# DaveNV: Making a Home in the Desert



## DaveNV (Aug 22, 2020)

The intention of this thread is to document our ongoing experiences with adjusting to life in the desert southwest. I've found life really is a journey, and my journey keeps me on my toes!

For those who may not know who I am:  I'm Dave, a Tugger of around fifteen or so years.  I retired earlier this year, after a long and varied career in IT, including a twenty year career as a computer tech in the U.S. Navy.  Because of Covid-19, my husband Jeff took early retirement from his career with Costco a few months ago.  We have just recently completed an exhausting move from Washington State to Mesquite, Nevada.  We left and sold our family home of seventeen years, and moved lock, stock, and baggage to the desert at the height of Summer heat.  (Yes, I know - what the heck were we thinking???  )  We've recently closed escrow on the purchase of our home here, and we're now starting the process of updating that house to make it into our forever home.  We're excited to continue the process of turning our lives upside down, as we continue to see where this path leads.

We invite you to follow along, and please contribute your thoughts and ideas, as our journey continues.  Tuggers are an amazing bunch of people, and ideas shared here are reaching a very wide audience worldwide.  Your thoughts and opinions may help another to resolve a difficult decision about something in their life. I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Thanks,
Dave

_[The beginning: The moving adventures ...]_


----------



## Quiet Pine (Aug 22, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> continue the process of turning our loves upside down



That certainly will add interest to this thread!


----------



## DaveNV (Aug 22, 2020)

Quiet Pine said:


> That certainly will add interest to this thread!



Whoops!  I'll be changing that typo.  

[Fixed!!]

Dave


----------



## Passepartout (Aug 22, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Whoops!  I'll be changing that typo.


Oh Heck. I thought you were changing Desert to Dessert. And I usually pass on that with breakfast.


----------



## DaveNV (Aug 22, 2020)

We spent time at the house yesterday, measuring things, figuring out where certain items will fit, calculating furniture placement, and closely inspecting things.  The house has really good bones. It just needs a bit of elbow grease, and some loving attention to detail.  The previous owners purchased it new twelve years ago.  In that time they've made minimal changes to things, so a lot of original systems are due for updating.

We've decided the kitchen cabinets are in pretty good shape (we found the sales receipt in paperwork left for us - they were a major upgrade when the home was built.)  They just need a thorough cleaning.  Some Murphy's Oil Soap and Liquid Gold will go a very long way here.  Seeing things in a different angle of light showed the entire kitchen will benefit from a deep, VERY deep cleaning. The previous owners were an elderly couple, and I suspect the cleaning that happened was just superficial, or perhaps only in areas convenient to reach.  Once that happens, suitable drawer/door hardware is selected and installed, and new appliances installed, it'll go a long way toward improving the appearance of things.  The kitchen layout is quite good, and makes the most of the available space.

I ordered new kitchen appliances yesterday.  They'll be here in a few weeks.  We're donating the current appliances to someone who is trying to update her father's home on a minimal (nonexistent) budget.  Happy to do so, and it'll keep things out of the landfill.  The existing appliances all work, but they're worn, and between four items (stove, fridge, dishwasher and over-the-stove microwave), they're three different brands.  Nothing matches.  OCD Dave is insane about such things.  LOL! 

We've hired a painting company to do the interior painting, which will do much to improve things.  We're going over to the house today to test out a bit of our chosen paint colors on the walls, to make sure it's the right choice, and to see how easily existing colors will be covered. We need to know whether we'll need two coats.  We're hoping one coat will do the trick.

We're meeting with three flooring companies this coming week, to get bids on the process of replacing the flooring. There is vinyl plank flooring in several rooms that is good quality, but the color is just wrong. Nothing will warm it up, or make it look right. Carpeting in a few rooms will also come out. We're replacing all the flooring with an engineered hardwood hickory flooring.  We had it for three years in our previous home, and it wears like iron. We have two active dogs and a cat, and they did no damage to that flooring.  We have high hopes it'll be great in this new home.

I'll try to post some "before" pictures later today.

Dave


----------



## clifffaith (Aug 22, 2020)

Best get the shutter guys out for quotes too -- regular lead time could be up to 8 weeks (although I believe you are thinking a late year move in), Lord only knows what a covid lead time might be! In normal times they would also cut you off at Halloween for a by Christmas installation.


----------



## Luanne (Aug 22, 2020)

@DaveNV are you sure you don't want to keep those loving window coverings?   You could create a whole theme around them.


----------



## DaveNV (Aug 22, 2020)

clifffaith said:


> Best get the shutter guys out for quotes too -- regular lead time could be up to 8 weeks (although I believe you are thinking a late year move in), Lord only knows what a covid lead time might be! In normal times they would also cut you off at Halloween for a by Christmas installation.



Good idea.  One of the flooring companies also does window coverings, so I'll ask him about it.  I believe a different person at that company is the window coverings person, So I'll see if that one is available.  Thanks for the tip!

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Aug 22, 2020)

Luanne said:


> @DaveNV are you sure you don't want to keep those loving window coverings?   You could create a whole theme around them.



Well now that you mention it, no.  No, I don't.  LOL!   I'll be posting pictures of those so everyone will be able to appreciate what changed.  Seeing them yesterday in bright daylight - Yikes, they are soooo ugly!! 

