Thursday, June 29, 2006

Plus and Minus concerns in buying the house

Identifying plus elements and problem issues when considering buying this house. We began our house-hunting in Aug 2002.

Plus

-- quiet neighborhood, quiet community, not even one store in the whole village!
-- attractive tiled tin roof (pacific nw rains = cost saver for roofing woes!)
-- upgrades give house old and new decor mix without compromising historical context
-- repetitious bay windows give light and let the outdoors inside
-- structurally sound, initial cost outlay for structurally improvements minimal
-- built on additions in kitchen and master bedroom provide spacious rooms for those areas
-- upstairs rooms haven't been upgraded much, historical feel to the rooms, throwback to early 1900's
-- yard is manageable with some mature focus specimen plantings
-- architecture of house w/ additions gives it unique look
-- wiring updated and up to code
-- plumbing is satisfactory
-- basement = spooky but Arthur finds it fascinating
-- price is right for our budget


Concerns


-- berber carpet on main floor rooms is beyond salvaging, so badly stained, unlikely can get cleaned = deal w/ flooring.
-- renovations seem structurally sound, little attention to finishing details however, gives it gerry-rigged appearance
-- renovations done in 1970's give seriously dated and tired look = stairs, upstairs flooring like glue down carpeting - 70's restaraunt era; brown shag on stairs -yuck!
-- heating; primary heat is a newly installed wood-burning furnace under the house w/ chimney that screams at me'unsafe'. secondary heating; registers installed in each room, inadequate in some rooms to heat the space.
-- decking on which addition has been builtwill need immediate attention, peeling rubber cement exposes wood to Pacific NW rains.
-- front of house; not welcome, functional, or practical entry. Needs a porch and front door re-do
-- back porch - enclosed and rusticly 'finished' also unwelcome and serves as main entrance to the house due to the impractical front entrance planning.
-- unclear once carpets pulled up, what lies beneath = prepare for cost outlay
-- kitchen could use an update, was updated to 1970's cosmetics, but is more than adequate for years until we have cost outlay $$


Generally speaking, there are about even number of drawbacks as there are positives that make this house worth considering. Biggest drawback is that house would benefit from renovations and improvements w/ cost outlay - not likely in our budget.

Thus, after carefully considering if I could live in the house 'as is' for perhaps years until we could get to renovations/improvements, I honestly wasn't sure and thought we should continue to keep looking. My dear husband is more of a handyman than he is into renovations or improvements, so unlikely we could knowledgeably take on too many diy projects. My husband became instantly enchanted with the house, and while I was also 'enchanted' by what I could see in my mind as what the house might look like 'someday', I was concerned about what it looks like present day and our capability w/ diy improvements. The diy upgrades and improvements made to the house look like diy .. sometimes gone wrong or unfinished.

We discussed, and discussed, while I fed my fears and Arthur tried to reassure my every concern. We decided to buy the house, inspections came back approved for wiring, plumbing, septic, structure and whatever else gets inspected in mortgage arrangements. Nov 2002 is when we moved into the house. If we had the resources to take care of some of the improvement projects before moving in, might have been a better way to go, but that is why it is an adventure and now in 2006, we both love living in this house!

entry by Lietta Ruger - the woman of the house!

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Found a Focus for this blog; Voluntary Simplistic Living

Three plus years ago, my focus was transitioning to a down-sized, more simplistic, more meaningful lifestyle, and we've been converting to a shift in our belief system ever since. Without realizing it, we already held the acorns of a belief system not clearly defined by us for ourselves. Over the past three years as we've undergone changes in our lifestyle focus, our belief system has indeed crystallized for us. Three years ago, I was reading what other people do when they decide to make a life change to voluntarily quest for more meaningful living through simplicity. It was a concept I was embracing.

And then ........

U.S. invasion into Iraq and two in our family are returning Iraq veterans. And I became a reluctant activist. This blog isn't about my three plus years as an activist, but the activities of being a military family speaking out activist have certainly gone a long way to helping us define for ourselves our own belief system and values. My daughter's family paid us a visit and she has begun her own quest for a change in dietary habits, which has placed her feet on a path to discover vegan. As she researches, explores, and adapts and thus being a wife, mother and hearth of the family, so does her family begin to adapt, I recognized the journey she has begun.
And I felt the shot of inspiration to revisit my own interest theme of simplistic living as a lifestyle. Well, quick review via google, and we are already there in our lifestyle.

