Well, the search for our new home continues! You might have missed the memo, but we've been renting a home for the past two and a half months now while we search for our next house to buy. I admit some people may question the intensity of our search as, like I said, it's been two months now,. (surely a couple could find a home in two months, no?) The thing is, we are searching. We are looking at homes whenever one pops up on the market, people approach us often and suggest we consider theirs (which we are always willing to do), and we have poured ourselves over blueprints during one atypical moment when we briefly considered building.
I have walked through more homes in this town then I ever thought was possible, but still, nothing has really held our attention for long. Perhaps we are just being too picky, but we do feel confident this next home will be the last one we buy (moving is starting to get old;) and we both know what we want in a home. For the time being - we are content to wait and hope for the right thing to come along. So, we wait.
Meanwhile, we are doing our best to make this rental feel like home.
This is a 100 year old home that we are renting (as in it was literally built in 1915) and it originally existed as the maternity ward for the hospital. It's definitely got a lot of charm to it (old doors, original hardwood etc) but it's age definitely shows. The owners put a lot into renovations and updates, but one room of the house that had yet to receive any real attention was the front entryway:
This is what the front entryway looked like when we moved in. The first door had to remain unlocked at all times because the doorbell was actually located inside the entryway just off of the 2nd door. It really wasn't a huge problem. This wall of nails, however, did cause us a little bit of concern. (We felt pretty certain that if we didn't do something about it then eventually some unlucky visiting family member of ours was going to need a Tetanus shot!;) haha
One afternoon I came home to discover that John had made up his mind. He was going to kill two birds with one (very big) stone and renovate the whole thing! I tried to tell him not too, because...well...for heaven sakes it isn't even our home! Not only that, but I also didn't want him to go and make improvements on a home that is currently for SALE!! I mean, what if he makes it look so good that it sells? I'll tell you what would happen - we'd have to move! (In case I haven't mentioned it, we've not yet found a house to move to?) John kindly listened to what I had to say, patted my head and said "there there" and then went and got his tools.
Here he was trying to explain to me all the reasons why this was a good idea. Something about stripping it to the studs, re-wiring the thingamajic through the ceiling, adding watchamacallit to the walls and then "yadda yadda yadda yadda." I think it was around this point that we both recognized the futility in trying to change each others minds. (Besides, he was already deep enough into the project that it is too late to turn back anyways;)
Here is what the room looked like a couple of hours later.
Can you believe it? All of this for a little doorbell? ;)
The next day John had successfully repositioned the doorbell to where it now is, outside of the front door, and he added insulation everywhere that he could. (I have to admit, I didn't expect that step to make as big of a difference as it did!)
On the third day he drywalled everything.
On the fourth day he sanded and painted.
On the fifth day he installed baseboards and trim to finish it all off.
And...
On the 6th day - he rested!!
TA-DA!!
I love how much better it looks now and I hope the owners like it too.
I love love LOVE how John works so hard to improve the places that we live. I am so thankful for the way he makes our house a HOME. (I love how I am willing to say that after the work is done;)
Since this time, we have planted our garden, painted some of the rooms that had been damaged before we came, and have done some mild landscaping outside. John has promised me that we are done with the renos, but quite frankly, I just don't know if I believe him.
Something tells me, the only thing that will get him to stop fixing up this house, is to find one of our very own!
Stay tuned......
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