And now we have March. It's possible that 2016 is shaping up to be the year of Getting Stuff Done. In February I finished painting one single tiny wall that had been sample-splotched for two years, and got air conditioning installed.
So far in March I've ordered curtains for the three bedrooms, and got one set actually hung! (Okay, thanks to my boyfriend, but I totally could've installed that curtain rod on my own. It's not like I've had it sitting around for three years or anything...yes, he looked a bit disbelieving when I confessed that.) Anyway, it's done and I'm making big plans to hang/help hang the other two sets of rods & curtains soon!
I'm also thinking about removing the closet doors in the guest bedroom. It's a very small room, and I have a Murphy bed in it (a decision I semi-regret, but oh well) and when the bed is down, the person using the room has to very carefully squish between the foot of the bed and the closet door. Removing the door will allow a bit more clearance, but may lead to another future project in terms of building out the inside of the closet with organizers. I've been thinking about it for a while and then saw that a blogger I follow did just that (scroll WAY down for the pic), and it looks great!
I also had a small financial breakthrough. I have 27 years left on my mortgage and intend to pay it off at least ten years sooner - or faster, if possible. I have waffled on how exactly to accomplish this - is it better for me to just send in extra money every month, or should I invest extra cash in a stock fund with an eye to better returns and paying off the mortgage in a big chunk down the road? My mortgage interest rate is really low, so on the one hand it makes more sense to chase better returns in the stock market, but on the other hand the more I pay now the better, for psychological and amortizational reasons. I finally remembered I've got an extremely stable money market fund earning NO interest, so I just closed that and will use it to pay down 3% of my mortgage. That doesn't really answer my bigger-picture question, but it will help me get the balance below a certain large dollar amount by the end of the summer, so that's exciting.
I did make some other decisions about mortgage prepayment: in the short term I'm going to focus on rebuilding my savings, and then once I hit a specific balance in that stock fund, I'll shift to splitting my non-retirement savings between mortgage prepayment and the stock market. Mathematically it may make sense to put it all in the market, but I don't wanna.
Other items on the to-do list:
- add plants in my yard. We'll see about that one.
- finally paint the single wall in my guest room - or at least pick & purchase the paint and let one or two friends who actually enjoy painting know that I would welcome their time & effort!
Showing posts with label house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label house. Show all posts
Monday, March 14, 2016
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
February?!
It feels like 2016 just GOT here! The biggest news in these parts is home improvement!
I got air conditioning installed in my house yesterday. It felt scary deciding to do this - it's a fair chunk of change, and people are doing Things to my house that I don't totally understand, and Something Could Go Wrong - but I contacted four companies, met with the two who got back to me, and chose the bid I liked best.. and here we are. AC-having.
The good news is (and it's worth stating) - I have the money to pay for it. I HAD been saving for a deck but decided this would do more for my summer comfort, and is probably better for resale too. It's weird - traditionally Portland wasn't a place that needed AC but .. climate change is real, and we've had way too many 90+ and 100+ degree days these last few summers. The other good news is that I got 2 new credit cards to charge the project to, so I'll pay for the project AND get two 50,000-mile chunks added to my flight plans.
Other home improvement projects: finally finishing a paint job on a wall in my office (though my friend is advocating I paint a second wall too... will it never end?!?) (and yes.. there is more progress than in the above shot); swapping out some light switches and outlets (under my boyfriend's experienced guidance, but he did a great job telling me what I was doing and letting me do it all myself); next up: light fixtures.
Do you KNOW how many light fixture options there are in the world??? ....
I got air conditioning installed in my house yesterday. It felt scary deciding to do this - it's a fair chunk of change, and people are doing Things to my house that I don't totally understand, and Something Could Go Wrong - but I contacted four companies, met with the two who got back to me, and chose the bid I liked best.. and here we are. AC-having.
The good news is (and it's worth stating) - I have the money to pay for it. I HAD been saving for a deck but decided this would do more for my summer comfort, and is probably better for resale too. It's weird - traditionally Portland wasn't a place that needed AC but .. climate change is real, and we've had way too many 90+ and 100+ degree days these last few summers. The other good news is that I got 2 new credit cards to charge the project to, so I'll pay for the project AND get two 50,000-mile chunks added to my flight plans.
Other home improvement projects: finally finishing a paint job on a wall in my office (though my friend is advocating I paint a second wall too... will it never end?!?) (and yes.. there is more progress than in the above shot); swapping out some light switches and outlets (under my boyfriend's experienced guidance, but he did a great job telling me what I was doing and letting me do it all myself); next up: light fixtures.
Do you KNOW how many light fixture options there are in the world??? ....
Monday, January 5, 2015
Two years
I just realized that tomorrow is two years exactly since I moved into my house! Saturday was two years exactly since I wired a whole lot of money and signed a whole lot of papers. I'm so glad that process is behind me, and that my house continues to be delightful. It's more than enough room, is great for hosting visitors, and is so quiet and light-filled and there's very little about it I would change (I would add a half-bathroom and make the bedrooms a bit bigger..but there are no deal-breakers).
I've even done a few projects lately - I fixed a paint job (I'd used the not-quite-right color when doing a patch job), and I added key and bike storage!
Key storage was easy, and I did it all on my own. I wanted to sort out the thicket of spare keys that lived in my junk drawer: 7 keys to four different bike locks, three keys & a remote to my sister's car & apartment, a key to a friend's house, a spare key to my back door, and my front door key. Crazy!
