Down with the Old

The wall-paper is coming down!! I have almost completely finished the powder bath downstairs, but I still have the kitchen and two upstairs bathrooms to take down. I will never understand why anyone ever thought floral wall-paper was stylish..personally, I think it's heinous! haha If anyone is bored and would like to help me take down some of the nasty flowers, feel free to stop by! My parents made a trip down this weekend to help me clean a little, strip some wall-paper and make another trip to Home Depot.

Making my appt. at H.D...please notice the massive tape measure on my dad's belt! He means business!

Who knew that anyone worked on Memorial Day? Well, the contractors at H.D. sure do! The cabinet/counter-top/sink man came out this morning to measure and give me an estimate...and quite a large estimate it was! I'm afraid I may have to sell one of my kidneys to get the kitchen I want!! I am learning that everything I want is VERY expensive!!

Also, the flooring man is coming out tomorrow morning to measure for all my new flooring. Flooring and paint are a must, while the kitchen would be an added bonus to fix-up. I am hoping the budget will allow for all of it! Obviously I am not a numbers person-that's why I chose a profession that had nothing to do with math! So every part of the reno. has to be cleared through my "boss"...my dad! Finances is his profession, so I'm glad I have him to help me out.

Thankfully, I am done with work for the summer, wahoo!! My Memorial Day weekend has pretty much consisted of measuring, cleaning, and stripping wall-paper. Although, I was able to spend some time with my niece, Katherine. I know this blog is about my house, but I have to mention my "Doodle-Bug". Below is a picture of her yesterday at Jim 'n Nick's..Doesn't she just melt your heart??!!!

I also have to add that I ordered the fabric for my new bedding this week as well! I picked out a brown linen for my tufted headboard and a dupioni silk buffalo check for my bed-skirt. This week I plan to order my new couch, decide on the kitchen reno. and order my flooring!!

I'm a Home Owner!!

It's official, I am now the proud owner of my very first place!!! Although, that almost didn't happen yesterday. As I mentioned before, drama follows me everywhere..I got a call yesterday from my mortgage man telling me that the Wells Fargo computers are down and he may not be able to send the paperwork to the closing attorney!! Of course I began freaking out..I had already taken a half-day at work and my dad was already on his way to B'ham. So my dad and I met for lunch at Brio and did some window shopping at Gus Mayer to kill time. Then we got the call to head to the attorney's office!! I have signed my life away, but am super-excited about it!! I'm not sure the reality of it all has set in yet.

Signing my life away!!

After the closing, I was able to go and pick up the keys to my house!!!! I have to admit I was disappointed there was not a sold sign in the yard to take my picture with..I mean, you only buy your first house once! I had to settle for a picture beside my lamp post...haha..

I knew going into this whole process that the house was going to need a lot of work....The previous owner had dogs that had lived with her in the house. When I unlocked the door and walked in, an overwhelming stench took over...apparently the dogs had been using the bathroom in the house!! I mean, OMG! There are no words to describe the condition of the carpet and other flooring. I think I got a little over-whelmed by the severity of it, but my wise, always positive dad just kept telling me, "Virginia, just think what new flooring and some paint will do." To add to the awfulness of it's current state, there is floral wall-paper in almost every room!! Virginia and wall-paper do not mix well! Here are a few pictures of the current state of my new house. The first picture is of the carpet...you can't really tell by the picture, but it's blue!!!!

So as you can see, I have my work cut out for me. There is LOTS to be done, and I can't wait to get started!!!

Let the Adventure Begin

I am finally taking the leap and buying my first home. I am still a little leary on taking the plunge, but my dad, who also happens to be my financial planner, assures me I am making the right decision. For my real-estate agent, I have enlisted the expertise of my brother-in-law Blake, who is a commercial real-estate broker. He is helping me out of the goodness of his heart and because, well, he's family! Without his help, this process would have been nearly impossible. If you know me at all, you know there is drama around every corner, so I was expecting the home-buying experience to be quite the adventure...and boy was I right!

Originally, I had wanted to buy a move-in ready house. I have a wonderful and talented family, but no one specializes in home repairs. We're more the type of we know who to call to fix it. Also, I was not willing to compromise on location. I wanted to find something that was close to everything I do (shopping, going out, etc) and of course close to my sister and her family. Did I mention I have the most adorable niece, who just turned 8 months old this week?
The first time I went in the house I am about to purchase, I cried. It was horrible...blue carpet with pet stains, outdated appliances, stained walls and ceilings. I told my dad there was no way I could ever live there. I mean, it would require almost an entire gut-job. But...it was in the perfect location! It was ten minutes from my sister's house and only five minutes away from the Summit! haha

After much debate and thought, I decided to make an offer. The offer was accepted and we were scheduled to close on April 30th. Well, that of course didn't happen. I find out last minute that my house is in a flood-zone and that I need to have my house surveyed. Who knew getting your house surveyed was such an expensive task?? We then rescheduled the closing for May 14th. Well, that didn't happen either. Now, we're set to close on Monday, May,18th. I am very anxious to close, so the renovations can begin. I'm planning to install new flooring throughout the whole place, update the entire kitchen, and completely re-paint the inside. Guess I need to buy a hard-hat and a tool belt..Anyone know where I can find a pink tool belt? haha
Say a prayer I finally get to close and I will get the keys to my first place!