Much of my free time — everyone’s around here — since mid-February has been spent on cleaning, cleaning out, fixing up, and remodeling an old house (ca. 1880). Alison’s marriage is ending (mostly amicable w/shared custody) & she bought a house on auction. It’s a real fixer-upper and, truthfully, it’s all she could afford. Real estate prices are still pretty crazy around here, and I’m astonished at what’s out there, what’s affordable, and “what you get.” We looked at one house with her that we all dubbed “the meth house,” which was also a fixer-upper, but in a vastly different way. (Also, not great vibes… at all.) There some pretty shitty floorplans out there, folks, and even shittier “flips.” (Gray, gray, and more gray!)
No strangers to fixing up old houses, it’s been all hands on deck, with Rusty doing most of the heavy lifting. Like, completely redesigning & rebuilding the stairs from first floor to second. I think it might have been in/on This Old House where he first heard the term “Happy Hands at Home,” referring to homeowners doing their own home improvements (TBH, we are among their number)… and this place was victim to the happiest of hands & some of the more questionable “improvements” I’ve ever seen. For instance, the stairway started out OK, except that it was built around a window frame & part of a baseboard heater (thankfully, they didn’t hack the woodwork), then after you hit the landing and made the turn, the steps had a 12″ rise!!
Now that there are easily traversible stairs (still in need of handrails & finishing), Rusty’s attention has turned to the 2nd floor bathroom, which will also be home to a stacked washer & dryer. The plumber is coming next week, and the electrician shortly thereafter, and there is a lot to do for both trades. (Arguably, the plumber drew the shortest stick.)
While Rusty’s been building, I’ve been doing a lot of cleaning out, happily doing demo where needed, and cleaning. So far, the focus has been the kitchen counter & cabinets (inside & out), but that’s almost done, so I’ll be moving on to the floor next.
Kate has been trimming off doorways with corner beads & mud and doing a lot of priming & painting.
Ali has been doing everything, in addition to planning & wrangling deliveries… and working & being a mom.
The kids have been helping, too! Ginny & Malina have begun painting their bedroom, and Junah replaced the hardware on all the kitchen cupboard doors & drawers.
Here’s how Ali’s hardware demonstration for Junah went. haha!
So far, no one has freaked out or given in to the overwhelm, which could so easily happen. We’re all just plugging away whenever we can & for however long we can. A lot can be accomplished in just a couple-few hours. It’ll probably be a good 3-4 weeks yet before they can even begin thinking about moving in, but I know it can’t come soon enough. They’ve been living in my teeny-tiny Airbnb apartment since right around Christmas, and they’re all looking forward to settling into their own place & having their own spaces.
Oh! Did I mention that their new house is just five blocks from mine??
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Whew! Big changes for all of you! I will keep Ali and the kids in my thoughts as they navigate this new life. (And how fantastic that she found a fixable and affordable place!)
How wonderful that y’all are so close AND skilled 😂 sending all the good vibes that the work continues apace!
I’m glad that all of you are so skilled and pulling together to fix up Ali’s new old house. I love that the kids are painting (I was asked not to help paint at Justin’s because I’m rather bad at it) and I’m sure Junah learned something from Ali’s hardware demonstration! I hope you, the plumber , and electrician accomplish alot in 3-4 weeks and they can move in soon(ish).
Wow, that’s a lot of life-changing info in this post! I think you are such a supportive family, and I know the kids will especially be excited to live so close to you. Sending my best wishes for a smooth transition for Ali and you all, and peace and happiness ahead.
How wonderful that you are close by and can help Ali and her family. It sounds like she is dealing with a lot right now. I hope it all goes as smoothly as possible.
You guys are amazing at being super supportive of each other. I hope the transition to new living quarters goes well for the kids and their mom.
I can sense your enthusiasm for all of this in your post and that makes me know that this is the right thing for Ali and the kiddoes. It will be so great for all of you to be that close. And kudos to parents who help with these sort of transitions. XOXO
Think of all the memories and good vibes that are going into that new house with all the work you all are doing on it! And it will be wonderful having them so close by. I’m glad that things are amicable and hope things aren’t too hard on the kiddos. They are lucky to have such a great support system!
First, just sending all my love and best vibes to Ali as she steps out and creates a new life for herself and the kiddos. XO And then, well. There is nothing like having a CREW behind you for support in all the ways. Her new home is going to be a place of love, happiness, and creativity.
Their new house near by will be the best reward at the end of this big project. Your family coming together to make her new home livable will make the best karma a house can have. Your family can pull of this plan if anyone’s can!
Wow! That’s a lot going on, but a lot of positive things too. So cool that the kids are helping painting and doing hardware (hahaha). And how lucky is Ali to have you, Rusty and Kate so close by? I can’t wait to see finished pictures of Ali’s new home (so close to you!!).
Happy for them and you and I remember helping when my parents remodeled the house we all moved into in 1965. I don’t remember how many layers of wallpaper the 1919 house had by then. We worked on it all summer break and moved in during August to start school year in the new district.
Ooof, sorry to hear about Alison’s divorce. I split with my husband when our kids were 14, 12, and 9. It was amicable on the surface, but I was sure glad to be free. I loved my post-divorce house so much, and I hope that Ali’s house will be a place of respite and joy!