The Big Day!! Closing Day- Project #3

Our Lovely Suburban Cottage In January!

 Today is HUGE!! We finally finished the refinance process and we are closing again on our house! I am soo excited. This whole process started in October. They had a appraiser come out and appraise our house (luckily it is worth more than we paid for it- which is great in this market) but the appraiser said there was water damage on the molding under our bay window and on three pieces of siding. Most likely still left over from the stupid hurricane!!!

 After christmas break I called the contractor about replacing the siding. We were in a jam to get the siding repaired, appraiser back out, pass inspection and close by Jan 31st so our taxes would be paid on time.  Nate and his buddies replaced the modling under the bay window during break and I painted it. But the siding intimated Nate since he had never done it. I remember watching my dad repair some so I felt we could. Well after the call to the contractor and the shocking price of 800 bucks..we decided time to knock it out ourselves. But the problem was we have what almost looks like a dormer window (one of the front bedroom windows pocks out more) in the second story where the roof and siding meet it is pitched. So Nate was concerned with the angles. The whole first story is brick. I recalled that Home Depot cuts wood and thought they would cut siding too. We go to two stores before we find one that has the siding and saw that is working. The guy said he really shouldn't cut hardiplank because it is basically concrete and could get in trouble. But the pieces wouldn't fit in our SUV unless cut down and I think he saw my expression and felt a tinge.. He said 'well I am the manager I can't get in much trouble I can do the straight cuts for ya!' Wohoo. So we got the siding but by this time it is dark! The next day we spent the evening cutting them and putting them up. The third night painting them. Nate and I were so proud that we did ourselves, saved money and did it in 30 degree weather. Oh and the total for the whole repair of molding on bay window $64.00 (molding, liquid nails, caulking, nails and paint) plus the siding was $65.00 (paint, nails, saw blade to cut concrete, and siding). I feel like we came out on top here..heheh!

Pic of the siding we repaired!! Sorry a little dark

The  last step was the appraiser came back out and we passed!!! So now onto closing before Jan. 31 when our taxes are due.

So today I will leave work early and sign the contract to close on our house again. Which means taxes paid on time..wohoo!! Also, if you read in my previous post- I am very emotionally attached to this house. I am very excited to be closing again. The best part about this is- this time the house is move in ready! Oh and my stuff is already there!! Score- no more painting and unpacking! Instead I just have to organize all my crap now instead. And this time we don't have to ripe up flooring, install new flooring, rip up sub flooring, install new toilets and subflooring, paint every surface, survive a hurricane, rebuild after the hurricane, drain and acid wash the pool, instal pool equiptment, refinish the gazebo, redo all the backyard landscaping, and install all the lighting in the house! I feel like this time we are really coming out on top! Thanks to the previous owners.. oh that is us!! Needless to say, at moments my husband gets frustrated with the projects we do on this house and says I can't beleive we ever bought this house. But really in the end it was a great investment. We bought at the low and got a bargain for it. Even with all the money we put into it we are still coming out wining here! So I am happy to say I feel that 'We are finally home'.

Our house will prolly never look like a PB catalog as much as I would love it too. But it is our house and to me it holds great memories. I love our house and I can't wait for all the new memories we will have in it. So let's raise our glasses to my house!