Dave


----------



## VegasBella (Aug 22, 2020)

Welcome to the SW!
There’s a lot to like about it and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Panina (Aug 22, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> We spent time at the house yesterday, measuring things, figuring out where certain items will fit, calculating furniture placement, and closely inspecting things.  The house has really good bones. It just needs a bit of elbow grease, and some loving attention to detail.  The previous owners purchased it new twelve years ago.  In that time they've made minimal changes to things, so a lot of original systems are due for updating.
> 
> We've decided the kitchen cabinets are in pretty good shape (we found the sales receipt in paperwork left for us - they were a major upgrade when the home was built.)  They just need a thorough cleaning.  Some Murphy's Oil Soap and Liquid Gold will go a very long way here.  Seeing things in a different angle of light showed the entire kitchen will benefit from a deep, VERY deep cleaning. The previous owners were an elderly couple, and I suspect the cleaning that happened was just superficial, or perhaps only in areas convenient to reach.  Once that happens, suitable drawer/door hardware is selected and installed, and new appliances installed, it'll go a long way toward improving the appearance of things.  The kitchen layout is quite good, and makes the most of the available space.
> 
> ...


I have hickory floors in my current home and you are right like iron and are the best kept secret. Definitely worth the extra cost.  

Take before and after pictures.  I would love to follow your transition.  Sounds like it will be amazing.


----------



## DaveNV (Aug 22, 2020)

VegasBella said:


> Welcome to the SW!
> There’s a lot to like about it and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Thanks!  It feels great to be here, and so far, is exactly what we expected it would be.  

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Aug 22, 2020)

Panina said:


> I have hickory floors in my current home and you are right like iron and are the best kept secret. Definitely worth the extra cost.
> 
> Take before and after pictures.  I would love to follow your transition.  Sounds like it will be amazing.



Thanks!  We were so pleased with how it "lived" in that house, we knew we wanted to use it here.  The few marks that came up were mostly along edges that were quickly covered with a floor marker pen. The natural grain of the wood hid scratches and most marks. Really great flooring idea. 

Dave


----------



## Ken555 (Aug 25, 2020)

Hey Dave,

So I’m curious. Are you using any Costco service vendors for the home projects? 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## DaveNV (Aug 25, 2020)

Ken555 said:


> Hey Dave,
> 
> So I’m curious. Are you using any Costco service vendors for the home projects?



Hi Ken.  Not really, mainly because they aren't providing what we need right now.  I'd try to use them if I could, but in this case, it doesn't fall in line with what's needed.

The only vendor at Costco we've seen so far that fits the need is a Window Coverings company, who we may call for an estimate on installing Plantation Shutters.  That depends on the bids we'll get from the others, who are also flooring companies. They're a good brand (Graber) but prices will tend to be higher than we're really needing.  For the few windows that need the shutters, it'll probably be simpler to go with one of the flooring companies' bids.

Dave


----------



## Ken555 (Aug 25, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Hi Ken. Not really, mainly because they aren't providing what we need right now. I'd try to use them if I could, but in this case, it doesn't fall in line with what's needed.
> 
> The only vendor at Costco we've seen so far that fits the need is a Window Coverings company, who we may call for an estimate on installing Plantation Shutters. That depends on the bids we'll get from the others, who are also flooring companies. They're a good brand (Graber) but prices will tend to be higher than we're really needing. For the few windows that need the shutters, it'll probably be simpler to go with one of the flooring companies' bids.
> 
> Dave



FWIW, I used Costco for my window shutters I had installed years ago. Have fun!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

A little update, some of which may have been mentioned previously:

We've been working some at the new house, getting familiar with the installed equipment that is new to us (e.g. water softener, reverse osmosis system, central air conditioning, landscape irrigation timer.)  Before we can put in what we want, we needed to configure things, or remove some of what was already there.

There are a number of large windows in several rooms, and they all had fabric valances left behind.  They were heavy, ornate, dusty, sun-faded, and/or absolutely not our style.  There were four different valances on four windows, and none of them were the same style or color.  I'm sure the previous owner liked them, but they don't suit our style at all.  They were the first things to go.

 

We've received estimates for putting in plantation shutters, but haven't made the decision yet on which company will do the work.  Those will come later, I think.  They're a common window treatment here, so there are choices.

As I mentioned previously, the floor coverings in the house are newer, but again, they don't suit our style.  Vinyl plank flooring, ceramic tile, and carpeting are installed in various rooms.  I think I mentioned that we're going to have it all removed, and replaced with engineered hickory hardwood floors.  We've accepted a bid on having that work done. The flooring is being ordered today, and they'll start the work in about two weeks. Finally!  

As part of that installation, the old flooring will be removed, and the new flooring landed.  We're going to wait a few days for the flooring to acclimate in the new location.  We're told with engineered flooring it's not as necessary, since it's dimensionally stable, but never a bad idea to let it adjust for a few days.  During that time the painting contractor we've hired will do the interior painting.  When they're done, the wood flooring will be installed in all but the wet areas, (kitchen and bathrooms have newer ceramic tile that will stay,) after which things will be mostly ready to move in.

There are four main colors used in the house now - all but one color will be replaced.  We're going with a simple color palette, one we've used before, that we really like.  A lighter, natural tone will be the main color on most walls.  It's a nice color, conducive to the desert area here, and that compliments the house color well.  A secondary color, a darker tone in the same family, that "grounds" things well, will be used for a few accent walls. These colors happen to be among those that change tone with the ambient light, so throughout the day, it appears like there is more color on the walls than there actually is. The Guest Bedroom and bathroom are currently painted a nice sage color that we'll keep.  It's in good condition, and will fit the color palette we're using.  No reason to paint over it.

The old kitchen appliances have been removed, and were donated to someone who needed them. In the process of doing that, we found a leak under the kitchen sink that had to be addressed.  Due to the hard water here, there is a reverse osmosis system installed under the sink.  The shutoff valves for it had completed failed, and were unable to be shut off.  One of them had started leaking. They've now been replaced with new, easier to use control valves.  I think we dodged a bullet on that one - no damage to anything, and a potential problem was avoided.

