Sunday, October 14, 2007

Movin' in

Yesterday we unpacked and stocked up the kitchen with everything I could find. I know we're missing things, because I couldn't find any serving dishes. It's possible those are still at the folks' house.

We moved some furniture in. We moved the bed downstairs but then stopped, as it was very muddy on the side of our house, and mud got tracked into the house. Sigh. But at least the bed is downstairs so if a guest wants to come stay we have a place for them to sleep. We already have a reservation for November. I also tried out the new downstairs bath for the first time, and it was very nice. Love the new faucets! We still need a few accessories but this will all come with time.

We had Kurt's folks over for dinner, so that ensured that we at least had to have a dining room table/chairs and a sofa in the house. It's probably a good thing that we moved the old furniture in, because it's a good template for buying new furniture. I now know that I don't want a sectional sofa upstairs; most likely I'll get two sofas which will face each other.

We also need a rug that's big enough to sit the sofas on so the floor doesn't get damaged. We also hooked up the stereo and tested out the acoustics upstairs. (The speakers and amp were bought in 1976... I think it may be time to upgrade!) The sound was very nice, but I probably need a bit more power. The piano will stay in its practice room for a while while we get everything else sorted out. But it's pretty clear where it's going.

Even when you're done you're not done... there's decorating to do! Slowly but surely, we'll move things into the house. But my prediction is that only half of what we have will make the trip. When you have a new house it's an impetus to clean out all the old mismatched stuff that you could never bear to throw away. If anyone needs coffee cups, glasses, etc. holler!

Monday, October 08, 2007

FINALLY! The FINAL!

Yes, folks, two years + in the making, and we have finally passed the final inspection for our house! This does not mean we're completely done, as there are a few items that need to be taken care of. BUT, it does mean that we can move into the new part of the house, including the kitchen! We can officially start stocking the pantry, the inside reefer, and we can move back to using real plates. HUZZAH! A momentous occasion indeed! Plus, the portapotty is gone, adding to the finished look.

No pictures to post today, but I will post once the handrails are sanded, and maybe after I've moved our temporary furniture back into the house.

Time to party!!!

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

The final piece of the puzzle

The railing guys came yesterday and they finished putting the modified railing on the stairs. It looks much better with the modifications, and I think we are now DONE! Well not completely done -- there are some items that still need to be completed/finished before it's done done, but done to the point where the city can come tomorrow and sign off on the project, and then we can move back in! So with any luck, we'll start moving back in this weekend!

Monday, October 01, 2007

Planning final!

Today, the new head of planning came to inspect our house and do the final signoff. Since we had already had one of the planners come by earlier and remove the requirement for us to plant another tree, we had no problems getting the final signoff. This signoff is a prerequisite for getting the final final building department signoff (after which point we can move in).

The electricians also came and did everything they needed to do so we could pass our final inspection: installed the remaining outlet in the kitchen (they'll replace it later because it's white, which doesn't really go well with the counters); installed the two new lights in the library (and yes, they look FABulous); installed the second GrafikEye controller; installed the Ingo Maurer weights and ripped shades (replacements are on order...); cleaned up old wiring in the garage; installed the remaining outside light. Kurt's brother would be proud. Although he'd probably laugh at us about picking out the Ingo Maurer lights... I mean they are great in theory, but paper shades are, well, a teensy bit fragile. Live and learn!

Yesterday Ed came to install a fireplace screen/glass doors. He found a set at OSH which is suitably good for the final inspection (but not suitable for the long term as it doesn't have the right look). So we'll keep them on there until we get a permanent one. Then we'll take it back or sell it on craigslist.org.

So really, we're ready to go. That's right. The only thing left is to install the stair railing, which could happen tomorrow. We're still questioning who is going to pay for the railing changes. (It's a bit of he said, he said, etc., made all the more confusing, because everyone involved is named "Mike"! But I'm optimistic we'll get it resolved without having to pay more money. I'm not optimistic we'll get it resolved without some hard feelings somewhere. Because ultimately someone will have to eat the cost of it, and we're full. This experience will ultimately go in a lessons learned column somewhere.)

But I'm excited -- we could be done this week! I only have one item left on my list "Install stair railing" so it really seems possible. There are still a few odds and ends that will need to get done, but they don't stand in the way of the final inspection.

So, a cautiously optimistic "hip hip hooray!"