I love the architecture and character of that house. Boy that guy got a great deal… and he did a good job with the renovation. Very similar to the Hoarder House I bought.
I love that he had fun with the kitchen cabinets, the exterior trim colors and the historic reproduction floor and backsplash tiles
We finally got back to work on the front yard. Working feverishly to get everything done by Thursday so that we can get back inside to finish with painting, installing light fixtures, etc.
Staging is coming in next Tuesday and it is going to be long days and a full weekend to make that deadline.
I just cannot catch a break. Although the garage floor is somewhat ‘level’, there are high spots and low spots in the concrete floor. It has taken 2 days to grind down all the high spots and then they poured self leveling concrete to even out all the low spots. We cannot start laying the floor until Wednesday, when the self leveling cement dries. Meanwhile, he started the steps and it is the first time that I have seen the ‘tread’ edges that come from the manufacturer for this flooring. I hate them, they have a slight ‘overlap’ edge and look cheezy. But, on the other hand, they help keep the stairs safe because they have kind of an edge that stops your foot from slipping off the stair. Oh well, cannot win every design challenge 
Loaded some photos
I didn’t realize there will be a gate at the top of the driveway. That will be very stately and grand.
There’s two reasons for the gate.
One, it will block views down to the parking patio as people are arriving to view the house!! We have consciously analyzed it and it is going to be 5’ tall. You cannot see the parking patio or ugly steep driveway while up at the street, but you can see the sweeping views above the gate as you walk by. The gate is going to be designed like this
Second, it adds architectural detail to the house and lengthens the house to include the 12 ft to the side.
If someone needs to park down there, they can just open the gate
cb, I think that’s a great idea. By blocking the views of the patio from the street, you then get a big “WOW!” when people finally see it from downstairs. And, you don’t think anyone is really going to use the driveway or the patio for parking anyway. They’ll stay in the small driveway at street level.
SCHEDULE
My agent has finally got me nailed down to some deadlines. I had a long talk with the core team and explained that there will be a bonus if they work long days, every day, so that we can make this schedule. My carpenter just hates it when I try to put deadlines. He keeps saying “Do you think we are not working hard enough?? We can’t go any faster… it will get done when it gets done”. Uhhh, I don’t think real life works that way - I have to schedule the staging furniture and photographers. I can’t just call them a day ahead and say “Oh Gee, we are done now… can you come take some pictures tomorrow morning??” He immediately starts acting all stressed out as soon as I give them deadlines.
Monday October 12 - Window washing
Tuesday October 13 - I hired a cleaner (because I know from experience that I cannot do it all myself) and staging furniture arrives into house
Tuesday night - Twilight Photos
Wednesday - Day photos. Rush on photos and load into MLS Wednesday night
Thursday - Agent goes to local broker meeting and pushes for Broker Caravan on Thursday. Technically, you are supposed to have your listing into MLS by Tuesday to make the ‘list’ for Broker Caravan on Thursday.
Saturday and Sunday - Open Houses
I got really pissed at the floor guy today. It’s obvious that he is juggling two jobs at same time. He disappeared until noon today - he hasn’t even started buffing and putting down the final coat of polyurethane. He promised we could walk on it by Thursday to finish everything inside. Now it is going to be Saturday.
Meanwhile, they have been farting around ‘grinding’ and ‘leveling’ downstairs for 2 days. Mostly this is because he can have the low experience guys do this while he runs around somewhere else. Some guy was down there all morning by himself doing nothing.
He doesn’t show up until noon and I read him the riot act that Electrician is coming at 8am tomorrow and needs to do a ton of work downstairs. He promised that he would have it done by end of day. Believe it or not, by 5pm they were 95% done, only need to finish the closet under stair. BUT, he still has to do all the detail work up the stairs.
We finished the driveway gate and the concrete stem wall for the brick planter. Painters are coming tomorrow and they will finish all the trim downstairs and all the exterior front painting. I have irrigation guys coming to put in the irrigation for the small front yard and amend the soil. Hopefully plants will go in Thursday afternoon or Friday morning.
We are also going to build a railing across the front porch to give more interest to the front of the house.
Glad to see that the lock mechanism is fixed.
