Starting All Over Again, Part 4 (Sleepless Nights)

We went into this shared-house idea in January of 2019 with the express plan of building out the basement when we took possession of the new house that August. Obviously we were busy with the sale of our house as well as that of Jon and Myric's home, but there were certainly moments given over to what exactly that basement space would become. Towards that end we approached the home builder and their representatives about the possibility of doing the work for us so that we could move in more quickly. We received an emphatic "no." In fact, we approached them a few times during the construction of the new house to ask if we could doing something on our own and the answer was always an emphatic "no." Clearly, the prospective buyer of one of these houses is not looked upon as the owner until the completion of the house at the closing, no matter how much money they have paid the builder, and therefore has absolutely no say over what happens in said house. And they were not at all nice about it either. I was bullied for asking to get some measurements of the basement and coerced to stay away from the building site. Clearly the company needed to work on its people skills, but that goes to what I said previously about this not being a custom build. Or perhaps they just didn't like me, since nearly every house build since then seems to have some kind of custom change that was not in the plans. Whatever the case, I simply went by late at night after the workers left to check on the status of the house build.

The first task was setting up all the tools for the job ahead

Since I didn't have the time to measure out the basement floor plan, I had to try and remember what it looked like when I got home. I drew a couple rough sketches to show Kathy and give us a starting place from which to plan. One thing I did figure out early on was that the walls built in the basement were not placed only for the purpose of setting up an apartment, but to actually support the upper floors and rest of the house. For a very short time I had assumed that a new house would be built without posts or walls in the basement and that I could start building with a clean slate. Probably too much HGTV where they're always removing walls! Since the numerous walls already built in the basement could not be moved, we had to be a little more creative in figuring the best way to utilize the space. There were all sorts of logistical errors in my early plans but they helped us to decide how to arrange the most important rooms.

Corner rooms get the best light, center room needs extra light

One of the features of this walk-out basement was the windows and door at the one end. This brought in a great deal of light in those two places. We wanted to take advantage of that in both the bedroom and the kitchen. The room with the door would be the kitchen for the entry point. There were no windows in the center bay wall but that would not be a bad thing in a family room as there would be no glare watching TV. The room behind the kitchen would be the bathroom as that was where the builder put the drain pipes under the concrete. Behind the bathroom would be the shared workshop and storage room because it was the first room at the bottom of the stairs. That left the space next to the bedroom for the office. There were a few things about this that we did not consider ideal but that was the template we were given when the walls were built. One of those early computer-generated floor plans was given to the county building department when I applied for my permit. I'm pretty sure they did not care of the angst that floor plan had caused me. We were approved to start construction at the end of August.

The final far-more-accurate floor plan done on a computer program

There must have been two or three dozen variations of that floor plan over that following month or two but eventually the plan took its final shape. Obviously there would be no space for a guest room or second bathroom or a media room. This would need to be looked upon as a basic apartment that gave us more flexibility than just one large bedroom. We extended the small furnace room about five feet into the family room to add storage space. We put a little sitting space in the hallway for reading. We added space in the workshop for the utility sink brought over from Jon and Myric's old house. And we were able to make the bathroom HUGE!

Drain pipes were placed for a standard 5x8 bathroom space

Of all the spaces we planned, the bathroom was the one that brought the most "discussion" between me and Kathy. Arguments. Confrontation. Strong Opinions. And then I was allowed to talk. All kidding aside, we differed in our understanding of the bathroom. From my perspective there was little I could do than to follow the dictates of the drain pipes already sticking up out of the concrete. Those drain pipes reflected a 5 foot by 8 foot bath space with small vanity, toilet, and tub taking up most of the room. Kathy was convinced that was way too small to be our only bathroom and was looking for a spacious bathroom spa the size of a garage. She wanted a large double vanity and a closet in addition to all the other stuff because she watches HGTV. But the location of the drain pipes and the rules of plumbing stymied me at every turn. I spent a great deal of time searching for a solution without success. Kathy resigned herself to being confined to a closet-sized space for the rest of her years. Her nightly dreams of being destined to spend the rest of her earthly life in such a tiny space brought heaving sobs heard all throughout the house. And then one night I stumbled upon the solution. I was not a plumber but had done some plumbing in the past and I was convinced this would work. I would expand the bathroom to put the toilet, tub, and closet on one side with the double vanity sink on the other. The drain for the sinks would flow through 35 feet of serpentine walls, making 7 turns, and exit into the original sink drain. From all I read online that plan was to code and the length was not a problem. This bathroom would end up to be 10 feet wide by 16 feet long, about four times the size of the builder's planned bathroom. And Kathy was pleased and pronounced it good.