The new kitchen and laundry appliances are on order, and should arrive in about three weeks.  We're working on trying to move in around the beginning of October, so that will fit the timeline.  We'll see how it goes.

Outdoors, we've also been learning about life in the desert.  Landscaping is on a timed irrigation "Rain Bird" system, that had issues.  During the home inspection, it was discovered a shutoff for the water system was broken off, and was unable to be shut off.  That was replaced.  But the irrigation system went into an "error" condition, and watering of the landscaping was not working right. Some lines were cut, some plants had been removed by the previous owner, so irrigation heads were putting water where it wasn't needed, and the system was a mess. A few plants suffered, and are probably goners.  I met with a landscaping guy a few days ago, and we got the system back to a normal schedule, we repaired the broken lines, and made sure everything is now being watered regularly.  Things already look better.

We started the process of exploring whether we'll install a swimming pool in the back yard,  We met with the first swimming pool contractor, and will receive his ideas next week sometime.  They're kind of an overall contractor - pool, landscaping, hardscape - so I expect their estimate will be substantial.  Other pool contractors will also be contacted before we agree to a certain plan, going forward.  I'm told it may be several months before the work would be completed, This is a very busy time of year for them.

A few exterior "before" pictures:

  

The house has an entry walkway that goes through a gate to an interior courtyard, where the front door is located. Everything you see in the courtyard image above has been removed by the former owner.  All the add-ins but the failed low-voltage lighting in the backyard were also removed. So other than plants, it is pretty much a blank slate.

Wall and yard art is a "thing" here, to bring a splash of color to a rather somber desert landscape.  The previous owners took most of their additions with them. Everything in the back yard and the courtyard was taken when they moved out. The curved bridge in the front yard was left behind, but has since been gifted by us to someone here who wanted it.  We're keeping the landscaping as much the same as we can, but after a bit of cleanup, we've added a couple of pieces of our own wall and yard art:

   

The Iguana is made of cement, with embedded stones along his back and tail.  He's about 30 inches long, and is made in Mexico.  His name, of course, has to be Iggy Juana. 

The sun face on the courtyard wall is an amazing piece.  It's about three feet across, and is made of hammered metal. There are many similar sun faces on walls everywhere around here, all sizes and styles, but we've never seen one as nice as this one.  Jeff decided his name should be "Sonny," rather than "Sunny."  He says because it's a male face, not a female face.  I kind of agree.

I'll post more images once things inside the house start to change.

Dave


----------



## Panina (Sep 2, 2020)

How exciting making it your own.  For a moment the outside of your house looked like the homes in Florida.  The courtyard is lovely.


----------



## Passepartout (Sep 2, 2020)

Thanks for the tour! We'll feel right at home when we come to take advantage of your hospitality!  

Jim


----------



## PamMo (Sep 2, 2020)

I love it - what wonderful outdoor spaces! And it's so nice to hear that the plan is coming together!


----------



## Rolltydr (Sep 2, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> A little update, some of which may have been mentioned previously:
> 
> We've been working some at the new house, getting familiar with the installed equipment that is new to us (e.g. water softener, reverse osmosis system, central air conditioning, landscape irrigation timer.)  Before we can put in what we want, we needed to configure things, or remove some of what was already there.
> 
> ...


I love the outside and totally agree with you on those window treatments!


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

Panina said:


> How exciting making it your own.  For a moment the outside of your house looked like the homes in Florida.  The courtyard is lovely.



Thanks!  The stucco walls and overall exterior design are pretty common to sunnier climates, so I'm not surprised it looks a bit Floridian.

The courtyard is a major reason we bought this house.  Of the dozen or so floorplans they initially built in this development, this is the only home with a central courtyard like this.  A couple of others have a low entry gate into an open patio space, but none have this private courtyard.  They have since stopped building this plan, so the only way to get it is on the resale market.  In the three-or-so years we'd been coming here to look at real estate, this specific floorplan was the one we kept coming back to.  So when we moved here, it was an easy choice for which one we were likely to buy.

What made this home particularly nice is the lot location, and views from the back yard. There are mountain and mesa-top views, and a lot of privacy in the back.  Where a lot of homes back up to the back yards of other houses, so privacy is limited, this one is raised above but adjacent to a wide street, so the closest neighbors across the back fence are quite far away. With the right landscaping, the back yard can be quite private.  I like that quite a bit, especially if we choose to put in a pool.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

Passepartout said:


> Thanks for the tour! We'll feel right at home when we come to take advantage of your hospitality!
> 
> Jim



Somehow, you taking advantage of our hospitality seems only natural.  LOL!  

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

PamMo said:


> I love it - what wonderful outdoor spaces! And it's so nice to hear that the plan is coming together!



Thanks!  Going forward, as we fine-tune the outdoor areas, it'll become more the home we want here.  The desert can be hot and dry, but it doesn't have to be boring.  

Although I admit:  It's frustrating to wait day after day while nothing happens.  But now that the flooring contractor has been selected, things should start moving faster.  We have a lot of interior changes we want to make (light fixtures, door hardware, even the front door itself), but first things first.  Once the floors and painting are done, we can move in, and work things from the inside. 

Dave


----------



## slip (Sep 2, 2020)

Wow, it’s nice to be able to take care of all that while you are close and out of the house. Things are moving along at a good pace and it will look great when you’re done.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

Rolltydr said:


> I love the outside and totally agree with you on those window treatments!



But wait! There's more: 

 

I'm not sorry they're all gone now. 

The plantation shutters will replace the existing blinds, too.  All in, better light control, and a much more attractive look. 