It’s hard to imagine that everything will be done by the end of next week. Can’t wait!!
BUYERS COMING THROUGH IN 2 DAYS!!
My agent called me today with a very interesting situation. About 3 years ago I bought a house from bank that had been foreclosed off a Reverse Mortgage after the death of the owner. It was an incredible property, very private and slightly mid century modern architecture. On Mt Helix, but inside El Cajon zip code (which lowers value) and views to East
1357 Hardin, 92020
A young couple purchased this house. It had 2 master suites, nice his and hers master bath, but does not really have a 3rd bedroom. Since then they have had a child and just put the house up for sale. I had a hard time selling - I sold it for $620,000 in 2012. They had multiple offers at their asking price of $719,000 and the price got bid up to $750,000 and they are in escrow.
My agent ran into their agent the other day and told her about my new project. By sheer coincidence they are looking to move to Point Loma and are looking in our price range. They have to move in November and don’t want to move twice (find short term housing between buying houses) so they are really excited to come look at it before it goes to market.
Even if the house does not end up being what they are looking for… I am just flattered that they want to buy another house from me. I remember that there were 2 small issues during escrow that I promptly took care of and one issue after they moved in that I sent them money to have it repaired.
Repeat business!!
You are classy like that!
This is fantastic news! Fingers crossed!!
It would be fantastic news if I knew that the house was looking the best it could That means a mad dash to clean all toilets and bathrooms before they come through on Saturday. There has been more than the normal bunch of gorillas stomping around and using the bathrooms lately. I had put blue tape across top of master bath toilet so that NOONE ever uses that brand new toilet. Today, I was allowed upstairs for 10 minutes to inspect the color of the floors and saw that someone had used that toilet - and left both seats up, of course. Are you kidding me??? It’s some kind of conspiracy to make me clean every toilet in the house - not just one. And boy can they make the toilets disgusting in just a couple of days. Dang it
This job is so glamorous!!! They don’t show Christina on Flip or Flop on her hands and knees trying to clean the bathrooms because potential buyers might be coming through before the house is ready In fact, I don’t see anyone on these TV shows running around desperately trying to clean.
People say… why don’t you just hire someone to clean? That would be a dream… if I knew exactly what minute or hour I need something cleaned. I do have someone coming in to help next Tuesday, but that doesn’t do me any good trying to get things cleaned up before we install X or Y, or before surprise looky loos come walking through, or ‘previews’.
For example… today the guys started pushing the refrigerator into place before final coat on floor. I screamed… but wait!!! we need to bleed the water lines, we need to connect the water lines to ice maker, and we need to clean behind there before you put that there!!!
That toilet story is infuriating. You have the patience of a saint. Just make sure the potential buyers understand the house is NOT completed. They should not be expecting a showpiece.
Repeat business is the best business there is! I am so excited to finally see the professional photos, especially the twilight ones!
I looked up their old house. I really like it.
“If anyone uses this toilet I will pay for a DNA test and nail your butt to the wall.”
/I say something similar to my kids.
Yes, that house was built solid and lots of custom wood work for storage everywhere. Garage was a man’s dream with hobby desk in corner with window to view and tons of storage cabinets. To top it off there was a 2nd large garage on property that was tall enough for RV with a full workshop. Stream running through back of property.
Nightmare to get trash cans down long steep driveway.
But, once again, sewer lines under house were cast iron and shower drain had eroded and was draining under house. Thank goodness it wasn’t the toilet drain! Expense that we didn’t catch in our inspection to buy it. I overpaid for it because I fell in love with the property. Pool repairs were a nightmare
Funny you should mention toilet warning. I am on the verge of issuing an enforced sit down ruling. There is pee everywhere!!! I mean really…on the walls??
For all the new bathroom sinks and counters I have a big sign stating Do not use!! $5 fine. It seems to be working, haven’t caught anyone trying to clean drywall or paint in the new bathroom sink
/OT but at my office we once had a really bad toilet spraying situation…like leaving pee on the toilet seat and everywhere else. A group of women started “casually hanging out” in the hall outside the door and then checking after each person left. They found the culprit. Sadly, it was my intern and I had to tell him not to pee on the seats.