I spent a little time looking for key organizers, and then decided that the answer was staring me in the face - the inside door of my broom closet + sticker-hooks. Voila!
Yeah, they're crooked, and yeah, I meant for them to line up better. Oh well. I'm still happy with the decision!
The other project required help from friends. I'm providing long-term bike storage for a couple of friends, and those bikes were IN THE WAY. Though getting rid of my car did help clear a lot of space in the garage.. but still. My friends installed one ceiling-mounted bike hanger as a surprise over Christmas, and we added a second one yesterday. It looks so so great:
I can walk under the bikes without hitting my head, they'll still be out of the way when I have a car in the garage, and we also did some other little garage projects: put some boxes up out of the way, tightened the punch-code remote that triggers the garage door from outside, and installed hooks to hang my hoses. Goodness, it was so awesome!
There are lots of other non-pressing items on my house list. My yard is an extremely slow-motion project, without a master plan. I want to have a deck built and am saving slowly for that - at my current pace I will have the money in another 2-and-a-bit years. That's not so bad, really: it could be completed by the time I've been in here 5 years. I'd like to remove/possibly replace the front chain link fence; the wood fence around the back is rickety and will have to be fixed eventually. When the deck goes in I'll have to move two of my three garden beds (to the back where there is a LOT of direct sun). I want to print and hang more of my photos, and change the light fixtures, and swap out the kitchen sink, and gut and refurnish my office ..
So yeah. Happy two years, house! No wonder the time has been flying!
I've even done a few projects lately - I fixed a paint job (I'd used the not-quite-right color when doing a patch job), and I added key and bike storage!
Key storage was easy, and I did it all on my own. I wanted to sort out the thicket of spare keys that lived in my junk drawer: 7 keys to four different bike locks, three keys & a remote to my sister's car & apartment, a key to a friend's house, a spare key to my back door, and my front door key. Crazy!
I spent a little time looking for key organizers, and then decided that the answer was staring me in the face - the inside door of my broom closet + sticker-hooks. Voila!
The other project required help from friends. I'm providing long-term bike storage for a couple of friends, and those bikes were IN THE WAY. Though getting rid of my car did help clear a lot of space in the garage.. but still. My friends installed one ceiling-mounted bike hanger as a surprise over Christmas, and we added a second one yesterday. It looks so so great:
There are lots of other non-pressing items on my house list. My yard is an extremely slow-motion project, without a master plan. I want to have a deck built and am saving slowly for that - at my current pace I will have the money in another 2-and-a-bit years. That's not so bad, really: it could be completed by the time I've been in here 5 years. I'd like to remove/possibly replace the front chain link fence; the wood fence around the back is rickety and will have to be fixed eventually. When the deck goes in I'll have to move two of my three garden beds (to the back where there is a LOT of direct sun). I want to print and hang more of my photos, and change the light fixtures, and swap out the kitchen sink, and gut and refurnish my office ..
So yeah. Happy two years, house! No wonder the time has been flying!
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
I'm still here!
Whew, it was a busy February, but somehow March is getting away from me as well. Let's see. I'm still loving the blue wall. I haven't decided what I might paint the rest of the walls, and I've had a few votes to leave them intact. That pleases Lazy Me, as it turns out that painting is messy and time-consuming!
So, I tried painting over the sample splotch in the living room.
Before:
After:
Well. There is a SLIGHT shade variation - I think perhaps the bathroom paint is a bit lighter than the rest of the rooms, and I must have used that, as the can isn't labeled well. So I have one other can to try before I either buy a really big print, or repaint at least one wall. Fingers crossed.
And yes, I did get a new couch - AND a coffee table. I identified what I wanted (Crate & Barrel Petrie, IKEA something) and found them on Cragislist, saving me 800 and 100 dollars, respectively. Pretty sweet! Please note the flowers from my yard. Spring has sprung!
And the kitty is still hanging out a lot. And he still cracks me up.
So, I tried painting over the sample splotch in the living room.
Before:
And yes, I did get a new couch - AND a coffee table. I identified what I wanted (Crate & Barrel Petrie, IKEA something) and found them on Cragislist, saving me 800 and 100 dollars, respectively. Pretty sweet! Please note the flowers from my yard. Spring has sprung!
And the kitty is still hanging out a lot. And he still cracks me up.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Color at last
I've been in my house just over a year now (I know!) and I'm finally getting around to painting - at least one wall, anyway!
I've been looking at paint splotches for a loooong time, examining them in various lights, polling people, mulling it over, but mostly ignoring the blobs on the wall. I decided ages ago to go with the top-left one, but only actually got the paint two weeks ago. The wall I'm painting is central to the house - it divides the kitchen from the living room, and is one side of the long (only) hall that leads to the bedrooms and bathroom. My vision was inspired by an article in the NY Times last fall that showed an art gallery with a midnight-blue wall framing the art. I can't find the link but trust me - pretty. I've opted to have it the most matte (non-shiny) surface possible - the walls are quite textured and I want to downplay that as much as I can.
