We Got an Offer on our Home!

We got an offer on our house nearly 2 weeks ago and after a little back and forthing, we accepted. Yes, it's less than we paid for this place 20 years ago and we've done some improvements, but it was on the market 3 years. Even though "they" say the market is turning around, we decided to take the money and run. Besides, I met the husband and wife and I like them, they love the place, they seem very nice and should make good neighbors to the good neighbors we are leaving. Heck, she even said I could come back and harvest my potatoes!

So while we wait for all the inspections (one has happened and we need to rebuild the deck railings), Hal and I are moving "non-essential" items into storage at the farm, the pole barn where we are building, and a few things into the farmhouse where will be staying, courtesy of Hal's older brother who bought the place from his parents. It will be convenient because it's only a mile down the road from the build site. Twenty years ago we spent 4 months in the single wide next door. With all the things left to do in the new house we'll probably be there at least a year.

In building news, Hal got the electrical permit from the county, a mere $340. They charge per outlet and recessed light, etc. He had started on a plumbing plan but it's taking a back seat to moving. The whole build is taking a back seat for the moment. We have 20 years worth of stuff and they want to be in before Labor Day.

To facilitate this, I am meeting next week with the gal who ran the estate sale for his parent's ranch. If she thinks it's feasible within the time frame we'll have a moving sale here in August. We've decided to try and sell a lot of the furniture, it will be fewer things we will have to sell. Clothing and other various things will go in the sale as well, We just need to get rid of stuff. (So I can buy new stuff!)

And we're having a massive heatwave and drought. Going to be a hell of a busy, stressful summer.

Plugging Along

Hal and I have been working on the electrical plan for the last 3 days or so. How many recessed lights, how many ceiling fans, how many receptacles. Where do the switches go, are any dimmable, 3-way, etc. it requires a lot of thought, back and forth discussions, it's rather complicated. Once we figure out where everything should go he has to add up how many of everything, how many circuits will be required, the amperage, etc, and then he can take the info to the building office and pull an electrical permit.

This is not the final plan, but as you can see, there are lots of little symbols all over it. Installing all this will be a lot of work, we are doing it ourselves, we've done this sort of thing before, just takes planning and time.

We still have to install the crawlspace vapor barrier, only one sheet is in, and put down all the OSB subfloor, plenty to do, just have to keep on truckin'.

Look at all the Floor Joists!

Hal went wild yesterday and finished installing the floor joists, all 125 are now in and it looks so cool!

He wants to install blocking to strengthen and stabilize them which isn't in the plans but should help with minimizing squeaky floors. Looking forward to more progress!

Wildlife 1, Kaylee 0

So take a good look at the photo, at the nose end. She never even squealed when it happened, but suddenly she was barreling past me on our afternoon walk, around 1 pm, and when she finally stopped, there they were, about 20 quills in her nose. The vet tech said she must have just nosed the porcupine because they only needed half the dose of anesthetic to get them out. (Still had to pay for the full dose, of course.) So Kaylee was up and running about by the time I picked her back up at 3:30 and took her home. Hope she doesn't try to play with it again.

More Floor Joists

Hal got another section of floor joists in yesterday, this is the other half of the living room. He put up a couple more temporary pieces of subfloor so we can gaze outside when we feel like it. More and more it's feeling like a house. He also ordered the plastic sheeting to lay on the sand to insulate the crawlspace from dampness.

3 sections along the back wall

A few days earlier he also completed the floor joists in the front bedrooms so now 5 sections are complete.

left side is the sewing room, right side is the guest room

Today he plans to do the ones in front of the kitchen window, then the whole back wall will be complete! This photo has Hal adding more sand to level out the space beneath the future kitchen joists.