Greg would love to see pics of your new home when you have time or are inclined to share
I'm happy for you Enjoy fully.
kades
I'll probably eventually post some pics, particularly kitchen pics since of course that's what we are all interested in most.
Also, got some bar stools from Goodwill, they're perfect for my new house except they are almost impossible to swivel (I got some lazy susan bearings to fix that) and they're too high for the counter (I have a saw that will fix that).
Meanwhile the MBR shower still drips and spent an hour trying to disassemble it to reach the washer so I'd know what to buy... Gave up, this is going to require major plumbing talent, and that ain't me.
Yeah I'm home, and I'm moved in, but it's going to take months to turn this house into a real home. But everything I fix and improve will pay off for decades. One example, the 15 recessed ceiling spots (45 watts each) which I replaced with 11 watt LED spots ($43 each) -- I posted about this elsewhere in the forum. That's a *LOT* of money but it will pay off in less than 10 years (probably a lot less) and I don't worry about leaving lights on anymore. (I'm amazed that a 11 watt LED spot looks about as bright as an ordinary 100 watt incandescent fixture, and the 3000K lights look about exactly the same color as incandescent).
I've been working about 12 hours a day for most of a month moving in and fixing things, and I still have several 12 hour days ahead of me doing same. Some of my friends have told me I should let up, but I can't rest with things like the guest bedroom toilet not working, the lawn dying, no furniture in the living room (now partially addressed), MBR shower dripping, MBR ceiling fan lying on parts on the floor (no time to install it yet, the FR ceiling fan is great!).
I still have a big punch list of things needing to be fixed. I'm retired and got nothing better to do all day every day until things are set right. Fortunately I still get to quit in the evening and enjoy home cooked meals (by yours truly) and have had many friends over for dinner (some of them more than once) and still looking forward to other friends visiting who haven't been over yet (including my really nice ex-neighbors K & C from trailerville, known them for almost 2 years now).
It's going to take me a long time to settle in. I'm just hoping to get to the day when I don't have to spend 12 hours a day on the project.
And when I don't have to spend 12 hours a day with the necessary stuff I have plenty of optional jobs to work on. I need a contractor to expand my patio and put on a permanently attached to the house cover. I am determined to have a koi pond, although that's a DIY project for me, it doesn't require a contractor to build a koi pond, or a building permit.
And then there's the salt water tropical fish tank for the LR... I've had fresh water tropical fish off and on most of my life, and for years I've wanted to try salt water. I'm intent on having a reef tank and I'm sure I'll go at least 100 gallons! Good thing my hardwood floors are hardwood over concrete! With the tank and stand and filtering equipment that's over 1000 pounds!!!
Hm... I'll always have access to fresh sushi!!!!
BTW I've already priced out my koi (for the outside fresh water pond) and little 2-3" koi cost $10-$15 each!!!!!! We have a nearby Japanese restaurant with a koi pond and I saw koi 12"-15" there, probably 3-5 pounds, and I estimate each of those big koi are worth over $1000!!!
By the way, if you get established in koi eventually your pond starts paying back, because they keep growing their entire lives, and eventually get too big for your pond, so you can sell the big ones at a profit and buy small ones to replace them, and eventually it nets cash to pay for food etc.
It's just amazing staring into a pond seething with koi. I first became interested in koi during a visit to Descanso Gardens, a botanical garden here in Los Angeles, and they have a koi pond with thousands of koi! As I sat next to the pond watching the koi swim around I felt the most tranquil I've ever felt in my entire life. It was like being on drugs, really! I totally understand the Japanese obsession with these fish. I've always wanted my own koi pond and in a few or several months that will be a hot project for me!