One Year In

Often in the daily grind of restoring this old house, we tend to moan and groan about our lack of progress and how long it's taking, and we forget just how far we've come.

So today we're lifting our noses from the grindstone to take a look back at what we've accomplished in the past year.

September 2018

November 2019

•We've cleaned all the old insulation and ducts out of the attic.

Removing Old Insulation

•We've pruned lots of overgrown shrubs so you can actually see the house now.


•We've drawn plans and gotten a permit to refurbish the burned out kitchen/laundry/breakfast area.

Developing The Plans

•We've repaired the large holes that the fire department cut in the roof.

Roof Repair

•We've removed the pond, aka the mosquito breeding site.

Old Pond Location

•We've installed new sewer lines, hot and cold water lines, and gas lines in the kitchen area.

•We've installed a new electrical panel including running 100' of cable through the attic from the service panel.

•We've torn out old walls and windows, installed new studs and windows, reused old siding, and secured the back of the house.

New Framing

•We've cut a hole through a brick wall to create a whole new entrance and built a brick porch and trellis there.

Cutting Through The Brick Wall

•We've installed a water heater, restored the main bath, and created a temporary kitchen to make the house livable.

Main Bath Renovation

Temporary Kitchen

•We've insulated the new area and put up 74 sheets of drywall.

•We've installed a new heater and all new ductwork in the attic. And the heater is warming the house nicely as I write this.

New Heater

•We've had seven dead/diseased trees removed.


And woven between these large projects we've juggled the daily business of life: cooking, cleaning, laundry, lawn mowing, bill paying, shopping, hosting parties, and battling with skunks and possums over eminent domain.


Whew! What a year it's been.

Next year should be even better as we finish the pretty part of the remodel.