OMG!! I'm a homeowner! And now that I've had a good talk with my realtor about the repairs I have to do (versus what I want to do) and added up some totals, I've come to the conclusion that I'll be forever in debt! In case you're wondering what I'm blabbing about (I get the feeling this post will be all over the place because I'm way too excited), this morning I closed on the house! YIPPEEEEE!!
At 1:00pm this afternoon the house officially became mine, ALL MINE! Broohahaha! If you noticed, I'm using a lot of exclamation points!!!! It seems to be the key for the day! As soon as I got into work I called my dear brother to let him know. It was one of the longest messages I've left him yet! I was just to excited I couldn't stop talking! Well, because I really am still speechless I'll just make this post short by saying, once again, I'M A HOMEOWNER!! With a big backyard and a big basement and a big kitchen and...... (see previous postings)
Until next time,
Jawa Jaka
Who's way to excited!!!! Exclamation point!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Blank Canvas (Pics)
Here are some pics of the house. DON'T SCREAM, YET! I'm getting new carpeting, tile, and paint throughout the house. I've even picked out a 52" LCD TV (Sharp Aquos) to go with my Dad's home theater speaker system. Ultimate Electronics is hooking me up to the 21st century! They also have a great recliner couch on sale I just might pick up along with the TV. That is, if we can get it down the stairs...
Front of the house. Will be repainting wood siding with beige paint and shutters with rust paint. It's mostly brick, so not much painting until the back side of the house.
Another view. Large two-car garage. Eventually will be adding a tool room behind the garage.
BIG Backyard! Colorado Home and Garden Show is this and next weekend. Getting ideas for a small pool and hot tub with flagstone patio...less mowing I have to do the better!!
The kitchen, obviously. Won't be doing anything with this for awhile. Maybe paint the cabinets, and definitely replace the frig with Dad's ultramegafitanypizzaboxwithwaterdispenser side-by-side frig.
The basement fireplace area. Will be drywalling the open area on the left and covering the whole fireplace wall with fake/faux stone. This will be my living room. Upstairs living room will be my formal dining room. Great to have enough space to make those decisions.
And the ultra movie theater entertainment area, right next to the fireplace area. All open for casual living. The TV will go on the wall with the window, the bar on the left wall, the cats' litter boxes under the stairs out of the way.
Until next time,
Jawa Jaka
Showing you my blank canvas....
Front of the house. Will be repainting wood siding with beige paint and shutters with rust paint. It's mostly brick, so not much painting until the back side of the house.
Another view. Large two-car garage. Eventually will be adding a tool room behind the garage.
BIG Backyard! Colorado Home and Garden Show is this and next weekend. Getting ideas for a small pool and hot tub with flagstone patio...less mowing I have to do the better!!
The kitchen, obviously. Won't be doing anything with this for awhile. Maybe paint the cabinets, and definitely replace the frig with Dad's ultramegafitanypizzaboxwithwaterdispenser side-by-side frig.
The basement fireplace area. Will be drywalling the open area on the left and covering the whole fireplace wall with fake/faux stone. This will be my living room. Upstairs living room will be my formal dining room. Great to have enough space to make those decisions.
And the ultra movie theater entertainment area, right next to the fireplace area. All open for casual living. The TV will go on the wall with the window, the bar on the left wall, the cats' litter boxes under the stairs out of the way.
Until next time,
Jawa Jaka
Showing you my blank canvas....
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Measuring for Carpet
Today at noon I met the carpet person at the house so he could measure the rooms. He also brought the samples with him. I was a little nervous that the dark rust I picked out would be too dark in the basement, but boy did it look sensational! Even he loved it! The mocha colored carpet for upstairs will also look stunning, not too dark, not too light - just right! We also had a brainstorm to tile the entry from the front door to the kitchen door, a straight shot making an entrance hallway. We're looking for a nice fake terra cotta tile (less maintenance). I'm also thinking of putting up a half-wall to divide the hallway from the living room (which will be my formal dining room). Nothing fancy, just a little bit of architecture in the house.
While I was there, I measured the fireplace and it's surrounding wall. I've already started looking at fake/faux stone to cover that wall, making a dramatic fireplace. I'm thinking a stacked slate look in a light goldish (or tannish) hue to compliment the dark rust. Maybe some accent rust slate here and there. It's a small wall so it shouldn't be too expensive.
I've been a busy little jawa today! I also stopped at Home Depot for some parts for AL and picked up a couple backyard ideas books. "Backyards" by Sunset magazine (always a great resource) and "Outdoor Entertaining Idea Book" by Natalie Ermann Russell ended up in my shopping cart. Both have great ideas, even for small spaces.
