She is very pleased with her major award, as it has been displayed for all the world to see, LOL!Current mood:
I had an insurance rep come to the house this week to take pics of my house for my insurance coverage. This made me appreciate how far along my house has come in the last 10 years, so I searched for some pics of when I first bought it. Those of you who have seen current pics, or have been to my home will appreciate the laughs here...
The hurricanes and storms made a great impact on the property by knocking down trees, and fences, LOL! The whole yard was overgrown, but when I bought the house, no sun hit the roof, so the AC costs were so minimal. When the oak trees started falling down, the AC bill went thru the roof, and the look of the property has changed dramatically!
This was the shot when I put the contract on it...it had been sitting vacant for awhile after the owner, who lived in Vermont, had her renters leave and put it up for sale. They did not clean it out, pretty much just got their things and left. I bought it as is, warts and all...
The paint was a worn white finish, with a blue trim. All the accent colors looked as though they had been from left over gas station paint...deep blue and industrial grey.
This is a shot from the back porch toward the greenhouse and workshop. You cannot see them thru the brush. The entire backyard was a jungle with paths cut thru it. When I bought the house, I removed 7 trees from the back yard in order to accomodate the septic tank and drainfield I installed. The house had been here since 1949 with no septic...only cesspools. We excavated the entire back yard pretty much and opened it up...as those who have been to my bonfires know, LOL!
Shot from the orange tree to the back door...we have the bonfires where this tree is. The stone patio at the back door did not reveal itself for several months. Digging in the back yard, I found it under all the overgrowth.
The living room, in tasteful pink and teal.
Here is the kitchen, with the original victorian wall paper, pink shag carpet, and sliding glass doors installed backwards...
Here is the room that became my office...it was a nursery before. It has since been redecorated, and new sash windows installed, LOL!
The bathroom was atrocious! Black, grey and blue, with oil base sponge paint around the vanity. Shag carpet, sagging floors and no toilet. The plaster on the wall was so sharp that grabbing toilet paper too quickly could cause you to cut your knuckle. It has since been gutted, replastered, replumbed and redone completely.
This was the "great room" in the rear of the house. The renters used it for a living room, but it was better suited for me as a master bedroom, as it also has a master bath attached...so I build a new wall just a few feet on the other side of the columns you see here, creating another room/hallway that leads to the other bedrooms on the other side of the house. The color does not look horrible in the pics, but it was an overwhelming terra cotta blend, and the ceiling was painted the same color. Aargh.
Big difference from before and after! Just thought I would post these and share! More changes coming, but what a LONG WAY it has already come!!
To see current pics, try this link:
