Celebrating EVEN MORE!!!!!!!!!!

I AM A NEW HOME OWNER!!!

Finally, after 3 offers on other houses that fell through, and 8 weeks of negotiating on the 4th, all the signed paperwork came through today and WE ARE MOVING.

HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is looking like we are aiming for a closing date of May 19 - so just over a month from now. I am meeting with the Wells Fargo mortgage person tomorrow. I have met with my contractor to start the plans for all the renovation work needed.

Because there is a lot of work needed. Here are some pictures, to give you an idea.

Here's the living room (I am standing in the dining area to take the picture.) The walls will be painted, the fireplace resurfaced (it's hard to see, but the brick is painted a glossy pale green. Not much to be done with that.) The lovely stained carpet will be replaced - no hardwood under the carpet, unfortunately.
And here is the kitchen. Take a moment and think about the paint color here, combined with the paint color in the living & dining rooms. Christmas, all year round! The kitchen is a complete do-over. I contemplated keeping the cupboards, but the layout is not efficient, there is no place for a dishwasher, and everyone tells me I will regret it if I don't do it ... so do it, I will. (and yes, that countertop is pink.)
Here's my bedroom. Some wall issues to be addressed. But mainly just paint and refinishing of the floor to make this room perfect. Oh, and maybe new lights on the ceiling fan.

Here, on the other hand, is Ty's room - for now, anyway, eventually the boys will both be moving to new rooms in the basement. This room has the most interesting use of combination sponge-painting/wallpaper borders I have ever seen! It's much, much worse in person.The main bathroom is not too bad. The countertop - a totally artificial substance which scares me a little - has a lovely shell-shaped sink, and the toilet has a delightful padded seat with the signs of the zodiac on it. Both will be replaced. Oh - and the lighting in here? Two recessed bulbs, nicely done. But these people spatterpainted the bulbs - I can only assume for ambiance. Weird.

This is the back entry way - one door goes to the garage, one to the back patio. The red (ceiling and all!) is the same paint as in the kitchen. This will eventually be made into one big mudroom with built-in cubbies, closets, recharging station, mail station, etc. The organizational hub!

When you head downstairs, this is the first thing you see. The plan is to gut the basement as close to 100% as possible and just start over. So this will eventually be a welcoming area to what we refer to as "boy land" - the entire basement will be made into a place where teenage boys can hang out and have fun.

Here's the basement fireplace, eventually there will be a big-screen TV above it, and the walls will not be mustard-colored. In fact, some of the walls will not even be there anymore.

I don't have any pictures of the downstairs bathroom - I'll try to get some but I don't think my camera can adequately show the horribleness that is that room. We are moving the bathroom and starting completely over. Ditto for the boys' bedrooms. We will put in two egress windows and end up with 2 great rooms. Where currently there is a mess.

LOTS of work - but it will be SO GREAT when it's all done!!!

HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!