Fall Functionality

Resignation can be an interesting motivator. Since finalizing the plans for the renstoration, I turned my eye to the financing. Until I can claim my lottery winnings, it seems that I will need to wait until some existing debts – namely the some old school loans and credit card bills – can be paid off before I can endeavor to start the big additions or renovations. It took me 10 years to complete the renovation of my old home (that was a neglected foreclosure when I purchased it). My goal here at the farm is to finish my renstoration in less time than that. The bulk of the aforementioned debt will be paid off in approximately five years and that’s my target date to start the big projects. In the meantime, I’m refocused on tackling the functional aspects of the house.

The garage door installed at my anniversary is now automated thanks to my brother and boyfriend. I’ll be able to easily pull the car into the garage in the impending winter weather without getting out of the car to open the door thanks to the newly installed opener. This spring will herald the arrival of the newest toy on the farm…a riding mower. That alone will cut down on the time it takes me to attend to my weekly chores. And, the plan is to also get the furnace replaced because at its age, it could go at any time; and that is certainly not something I could deal well with. The past few months I had to take care of a couple of things that demanded my attention and also took a bite out of my budget for the year.

The siding needed to be power-washed as it was covered in algae and maybe even mold. So, while I couldn’t afford new siding, this little fix certainly made it look new. Gentile Painting is excellent; I’ve used them at my old house and will continue to use them here. I highly recommend them.

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And, the flashing around the chimney – which was a hack job to begin with – final opened up and began leaking. So, I had both chimneys re-flashed properly with break metal and some shingles replaced. The upside is this is now complete for when I redo the roof but it was an unexpected cost that hurt this year.

Clarity Contractors of Mays Landing did the nice job. And, I had them give me an estimate on the roof replacement while they were here so now I know how much to budget for that job when the time comes.

I rearranged the rec room furniture to make it feel more comfy. I also have some work to do in the kitchen that I want to complete as a temporary update until I can afford the real kitchen remodel. And, with the renstoration plans firmly in place, I can start some of the work ahead of the big renovations like scraping popcorn ceilings and getting rid of the “cake icing” texture on the walls and ceiling in the upstairs hallway.

As with most things in my life, having a plan is key. Now, I can start to (slowly) implement that plan.