There was a LOT of cleaning to do, and my first priority was to get unit #1 ready to show to potential renters. Mom and I mopped, steamed, polished and scrubbed. We started with the refrigerators. Yikes. But now they both look good as new!
On Friday, I got to work cleaning out more of the abandoned belongings and junk that was left behind by the previous owners. Some treasures, a lot of trash. This included a mountain of STUFF left on the sidewalk. Over the course of the week it had shrunk somewhat. People had adopted some of the more valuable items like dishes and mirrors, and we bagged up the rest. It was shrinking, but was no where near disappearing. There were options of storing the trash and putting things out but by bit for the town trash collectors. But we had bigger fish to fry. This project is a constant balance between taking a DIY approach to everything, sometimes the more time consuming and tricky way but usually cheaper, and springing to call in the professionals. Finally on Sunday I caved and called all the junk removal companies in the area until I found someone who would take the job (last minute on a Sunday). Thank you Matt from Dispro Disposal!
Bill changed the locks. And this wasn't simply replacing old with new, he had to drill new holes in the door to allow the 2015 version of latches and handles. We picked out a gorgeous shiny gold handle for the front door. Who knew you could fall in love with a door handle?!
My Dad and Bill chopped and uprooted a veritable jungle that was swallowing up the house. Removing all that vegetation was important because it was holding moisture against the house which can cause mold and rot. See before and after below. I only wish the photo did it justice!
We used an engine hoist to pull out huge stumps. Unfortunately it was damaged partway through the day. But before that it put a good dent in the landscaping!
Mom and I pulled vines off the siding, some of which had crawled all the way under the vinyl!
We weeded and tilled the narrow garden between the city sidewalk and the road. It was crummy spotty grass before. We uprooted Hostas from the front garden (Mom is a serious pro at this painstaking job) and moved them to take the place of the grass.
We piled tons of plant debris in the backyard, staging it to run through a chipper shredder that will rent next weekend.
We smelled gas in the kitchen and called National Grid. They sent a technician out to the house. Matthew was speedy, professional, and fun and got to the root of the problem right away. Turned out the stove and oven, both probably installed in the 60's were leaking gas. Double yikes. They will need to be repaired or replaced, but for now the fuel will be left off. Thanks so much Matthew from National Grid!
But probably the most fun part of the weekend was meeting all the neighbors! Newman way has a great community vibe. It's quiet enough to hear a pin drop at night and neighbors wave and trot over to each other's yards throughout the day. We met Ann, the spunky silver haired woman who lives next door. She's a former landscape architect and was dear friends with the previous owner. We met Meg who owns the flower shop on the corner. We met Chris and Suzie, they lent us tons of tools. Jennifer next door, who gave us a memorably warm welcome. Ariel who rents an apartment next door and told us to expect some baked goodies because her roommates can't eat all the lovely things she makes. Gary, a mechanic, and his stocky and loud but sweet pitbull Blue. There's Bill who lives down the street with his wife and daughters. Mimi and Ben who live directly behind us and cheered on our progress. Everyone had kind things to say about the previous owners and welcomed us with open arms, happy to see us breathing new life into the house. It's an honor!
No comments:
Post a Comment