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

slip said:


> Wow, it’s nice to be able to take care of all that while you are close and out of the house. Things are moving along at a good pace and it will look great when you’re done.



It is definitely nice being able to take care of this kind of thing before we move in.  After the floors and walls are done, then we can move in and do the cosmetic things once we're there.

And yes - it's close.  I think it's just over a half mile from the rental we're in and the house we bought. Easy.

Dave


----------



## WinniWoman (Sep 2, 2020)

What a beautiful house! I can see why you chose it!  Looking forward to more of your photos as things progress.  You guys are already way ahead of the game!


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> What a beautiful house! I can see why you chose it!  Looking forward to more of your photos as things progress.  You guys are already way ahead of the game!



Thanks, Mary Ann. Once it's all done, I hope it "lives" as well as it seems like it will. 

Dave


----------



## Cornell (Sep 2, 2020)

Oh wow @DaveNV so fantastic. I love it!  Really happy for you and just a teeny bit jealous!

I have plantation shutters throughout my home and really like them. Clean, simple.


----------



## Karen G (Sep 2, 2020)

DaveNV, it all looks amazing! So happy for you & Jeff.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

Cornell said:


> Oh wow @DaveNV so fantastic. I love it!  Really happy for you and just a teeny bit jealous!
> 
> I have plantation shutters throughout my home and really like them. Clean, simple.



I'm looking forward to having them here.  They make a lot of sense in this climate. 

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

Karen G said:


> DaveNV, it all looks amazing! So happy for you & Jeff.



Thanks! There is more to the house to see, but for now, this is all there is that shows. 

We're glad to be here.


----------



## pedro47 (Sep 2, 2020)

I liked your new home. This is your home and it should reflect Jeff &  you. IMHO.


----------



## heathpack (Sep 2, 2020)

Hey @DaveNV, there was supposed to be a Hunt Performance Test in Cedar City last April but it got cancelled due to COVID.  If they run it next year, would you be interested in coming as an observe?  It’s put on by the basset hound people but also eligible are dachshunds, petit basset griffon vendeens and a few other slow moving rabbiting breeds of dogs.  I’m still in touch with the woman who was organizing it.  It’s pretty cool to see and the only spectators allowed are people invited by the handlers running dogs (no one wants random strangers distracting their dogs during the test).


----------



## JanT (Sep 2, 2020)

Dave,

Look into getting privacy screening for your fence (it looks like your fencing is wrought iron?) in the back yard.  The privacy screening actually works really well for additional privacy when you put in a pool.  We used it on the back part of our fence which was wrought iron.  Our side fence was block wall which was really nice and private.



DaveNV said:


> What made this home particularly nice is the lot location, and views from the back yard. There are mountain and mesa-top views, and a lot of privacy in the back.  Where a lot of homes back up to the back yards of other houses, so privacy is limited, this one is raised above but adjacent to a wide street, so the closest neighbors across the back fence are quite far away. With the right landscaping, the back yard can be quite private.  I like that quite a bit, especially if we choose to put in a pool.
> 
> Dave


----------



## JanT (Sep 2, 2020)

Love, love, love your new place Dave!  It is going to be truly your own when it's all finished.  Will be looking forward to updates and pictures as you make your way along.  Just so happy for y'all!!


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

pedro47 said:


> I liked your new home. This is your home and it should reflect Jeff &  you. IMHO.



Thank you, Sir!  It's been a long time coming, and we're working hard to make it "just right." 

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

heathpack said:


> Hey @DaveNV, there was supposed to be a Hunt Performance Test in Cedar City last April but it got cancelled due to COVID.  If they run it next year, would you be interested in coming as an observe?  It’s put on by the basset hound people but also eligible are dachshunds, petit basset griffon vendeens and a few other slow moving rabbiting breeds of dogs.  I’m still in touch with the woman who was organizing it.  It’s pretty cool to see and the only spectators allowed are people invited by the handlers running dogs (no one wants random strangers distracting their dogs during the test).



That would be awesome to see!  Is it normally run in April?  If so, we'll be here.  Covid willing, we're planning to be in Hawaii for three weeks in May. But otherwise, we'll be here.  Cedar City isn't that far from here. Thanks for the wonderful offer!

I went to a Field Trial outside of Washington DC years ago (mid-1970s, now that I think of it.)  Watched Brittany's doing what they do best - we stayed well out of the way, and let them do what they do.  It was a great day.  I'd love to see Dachshunds and Bassets doing what they're bred to do. My boys are experts at sleeping and eating.  Oh yeah, and barking.  They bark really well.  

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

JanT said:


> Dave,
> 
> Look into getting privacy screening for your fence (it looks like your fencing is wrought iron?) in the back yard.  The privacy screening actually works really well for additional privacy when you put in a pool.  We used it on the back part of our fence which was wrought iron.  Our side fence was block wall which was really nice and private.



Thank you, Jan!  There is five foot high privacy screen on the left side fencing, and 18-inch (I think) screening on the right side fence.  Nothing on the rear fence.  The plan is to go to five feet all the way around.  Not only to increase the privacy for us, but also to keep my dogs from getting distracted by what the neighbors are up to.

The back fence is on a retaining wall about 10 or 15 feet above the street level, which is a four-lane divided roadway.  So we see no cars going by.  But across the road we can see the neighbor's houses, but they're probably 200 feet away, and slightly below us. Adding a privacy fence would do plenty.  If the HOA says that's not allowed, we'll plant some screening landscape plants.  Nobody needs to see me trying to swim laps.  LOL!  