So, I've never painted my own space before, and have only assisted one time in memory. I was kinda faking it, but I spent a Friday night putting painter's tape up on all the surfaces adjacent to the painting area (walls, ceilings, door frames, baseboard). Then I spent Sunday afternoon cutting in - i.e. using a brush to paint from the baseboard up a few inches, around the edges of the walls, etc. For fun I also painted around all the swatches on the wall, to verify that the color was a perfect match for my choice. Then I used a roller to paint great swathes. Wow is a roller a lot faster than a brush!
It became clear when it dried that I'd have to do a second coat. This was a bit of a bummer, but I took the time to be really picky - which I very rarely am. I turned on all the lights and used a flashlight to examine the wall, and stuck some colored tape everywhere I thought I'd need to add paint. Today I finished during my lunch break, with a headlamp to really examine each area of the wall to be sure it's totally blue!
I'll examine it one more time to make sure I got it all, and then I'll peel the tape, fold up the tarp, and restore the furniture and face plates to the wall.
Someday I'll get around to printing photos and framing them. And then I'll deal with spotlighting them somehow. Baby steps - but I have 29 years before that mortgage is paid off, so huge hurry!
I've been looking at paint splotches for a loooong time, examining them in various lights, polling people, mulling it over, but mostly ignoring the blobs on the wall. I decided ages ago to go with the top-left one, but only actually got the paint two weeks ago. The wall I'm painting is central to the house - it divides the kitchen from the living room, and is one side of the long (only) hall that leads to the bedrooms and bathroom. My vision was inspired by an article in the NY Times last fall that showed an art gallery with a midnight-blue wall framing the art. I can't find the link but trust me - pretty. I've opted to have it the most matte (non-shiny) surface possible - the walls are quite textured and I want to downplay that as much as I can.
So, I've never painted my own space before, and have only assisted one time in memory. I was kinda faking it, but I spent a Friday night putting painter's tape up on all the surfaces adjacent to the painting area (walls, ceilings, door frames, baseboard). Then I spent Sunday afternoon cutting in - i.e. using a brush to paint from the baseboard up a few inches, around the edges of the walls, etc. For fun I also painted around all the swatches on the wall, to verify that the color was a perfect match for my choice. Then I used a roller to paint great swathes. Wow is a roller a lot faster than a brush!
It became clear when it dried that I'd have to do a second coat. This was a bit of a bummer, but I took the time to be really picky - which I very rarely am. I turned on all the lights and used a flashlight to examine the wall, and stuck some colored tape everywhere I thought I'd need to add paint. Today I finished during my lunch break, with a headlamp to really examine each area of the wall to be sure it's totally blue!
Someday I'll get around to printing photos and framing them. And then I'll deal with spotlighting them somehow. Baby steps - but I have 29 years before that mortgage is paid off, so huge hurry!
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Empty slates
My housemate (aka my sister) moved out at the end of December, and now I've got an empty guest room to deal with. It's exciting to have an empty slate, except my living room is ALSO an empty slate (we were using her furniture). Plus, I haven't painted yet. And I just got given a massive phone from my employer that is pushing me over the tipping point in terms of office furniture. Or.. I can just put stuff on the floor, I guess!
Guest room: It's not a very big room, so I decided I'd like to get a Murphy bed so I can use the room for sewing or something when I don't have a guest actually using the space. That's all well and good, but it turns out Murphy beds are super expensive. Just the hardware runs over $500; a kit that has the hardware and the pieces to build a cabinet runs over $1000, and brand-new ones typically run well over two grand.
So, I turned to Craigslist, and found something a couple hours away. It was used, and super heavy, but they were willing to deliver (for a fee) and drop it in my garage. And there it loomed for a few days.
Fortunately I had family traveling through town just before Christmas, so I borrowed some rolling tools (a dolly and a little platformy thing) and we managed to wrestle the pieces into the guest room.
Empty living room
But I digress.Guest room: It's not a very big room, so I decided I'd like to get a Murphy bed so I can use the room for sewing or something when I don't have a guest actually using the space. That's all well and good, but it turns out Murphy beds are super expensive. Just the hardware runs over $500; a kit that has the hardware and the pieces to build a cabinet runs over $1000, and brand-new ones typically run well over two grand.
So, I turned to Craigslist, and found something a couple hours away. It was used, and super heavy, but they were willing to deliver (for a fee) and drop it in my garage. And there it loomed for a few days.
Actual bed platform
Cabinet that will attach to the wall
I've gotten as far as contacting a handyman, and we're working on picking a day for him to come out and assess the situation. I sure hope he's willing and able to take it on, because I'd like to get this thing settled soon!
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Fun with tagging
Now that I'm working with a designer, sorta, I'm looking at some of the many (so many!) pictures I've taken over the years. I'm thinking about printing and framing a bunch and making a hallway gallery or something.
I started by going through my flickr albums and tagging anything I was considering with the tag "print" - this will let me then look at all those photos together.
Of course it was like a billion too many pictures, so I started adding tags, like wood, fire, water, nature, landscape, beer, stone, train, transit, bike, flower ... you get the idea. Then I can look at all the pics that are grouped by a particular tag. You can click each group below to see a bigger screenshot.
It's been fun! I don't think I'm a LOT closer to picking what I print, but maybe I really am.
I started by going through my flickr albums and tagging anything I was considering with the tag "print" - this will let me then look at all those photos together.
