Monday, January 30, 2006
Wow. All's I can say is that once the construction dust settles, the moving party arrives and the construction loan rolls up to deadline time, it's disconcerting to realize that this is all over. I mean, here we are -- at last -- living in Mabel. And loving it, too.
I'm astonished how much natural light beams into the place, so much so that we don't need to turn on lights in the daytime. And I just love the feeling of moving through such clean (albeit now cluttered with moving boxes) spaces, which seem to signal, even encourage the next steps of life.
There's still plenty of stuff to do, however. The cabinetmaker, a wonderful one-guy operation, will end up practically living with us for the next month. I'm so excited to get doors on the cabinets that I can hardly stand it. It would help empty some of those aforementioned boxes.
The new neighbors, the ones who bought the spec house, threw yet another party Friday night, and it was wonderful. I love the huge canvases they have hung on the walls -- one's so perfect there that all I could do was stare at it. And I love to see people enjoying the space and making it their own. I couldn't have imagined better neighbors, and here they are.
I feel so lucky!
I'm astonished how much natural light beams into the place, so much so that we don't need to turn on lights in the daytime. And I just love the feeling of moving through such clean (albeit now cluttered with moving boxes) spaces, which seem to signal, even encourage the next steps of life.
There's still plenty of stuff to do, however. The cabinetmaker, a wonderful one-guy operation, will end up practically living with us for the next month. I'm so excited to get doors on the cabinets that I can hardly stand it. It would help empty some of those aforementioned boxes.
The new neighbors, the ones who bought the spec house, threw yet another party Friday night, and it was wonderful. I love the huge canvases they have hung on the walls -- one's so perfect there that all I could do was stare at it. And I love to see people enjoying the space and making it their own. I couldn't have imagined better neighbors, and here they are.
I feel so lucky!
Thursday, January 05, 2006
We started moving Monkey Boy's stuff into Mabel this weekend, promptly filling the bindery to bursting. It makes me wonder if those lovely rubbery nubbins that provide the cushion under the bamboo can lose their bounce-back ability? We'll find out.
I almost got an offer on Construction HQ, then started feeling all silly that I might have put the price too low. I am still learning this real-estate game, although it truly has gotten easier.
Thankfully, the offer never materialized, so I can stick with refined plan of fixing up the place even more and getting a good price. As one sage said, $100 of paint could add $10,000 in value. Maybe it'll pay for the wedding?!
Even though we don't have occupancy yet, Monkey and I love sleeping in the bindery, our only complaint being that it can actually get too hot. New neighbors say the radiant heat system's so effective they have shut off their second floor hydroponic units completely. We (builder, architect, me) always knew the concrete first floor would collect and ooze heat, but we never guessed how much.
Meanwhile, I dream of boxing up all the stuff in Construction HQ and clearing it out. It occurs to me that house represents the beginning and end of this whole deal. Everyone said it would take two years, and guess what? I closed on the house and lots March 5, 2004, so I am right on schedule.
I almost got an offer on Construction HQ, then started feeling all silly that I might have put the price too low. I am still learning this real-estate game, although it truly has gotten easier.
Thankfully, the offer never materialized, so I can stick with refined plan of fixing up the place even more and getting a good price. As one sage said, $100 of paint could add $10,000 in value. Maybe it'll pay for the wedding?!
Even though we don't have occupancy yet, Monkey and I love sleeping in the bindery, our only complaint being that it can actually get too hot. New neighbors say the radiant heat system's so effective they have shut off their second floor hydroponic units completely. We (builder, architect, me) always knew the concrete first floor would collect and ooze heat, but we never guessed how much.
Meanwhile, I dream of boxing up all the stuff in Construction HQ and clearing it out. It occurs to me that house represents the beginning and end of this whole deal. Everyone said it would take two years, and guess what? I closed on the house and lots March 5, 2004, so I am right on schedule.
