My Turn

Thought I'd take the chance to put a few words in.
Copperhead, my wife, wrote the first post, then we tried to upload some photos.  I have not done this before, and she's never even blogged before, so it has been an interesting afternoon.  We have used computers for years, but are not experts on all of it.  I sometimes describe myself  as "semi-computer literate."

Anyway, after all the waiting on the county, we have finally started on this house.  We have rehabbed houses before, but never one quite like this one.  Even a foreclosed house gets cleaned out before it's put on the market.  This house was just as the people left it, with clothing, books, newspapers, shoes, coat hangers, you name it, all over the floor.  The basement was even worse than the upper two floors as far as stuff; and then once the power was turned off for non-payment, the sump pump quit working.  Judging by the walls, the water never got above three feet deep, but that was enough to ruin all the bags of clothing stored under the steps, the books, the videocassettes, and everything else the last occupants left below that level.

In spite of the mess, the house does have potential  It seems to be well constructed, the layout is not bad.  Most houses that age (circa 1950) have only one bath; this one has a half-bath on the first floor as well.  The roof looks to be in fairly good condition; windows are original and will likely need to be replaced.

We have pumped the water out of the basement, got a sump pump working to keep it out.  Most of the sodden stuff is removed now, the rest will be out soon.  The paneling and drywall on one side of the basement is mostly removed, just the ceiling to take down.  Then we need to scrub the moldy framing and get it dried out.  Then we can start cleaning out the rest of the house.