Starting Point

Soo this is my first blog and our first house. I may get sick of both in about 2 weeks so we shall see how this works out for me. I have been browsing quite a few other blogs about home renovation and have realized I enjoy looking at photos way more than reading a detailed description of how the floor originally looked etc. so I will attempt to add lots and lots of photos.

Our house search story is kind of long, boring and really, nobody wants to read everything I could write. Basically we had found a colonial style before this and were about a week away from closing when the owner called saying she had gone to court and a $60,000 lien had been placed on the house. She was hoping to dump the house before this happened? Didn't know this would happen? I don't know what was going on in her mind but needless to say we didn't get the house. It was rather 80's inside with only one ugly bathroom and the only things I will miss are the walk up attic and huge kitchen.

The house this blog is about I have often ogled while driving past (not to say this was special since there are about 30 houses I ogle on that road alone) and was delighted to discover not only was it for sale, but it was also a foreclosure so it was well below our price range and ridiculously less than the colonial. They had to let some previously unknown tax liens clear and we needed proof the lack of a roof hadn't completely destroyed the interior but they finally let us have it!

Here is a ridiculously thorough overview of photos before we touch anything.

Living and Dining Areas:

View of the Fireplace - ahh, so much white

What is my brother doing on top of the bookcase??

Opening the mystery door, of course. I'm guessing it was for wood storage and it does open onto the bottom bookshelf.

Bookcase with simple leaded design

The fireplace was converted to gas and I guess they had an extension cord running across the room to a plug somewhere??

View of the staircase.

Out the front windows

A view across the street with a little snow on the ground

Window onto the porch

with a great windowsill

The outside of the front door in its current green state

Main light switch - we have yet to figure out what the fourth one does

Snow drift through the ugly screen door

A different angle of the porch

Top of staircase columns

Dining room light fixture- it looks to be original

Closet off stair landing (seen in earlier staircase view) Did it used to be a door to the kitchen? Maybe?

Storage nook in closet going underneath the stairs


Kitchen:
Yes, we have harvest gold with matching orange counters!

They left the hot tub info and chemicals in the pantry for us. Oh, yes, there is a hot tub!

Fortunately the kitchen has the only ceiling fan.

Glass cupboard knobs - each has a different pattern on it!

Of course the inside of the cupboards are harvest gold!

View of the orange counter top

Upstairs Hallway:

Linen closet with a built in storage bench in front of it

The window does not go outside but overlooks the staircase. It still lets in light down the long hall so that must have been its purpose.

Closeup of the hallway wallpaper - I have seen worse.

It is falling off so that is another plus in my book.

Main Bath:

Close up of the gross carpet. I was hoping real tile was underneath but a corner peel reveals only some asbestos tiles - better than the carpet but probably broken and disgusting closer to the toilet.

This doorknob makes me hungry for some swirly cake!

Unfortunately the Hot faucet has been abused but these two are worthy of photographing.

Someone added a shower to the tub which didn't go over so well with the plaster

Medicine Cabinet

A little too classy for my bathroom but it is still cute.

Bedrooms:

All of the doors in the house are this fabulous Arts and Crafts style.

Bedroom wall sconce - the others are still off-white with painted leafs but I guess I only have a shot of one painted gray.

Two sides of our master closet - it is huge and would be huger minus the chimney but oh well.

Closeup of closet window mechanism

Frankie had cold feet

View onto the upstairs sleeping porch.

One of the bedroom closets has this fabulous gold flecked wallpaper. Oh my!

Attic:

This door is in the bathroom and we suspected it was attic access but it was swollen shut!

One of the boys forced it open and we were correct!

There is also an awkward access through our closet.

A view of what Frankie sees - the white door is the bathroom side access. Oooh, look a bonus broom! There is also a squished hat in the foreground.

Basement:

A mystery light? switch is on the staircase. This shot also provides a view of some awesome 1980's/90's wallpaper.

This part will one day be the TV hang out. It looks gross but the basement is actually really dry and not smelly at all. The black on the wall is coal residue from the coal chute. The foundation is Limestone and one of the few foundations I have seen in Lincoln which is still straight and requires no I-Beams to hold it up.

Oh, the ever so popular Pittsburgh Potty aka a random toilet in the basement. This one is conveniently located under the clothes chute. It also is broken so it shoots water from the top like a fountain!

Garage:

And last but not least of my photo extravaganza: our two stall garage! My car will not know what to do with itself!

Well, if you made it this far, I will promise my other posts will be shorter and concentrate on one or two things at a time. I have to admit, this post definitely reflects how I feel about the house right now: Where do we start!?