The Bathroom

So the bathroom was the first project we tackled because it needed the most help (as you can clearly see.)  The room was TINY, the floor was disintegrating and it looked like the tub had never been cleaned.

Since there is only one bathroom in the house, we decided to go all out.  To the left of the bathroom was a tiny bedroom. So tiny that it could really only be utilized as a closet or a baby's room (which isn't happening for many, many years.) We decided to take down the wall between the tiny bedroom and bathroom to enlarge the bathroom.  We took half of the tiny bedroom to extend the bathroom, the other half we would use as a closet space for the master bedroom in the back of the house.  Since this house was built in 1900, it lacked closet space. For resale, a house needs closets.

   

     

House That Was

I thought I was doing everything right.

I started working at an ice cream shop the day I turned 14.  I received my high school diploma. I graduated from a state college with my bachelor's degree (with honors.)  I even went to the local community college so I could complete my general classes at a fraction of the cost of 4-year schools.

Before I graduated from college, I started applying for jobs like crazy but I didn't land a full-time job until 5 months post graduation. A job that doesn't even require a degree.

Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely grateful I have a job. But between student loans, car insurance, you know... fun adult stuff, I could never afford afford to live on my own. So I never left the nest.  That is until an amazing opportunity presented itself



My dad owned a construction business until I entered high school and also owned a handful of rental properties which generally attract good, upstanding folks. One rental property, however, he has had nothing but problems with. Tenants wouldn't take care of the property or pay their rent. His last tenant didn't pay rent for 6 months and my dad had to take the him to court to get him to leave. After he left, we found out he was renting out the garage and had two other families living in the house with him.

That tenant set my dad off.  He put a for sale sign up and was ready to wash his hands of the terrible tenants that seemed to act like a magnet to the house.

The house sat on the market for a while but it attracted no buyers house because it was in such bad shape. The carpet in the living room was stained and smelled like cat urine. The cheap tile in the dining room was starting to curl. The kitchen cabinets were filthy and one cabinet door had a hole punched through it. The upstairs had cracked walls and water damage. The attic looked like kids went to town with paint cans.

So since the house wasn't selling, my boyfriend and I brainstormed the PERFECT idea: Fix the house up. Renovations began in August of 2012. Since there is no mortgage on the house,in lieu of paying rent, we paid for all the renovations.

Two years and a boatload of money later, what we have been able to accomplish is due to amazing family members, friends, and my handy dandy boyfriend of five years, Mark.

Thank you to everyone who let us shower at their house when our water main broke. Thank you to those who invited us over for dinner when we spent way too much money on drywall. We can't express how much we appreciate the generosity of our family and friends. Without them, we wouldn't be where we are right now.

It's been a challenge to say the least. There have been many disagreements, delays but we are proud to call this 114 year-old house or home for the next few years.

marKrysta