View into the now-large bathroom

During those two or three months of wrestling with the floor plan I was not sitting idle. No matter what the wall configurations were to be, the concrete basement walls needed to be painted with a masonry waterproofer and covered with a sturdy foamboard to create a thermal break. It was painstaking work as I also needed to consider the implications of "fireblocking to code in both the vertical and horizontal planes." That's what the building inspector told me, though I had no idea what he meant by it. I didn't want to ask him what he meant since I had just been dressed down by the receptionist who told me that those who pulled a permit were expected to know what they were doing. As a homeowner doing my own work, that put me in a bit of a conundrum as I was not familiar with their way of doing things. All I was looking for was a clue as to what they would be looking for when they inspected. Building codes are interpreted in different ways by different locales and you could argue with them about how you read the rules and they would tell you they are expecting something else. I decided to ask the internet for opinions, who responded with drawings, charts, and videos. I now had an idea of what to do. Strangely enough, I was not told how to do something when I asked about it and when it was time for inspection these difficult issues were not even mentioned. All that angst for nothing. Either that or I actually did get it all correct.

The bathroom space from kitchen side

I had started my concrete waterproofing at the bathroom area because my very first real project would be to get the plumbing roughed in. Since I was a bit unsure about my plumbing plan I figured it would be good to get it done first. If the plumber and the plumbing inspector didn't like the plan it would be better to find out early on so I could come up with another one before all the walls were up. The plumber came over to give his bid and I explained what I had planned. He did not like it at all. My plan to send a drain pipe from the sink drain location through winding walls to the bathroom sink location 35 feet away in order for the water to drain by gravity was seen as too time-consuming. He said it was too long and that he would let the water drain to a nearby pump that would pump it up and over the ceiling to that drain pipe. I did not want another pump that could quit when the power goes out and end up flooding our apartment. He gave me his bid and went on his way. I thought about what I should do for a week when I got a call from the company about whether I wanted to set up a time for install. I told them what happened and how I did not want to do it his way and they said they'd send out another plumber for a bid. His solution was to dig up a huge part of the concrete to run a shorter distance to the drain, which of course cost 50% more. I waited again not knowing what to do. The plumbing manager called back in a few days and said my idea was sound and that he would send the original guy to do the work but at a lower price.

Sewage sump pit with the vent and exit drain

So the original guy came one day and started putting in the pipes, grumbling the whole time as to how horrible my idea was. No matter. The pipes were in by the gravity method, the water pipes were in with PEX, and the sewage pump was set in place. The sewage pump is like a sump pump, with a special pump placed in a 30 gallon pit. All the drains of the bathroom and kitchen are sent under the concrete to that plastic pit. As the sewage level rises the pump automatically turns on and pumps it up to ceiling height, and from there it drops by gravity through the pipes in the ceiling until it reaches the drain pipes exiting the basement and on to the street. For our basement that pipe was about four feet above the floor when it headed to the outside. In our previous homes the drains under the basement floor continued straight outside to a far deeper sewer location in the street. I had not expected this kind of arrangement but it has worked well. But that is why I didn't want the second pump like that. One was enough.

Heat pump waiting to be placed on new concrete pad

Close on the heels of the plumbing job was the HVAC system install by the same company that did the plumbing. Where the plumbing install left a lot to be desired, the HVAC guys did a spectacular job with no complaining. They kept asking where I wanted things put and they put it where I told them with no arguments. For the first time ever I chose a heat pump system which takes the heat out of the air and pumps it into the house like a backwards air conditioning system. So the same system can heat and cool the house with the same equipment, down to about freezing temperatures. Since there isn't a lot of very cold temps, the heat pump is a good choice in the south. It also meant we wouldn't have to use a gas-fired furnace inside of our living space. The furnaces for the first and second floors are in the attic so any potential fumes or carbon monoxide would exit through the roof. But because we are in the basement with thicker walls that allow for extra insulation, the system rarely goes on except in extreme cold and extreme heat. That makes it very inexpensive. It took just one day for the team of guys to put in all the duct work, set up the furnace, and hook up the outside heat pump. Job well done. Both rough plumbing and HVAC systems were inspected and passed after a couple tweaks, and work continued on the electrical. I was doing that particular job myself and it would take awhile.