Of course it was like a billion too many pictures, so I started adding tags, like wood, fire, water, nature, landscape, beer, stone, train, transit, bike, flower ... you get the idea. Then I can look at all the pics that are grouped by a particular tag. You can click each group below to see a bigger screenshot.
Tag = art
Tag =bridge
Tag = graffiti
Tag = landscape
Tag = red
It's been fun! I don't think I'm a LOT closer to picking what I print, but maybe I really am.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
I'm so hoity toity
So, I seem to have acquired an interior designer. Sorta. Kinda.
A friend had a brunch a couple of weekends ago, and when she was pulling together the guest list I asked her to include the aunt who helped pick out her color scheme when she repainted her house. The house looks terrific and uses colors I might not have chosen. My friend had said in the past that her aunt would be happy to help me pick colors, so this seemed like a great way to finagle an introduction.
To backtrack a bit: I moved into my house in January, and it had been flipped over the previous two months. I got what I wanted - a solid house that didn't need work, and it's got terrific light, but it is rather.. beige. I do plan to sell this house in about 20 years...but I suppose I can paint in the interim!
Fast forward to the brunch, and I find myself making a date for Laura to come over and look at my house and talk about colors. She came over on a Sunday morning and spent nearly two hours hanging out, admiring the light, and getting a feel for the space and my thoughts about color.
Then she came over a couple days later and we spent 45 minutes going over some design pages she'd bookmarked with me in mind, looking at ideas for colors and space and contrast and decor. Apparently just painting isn't enough: I also have to do things like curtains, pillows, wall hanging - it's exhausting!
Anyway, she also brought me paint chips for the various rooms. We talked them over, and now she's going to go buy me samples of the paint so I can try them on for size. All this is free, mind you - she's doing it because it's fun for her! She did at least take money to pay for the paint samples!
So, I'll definitely take some before & after shots, because I think this painting thing is going to happen. August is nuts for me, but September is looking good.
My assignment this week: start getting a feel for wallpaper; also go through my flickr albums and look at photos I might like to have framed to hang in a gallery in the hallway.
Eep.
A friend had a brunch a couple of weekends ago, and when she was pulling together the guest list I asked her to include the aunt who helped pick out her color scheme when she repainted her house. The house looks terrific and uses colors I might not have chosen. My friend had said in the past that her aunt would be happy to help me pick colors, so this seemed like a great way to finagle an introduction.
To backtrack a bit: I moved into my house in January, and it had been flipped over the previous two months. I got what I wanted - a solid house that didn't need work, and it's got terrific light, but it is rather.. beige. I do plan to sell this house in about 20 years...but I suppose I can paint in the interim!
Move-in day; yes, I've decorated some since then!
However, I've never picked colors before. I am a decisive person, but when there are a ton of options, and one of the options is NON-choice, I'm likely to take the path of least resistance and go with doing nothing. So I picked up some paint chips my first week or so in the house, but pretty much dropped the idea thereafter.Fast forward to the brunch, and I find myself making a date for Laura to come over and look at my house and talk about colors. She came over on a Sunday morning and spent nearly two hours hanging out, admiring the light, and getting a feel for the space and my thoughts about color.
Then she came over a couple days later and we spent 45 minutes going over some design pages she'd bookmarked with me in mind, looking at ideas for colors and space and contrast and decor. Apparently just painting isn't enough: I also have to do things like curtains, pillows, wall hanging - it's exhausting!
Anyway, she also brought me paint chips for the various rooms. We talked them over, and now she's going to go buy me samples of the paint so I can try them on for size. All this is free, mind you - she's doing it because it's fun for her! She did at least take money to pay for the paint samples!
So, I'll definitely take some before & after shots, because I think this painting thing is going to happen. August is nuts for me, but September is looking good.
My assignment this week: start getting a feel for wallpaper; also go through my flickr albums and look at photos I might like to have framed to hang in a gallery in the hallway.
Eep.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Home ownership, four months in
It's been just about four months since I moved into my house. I'm mostly unpacked, though there are some random boxes in several closets. I could really use a dresser or two, and my office has a desk but that's about it in terms of organization. I just tell myself it would be boring if I were 100% settled in already!
I still look at real estate postings on a regular basis, and I wonder if this is like someone in a new relationship who is still habitually checking out other people (either online or in person). Maybe I just haven't settled into this new state of mind? I do wish I could date like I house-shopped: I was ON it, churning through 25 houses (and four offers) in under three months. If I dated like that I imagine I would not be single!
Anyway, I've only had one stress dream about the house and haven't had any catastrophes yet. Three payments down, 357 to go!
One of ten buds on my rose bush...
I'm wrapping my head around mowing the lawn regularly, and while I don't love that task, it IS satisfying when it's all tidy and mowed. If I only had a weed whacker I could REALLY make it look good... but for now, mowed is good enough. It has been fun finding out what colors the things in my yard are when they bloom. 
I still look at real estate postings on a regular basis, and I wonder if this is like someone in a new relationship who is still habitually checking out other people (either online or in person). Maybe I just haven't settled into this new state of mind? I do wish I could date like I house-shopped: I was ON it, churning through 25 houses (and four offers) in under three months. If I dated like that I imagine I would not be single!
Anyway, I've only had one stress dream about the house and haven't had any catastrophes yet. Three payments down, 357 to go!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
One mortgage payment down ...
... three hundred fifty-nine payments left to go!