It gives me pause to recognize that this blog, Wonderwander, one of my very first blogs, has been long orphaned and without direction, focus or form. I've gone on to create many other blogs, and connected with bloggers who share my interest and passion for ending Iraq occupation, bringing our troops home and taking care of them when they get home. But for this blog, which didn't quite fit, I wasn't ready to delete it, thinking some day, after helping to bring about end to Iraq war, I would return to my former life - what I call my life before the war. I had my own timeline that I carried in my head - one year and I'll give my undivided attention to help end it quickly. Okay two years then, and I'll give my undivided attention. Okay three years and I'll give my undivided attention. Now it is beyond three years and I still give my undivided attention with some idea I will return to my former life when this war is ended and our troops are out of there.

The recognition for me is that my life has changed exactly as a result of having become a reluctant activist. How does voluntary, simplistic living factor into activism? Oh, they are very much related, and what started for me three years ago as a concept has been considerably deepened by three years of activism, and a recognition of a lifestyle we already live - we being my husband and me. So, with that in mind, and as result of my daughter's visit this week, and her own exploration into life change to vegan, I had the inspiration this morning of what I wanted to do with this blog and where I want to take it. I'll be reworking it, but for now, this serves as my announcement for what direction Wonderwander will take....

Found a Focus for this blog; Voluntary Simplistic Living

Three plus years ago, my focus was transitioning to a down-sized, more simplistic, more meaningful lifestyle, and we've been converting to a shift in our belief system ever since. Without realizing it, we already held the acorns of a belief system not clearly defined by us for ourselves. Over the past three years as we've undergone changes in our lifestyle focus, our belief system has indeed crystallized for us. Three years ago, I was reading what other people do when they decide to make a life change to voluntarily quest for more meaningful living through simplicity. It was a concept I was embracing.

And then ........

U.S. invasion into Iraq and two in our family are returning Iraq veterans. And I became a reluctant activist. This blog isn't about my three plus years as an activist, but the activities of being a military family speaking out activist have certainly gone a long way to helping us define for ourselves our own belief system and values. My daughter's family paid us a visit and she has begun her own quest for a change in dietary habits, which has placed her feet on a path to discover vegan. As she researches, explores, and adapts and thus being a wife, mother and hearth of the family, so does her family begin to adapt, I recognized the journey she has begun.
And I felt the shot of inspiration to revisit my own interest theme of simplistic living as a lifestyle. Well, quick review via google, and we are already there in our lifestyle.

It gives me pause to recognize that this blog, Wonderwander, one of my very first blogs, has been long orphaned and without direction, focus or form. I've gone on to create many other blogs, and connected with bloggers who share my interest and passion for ending Iraq occupation, bringing our troops home and taking care of them when they get home. But for this blog, which didn't quite fit, I wasn't ready to delete it, thinking some day, after helping to bring about end to Iraq war, I would return to my former life - what I call my life before the war. I had my own timeline that I carried in my head - one year and I'll give my undivided attention to help end it quickly. Okay two years then, and I'll give my undivided attention. Okay three years and I'll give my undivided attention. Now it is beyond three years and I still give my undivided attention with some idea I will return to my former life when this war is ended and our troops are out of there.

The recognition for me is that my life has changed exactly as a result of having become a reluctant activist. How does voluntary, simplistic living factor into activism? Oh, they are very much related, and what started for me three years ago as a concept has been considerably deepened by three years of activism, and a recognition of a lifestyle we already live - we being my husband and me. So, with that in mind, and as result of my daughter's visit this week, and her own exploration into life change to vegan, I had the inspiration this morning of what I wanted to do with this blog and where I want to take it. I'll be reworking it, but for now, this serves as my announcement for what direction Wonderwander will take....

posted by Lietta Ruger

Linked within

Related Posts with Thumbnails