secret formula for determining an "acceptable" bid. You won't find it anywhere, but HUD does post bid reports, showing rejected and accepted bids on properties for the past few months. So I created a few spreadsheets and analyzed the numbers to try determine how low I could go. Although it did not reveal an exact % to list price, it was helpful.

We submitted four bids. The first two were rejected. They actually counter offered on the third one - really just saying we were close to their acceptable minimum and telling us what it was. So the fourth bid was the amount they countered. Bingo - accepted!

Convincing Kate

2008-03-24T09:04:00.000-05:00

After hours of research, getting estimates, punching numbers and going through the house 2-3 times, I was ready for my presentation. This was doable! I whipped up a flashy PowerPoint for Kate, got my laser pointer ready and put on my best suit - okay, really we sat on the couch in sweats and went though it on my laptop....but it was a flashy PowerPoint! Anyway, she was sold. On to the bidding process.

Actually before bidding, I wanted to get an inspection. You see, HUD properties are sold "as is," so even though they provide a property condition report, I wanted to know exactly what we were getting ourselves into. The realtor I was working with said inspections weren't allowed until after an accepted bid. Does that make any sense at all? Best Assets (the agency that manages HUD properties in this area) told me the same thing. I asked to talk to several people before finally getting someone to say yes, I could get an inspection! So we did. Brad (the inspector) was very helpful and we were pleased with what we learned. Now on to the bidding...

The Discovery

2008-03-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

It all started one chilly morning in November. Otto, Maggie, and I were on our daily walk...sniffing tree trunks, peeing on lawn ornaments, minding our own business, as usual. Then we saw it - a cute brick house, covered in ivy, sporting an ominous WARNING - This house has been winterized sign on the front door...a likely indication of a mortgage that hit the dust. I liked it. I didn't want to live in it, but I've always wanted to buy a house in need of TLC and fix it up....even before all those Flip this House shows popped up on TV. And this one was cute. I didn't give it a ton of thought at that point, but on our next walk (with Kate) I pointed it out to her.

I said, "I want to buy that house." She laughed at me. I knew at that point that I needed more ammunition. I knew nothing about it, just that it was cute, and based on it's location, probably affordable. I headed home and started digging online for information. I discovered that it was indeed a foreclosure - a HUD property. When I gave Kate a bit more information and asked her to go look at it, she said no. What?! Kate, who loves looking at houses, loves projects, loves taking something old/beat-up/discarded and making it into something new, something cool....and yet she said no?! "If you're serious about this, put together a proposal for me," she said. So it began...