When you move into your brand new-to-you fixer upper, you learn things and sometimes, frankly the things you learn, you would rather not know.
For instance, we learned from our 40+ page home inspection report that there was asbestos flooring in the lower level that would need to be professionally removed and we also learned that the water heater was on it's last leg.
Additionally, we observed that we had an iron issue with the water which would necessitate an iron filtration system and we knew the house was under insulated. At Greenbriar house, we blew insulation in the attic and it made a big impact on our energy bill. So, we made plans to attack these upgrades as well.
By early spring, it was also apparent that the driveway would DEFINITELY need to be replaced - and soon. Also, since the house came with a fuel oil furnace, we would need to run a gas line -- preferably before the new driveway went in.
Finally, we came to realize that if you have a lake front property...you're going to want a dock.
And so it came to pass that our first round of fixes did not end with beautiful new floors, or fancy finishes. Instead, we did the hard work of making the house and property more functional.
For those of you interested in cost, in rough numbers these infrastructure upgrades worked out as follows:
Asbestos flooring removal: $3,800.00 -- appx 750 sq ft
Water heater: $1,500.00
Iron filtration system: $600.00
Cellulose insulation: $600.00 -- 100 bags, delivered, including machine rental
New asphalt driveway:$18,000.00 -- appx 5700 sq ft
Gas line to house:$2,500.00
Gas furnace: $1,500.00
Dock frames: $1,800.00
Dock wood coverings: $250.00
New Garage Door Opener: $250.00
_____________________________________________________
Total Infrastructure Upgrade Cost: $30,800.00
Not exactly a cheap first year...but let me remind you, it is all worth it!
I don't think anyone wants to see a picture of a furnace or water heater...but from this vantage --a picture taken from our deck -- you can at least see the dock and, if you look closely some of the new driveway as well.
I promise that the pretty pretty picture updates are coming soon!
Comentarios