2016 Update

When we get asked about the house, we laugh and say "it's a long-term project." Our goal is to have it done by the time Elsie goes to prom. Once I said that to someone I had only recently met and he laughed "junior or senior.." as if to say "this year or next!?" He shut up when I said: "She's six."

So, that should put into perspective the fact that it has been just about a year since our last update. We have been busy...!

Winter: Ben continued to finish details on the new addition, including details like window sills, baseboard, etc. These are items that honestly I overlook on a day to day basis, but they drive him insane;). We also started the countdown to the fall when we'd be welcoming baby #3! That made finishing some of these interior projects all the more urgent!

Spring: We were excited to get outside! Surprisingly, there aren't many flowers leftover from the previous residents, with the exception of a huge lilac bush in the front yard which we love. So, last fall we had planted lots of bulbs in the front of the house and we added a few more Michigan native plants this spring. Lots more to add in the future. I discovered that in front of the new addition (breezeway) gets a lot more shade than I expected, so I'll have to rearrange a few things and add more shade tolerant plants next spring.

The newly restored tractor and wagon, with Grant's matching set!

We also started our first vegetable garden! We were grateful to our neighbor, Jerry, who came over with a giant rototiller to help us get started. While it wasn't an amazing success, we were happy with it and we learned a lot. Next year, we're going to move it to a bigger space and add more varieties of lettuce, more pumpkins, add some framing for tomatoes, and create a bigger space and start sooner for a flower cutting garden.

Ben (with help from his dad) also took time this spring to completely rebuild his 1955 John Deere 70 tractor. With that, you also need a nice hay wagon, right!? We've put both to good use this year.

Summer: The fact that the siding was not done on the new addition has been weighing on our minds... with two kids and another on the way, nothing gets done quickly and easily. Ben plugged away on the siding among lots of other activities and a full work schedule this summer. It's not quite done, but closer every day!

Roofing in progress.

Ben, his dad, and our 2 year old plowed the field across the road that we are leasing. We'll plant hay there next spring. We're excited to begin to really farm something!

Fall:   The insurance company compelled us to replace the roof on the old house, though it wasn't *yet* leaking. It feels good to have that done - thanks to help from friends Tom and Mike. This will buy us more time to work on the interior without worrying about that. We weren't able to afford metal roofing for that section which is our goal, but for now it's water tight with standard shingles.

 We have also hosted several hay rides which we all enjoy.

Ben and his co-pilot, Grant, driving
the tractor for a hay ride on a gorgeous fall day.

This year's "Fall Fest" included a hay ride to
Kilcherman's apple orchard nearby.

I love seeing all these friends enjoying the farm with us!

After everyone left "Fall Fest," Ben and I headed to Traverse City to conclude the evening with the birth of our third child, Benjamin. We're planning on another "Fall Fest" next year, perhaps we can combine it with Benjamin's first birthday party;)

Baby Benjamin 10.9.16

It's beginning to look a lot like...?

At an office lunch today, the topic came up, as it often does... "how's the house coming?"

For a moment, I panicked. I couldn't remember if I had even updated the blog since we had moved in. I am relieved and pleasantly surprised that I at least got that far! However, given that it was nearly 7 months ago, I decided it was time once again to sit down and post an update.

Cathead Bay

Overall, we enjoyed a beautiful summer up here. We tried to take advantage of living in such a beautiful place by getting to the beach as much as possible, and fitting in hikes nearby on the evenings and weekends.

That said, the work on the house and farm is far from complete. We spent a lot of time during the nicer weather months working on outdoor projects including getting the little barn and fencing ready for horses.

To start, we hauled out 13 wheelbarrows full of rock  that formed the old floor/foundation and removed an additional 7 loads of porcupine poop to try to get a smooth base for new concrete. Ben also cut out rotten sections of the beams that form the base of the building and re-built them. Finding the build date of 1899 was a cool reminder of how much work went into creating this place originally.

Hauling out loads of porci poop

Built in 1899

New floor, walls, doors, etc!

As always, Ben did an awesome job building a safe, secure space for my horse, Made. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough at first... Many of you will have heard that the first few weeks of having her here were a little rough. The short story is that I brought home a pony friend for her, they got in a fight, and my Made, took off in the middle of the night. Though it was an awful, traumatic experience, I was once again grateful to live in such a supportive community. People from miles away came out to help me find her. We did, and she was fine.

Made and Ralphie

Besides that, Ben and Paul finished this lovely front porch, including the barrier free approach. They also built a nice back deck off the apartment earlier in the summer!

Scary use of ladders & scaffolding to reach the top!

Ben has been plugging away since late summer on the siding. We have been lucky in that our weather has been unusually mild, so even though it is nearly Christmas, we've been able to continue working outdoors! The siding is priority #1 as long as he can keep going on it. Once the weather takes a turn for the worst, however, he may move indoors to a few more finishing touches in the apartment or start moving walls in the old house... you know, just for fun;)

Happy Holidays!