I was pleased that exactly the right amount was debited from my account on exactly the right day. I'm not a fan of debited payments - I'd rather automate checks via my bank's website - but this one went okay. I'll keep a close eye on it, and this is why I use a separate account for bill-paying: if they make a mistake it SHOULD have limited effect on my other accounts.
The mortgage payment (including property taxes and home owner's insurance) comes to $253/month more than my rent was - that's including my repayment to my parents for their contribution to the down payment on my house. All in all I'd say it's a deal!
However, the wild card has always been all the other stuff I have to pay: in my apartment, my monthly expenses were:
I think it's important to note here that my apartment was considered a very good deal - a little over $1000/month for a lovely one-bedroom; and also that I bought a house in semi-far-flung Portland to keep my costs down. By being lucky and careful, both my rent and my mortgage wound up being quite a bit lower than they could have been.
The idea, of course, is that I've bought an appreciating asset that will help me out down the road. We'll see about that. I guess it's worth almost $500/month to find out! Hopefully Old Me will be very happy with this set of choices.
I was pleased that exactly the right amount was debited from my account on exactly the right day. I'm not a fan of debited payments - I'd rather automate checks via my bank's website - but this one went okay. I'll keep a close eye on it, and this is why I use a separate account for bill-paying: if they make a mistake it SHOULD have limited effect on my other accounts.
The mortgage payment (including property taxes and home owner's insurance) comes to $253/month more than my rent was - that's including my repayment to my parents for their contribution to the down payment on my house. All in all I'd say it's a deal!
However, the wild card has always been all the other stuff I have to pay: in my apartment, my monthly expenses were:
- $73 for renter's and auto insurance
- $50 for landline/internet
- under $10 for electricity (even in winter!)
- $33 for my awesome no-longer-available cell phone plan
- ~$45 for car insurance
- $117 for landline/internet/cable (I get reimbursed by work for the phone/internet portion but I still have to front the payment) (also: this is the first time in my life I've paid for tv)
- approximately $30 for electricity
- $55 for my upgraded but still-a-good-deal cell phone plane
- $24 trash
- approximately $80 for gas (this is heat and hot water; Jan was very cold so I'm hopeful this will come down for much of the year)
- the final wildcard: water. I haven't been billed for this yet as it's done quarterly. I'm guesstimating $50/month and hope that's high.
I think it's important to note here that my apartment was considered a very good deal - a little over $1000/month for a lovely one-bedroom; and also that I bought a house in semi-far-flung Portland to keep my costs down. By being lucky and careful, both my rent and my mortgage wound up being quite a bit lower than they could have been.
The idea, of course, is that I've bought an appreciating asset that will help me out down the road. We'll see about that. I guess it's worth almost $500/month to find out! Hopefully Old Me will be very happy with this set of choices.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
ALL of the partiers
I had a terrific, wonderful, mobbed, tasty, fun, packed house-warming party this weekend. I counted just over 50 attendees (11 of those were kids) and it got super crowded and loud inside. I was so so happy to see so many people squashed into my house having a fun evening.
There were people from almost every part of my life: my sister, someone from my high school class who lives here, friends I made when I first moved to Portland, friends from my first software company job, library-school friends, a library-community friend, friends of friends who've become good friends, former roommates, even my real estate agent who's become a friend.
Despite the chaos, there was very minimal damage/spilling/breakage (I was responsible for the sole broken wine glass), and I've got heaps of leftover beer to spread over the social waters for the next few months.
This house is officially warmed!
There were people from almost every part of my life: my sister, someone from my high school class who lives here, friends I made when I first moved to Portland, friends from my first software company job, library-school friends, a library-community friend, friends of friends who've become good friends, former roommates, even my real estate agent who's become a friend.
Despite the chaos, there was very minimal damage/spilling/breakage (I was responsible for the sole broken wine glass), and I've got heaps of leftover beer to spread over the social waters for the next few months.
This house is officially warmed!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Party prep
I love going to parties at friends' houses, and I always feel a little cheated when friends don't get around to having a house warming party because they never felt the place was ready. That's the point of a house warming! If you have it early enough, you don't even have to unpack!
So I'm having a party this weekend (six weeks post-move-in), and am very much feeling the whole Lack of Furniture thing. My office is kind of haphazardly set up at best, and my living room is feeling more than a little echo-y. My sister and I rearranged what furniture there is, and I just can't decide if I like it. I like the couch in its new orientation but I don't have a real coffee table to anchor the space, and the chairs I have aren't really working. Then there's the tv room, which still has boxes (but may not by the weekend.. we'll see) and then there's the fact that I can't really figure out what to do dining-table-wise...I've got a good bit of art to hang but can't figure out where... oh dear.
So, to distract myself from all that nonsense, I'm picking out food to serve at the party. I'll have a few different cookies, and two or three dips, cheese and crackers, and a couple of finger food things. The question I'm now running into is: what to serve in the way of drinks? Beer & wine are obvious for most adults, but not everyone wants to drink and people in this region aren't really into soda. So what do I serve? Tap water seems rather boring. I suppose I can get some fizzy water from Trader Joe's, but what else?