JanT said:


> Love, love, love your new place Dave!  It is going to be truly your own when it's all finished.  Will be looking forward to updates and pictures as you make your way along.  Just so happy for y'all!!



Glad you like the house.  Once there is more to be seen, I'll be posting pictures. These few exterior shots are about the best I can do for right now.  But as they say, "Stay tuned!"  

Dave


----------



## JanT (Sep 2, 2020)

Unless it is a bizarre HOA they shouldn't have an issue with privacy fencing.  Then again....it IS 2020.  LoL  Well, if someone is gawking and being nosy they'll get exactly what they deserve!  



DaveNV said:


> Adding a privacy fence would do plenty.  If the HOA says that's not allowed, we'll plant some screening landscape plants.  Nobody needs to see me trying to swim laps.  LOL!
> Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

JanT said:


> Unless it is a bizarre HOA they shouldn't have an issue with privacy fencing.  Then again....it IS 2020.  LoL  Well, if someone is gawking and being nosy they'll get exactly what they deserve!



I'm thinking if it's an issue, it'd only be on the rear fence, since that's a "common area" along the roadway. They have a long list of HOA rules here.  Since there is already screening on the side fences, I may have an "in" with asking to put it on the rear fence, too, since they all connect. Raising the height on the one side from 18 inches to five feet is a natural idea.  The Building Code here requires a five foot fence minimum around a swimming pool, so at least I won't need to change the fence height.  These fences are iron - some sort of square tubing, not sure if they're wrought iron or not - but they weigh a ton, and are very expensive.  All we need to add are two five-foot security gates at the end of the fencing along the sides of the house.

Here's a view of the back yard, over that rear fence.



Dave


----------



## WinniWoman (Sep 2, 2020)

heathpack said:


> Hey @DaveNV, there was supposed to be a Hunt Performance Test in Cedar City last April but it got cancelled due to COVID.  If they run it next year, would you be interested in coming as an observe?  It’s put on by the basset hound people but also eligible are dachshunds, petit basset griffon vendeens and a few other slow moving rabbiting breeds of dogs.  I’m still in touch with the woman who was organizing it.  It’s pretty cool to see and the only spectators allowed are people invited by the handlers running dogs (no one wants random strangers distracting their dogs during the test).




I always wanted a petit basset griffon vendeen!


----------



## Glynda (Sep 2, 2020)

What a great looking house! Gee, I can't imagine why you didn't want to keep those window toppers. 
All your plans sound good and your order logical. Now if everything just goes according to plan! Can't wait to see the after pics.


----------



## Fredflintstone (Sep 2, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I'm thinking if it's an issue, it'd only be on the rear fence, since that's a "common area" along the roadway. They have a long list of HOA rules here. Since there is already screening on the side fences, I may have an "in" with asking to put it on the rear fence, too, since they all connect. Raising the height on the one side from 18 inches to five feet is a natural idea. The Building Code here requires a five foot fence minimum around a swimming pool, so at least I won't need to change the fence height. These fences are iron - some sort of square tubing, not sure if they're wrought iron or not - but they weigh a ton, and are very expensive. All we need to add are two five-foot security gates at the end of the fencing along the sides of the house.
> 
> Here's a view of the back yard, over that rear fence.
> 
> ...



Very tasteful Dave. You know, moving there was very smart! I bet (but no comment from you needed) you sold well in Seattle and bought well in Mesquite allowing you to pocket a lot of extra retirement money. Plus, you can enjoy the sunshine. Sunshine can be scarce in Seattle, especially during the winter months. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## heathpack (Sep 2, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> I always wanted a petit basset griffon vendeen!



They are very cute dogs.  And good rabbit trackers!


----------



## heathpack (Sep 2, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> That would be awesome to see!  Is it normally run in April?  If so, we'll be here.  Covid willing, we're planning to be in Hawaii for three weeks in May. But otherwise, we'll be here.  Cedar City isn't that far from here. Thanks for the wonderful offer!
> 
> I went to a Field Trial outside of Washington DC years ago (mid-1970s, now that I think of it.)  Watched Brittany's doing what they do best - we stayed well out of the way, and let them do what they do.  It was a great day.  I'd love to see Dachshunds and Bassets doing what they're bred to do. My boys are experts at sleeping and eating.  Oh yeah, and barking.  They bark really well.
> 
> Dave



The one that was cancelled was to have been the first one in that area.  If they have it next year, it would probably be around that same time.  Can’t do it later in the year on account of rattlesnakes.  I had the impression that the permitting was very difficult because it was being organized on public lands.  So who knows?  COVID may preclude it in 2021 even though it’s pretty easy to maintain a social distance in these events...


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

Fredflintstone said:


> Very tasteful Dave. You know, moving there was very smart! I bet (but no comment from you needed) you sold well in Seattle and bought well in Mesquite allowing you to pocket a lot of extra retirement money. Plus, you can enjoy the sunshine. Sunshine can be scarce in Seattle, especially during the winter months.



Right on all counts, and comments are okay.  We lived about an hour north of Seattle, in a very different real estate market.  We listed our house well above what the realtor thought was the right price (at my insistence), and it sold in ONE DAY for over the asking price.  The day it hit the market it was shown NINE times, and we received FIVE offers to buy.  Excellent experience.  

The house we bought here in Mesquite was one we'd had an eye on since March, and that happened to still be for sale when we got here the first of July.  We knew the house needed to have some things updated, and we bought below their asking. Another good experience.  Now we're updating the house, making it "ours,"and getting ready to live here long term.  It's all good.

