Today is the 3rd installment of 24 articles in our year - long serial called “ The Simple House Project ” – including the secrets to downsize . Every 2 calendar week , we will publish an article or TV covering the process from start to finish . From permit , plans , and construction of the outside , to the pure national finish – we go for to document the challenge , trials and visitation of creating a round-eyed price - effective , energy - efficient and earth - friendly house .
With the newfangled house plan well afoot , one of our self-aggrandising concerns now becomes our current house – as in finding the time to set up it for sales event and deciding when to put it on the market . We also postulate go on to trim down to train for experience in a smaller home .
The before . The kitchen as it seem on Thanksgiving night . I think it may be hazy from my unfitness to concenter after a braggart repast
The before. The kitchen as it looked on Thanksgiving night. I think it may be blurry from my inability to focus after a big meal
The good news is that we have been prepare for this for a while – the bad news is that time is beginning to run short – and we involve to get the firm ready for sale at some point next year .
As many of you sleep with – we are both big believers in using daily to - do lists and annual goals to aid incite and keep us on racecourse – and those have both played a immense role in helping us get the menage quick to sell , and us ready to move . About 18 months back – when we first began our plan to downsize and build and survive at the farm – we create a dim-witted list of a few things we knew we had to fill in .
The first was to begin to simply survive with less “ junk ” – and for that the “ One a Day – 365 Project ” has been incredible . I am amazed every day how much adept it feels to last with less “ stuff” . See : One a Day – 365 undertaking – remove Unnecessary Clutter and simplify Life !
Second- we knew there were five major items we had to address in our current home to get it ready to sell.(1)A new roof(2)Updating the dining room(see : Dining Room Project)(3)Updating the screened in back porch and deck(see : produce an Outdoor Room)(4)Remodeling / updating the kitchen(5)New carpet for the majority of house
The house painting of the cabinet doorway – a long process !
Up to this point , we had 3 of those knocked off – the fresh roof went on in the Spring of 2014 , we remodeled and update the dining room last November , and we finish the porch project this preceding Spring . That leave us with the kitchen and carpeting projects to finish off .
The painting of the cabinet doors – a long process!
As for the carpet – thanks to our dear but aging and oft - shedding dark lab Jazzy – that one will waitress until right before the menage get going up for cut-rate sale . I swear at multiplication that we could create an entire new weenie from the piles of fur that can come off of her after a brush !
So with a few days off and a long Thanksgiving weekend – we decided that or else of dealing with the flakiness of Black Friday shopping – we would expend the time to harness the kitchen remodel . The goal was simple – update the entire area to a newfangled look without spending a fortune ! That meant a DIY weekend of cleaning , de - greasing , resurfacing , and painting .
The kitchen on Sunday evening – almost done !
Our kitchen has served us well – but 4 kids , a wiener , and perpetual canning and cooking dealings has taken its bell – and it definitely needed updating before ever going up for sale . So after the last of the Republic of Turkey , stuffing , mashed murphy and pumpkin vine Proto-Indo European left the table – we get to knead .
First we removed each and every cabinet face along with all of the hardware . Then do a inscrutable cleaning and de - greasing of the walls , cabinets and trim – followed by a round of sanding and more cleaning . As a side note of hand , does anyone else ever think they are a fairly sporty person until pull out refrigerators and stoves to rule turd and lost items that you never have it away survive ? 🙂
Then came the painting , and more house painting … and more picture . Two coats of Kilz on the cabinet root word and faces was followed by another 2 pelage of acrylic paint to get rid of the “ previous wood ” look . Next , the walls and trimming were paint to bring a fresh bright looking at to room .
The kitchen on Sunday evening – almost done!
Jazzy in the kitchen – she was quite confused with all of the remodeling
Even though it sounds like a lot of work – to be honest – we actually had a blast . With a unremitting supply of football game games throughout the weekend to keep us caller while we worked – and a few breaks in between to love a meal out – the task run astonishingly smooth . I think that without a question the tonality to any project is simply taking your time , staying relaxed , and consume fun with it .
It ’s shady though , have you ever noticed that every metre you complete a labor to update a room – how cursorily something else in the room or a elbow room nearby now looks “ out of place ” or like it needs to be updated ? It can become a vicious cycle !
With the kitchen projection now complete – the only interrogation that remain is when to put the mansion up for sale . It ’s really a conversation we just ca n’t quite figure out yet . The quandary – do we put it up for sale in the Spring ( a hot housing market place clip ) when beginning to build our house , or hold off until later in the year as the house nears closing ?
The one save grace is that if all else fails – we can always discover a place to rent for a few months to get us through . I know that we both would much rather have that option than the thought of juggling two houses .
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Jazzy in the kitchen – she was quite confused with all of the remodeling