Elsie walking to the bus on the first
day of Kindergarten.

Home

It's hard to believe we're headed toward Memorial Day weekend - and the last time I updated the blog was February - oops! Well, we've been a little busy, and didn't have internet service until this week...

So, here's the update:

Since the last post, things actually seemed to come together pretty quickly. Ben's parents spent a lot of time here to help - THANK YOU! We couldn't have done it without them. I went back to work from maternity leave full time in February, so Ben's mom watched the kids while the guys finished the house.

As close as it seemed, there were still numerous construction/code items to wrap up in order to receive our (temporary) occupancy permit. For instance, hand rails, guard rails (no they're not the same), final mechanical, electrical, and plumbing inspections, etc. Alas, we were successful!

We went with cork flooring

 






Here's what it took:
+15,000 lbs of drywall
+900 lbs of mud
+54 gal of paint
+104 outlets/switches/lights
+1,400 sf flooring
+6 gal of urethane
+340 lf of door casing
+1 set of custom oak stairs (using lumber from the old Pavlis farm)
+18 "regular" stairs
+kitchen cabinets
+2 toilets, 4 sinks
+some other stuff... (money, sleep, etc...)

Not bad for two guys part time over three months!

Fridge on a ladder

When it was time to move appliances in, Paul and Ben used the ingenuity you'd expect...

The original Frigidaire made it back into the house, in almost the exact spot it came from!

We were able to move into the apartment space just in time for Elsie's 5th birthday! She was actually born on Easter Sunday, and since it was so close this year, we celebrated Easter and her birthday together again.

Elsie packed "only the essentials"
for the move:)

My mom brought a fabulous brunch, both sets of grandparents and Liz, Greg, Megan, and Mitchell were here. We had a wonderful celebration and relished being in our new home.

Nana Teahen decorated this fabulous cake

Grandparents watch Elsie try out her new knee pads!

Delicious Easter Bunny

Since then, we've been trying desperately to find some "free" time. Whether to relax (try to catch up on long lost sleep!?), catch up on regular maintenance items, continue unpacking, or to work on any of the long, long list of home and outdoor projects.

first campfire of the season!

Next on the list: a deck out the back door of the apartment and siding - both required for our final occupancy permit. At the same time, I'm eager to work on a pasture for my horse and some landscaping. I can see its shaping up to be a relaxing summer... ha!

So, lots more to come, but we're loving life here and glad to finally call it "home." Ya'll are welcome to visit anytime you're in the neighborhood:)

The Light at the End of the (first) Tunnel

We can see the light at the end of the tunnel! (Ben says it's a dim light;)

Drywall is almost done!

Our friend Brook has been hard at work on the drywall in the new addition. It is really starting to look like a house now and finish work has begun.

December was actually more mild weather-wise which has made everything a bit easier than it would have been with 3' of snow to fight with.

I've had to return to work after a wonderful maternity leave. We are fortunate that Ben's parents have been able to come up to stay and help with kids and construction.

The new mudroom!

Cool old Frigidaire in the "Vulture Shack"
before we tore it down.

Over the past two weeks, Ben and his dad have been able to get the breezeway "mud room" all done (except trim)! I think we'll even be able to move the old Frigidaire
back into this space, almost exactly the same spot we took it out of.

To see the original structure that we've replaced with the new breezeway, check out this old blog post.

Picked up this perfect little toilet
at Odom's.

It is so exciting to see things getting done and beginning to look livable! Perhaps most exciting is that we now have a functional toilet in the house - Goodbye porta-potty! I should note, however, that Security Sanitation has been excellent to work with. Of all the vendors we've had as part of this project, they might just be the most reliable and efficient. Highly recommended.

New porch lights...will look better with siding;)

While we will still have a long road ahead to renovate the farmhouse, we are eager to get into this apartment space, and begin our new lives in Northport. As we head into February, I'm already thinking about the spring and looking forward to planting flowers, vegetables, and uprooting some more Autumn Olive!

A Roof Over Our Heads!

Grant Douglas Teahen Purdy

Finally! Despite several setbacks, the roof is done! Another month has flown by since my last post, and a lot has been accomplished. Not just the roof, but also exterior insulation, doors, framing inspections, etc etc. Oh, and we had a baby! We welcomed Grant Douglas on November 2.

Grant's first visit to Northport - all bundled up!

The exterior work was completed none too soon, as we've already had over 18" of snow this month. Unfortunately, Ben and his dad did spend many bone & finger chilling days working on the roof and numerous other outdoor tasks.

Metal roof so we don't have to do it again!

Now, we get to move on to the fun (?) stuff - drywall has begun! The ceiling of the apartment is done, as we prepare for Advanced Insulation to come in next week to spray foam and blow in insulation in the whole place...it will be toasty;)

 Believe it or not, I'm actually starting to think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. We certainly have a lot to be thankful for! xoxo

Ben up on the lift putting the final pieces on.