Heat pump HVAC system heats and cools

It was now near to Thanksgiving. We had planned a trip to Missouri to see family and spent a few days together enjoying family and food. Sometimes those breaks are necessary in order to keep your sanity in trying to wrap your head around all the details of a build. During the first three months I ran into several unknowns and it can be frustrating figuring out the next step. While contemplating the answers I ran into a similar scenario that happened to me while working on the church project. Each morning I started with a plan for that day and by the evening was worn out and rarely thinking clearly about the day to come. I might do some checking online seeking answers but it's tough to think without a clear head. So I'd go to sleep hoping for the best in the morning. But more times than night I would find myself awake in the early morning hours, usually 2-5 am, and I'd think of a solution. I'd write it down or check it out online and save the page but I'd know what to do the next day. I can tell you from these experiences that I am no MacGyver in the night coming up with a plan to save the day. I'm convinced that God provided the answers just in time when I need them. I don't know why those come to me in the early morning hours, I just know that I'd better take them seriously when they come. If I don't take thorough note of it and write it down then the idea is completely lost in the morning. But I am thankful that He helps me and answers me in that way as I continue on these DIY projects. For me they are more of a DIYWG project: Do It Yourself With God!

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

Starting All Over Again, Part 3 (Changing Gears)

At this time, we had been in our own home for a year-and-a-half. It was January 2019 and we had finally gotten all the boxes unloaded, set up all the rooms, and cleared out the garage so we could park both cars inside. We had renovated the kitchen and half bath to make Kathy happy, installed new front and rear doors to stop the leaks, and replaced the 50-gallon tank water heater with a small electric tankless model since the old one was living on borrowed time. We had two different water heaters in past years start leaking all over the basement and it was never fun having to stop everything and fix the problem. Much easier doing it on your own timetable. But now our commitment to the new house meant we would have to sell this house, and soon. We called our realtor and set up a timetable to close on the house during the summer.

 I had just cleaned the garage and installed the tankless water heater

If you've ever sold a house you know you don't just put up a sign and hope for the best. Years of watching the various home shows on TV convinced Kathy of our need to prep the house for it to show the best. This meant fixing up all the little things yet undone that would surely be noticed by a prospective buyer, and staging the house by de-cluttering every room. Nobody knows how to "clutter" a house better than Kathy, and I say that in the most positive way. When you live in a home you make it your own by painting it your colors and decorating it in a way that makes you feel comfortable. The surroundings of a new house may be new but it begins to feel like home when you see the familiar. That might mean a wall full of family pictures, shelves full of knick-knacks, or a garage filled with junk while your cars sit out in the driveway. Prospective buyers are not interested in your decorating know-how but prefer to see more of a clean blank slate from where they can start their own journey. So we started packing up all the extra stuff and cleaning the entire place to show its best. I'm always amazed at how I put off fixing all these small projects "until later" only to never get them complete until we are ready to move. (Note to self: Do better on this next project. Get all the little things done right away!)

These shingles would not lay flat so I tarred and clamped them

Our next project in the house was to have been new laminate flooring. Some of the glued-down hardwood pieces near the front and rear doors were deteriorated from rain penetrating the old doors. I did not relish the thought of tearing out all that glued-down flooring, carefully removing all the baseboard, installing the laminate, and then just as carefully re-installing the baseboard. It never occurred to me that the floors were perfectly acceptable if the bad pieces were replaced, but my son thought of it and suggested I leave the floors as is. The floors were still unacceptable to Kathy because it was the dreaded "orange" wood, but now it meant we had one less project to do, and she wouldn't be there to see it. My son even had a better reason for saying so, in that I could use all the laminate flooring I had already purchased when we did the basement build. Problem solved, at both places. After realizing the usefulness of items already in the house, I made sure to save all the items that would be helpful to me in the new build that weren't needed in this house. Certain lights that were Kathy's favorites were removed and replaced with others I had around. I removed my Nest thermostat and put back the one that originally came with the house. I took the water softener with me as nobody I talked to in Georgia had ever even heard of a water softener. I ended up with a collection of small items that would help me in my new project, but didn't affect the house I was selling. In the past I had left everything behind and always regretted it. This time, no regrets.

