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The Turn Key - Project
Buying a house can be a long, hard, and busy process. When Tom was looking for his, it took over a year. With Baby #2 on the way and a growing toddler, he and his wife weren’t looking for a project home. They were looking for a turn key, move-in ready, house.
Finally after a year of dedicated searching, and weekends devoted to open houses, they found the perfect home in Manchester. Good schools and walkability made this home exactly what the family wanted. With a finished basement that couldbe used for a playroom, theywere sold. It was almost move-in ready. A few coats of paint and some small adjustments were all it needed to make this home their very own. But even the best laid plans have their own way of working out. Sometimes the best you can do still leads down unexpected paths.
When Tom and his brother first went to the new home to begin work, they made some unexpected discoveries. Pulling up some of the laminate floor that had bubbled they saw black spots. They had found mold. Mold is a scary thing to find, particularly in a new home you were expecting to move into with your small children. So the real work began.
Reinforcementswere called and arrived the next morning to start the demolition. Over the next few days the “Turn Key” home turned into more and more of a Project home. When the wrecking crew finished, there wasn’t anything left. Kitchen appliances were in pieces in the living room, the basement was no longer "finished."
The source of the offending moisture in the kitchenwas discoveredquickly. There had been a crack in the trap underneath the sink. Further investigation revealed the pipes joints had notbeen glued together. The home inspection had missed all these things. So often with building projects the unexpected comes up.
As their new home began to reveal it's dirty secrets from beneath the plaster, Tom knew he needed help.Fortunately for Tom, his family has a history in carpentry. Knowing you can count on your family for support is a source of comfort for many.Seeing that support in action, watching people get their hands dirty to help you, brings another kind of joy to your heart. It’s the kind of thing that makes you forever grateful.
The upside of this is that they are now able to mold the house a bit more to their needs than the original plan. Taking out the whole wall between the kitchen and the living areas allow for a more open concept. Redesigning the layout of the kitchen will increase counter and cabinet space. They have also added an island with seating.
There are still plenty of challenges.
Since the wall they are taking out is load bearing, they also have to build false walls to support the structure while installing the new beam. Tom’s father discovered the uneven floor joists where the new load bearing beam needs tobe installed. More moisture hasbeen found in the subfloor of the basement, the source of which still unknown.
Often times when you start tearing apart a project, you continue to find more and more issues. It's an all too common occurrence with remodels. It's important to remember that these are temporary setbacks. There will be a time when you stop tearing this apart and start putting them back together.
Tom and his family are looking forward to moving into to their new home. Stay tuned for the updates!
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