Drywall is up!

It Can't be Fall Yet!

Several weeks ago, as we drove through town, I was pointing out the very early signs of fall - hints of red on the Maple trees. When I explained to our 4 1/2 year old, Elsie, that meant it was "almost fall," she covered her face and shrieked: "It can't be fall yet! In fall, the baby is coming and the house isn't done!"

Fast forward to today. Of course, she's right. Baby is due today but apparently not in a hurry. The house isn't done, but we do have lots of good progress to report, and are comfy-cozy at my parent's farm for the time being. I tell people we are lucky to have very accommodating landlords;).

The fall, for it's part, has been gorgeous with some of the most spectacular color in recent memory.

View from the lift above the house.

During this time, the Purdy family was also hit with the unexpected and heartbreaking loss of Ben's Aunt Linda. Linda was a passionate follower of our progress on the farm, and I know if she were here, she'd be harassing me about why I haven't updated the blog. So, this one's for you, Linda. 

So, the fall has been beautiful and challenging at the same time. With some gorgeous weather and beautiful color, we have also had a lot of rain, which has slowed some progress on the house. As soon as Ben rented this awesome machine, it rained for a week straight.:( 

We were also frustrated by a mistake in our roofing order. The drip edge was bent to the wrong angle and had to be re-ordered. For those who wouldn't know (like me) that meant they couldn't start on the roofing - the drip edge has to go on first. The replacement was just delivered yesterday, so the roof should be going on soon now - if the weather cooperates.

That said, it's not like there's been nothing to do. Backing up a bit, to try to catch up from the last post, there has actually been a ton of progress. For starters, the connection between the old house and the new addition was completely re-done. The photo below shows the old wall coming down. This part of the wall on the second floor had some significant water damage anyway from where the original "Vulture Shack" as we called it had attached. That "shack" we believe was the original home that Isaac Garthe built on the property before building the big house. We'll basically be doing the same thing in this new piece while we re-build the house.

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Ben's dad has spent a ton of time here (THANK YOU!!) and did an amazing job on the electrical and plumbing. Both have already been inspected and passed with flying colors.

This is just an example of the historical rat nests
of wires in the hold house.

The new wires are quite an upgrade from the one shown here,
nearly chewed through by our friendly mouse/squirrel friends.

Even laypeople like me can appreciate the organization and
precision of the new wiring here!

I'm excited that this means a bathroom coming soon!

All new pipes + insulation connect to a new high-efficiency water tank in the old house.

For those who are interested, we chose the "high efficiency power direct vent 38gal Short 6 year 36,000BTU propane water heater" from Home Depot. We've also installed a "mini-split" heat pump (visible in photo below) for our primary heating source in this new addition. The addition has been designed to be extremely energy efficient - which will be very important over the next several months!

Making use of the lift (without roofing), the guys have finished all the exterior foam - two layers of 2" foam sheets. With that, firring strips are required to attach the siding. So, this has been a laborious process, but one that will pay off!

We also purchased high-efficiency Thermo-tec windows which are the same ones used for all the new Habitat for Humanity houses locally to ensure that utility bills for those homeowners are kept as low as possible - the results have been amazing. Ben also used "Flexwrap" flashing (no seams) which is the red you can see in the photos.

Before the foam was completed, and we had so much  rain, Ben noticed that the wood behind the foam was saturated. Granted, this will likely not be a problem a) once the top row of foam was added, water wouldn't run down the house behind the bottom row and b) once the siding is on it should be protected. However, if we're going to live here forever, we certainly didn't want to risk mold issues or having the entire house start rotting away due to moisture behind the foam. So, he cut away the bottom 12" or so and added this plastic breathable "fabric" and then put the foam back over it. Of course, it added time to the project but we can rest assured this house is supremely well built!

I think that brings us up to date. Next up: roofing and drywall! Hopefully we'll be able to move our focus indoors before the weather takes a turn for the worse. I see a snowflake in the forecast already, but am keeping my fingers crossed there's still some time to wrap up the outside work!

Another view from the lift showing the roof wrap

Happy Halloween all!

Work, work, work, all day long...

I was excited to see these photos from yesterday showing the progress on the interior of the addition.

Bathroom and kitchen walls

Looking through kitchen to bathroom wall and upper
"loft"/ playroom area.

It's really starting to take shape!

Outside, the guys got all the underlayment on the new roof - so at least from the top, it is water tight! Windows and doors will also help;)

Besides the new walls indoors, Ben's dad also came up to help and has the wiring well under way. Hoping to get plumbing started soon - after that we can move on to insulation and drywall.

For those of you who'd like to get their hands dirty and check out the project up close, we're hosting a camping/working weekend over Labor Day. C'mon up for s'mores, fun, and maybe a little manual labor;)