So I'm having a party this weekend (six weeks post-move-in), and am very much feeling the whole Lack of Furniture thing. My office is kind of haphazardly set up at best, and my living room is feeling more than a little echo-y. My sister and I rearranged what furniture there is, and I just can't decide if I like it. I like the couch in its new orientation but I don't have a real coffee table to anchor the space, and the chairs I have aren't really working. Then there's the tv room, which still has boxes (but may not by the weekend.. we'll see) and then there's the fact that I can't really figure out what to do dining-table-wise...I've got a good bit of art to hang but can't figure out where... oh dear.
So, to distract myself from all that nonsense, I'm picking out food to serve at the party. I'll have a few different cookies, and two or three dips, cheese and crackers, and a couple of finger food things. The question I'm now running into is: what to serve in the way of drinks? Beer & wine are obvious for most adults, but not everyone wants to drink and people in this region aren't really into soda. So what do I serve? Tap water seems rather boring. I suppose I can get some fizzy water from Trader Joe's, but what else?
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Furnishing
Anyone who has furnished a significant chunk of their home from Craigslist is either a saint or is so lucky they should be playing the lottery. I'm trying to get some furnishings into my house, and am feeling really stymied by the process.
I *did* get a couch/day bed for the tv room, which is great, but I also want some sort of bed for my guest room. Right now my sister is sleeping on an airbed, and they are just not built for long-term usage - and aren't that comfortable anyway! I have the gloomy feeling that my mattress isn't working for me, so eventually I'll buy (yet) another and move mine into the guest room, but I really don't want to cough up the money for a new mattress right now (never mind another bed frame!).
I'd like to find some sort of twin sleeper that doubles as decent-looking furniture - either an armchair, or a couch, but not really a futon. I've found a few leads online but haven't been very successful in actually purchasing said furniture. It seems like I can either spend a lot more than I currently am comfortable spending, so I'll have nice furniture, or I can cheap out and buy something that isn't that sturdy and won't last that long - from the big picture, that's a waste of money, but it may be where I land.
Houses are exciting but kinda daunting too.
I *did* get a couch/day bed for the tv room, which is great, but I also want some sort of bed for my guest room. Right now my sister is sleeping on an airbed, and they are just not built for long-term usage - and aren't that comfortable anyway! I have the gloomy feeling that my mattress isn't working for me, so eventually I'll buy (yet) another and move mine into the guest room, but I really don't want to cough up the money for a new mattress right now (never mind another bed frame!).
I'd like to find some sort of twin sleeper that doubles as decent-looking furniture - either an armchair, or a couch, but not really a futon. I've found a few leads online but haven't been very successful in actually purchasing said furniture. It seems like I can either spend a lot more than I currently am comfortable spending, so I'll have nice furniture, or I can cheap out and buy something that isn't that sturdy and won't last that long - from the big picture, that's a waste of money, but it may be where I land.
Houses are exciting but kinda daunting too.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Settling in
Well, it's coming together - and yep, there's a lot left to do! I've even cooked a little bit, and have been surprised and pleased to find that cooking in a roomy gallery kitchen is quite nice.
I need a LOT of storage space for my kitchen stuff, and wanted to be sure I had plenty of workspace, so for now I've got a counter-height cart in what could be viewed as the dining area. So from this:
I'm now doing this:
Except I've already gotten rid of the small table thing by the doorway. That was overkill.
I'd like to get some tall chairs so I can sit to eat a meal - I've been doing a lot of kitchen-standing, which feels nice when I've been sitting and working a lot, but isn't practical or hospitable when I have visitors.
Right now I'm focusing my money and Craigslist energies on getting other furniture (a family room couch and a guest room daybed), so the chairs will have to wait.
I need a LOT of storage space for my kitchen stuff, and wanted to be sure I had plenty of workspace, so for now I've got a counter-height cart in what could be viewed as the dining area. So from this:
I'm now doing this:
I'd like to get some tall chairs so I can sit to eat a meal - I've been doing a lot of kitchen-standing, which feels nice when I've been sitting and working a lot, but isn't practical or hospitable when I have visitors.
Right now I'm focusing my money and Craigslist energies on getting other furniture (a family room couch and a guest room daybed), so the chairs will have to wait.
Monday, January 7, 2013
I'm in!
Moving weekend passed in a blur of activity:
Friday night: two carloads of stuff with a friend
Saturday: have fridge delivered, move a carload of stuff, buy tv & bring it to the house
Sunday: beautifully orchestrated move with a lot of people swapping in and out. We started at 10, had some truck-related chaos, and were finished by 1:30, and that includes about an hour of driving to the storage unit.
A few friends put my bed and dining room table together, another two hung my shower rod & curtain, and yet another pair unpacked much of my kitchen for me. Another friend assembled my lamps and seemed disappointed I didn't have more projects!
The internet/cable guy spent 4 hours rigging me up and insisted on helping unpack and set up my television to be sure it worked (and to save him a call in a few days, I'm sure!).
I've spent my first day in the house mostly hanging out in the living room, enjoying the light and working (wow busy day at work). I've taken a few breaks to rearrange and flatten boxes and give a Skype tour to my parents and sister.
The house has great light, holds heat well, and is really quiet. Plenty of room for my stuff, I think, and one day I'll have enough furniture for it! It's all really really great.
hoo boy am I tired!
Friday night: two carloads of stuff with a friend
Saturday: have fridge delivered, move a carload of stuff, buy tv & bring it to the house
Sunday: beautifully orchestrated move with a lot of people swapping in and out. We started at 10, had some truck-related chaos, and were finished by 1:30, and that includes about an hour of driving to the storage unit.
