Dutch Baby Renovation Update: Weeks 3 + 4
Mike took down the chimney! He said it was as easy as taking down building blocks since the mortar was so deteriorated. Yikes! We noticed that the chimney either needed to be rebuilt or taken down and were relieved to discover inside that only the water heater was utilizing it for venting and it was not part of the actual fireplace. Win for the wallet! We also had a new chimney liner installed and properly connected to the water heater to prevent carbon monoxide from getting into the home.
Fun fact: This is one of the most commonly called out repairs we see on inspection reports so no surprise to us that this home needed a new one.
We got the notification that our kitchen cabinets got delayed one week, which we are actually thankful for because then we will have one less week with the living room packed to the brim with cabinets while the plumbing gets moved, electrical gets situated, new ceiling gets added and we finish repairing the walls. We will likely postpone the delivery until the new year since we will be traveling for the holidays. We had a minor “deer in headlights” moment when the plumber informed us that he would need to lower the ceiling in the kitchen by 5" to get the correct slope for the toilet and neglected to inform us of that when he told us to take out the kitchen ceiling. Since we ordered our cabinets after our first conversation with the plumber the cabinets we have on order are now too tall for the space, but thankfully after looking at our design the upper cabinets we ordered were 15" high and we will just exchange them for 10". Crisis averted…I think. Stay tuned!
Speaking of our plumber…he got started this past weekend. Here are all the things he is tackling:
-Moving Toilet to the other side of the bathroom
-Centering the plumbing on the vanity wall in the bathroom
-Moving kitchen sink under the window
-Re-Routing Water Meter Piping out of the finished part of the basement and into the utility space
-New plumbing at utility sink for Washer and Dryer
The roof and garage siding got finished and we are happy with the results and bless our contractors who worked through some very nasty weather to get it done. If the weather allows, we would love to get the wooden storm windows scraped and painted sooner rather than later. Otherwise we are leaving the exterior alone until the spring for the most part.
The home only had a large window unit air conditioner in the living room and we were able to remove that and paint a new storm window to replace it. We are adding in central air throughout the home along with replacing the furnace as it is from the year Mike was born. We are still on the hunt for an interior wooden window to match the other one from where the window unit was, as sadly, the original one has not been found. We are trying to match the one below if you want to keep your eyes out if you frequent Habitat ReStore or happen to see one on the curb.
The rest of the time has been spent fixing plaster cracks, clearing out closets, starting to prime for painting, painting the unfinished portion of the basement and pulling endless staples out of the wood floors that will be refinished. Thrilling work!
The next few weeks will include a lot of wall repair, electrical work and painting and then the fun installations will begin after that! Our hardwood floor refinisher is scheduled for the end of January so our goal is to have the bulk of everything painted before then so we don't have to worry about getting paint splatters or sprayed on the floors.
BUDGET TRACKER UPDATE:
Our goal is to create a quality home by spending our dollars wisely. Our budget for the actual materials and labor (not including closing fees or holding costs) is ideally as close to $60k as possible. Right now we are sitting in a great spot and hoping we stay on this positive trajectory!
$18,437/$60,000
If you would like any more details, have any questions or suggestions send us an email through our contact page!
