Half Steps Forward

This is a page dealing with issues concerning our renovation to date.  Skip this unless you're in need of excruciating detail.

When we got started with our preparation to sell, immediately Sharon came to mind.  She's the one who helped us as a buyer's agent to buy this house in 1990.  She was a member of our former Episcopal parish, Holy Nativity, and since she and we have moved on to St Cross in Hermosa Beach.  So it seemed natural to ask her to help sell, and give us advice on how to get the best price.

It seems that getting the best price involves getting our clutter out of there, painting out all our strong accent walls, and remodeling our kitchen. And another couple things: a second strap on our water heater and new low-flush toilets were required by law.

So among the first things we did was replace all three toilets.  That seems to have started a chain of events which led to having to get our main sewer line snaked out.  Then somehow a washcloth got flushed down a toilet, leading to another snaking, during which the plumber broke it off inside the pipes to our downstairs half-bath,  which led to another major snaking which seems to have cleared the matter up, except that after the cleanout in the dining room wall was closed and covered, the wall gradually began to buckle and feel damp.  Did I mention that by that time the walls had been freshly painted?  So the plumber was recalled, and they agreed to seal the cleanout, which had threads degraded by so much snaking and therefore not sealing too well, and to replace the drywall around it.  It took a week to get the drywall guy to get here, and after opening the wall declared that the area needed to dry some more and  he would come back to finish the work as it was scheduled.  The office would call and set it up. Meanwhile we set a desk fan in front of it to help it dry. Good news- the drywall guy is returning Monday. That gives us a 2 days to texture and paint it before the photographer comes on Wednesday.

Flooring covered with random carpet
strips after an  abortive attempt to
install flooring with a texture mismatch
with previous flooring.  A two week
delay, and then...

Flooring installed, except one box short. 
So some tile temporarily was installed
with texture mismatch, and more
mismatched tile will follow on Monday
to fill the gaps.  The extra box now
has to be ordered on Monday.

 Another thing we decided to do was to replace the carpeted area downstairs with vinyl strip flooring to match the kitchen and dining room we had done 5 years ago. After some missteps, the flooring was finally installed on Saturday.  Well, most of it.  The installer had underestimated the area by about 2/3 of a box.  So what could be installed was installed, and the rest was to be filled in temporarily with some tile that was a color match but not a texture match, in a spot to be covered by a couch.

MM learns a new trade, reluctantly.  We replaced dozens of ivory
colored standard electrical outlets and switches and cover plates
with rectangular Decora style white devices.  Ask MM what she
thinks of 12 gauge wire and stand back.

Meanwhile this furniture stayed outside on the patio,