As for Pacific Northwest weather compared to Mesquite, let me just say this:  Last Winter, we went FIVE MONTHS without seeing the sun.  It was either cloudy, raining, or snowing the entire time - not a single sunny day, even in the dead of Winter.  That takes a huge toll, and convinced me it was time to get out.  By contrast, I've been in Mesquite since July 3rd, and I haven't worn long pants once - only shorts. Every single day has been sunny.  I'm really happy about that. 

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

heathpack said:


> The one that was cancelled was to have been the first one in that area.  If they have it next year, it would probably be around that same time.  Can’t do it later in the year on account of rattlesnakes.  I had the impression that the permitting was very difficult because it was being organized on public lands.  So who knows?  COVID may preclude it in 2021 even though it’s pretty easy to maintain a social distance in these events...



Please keep me in mind. I'd really like to see it. 

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 2, 2020)

Glynda said:


> What a great looking house! Gee, I can't imagine why you didn't want to keep those window toppers.
> All your plans sound good and your order logical. Now if everything just goes according to plan! Can't wait to see the after pics.



I offered to send the window valance things to @Luanne, but she declined.  I can't imagine why.  

Thanks for liking the house. It's actually pretty nice, but just needs updating.  New floors, new paint, new appliances, better landscaping, new window treatments - what's not to love?  

Dave


----------



## AnnaS (Sep 3, 2020)

Love your new home!!!! Enjoy it creating some new wonderful memories.  

We used the Costco vendor for three of our windows (Bay window/side window in LR and one bathroom).  

Lightning Grease works great!!!!! It even cleaned our oven better than the no fume Off.  Great on the cabinets and many other things.  Just something we found worked after trying lot's of products over the years.  Just for reference


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

AnnaS said:


> Love your new home!!!! Enjoy it creating some new wonderful memories.
> 
> We used the Costco vendor for three of our windows (Bay window/side window in LR and one bathroom).
> 
> Lightning Grease works great!!!!! It even cleaned our oven better than the no fume Off.  Great on the cabinets and many other things.  Just something we found worked after trying lot's of products over the years.  Just for reference



Thanks!  I'm enjoying the process. Now that I've retired, I have time to focus on getting things done, rather than trying to coordinate things around my work schedule.  The hardest part of life here is waiting till the workmen can get to us.  They're all pretty slammed with work.  if anybody is job hunting, there is no shortage of opportunity here.

Lightning Grease is something I'll have to find.  I'm always looking for an e easier way to do something. Won't need it in the oven for awhile (getting a new stove) but if it works on other things, I'm shopping. 

Dave


----------



## Dori (Sep 3, 2020)

I am enjoying your new adventure so much! Thank you for keeping us all in the loop! 

Dori


----------



## presley (Sep 3, 2020)

Hi Dave, glad everything is coming along. 
I am wondering about the weather so far and how you deal with it and how your dogs are doing with it. One of my reasons for taking Las Vegas area off the list was because I walk my dogs for an hour every morning and they can't stand it if it's over 80 degrees. What's the temp been like around 7-8am? How about the rest of the day? How much time are you able to spend outdoors? Have you had any muggy days?


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

Dori said:


> I am enjoying your new adventure so much! Thank you for keeping us all in the loop!
> 
> Dori



Thanks, Dori, I'm glad you'd finding this interesting. It's always a delicate dance between what information people might care to hear about, what makes for interesting reading, and what comes across as oversharing,  My intention is to help anybody else going through this "move, buy, and upgrade" process. 

Dave


----------



## controller1 (Sep 3, 2020)

Love your adventures. It's one of the first threads I read each day. Enjoy Nevada and your retirement. Retirement can be great!


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

presley said:


> Hi Dave, glad everything is coming along.
> I am wondering about the weather so far and how you deal with it and how your dogs are doing with it. One of my reasons for taking Las Vegas area off the list was because I walk my dogs for an hour every morning and they can't stand it if it's over 80 degrees. What's the temp been like around 7-8am? How about the rest of the day? How much time are you able to spend outdoors? Have you had any muggy days?



Great question.  I can fully appreciate the temperature issues.  We came from the rainy Pacific Northwest, where a day above 80 is rare.  Anything above 90 is really scarce, and seeing 100 degrees (west of the Cascade Mountains) is nearly unheard of. Up there, going outside was usually a question of "How cold is it?" rather than how warm it might be. People there expect cold temperatures, and dress in layers, so they can take off that jacket or sweater if things warm up.

We arrived in Mesquite at the end of June.  It's the desert, so Summer temps can get to be pretty high.  We expected that, and knew we were coming here at the hottest time of year.  And right on schedule, things definitely were warm - really warm.  Average daily temperatures above 100 are common at this time of year.  Through July and August, that was how it went.  Overnight it dipped below 100, but as soon as the sun came up, the temperature starts to climb again. Central air conditioning isn't an option here - it's a necessity.

The old line about "But it's a dry heat" definitely applies.  Humidity is quite low here, so while the temperature may be a high number, it doesn't feel like it's that hot.  I've figured out that anything above 105 or so feels about the same - it's too hot to do much of anything outside, so the number doesn't much matter.  People tend to stay indoors during the hottest time of day, and venture out in early morning, or after the sun goes down. I've seen my neighbors washing their cars at 5:00AM.  During the hottest hours the streets are pretty empty, but after dark people come out again. Pretty normal, I think.

I got a high-low thermometer to put on the patio of the rental house we're in, to be able to keep an eye on the numbers.   I think the hottest reliable number I've seen was 115 degrees. I also got a hygrometer, so we can track indoor ambient humidity.  Currently it's 30 percent humidity indoors.  (I set it in the shade on the back patio while I've been typing this, and it said it was 23 percent humidity there.)  Muggy hasn't happened, that I've noticed.  Not like it can be on the California Coast, or most anywhere in the Eastern or Southern USA.  I remember the "steam bath" experience while working in Mississippi in Summer - 98 degrees and 99 percent humidity.  My glasses were always fogged up.  No thanks.

