Exterior Transformation.

Hard to believe it's been more than a year since we sold the house. It's also been a year since the last blog update. I was saving the exterior shots for the final, climactic post, but at this rate there's no point in waiting. Thanks for your patience, Jaime. Hopefully I'll get around to the kitchen and living room posts before 2016.

This is what the house looked like on the day we toured it, September 19, 2011. Click here for full documentation of the untouched exterior.

Before the bank would approve the purchase, all peeling paint had to be scraped and primed. The sellers were incapable of doing anything, so we did it ourselves.

Family portrait on the day we got the keys, October 4, 2011.

The overgrown backyard.

Early May of 2012. Exhuming the brick fireplace we didn't even know was there.

Fence going up in late May of 2012, which makes Theo 1.5 years old in this shot.

Backyard cleared out. The landlord of the house next door replaced his cyclone fence with a wooden one.

May of 2013. The wrought-iron front-porch pillars have been replaced with proper Craftsman-style wood pillars.

Backdoor before detail. Note the 4x4 toothpick holding up the massive sagging eave. When we replaced the toothpick, we found that it wasn't even touching the ground.

May of 2013. Toothpick gone, new pillar in place, roof level. The rotting garage door has been replaced.

August of 2013. Replacing weather-damaged siding and window trim.

Jaime and Grandpa Andrew on graveyard shift.

Andrew working his magic on the trim around the garage door.

Pillar detail complete. Grandpa Andrew gets credit for all of the exterior carpentry. Also note the back porch's cedar tongue-and-groove ceiling. I was sure this was a waste of money. Jaime assured me it was not. How right she was.

Feeling pretty good.

Two days later, the painters got busy. Jaime agreed to pay them once the house sold and somehow convinced them to work for no money up front. Note that the basement windows are still covered in plywood.

Painting complete.

Back door befores.

Afters. Note the repaired right-side concrete ledge and the new left-side concrete ledge. Again, thanks Andrew.

Parking strip before.

 

During. (Also note the new side-yard fence at far left.)

After. Christmas Day, 2013. Again, Jaime got the landscapers to work for no money up front. Privacy-glass basement windows are in.

All done. Jaime stripped and stained the white front door. I added the mail slot. This hedge will grow into a nice sound and privacy barrier.

In February of 2014, it snowed. Home sweet home.