A few friends put my bed and dining room table together, another two hung my shower rod & curtain, and yet another pair unpacked much of my kitchen for me. Another friend assembled my lamps and seemed disappointed I didn't have more projects!
The internet/cable guy spent 4 hours rigging me up and insisted on helping unpack and set up my television to be sure it worked (and to save him a call in a few days, I'm sure!).
I've spent my first day in the house mostly hanging out in the living room, enjoying the light and working (wow busy day at work). I've taken a few breaks to rearrange and flatten boxes and give a Skype tour to my parents and sister.
The house has great light, holds heat well, and is really quiet. Plenty of room for my stuff, I think, and one day I'll have enough furniture for it! It's all really really great.
hoo boy am I tired!
Friday, January 4, 2013
new-house smell
Well, I got the key to the house yesterday (and a welcome mat from my agent), so went over after work with one of my friends to get a whiff of new-to-me-house smell! Bonus: since it was recently recarpeted/painted/cabineted/floored, it actually does have a new smell to it.
My friend and I rolled all over the living room floor, giggling like lunatics, then we drank some bubbly (that a friend had given her on HER new-house move-in but she'd never opened). It was entirely awesome and I felt overwhelmed and happy.
Then I went to Lowe's and bought the first of many series of things (lightbulbs, shower curtain rod, toilet scrubber).
Then I took myself out for some ridiculously tasty chicken wings at a restaurant I've been hearing about for a while. I got enough wings for three meals! Score!
My friend and I rolled all over the living room floor, giggling like lunatics, then we drank some bubbly (that a friend had given her on HER new-house move-in but she'd never opened). It was entirely awesome and I felt overwhelmed and happy.
Then I went to Lowe's and bought the first of many series of things (lightbulbs, shower curtain rod, toilet scrubber).
Then I took myself out for some ridiculously tasty chicken wings at a restaurant I've been hearing about for a while. I got enough wings for three meals! Score!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
SIGNED
Signed all the papers! It didn't even take that long. The only minor wrinkle was that I'd already wired the closing costs using the amount they told me on Monday, and that was about $169 less than the total on the paperwork today. The problem was they'd included the cost of the mobile notary into the closing costs, when on Monday they planned to have me write a separate check. I didn't want to have to do a second wire for $169 since there's a $20 fee for each wire transaction from my bank; fortunately they agreed to let me write a check for the $175 mobile notary fee and said they'd fix the papers.
So, future reference: don't wire the funds until you see the paperwork and the total amount on it! That was probably a rookie mistake; ah well. I've also pored over the GFE vs the actual closing costs, and can see they estimated very high on a few matters, explaining the costs being even less than I expected.
It's a bit anticlimactic without keys in hand. At least I accidentally kept the notary's (cheap) pen.
So, future reference: don't wire the funds until you see the paperwork and the total amount on it! That was probably a rookie mistake; ah well. I've also pored over the GFE vs the actual closing costs, and can see they estimated very high on a few matters, explaining the costs being even less than I expected.
It's a bit anticlimactic without keys in hand. At least I accidentally kept the notary's (cheap) pen.
The penultimate stuff
On New Year's Eve morning I got a call from the title company asking if I could come in to sign papers. They actually woke me up and it took a while to process that this must be the green light - the sale is really really going to happen? What an odd way to absorb the fact of it.
Fortunately I remembered that my agent wanted to be present, and I wanted her there, so I pushed the signing to the 2nd. I'm paying a mobile notary to come to me, which is better than taking a half-day off work and driving to the very inconveniently-located title office. This may be one of the last profligate things I do!
I just wired a great thwack of money to the title office - the rest of the down payment and the closing costs. The closing costs are an entire $5,000 less than the estimate they gave me on the Good Faith Estimate form and I don't know why. I expected a $2,500 discount/rebate for some program they're running but am stumped about the other $2500. Should I be waiting for the other shoe to drop on that front?
Anyway, notary is here in 10 minutes. Eeeeek.
Fortunately I remembered that my agent wanted to be present, and I wanted her there, so I pushed the signing to the 2nd. I'm paying a mobile notary to come to me, which is better than taking a half-day off work and driving to the very inconveniently-located title office. This may be one of the last profligate things I do!
I just wired a great thwack of money to the title office - the rest of the down payment and the closing costs. The closing costs are an entire $5,000 less than the estimate they gave me on the Good Faith Estimate form and I don't know why. I expected a $2,500 discount/rebate for some program they're running but am stumped about the other $2500. Should I be waiting for the other shoe to drop on that front?
Anyway, notary is here in 10 minutes. Eeeeek.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Cue the last-minute scramble
I just knew the house-buying was going too smoothly! Even though I checked at least twice to be sure everything was set, I've had to jump through three hoops so far this week. Thank goodness life is online - I'm visiting the east coast and simply couldn't provide this information if my physical files were required! The hoops:
1) Rental history
Yesterday my mortgage officer told me there's some new requirement and they need to have all of my rental history - presumably to contact the landlords and see if I've been a problem. Well, my friends, I've been renting for 19 years, the vast majority of my units from private people whose names/contact information I can't remotely recall. I gave them the information for my last six years (all in the same apartment) and my current landlord (my friend) and am hoping that is sufficient. I didn't ask if they wanted the other 13 years' information and hope they don't come back for it. If they do I can give them addresses, but they're on their own for finding out the owners at that time.