I have my dogs on a schedule now, and we go out at 7:00AM and again at 7:00PM to visit the dog park down the street. (This rental has zero yard, and the dogs don't know what to do with gravel - they prefer grass to do their business.) They're not much for taking walks - they want to do their business and come back indoors - they prefer to be indoors - or anywhere I am, actually, especially if there is food involved.  )  They do like to sniff around some at the dog park, and eat whatever stray bits of detritus they come across.  (Rabbit poop at the dog park is an especially craved thing - a behavior I'm always trying to get them to stop eating.  Yuck! ) There has only been one time I took the dogs out, and the pavement was too hot for them to walk on.  It was late afternoon, still daylight, and the pavement was quite hot.  An hour later, after sunset, it was fine.  Live and learn. I don't take them out for the second walk till after the sun is below the mesa to the west of me.

Having said all that, over the last couple of weeks, the temperatures have been less hot during the day, and are getting cooler at night.  Yesterday I think it didn't reach 100 degrees till mid-afternoon, typically the hottest time of day.  But overnight last night (according to my thermometer) it got down to 73 - the lowest overnight temp I've seen since I've been here.

As I type this, at 7:30AM, it's 75 outside.  I've been out running a few errands this morning, and I'm seeing a lot of people out walking or running or cycling, and a lot of people were walking their dogs.  More people than I've seen in recent weeks, but it's also the time of year when Snowbirds start returning here.  Like the swallows returning to Capistrano, it's pretty predictable.  

Would you like it?  You'd have to try it and see. You'll adjust to suit your comfort level.  Would you hate it?  Depends on what you want from your daily life. It's a different climate than the California Coast.  The wind tends to be a warm (sometimes HOT) desert wind.  Not the cooler winds you may be used to, and certain not the freezing winds that can come off the ocean there.  Think Santa Ana winds - it's not bad, just different.

As for me, I'm liking this weather a lot.  My arthritic aches and pains has virtually disappeared.  I don't feel the creak in my bones when I walk around.  I like that.  It's one of the reasons i wanted to move here.  Would I go back to Washington to live?  No.  I'll modify my life and lifestyle to fit the climate here.  By next year I'll probably be so adapted, I'll be out and about in the hot temps and think nothing of it, and then freezing when it gets below 100.  We'll have to see. 

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

controller1 said:


> Love your adventures. It's one of the first threads I read each day. Enjoy Nevada and your retirement. Retirement can be great!



Thanks, Robert.  That's very kind of you.  It's certainly been an eventful year! 

Dave


----------



## sun starved Gayle (Sep 3, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Great question.  I can fully appreciate the temperature issues.  We came from the rainy Pacific Northwest, where a day above 80 is rare.  Anything above 90 is really scarce, and seeing 100 degrees (west of the Cascade Mountains) is nearly unheard of. Up there, going outside was usually a question of "How cold is it?" rather than how warm it might be. People there expect cold temperatures, and dress in layers, so they can take off that jacket or sweater if things warm up.


Now Dave,.......It's not all bad weather in Washington State ! Here is the 10 day weather forecast for where I live in SW Washington State.


*Fri 04*
90°/57°
Sunny
0%
SW 4 mph
*Sat 05*
83°/58°
Partly Cloudy
10%
WNW 6 mph
*Sun 06*
88°/61°
Sunny
10%
NNW 9 mph
*Mon 07*
91°/66°
Sunny
0%
NNE 12 mph
*Tue 08*
87°/67°
Sunny
0%
ENE 15 mph
*Wed 09*
94°/62°
Sunny
0%
ENE 10 mph
*Thu 10*
95°/59°
Sunny
0%
WNW 5 mph
*Fri 11*
88°/57°
Sunny
10%
W 5 mph
*Sat 12*
83°/57°
Mostly Sunny
0%
NW 7 mph
*Sun 13*
84°/57°
Sunny
0%
NW 7 mph
*Mon 14*
85°/58°
Sunny
0%
NNW 7 mph
*Tue 15*
84°/57°
Partly Cloudy
10%
NW 7 mph
*Wed 16*
82°/56°
Partly Cloudy
10%
NW 6 mph
*Thu 17*
81°/55°
Sunny
10%
NNW 7 mph


----------



## Passepartout (Sep 3, 2020)

Hey Dave, have the checks been steady from the Chamber of Commerce for your promoting Mesquite? You should be copying them and your Realtor in case somebody uses you for a reference. 

Jim


----------



## Passepartout (Sep 3, 2020)

Saturday you'll have to dig out the woolly long johns!


----------



## LisaH (Sep 3, 2020)

Beautiful house! May I ask what have made you decide to move from WA to Mesquite NV? I haven't been here lately and so probably missed the thread. If so, please point me to it


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

sun starved Gayle said:


> Now Dave,.......It's not all bad weather in Washington State ! Here is the 10 day weather forecast for where I live in SW Washington State.
> 
> 
> *Fri 04*
> ...



Thanks, Gayle!  Let's revisit this topic in a month, or two, or three.   I agree, the weather right now is great - but there's the rest of the year to think about. And SW Washington also tends to be a bit drier and warmer than north of Seattle along Puget Sound. The middle two weeks in September tends to be the very best time of the year to visit the area we lived in. But then there's the rest of the year... 

Dave

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

Passepartout said:


> Hey Dave, have the checks been steady from the Chamber of Commerce for your promoting Mesquite? You should be copying them and your Realtor in case somebody uses you for a reference.
> 
> Jim




Ssshh!  You weren't supposed to mention that.  But come to think of it, no.  The  checks haven't been coming in.  Hmmm....  I need to call somebody! 