Until next time,
Jawa Jaka
Devouring and drooling over backyard ideas...
While I was there, I measured the fireplace and it's surrounding wall. I've already started looking at fake/faux stone to cover that wall, making a dramatic fireplace. I'm thinking a stacked slate look in a light goldish (or tannish) hue to compliment the dark rust. Maybe some accent rust slate here and there. It's a small wall so it shouldn't be too expensive.
I've been a busy little jawa today! I also stopped at Home Depot for some parts for AL and picked up a couple backyard ideas books. "Backyards" by Sunset magazine (always a great resource) and "Outdoor Entertaining Idea Book" by Natalie Ermann Russell ended up in my shopping cart. Both have great ideas, even for small spaces.
Until next time,
Jawa Jaka
Devouring and drooling over backyard ideas...
Monday, February 2, 2009
Start of My New (Old) House
After 3 years of forclosure and working super hard on my credit rating, I was able to purchase another forclosed house with a VA loan through Wells Fargo. It has a very large living room, big kitchen, four bedrooms, 2 baths (OK, one bath and one shower), nice breakfast area, oversized 2 car garage, and did I mention the astromech lab? It's in the basement as an unfinished bedroom, right next to the finished bedroom (and the one shower). Speaking of basement, aformentioned guest room and bath, laundry room, and a HUGE open area with a fireplace. The fireplace area will be my den/living area and the other space will be my home theatre (to watch all those Star Wars movies) and built in bar with sink (if the plumbers can put a water line in). And new carpets and paint to make it my own.
Lots of backyard for the cats and AL to play in, too. I'm planning to make a lot of winding sidewalks in the yard to test my R2-AL (see his blog at r2-al.blogspot.com), along with the outdoor patio. I hate mowing lawns, so I'm trying to design it with minimal yard work. Definitely a tough shed for more storage (lawn mower, I guess), a BBQ queen's grill and work space, and maybe a small hot tub (later, after I've fixed everything, like a new water heater and some plumbing leaks that aren't that bad).
Today I started with the carpets. Last Friday my roomate took me way north to The Floor Trader, a subsidiary of Carpet One. After looking at several other carpet places in town over a two week period, I've decided to hire them because of thier gracious and kind customer service. I have to give a big thanks to Sonja who helped me pick out carpet and bathroom tile. She listened to what I wanted, what my needs were, and came up with perfect low-cost solutions. Bob was also very helpful in explaining things to me and coming up with a very good padding for my basement with my asthma in mind. We'll be meeting him this Thursday at the house so he can take measurements of all the rooms, not just the carpeted ones, so that if in the future I want to do some more tiling or wood flooring I'll have the measurements.
So, to put into perspective, my colors for this house will be wheat walls, mocha/tan carpet main floor, rust carpet basement, natural gold-hued tile in both bathrooms, and Sonja is coming up with something to tie it all together in the entry. I'll use rust and cobalt blue for accent pillows/furniture/whatever with (I hope) a cobalt blue bar in the basement. I can't say enough about The Floor Trader. Please visit their website....
Until next time,
Jawa Jake
Happily transforming a house for my little friend, R2-AL
Lots of backyard for the cats and AL to play in, too. I'm planning to make a lot of winding sidewalks in the yard to test my R2-AL (see his blog at r2-al.blogspot.com), along with the outdoor patio. I hate mowing lawns, so I'm trying to design it with minimal yard work. Definitely a tough shed for more storage (lawn mower, I guess), a BBQ queen's grill and work space, and maybe a small hot tub (later, after I've fixed everything, like a new water heater and some plumbing leaks that aren't that bad).
Today I started with the carpets. Last Friday my roomate took me way north to The Floor Trader, a subsidiary of Carpet One. After looking at several other carpet places in town over a two week period, I've decided to hire them because of thier gracious and kind customer service. I have to give a big thanks to Sonja who helped me pick out carpet and bathroom tile. She listened to what I wanted, what my needs were, and came up with perfect low-cost solutions. Bob was also very helpful in explaining things to me and coming up with a very good padding for my basement with my asthma in mind. We'll be meeting him this Thursday at the house so he can take measurements of all the rooms, not just the carpeted ones, so that if in the future I want to do some more tiling or wood flooring I'll have the measurements.
So, to put into perspective, my colors for this house will be wheat walls, mocha/tan carpet main floor, rust carpet basement, natural gold-hued tile in both bathrooms, and Sonja is coming up with something to tie it all together in the entry. I'll use rust and cobalt blue for accent pillows/furniture/whatever with (I hope) a cobalt blue bar in the basement. I can't say enough about The Floor Trader. Please visit their website....
Until next time,
Jawa Jake
Happily transforming a house for my little friend, R2-AL
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)