2) Personal loan
Today they FINALLY noticed & asked about the loan from my parents. It hit my bank in October, and they did get that statement ages ago (word to the wise, get a loan like that in your bank at least 3 months before you make an offer if you don't want it coming to light), but only now, ONE WEEK before closing, are they asking about it. So I told them it's a loan and forwarded the paperwork. The repayment is $100.80/month so hopefully they won't freak out. But, so far I've had to send them:
- a scanned copy of the loan agreement
And then, because I transferred it from my checking account into a money market account at Vanguard, which doesn't generate monthly statements, I also sent:
- a date-specific statement from that account showing the balance as of October 20 (before the transfer hit)
- a date-specific statement from that account showing the balance as of October 25 (after the transfer hit)
3) Closing costs questions
Most interestingly (/panic-inducingly) the processor says I'm almost $7,000 short for the closing costs and wants to know how I'm going to get it. This is news to me, as I've got more than $10k MORE than what I think I will need for my down payment and closing costs. I replied mostly-politely saying that I had a lot of money in the bank and if the closing was going to be even more than that, something was seriously amiss. They still haven't deigned tell me what the closing costs are, but are now looking more closely at the Vanguard account (see point 2 above).
Sheesh. So much for my relaxing vacation!
1) Rental history
Yesterday my mortgage officer told me there's some new requirement and they need to have all of my rental history - presumably to contact the landlords and see if I've been a problem. Well, my friends, I've been renting for 19 years, the vast majority of my units from private people whose names/contact information I can't remotely recall. I gave them the information for my last six years (all in the same apartment) and my current landlord (my friend) and am hoping that is sufficient. I didn't ask if they wanted the other 13 years' information and hope they don't come back for it. If they do I can give them addresses, but they're on their own for finding out the owners at that time.
2) Personal loan
Today they FINALLY noticed & asked about the loan from my parents. It hit my bank in October, and they did get that statement ages ago (word to the wise, get a loan like that in your bank at least 3 months before you make an offer if you don't want it coming to light), but only now, ONE WEEK before closing, are they asking about it. So I told them it's a loan and forwarded the paperwork. The repayment is $100.80/month so hopefully they won't freak out. But, so far I've had to send them:
- a scanned copy of the loan agreement
And then, because I transferred it from my checking account into a money market account at Vanguard, which doesn't generate monthly statements, I also sent:
- a date-specific statement from that account showing the balance as of October 20 (before the transfer hit)
- a date-specific statement from that account showing the balance as of October 25 (after the transfer hit)
3) Closing costs questions
Most interestingly (/panic-inducingly) the processor says I'm almost $7,000 short for the closing costs and wants to know how I'm going to get it. This is news to me, as I've got more than $10k MORE than what I think I will need for my down payment and closing costs. I replied mostly-politely saying that I had a lot of money in the bank and if the closing was going to be even more than that, something was seriously amiss. They still haven't deigned tell me what the closing costs are, but are now looking more closely at the Vanguard account (see point 2 above).
Sheesh. So much for my relaxing vacation!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Things I still don't know
Well, I'm closing on the house in 2 weeks and one day. It seems safe to assume it's really happening! It's weird to me that I can be this close to the deadline and not know some super basic things like:
My mortgage lender says that the escrow people are the ones who come up with the final closing costs so I have to wait to hear it from them.
The majority of my down payment & closing costs is at Vanguard, not at my bank. I guess I'll transfer it all over to my bank sometime next week, so it's ready and waiting to wire whenever I find out where to send it.
I've also started looking at refrigerators, washers, dryers, curtain rods, shower curtains... it's weird to me that I haven't spent enough time in the house to know what color metal (if any) is in the decorative elements of the bathroom, so I don't know what color shower curtain rod to buy. Ditto on any curtains, actually. I guess I just have to spend time there before I can make those decisions - but some will be done sooner than others as I DO want to shower there sooner rather than later!
Aside from two mattresses and a desk chair (and a lot of terrific restaurant meals), I haven't been buying stuff for myself for months. It's going to be really weird to open the floodgates starting in January, though I do intend to do it all mindfully. I don't need that much stuff to get started. What I WANT may be another matter altogether!
- I close on the 4th, but when do I sign the papers?
- How much will my total closing costs be?
My mortgage lender says that the escrow people are the ones who come up with the final closing costs so I have to wait to hear it from them.
The majority of my down payment & closing costs is at Vanguard, not at my bank. I guess I'll transfer it all over to my bank sometime next week, so it's ready and waiting to wire whenever I find out where to send it.
I've also started looking at refrigerators, washers, dryers, curtain rods, shower curtains... it's weird to me that I haven't spent enough time in the house to know what color metal (if any) is in the decorative elements of the bathroom, so I don't know what color shower curtain rod to buy. Ditto on any curtains, actually. I guess I just have to spend time there before I can make those decisions - but some will be done sooner than others as I DO want to shower there sooner rather than later!
Aside from two mattresses and a desk chair (and a lot of terrific restaurant meals), I haven't been buying stuff for myself for months. It's going to be really weird to open the floodgates starting in January, though I do intend to do it all mindfully. I don't need that much stuff to get started. What I WANT may be another matter altogether!
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