I took my stack of flooring with me to the next project

So by the time May rolled around we had packed up many boxes, cleared out the clutter, and cleaned everything within an inch of its life. It was time to call the realtor to get this house on the market. This was the same realtor who had gone out of her way to help us get the house in the first place after many disappointments when deals fell through. She surprised us with her suggested listing price, took all her photos, wrote up the details, and the listing went live. After just three days and numerous showings, we had an offer that would lead to a closing about 45 days later. The obligatory inspection showed the need for some shingle repair which we had fixed. We had never had any leaks during out two years there but had seen a folded over shingle which led to a number of minor issues that were repaired. By the end of June we had finished all the packing as we prepared for the closing.

It's always exciting when you make it to the successful closing!

In a perfect world, our house would have closed the day before we closed on the new house. I'm sure you know we don't live in a perfect world, not yet anyway. We still had not heard of a closing date on the new house so we figured it would be September or later. We now had to figure out what to do with our stuff from now until we could move them into the new house. Jon and Myric were getting their house ready for the market and it would not make sense to move everything back into their house. We checked out storage units in the area but there were very few available and they were all small. We'd need several of them. In the end we found a local company that rented large storage containers by the month, delivered them to your house, and then picked them up and stored them indoors until you needed them. Our goal was to fit everything into this one container but that was a goal unmet. Despite my best efforts at packing tightly and to the ceiling, we came to the back end of the container with more stuff to go.

One last garage sale to find a home for the last few items

Moving the storage container into our driveway

Since we needed a place to stay until we could all move to the new house, we moved our bed and a few items to Jon and Myric's bonus room. As they say, deja vu all over again. We held an impromptu garage sale and disposed of some items, gave some more to Goodwill, and then sat down and cried. I can't remember if we really did or if we just felt like that but the fact remained we needed to find more storage space. We decided to check storage units once again and found a nice one close by that was indoors. It was small, like the others we had seen before, but we only needed enough room for the last necessary items. Many trips in the car later, we had the storage unit filled and the house empty. It was a bittersweet moment as we had really enjoyed living here in this house. But there was no time for sadness as the closing was right around the corner. After all the necessary signatures the house was no longer ours. We were exhausted but we were moving on.

No doubt the renovated kitchen helped attract a buyer for us

After moving back into Jon and Myric's home temporarily we started helping them prepare their house for listing. I went down a list of items to be fixed while Kathy helped with the cleaning and staging. After it was listed we made numerous mad dashes to straighten up the house and go somewhere else while prospective buyers examined the house. Their experience would be a little more frustrating. Several made offers only to back out days later. We were all happy when they eventually closed, though it was a couple months after moving into the new home. In the meantime we had the closing on the new house, thankfully using the funds from our sale to complete that purchase in August of 2019, nearly seven months after signing the contract.

Boxes got stored in one corner of the basement

Two days later, Kathy and I emptied Jon and Myric's house of our items and then proceeded to the storage unit to empty out those various items. These all went into the basement. The next day our storage container arrived at the house and we decided to hire a couple strong young guys to empty it for us as we were just fried by that point. All of these boxes and furniture items also ended up in the basement, with some of our daily living possessions going into a couple bedrooms of the new house until we could finish the basement. We would once again be faced with living in a home while building. Those boxes and furniture pieces were moved countless times back and forth in the basement as we cleared out space to work on a section, and then moved on to the next. Would it ever end?

Furniture and larger items stored

Jon and Myric had all the items in their old house moved to the new house a couple days after us. Kathy and I took a few days in Gatlinburg to clear our heads for the next stage of the new house project. The house was built over an eight month period (on and off, with a lot more "off" than we would have liked) and now our basement apartment project would begin. Yes, we had thought about what we wanted to do down there and how we would do it, but we were just now able to look the basement over and get a clear picture of what we had to work with. There were many thoughts about the project that were discussed over our time in Gatlinburg and on the trip there and back. But when we returned the project would begin in earnest, and each day we would be just that much closer to having a place of our own once again.

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)