Terri Ramsey Beavers I have some new updates on my new fixer-upper house. If you remember from my last post, after some issues with the last contractor (that was a nightmare), we had to fire him and find someone who could begin working on my house immediately. Which of course came with a high cost which is expected when you’re asking that everything else be put aside except working on my house.
I have a budget to stick to, one I wouldn’t have if it weren’t thanks to my sister Kathy from https://reviewsbykathy.com/ who graciously provided it. She put up the cash for my home also, so we could get a quick sale on the house and skip getting a loan (with interest) at the bank. It all happened so fast, I was impressed. I don’t want to have to make payments for my new home for the rest of my life (I plant to live forever, so far so good) so keeping the budget as low as possible is important to me. So I’m not at all upset that I have to give up some things on my wish list (for now) for my home. I’m feeling blessed and thankful. And best of all, my payments on my new home (even with the cost of all of the repairs I’m having done) will be less than I’m paying to rent my apartment.
There are always issues that arise when you buy a fixer-upper home. Sometimes there are hidden issues. Sometimes you have issues with the contractor as I did. There’s always something that slows progress or ends up costing more. However, it’s definitely worth it to have the home you want but count on headaches during the process. A lot of headaches. Buying a home that didn’t need any repairs wasn’t something I was looking for even though it probably would have been cheaper than going the route I am. I’m basing that on all the homes that I was considering at the time of the purchase of my new home.
I purchased my last home brand new and I never felt like it was suited to my growing family’s needs. I never loved it like I already do my new fixer-upper. It was love at first sight with my new fixer-upper home.
Now that I’m an empty nester, the only one’s needs I am focused on are my own. I want my dream home but one that I can continue to work on and change as my disability needs change. As someone who is disabled (failed back surgery) I really need my new home to be centered around my disabilities.
The main big thing I have had to give up is an indoor laundry room. I do have a laundry room outdoors under my carport but I wanted one indoors for convenience during winter months. I had planned to turn the outdoor laundry room into a garden room but I can buy a she shed to turn into a garden house if I don’t want to wait on my indoor laundry room. Or even a small greenhouse. There are always other options. It’s something I don’t mind giving up and one day if I still want to move my laundry room indoors, I can circle back to it and have that done. For now, I’m just going with the flow.
There are a few other little things that I’m going to have to give up but it is more important for me to finish my home asap instead of waiting. Time is money. Plus as you all know, I’m ready to start this new chapter in my life. I’m not the most patient person, lol. I’m ready to hand out trick-or-treat candy, host my first Thanksgiving, decorate for Christmas, and do every other little thing I’m excited about doing as a first in my new home. I also have many DIY projects planned in each room and I’ll share them as I do them.
Having family around for the first time ever, to help is going to be so much fun. I have the most talented family. I’m not just saying that because they’re family, I’m saying that because it’s a fact. I definitely wouldn’t be taking on all of the projects I have lined up without them.
Let’s talk about my favorite subject, my cats. My furbabies have a loft which is huge. It’s as long as my living room is wide in the apartment I’m living in now. It’s going to be a cat haven; toys, beds, all the things. Cats love to climb and it’s just perfect. It’s also in my room over my enormous new closet. I’m going to fix it up for them to play and sleep up there if they want to, with a cat wall ladder to get up and down easily. They like to hide when I have company and now they have a place to do that.
I’m turning all of the nooks and crannies in my home into caticles (my new word for cat cubicles, little cubby holes I can add kitty beds and things). My pets are my life and it’s the main reason I wanted my own home. I live in an apartment and for those of you who live in an apartment, you know how hard it is to find one that allows pets. Someone dropped off a female cat and she had babies then she disappeared. I started feeding the kittens and fell completely in love with each and every one of them. I want to make their life the best it can be. Unfortunately, I live in a no-pet apartment (shhh).
I’ve bought my furbabies; cats, and my dog Peanut, a pet door so they can go in and out whenever they like, as they do here. I also purchased another window bed for my cats and I plan to get more. I have a lot of windows that sunlight will spill into and they sure do love laying in the sunlight in my windows.
Also, it appears that a stray cat has had kittens under my new house. My sister goes over daily to feed them for me so I don’t have to make that long trip every day plus it makes it convenient for her to check on my home and make sure everything is running smoothly with the new contractor. For those of you that know Cheryl, you know she is a no-nonsense person and she’s making sure everything is being done timely and properly on my house.
Enough about cats, let’s talk flowers.
My flowers here are waiting to go in the ground there but there are so many delivery trucks in and out of there that I think it’s a safer bet to wait until I move in to transplant them. I still have a few to pot that I’m waiting to do asap, but I can’t wait too much longer as it’s heating up here in GA.
I have big plans to turn my backyard into a no-mow zone. This means I will spend the next several years planting to my heart’s content and designing, pathways, bird baths, garden statues, bird feeders, etc amidst flowers, trees, and shrubs. My sister Kathy has already named it Terri’s Enchanted Garden. I like the sound of that. Somewhere in between all of the flowers, shrubs, and trees, I’ll have to put a little sign up with the name.
I’ve started some seeds of watermelon, pumpkins, and a few other plants and flowers to plant along the woods, either on the side or in the back. I found some white marigold seeds that I bought and I planted a few to see if they’ll come up. They have the softest buttery yellow tones and even though I don’t normally like marigolds, I’m sold on these. They’re absolutely stunning in all of the photos I’ve seen of them. I’m going to mix herbs and some veggies with my flowers in my backyard. Especially mosquito repelling herbs and marigolds will help with that as well.
I’m keeping busy here at my apartment while I wait for the go-ahead to start moving into my new house. I’m currently working on a small DIY project for my new bedroom, that will give me a place to store all of my important papers, and I’ll share it when I’m finished. Be watching for that post and more updates on my new home. If you haven’t already signed up for my newsletter, the form is on my right sidebar.