In the midst of a few changes for Team Kugler over the past few months, we have successfully purchased a house in one of our favorite areas of the city. We are blessed, for sure… but we have a ton of work to do on this place over the next few years. Before we talk about all of the craziness surrounding new lights, electrical work and attic insulation, let’s unravel how we got to this point in the first place.
At one point or another in our relatively quick house hunt, the hubs and I knew two things were fairly clear. First, we loved the Queen Anne and West Seattle neighborhoods, but were also open to new areas. Second, we wanted a house that we could put a little TLC into and make our own – without breaking the bank.
Friends, that is exactly what we found.
In a truly fast, divinely-inspired fashion, we settled on a mid-century modern house in Queen Anne and made an offer. As a first-time home buyer, I was wholly unprepared for what happened when they said “Sure, we’ll sell it to you!” No one prepares you for this… no amount of schooling prepares you in true real estate negotiations. You learn quickly to hold loosely to the things you really want, because this house easily could have slipped through our fingers.
Our inspection revealed that a minor part of every major system of the house needed updating. Not the sexy stuff, like a bathroom remodel or a new paint color (although the walls are now, thankfully, a color called “Kansas Grain” instead of dreary gray). This has been our biggest lesson in communicating priorities, and trying to fit together appointments and contractors like we’re playing Jenga. We have finally come up with a solid plan and we’re moving forward!
Phase 1: Attic insulation+electrical+plumbing
Step 1: Rip out attic insulation
I know what you’re thinking.. I hear the “she’s crazy” rumblings from across the computer screen. I learned quickly from D that if we wanted to ground the entire house (read: knob and tube are fire hazards!), then we needed to do it at the same time as the attic insulation. As of yesterday, we have no more insulation and rodent infestation in our attic. HALLELUJAH!
It was a bit insane how they did it, seeing as how we had a huge yellow vacuum slide that went from the attic opening (in my small closet) to the truck outside. For two days, it sounded like a tornado was rolling through our house, collecting all of the debris in a neat little pile out of sight.
Electrical work comes next, but that’s a much larger discussion that needs to be documented with photos. I’m excited to share it all with you guys!
