Now that the outlet issues have been dealt with (by me, didn’t need to get the electrician back after all, yay), and the final inspection is passed (in both senses) we’re now hoping to move back in a few weeks.
We have about a billion details to finish, two largish items for me to deal with (seal bathroom floor, finish out range hood chimney), but then we can get back in the house and start on the remaining million details of making it truly finished. This is down from the current billions of details, so vast progress is occurring!
Also, I have the studio build out to do, and this is fairly high priority. The “man cave” art-studio/workshop/machine-shop/Internet-enabled-secret-laboratory will be instrumental in finishing out the house, as my fabrication ability will be considerably increased. This should speed things up in regards to finishing out house details and getting things all worked out to our satisfaction.
Basically I need to get electrical and phone/data/cable installed with a trenched set of lines from the house. Renting a trencher for that. Then I’ll be building out the interior with a carefully thought out layout for electrical buses etc etc. Insulation, drywall, paint, and then I should be in decent shape to fabricate house parts. Of course I’ll probably be fabricating even before this is done with an extension cord and a shop vac… Hmm… need more clamps…
So, things are hopeful:
We passed final inspection today! As far as the city is concerned, we’re all done.
Sadly, the actual state of affairs is not quite as complete. We are planning to move back in, in about 2 weeks.
The todo list is still quite a few minor items, and not so minor items. The biggest is probably finishing the studio, trenching for power etc. But that can wait until after we’re moved in.
The kitchen cabinets are finally almost done, and so I only have two items left there, backsplash and the range hood chimney. Both involve cutting, but with different tools. That and sealing the bathroom floor are my last big items pre-move.
Anyway, progress!
Final inspection went well, we have three electrical issues to deal with, two outlets that need to be added (ow) and a different cover on our outside outlet in the back yard (5 min w/a screwdriver, no big). Hope to have that done in a week. Then we just have to seal the bathroom floor with something that doesn’t make it slick (it’s concrete), and we can think about moving back in.
It’s been exactly one year since we moved out.
There are a billion details still to be done, some of which will be significant, but we won’t have to drive 20 minutes each way to deal with them. Or not have hot and cold water to wash with afterwards. So, easier now to be home than outside the construction zone.
We still have our $50 beater truck, which will be used to move us back in and also for some home depot equipment rentals (ditch-witch for a bit of trenching mostly). And then we will bid it a fond farewell.
At some point I plan to produce a slide show of the highlights. I went back over some pics already and was amazed at how much we’ve done. I must have blocked it out.