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

LisaH said:


> Beautiful house! May I ask what have made you decide to move from WA to Mesquite NV? I haven't been here lately and so probably missed the thread. If so, please point me to it




Hi Lisa.  The shortest answer:  It's in a perfect location for us.  Draw an X on the map from here, and in each of those four directions are family, friends, or locations where we like to spend our time. We could not be more centrally located.

The longer answer:  The decision to move from Washington was mainly all about the weather.  I retired in March, and my husband retired in May.  We did not want to spend our retirement years being a prisoner in our own home.  (Covid notwithstanding, of course.)  Washington weather where we lived was just too wet and cold for too much of the year.  I wanted the sun. I mentioned previously that last winter we went five whole months without a single sunny day up there.  That kind of thing will age a person - especially me.  Arthritis and other joint aches were more than I wanted to deal with. We knew we wanted to move to a warmer, drier area. That came down to affordability and location in areas where we enjoy spending our time.

Choosing Mesquite, Nevada, as a specific destination was all about location and taxation.  We eliminated what we didn't want, and chose from what's left.  Being retired, I'm on a mostly fixed income.  While Washington state has no state income tax, they do tend to have higher property and sales taxes. I wanted a place that was at least comparable to Washington with regards affordability, but with better weather.

The desert southwest of the US has always been an area I've enjoyed, and southern Utah's red rock country is especially good.  I've been visiting St. George, Utah, and the area around it, for more than 40 years.  But Utah as a place to live?  Not so much.  Taxation in Utah and Arizona tend to be higher - both have state income taxes, and they would also tax things like my military retirement pension. California has its own issues, that also took it out of the equation.  Nevada, on the other hand, has no state income tax, and property & sales taxes tend to be lower than surrounding states. Financially, it would be at least equal to what I had in Washington.

Northern Nevada has weather that gets too cold for me.  I'm not a snow lover, and would be happy to live in an area that doesn't generally get snow.  So that meant southern Nevada.  I enjoy visiting Las Vegas quite a bit, but that area has grown so much, it's just insane for me to try and live there full time.  Last I knew, there was something like 2.2 million people in the greater Las Vegas metro area.  That's just more people than I wanted to deal with.  I'm used to living in a smaller area (my Washington town only has 35K people.)  Mesquite has about 20K people, and many are Snowbirds.

But best of all, is the location.  Mesquite is still in Nevada, it's only an hour or so from Las Vegas, and it's on the way to St. George.  (STG is only about 30 miles from here.)  I can have the best of Las Vegas nightlife and entertainment, shopping, and services.  Driving the other direction, I can be at Zion National Park in about 90 minutes.  Within a few hours past that are the four other Utah National Parks.  And when I want to visit family in Washington or vacation in Hawaii, I can drive to the Las Vegas airport and climb on a plane.

So all told, it's a perfect location for us.  My cost of living is much lower here - utilities cost less, sales taxes are lower, and my property taxes are half of what I was paying in Washington.  (The house we just bought in Mesquite has a mortgage with very similar numbers to our Washington house we sold, but I reduced our monthly costs by about 25%. That was a substantial savings.)  Oh yeah, and it's sunny today.  

The long thread all about our move is located here:  _[The beginning: The moving adventures ...]  _

Dave


----------



## LisaH (Sep 3, 2020)

Thanks for detailing the reasons for me. Living in CA, we are thinking about moving after DH retires (for the second time). Originally we want to live in HI for a while and that might still be the plan, but more and more friends are moving to NV (mainly Incline Village and Reno) for tax and political reasons. CA is just getting too liberal even for a life-long democrat like me. Your post gives me a lot to think about...


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

LisaH said:


> Thanks for detailing the reasons for me. Living in CA, we are thinking about moving after DH retires (for the second time). Originally we want to live in HI for a while and that might still be the plan, but more and more friends are moving to NV (mainly Incline Village and Reno) for tax and political reasons. CA is just getting too liberal even for a life-long democrat like me. Your post gives me a lot to think about...



I know how it is.  You need to live where you feel comfortable. I love California - born in Monterey, lived in a couple of northern coastal towns as a child, and later in San Diego for ten of my Navy years, I have a lot of family and friends in the Bay Area and in Southern California.  I'd be glad to go back, but when I did the math, I just couldn't afford to live there.

Despite @Passepartout's comments to the contrary, I'm not promoting Mesquite as "the" place to live.  It definitely is not for everyone.  But it's right for me. 

Dave


----------



## presley (Sep 3, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> As for me, I'm liking this weather a lot. My arthritic aches and pains has virtually disappeared. I don't feel the creak in my bones when I walk around. I like that. It's one of the reasons i wanted to move here.


If it removed my husband's arthritis, that would be a huge plus. Both he and myself love the desert climate. I've visited Vegas a few times in the summer and I love the feel of getting out of my car and having the hot wind blow my hair all over. I hate hot wind from hair dryers, but I love it when it's in the desert for some reason. 


DaveNV said:


> As I type this, at 7:30AM, it's 75 outside.


Hmm, I might need to check the temps every day, that sounds really good. That would be a very reasonable temp to walk my dogs. I also wouldn't mind washing my car at 5am if it was light enough outside. I like to be outside. In spite of me being inside most of the time, I like knowing that I can go outside whenever I want. I also like to know that I can go to the beach easily if I want to, however, I don't go enough to use that as an excuse to stay here. I do think I would adapt and probably easier than I am imagining it.


sun starved Gayle said:


> .It's not all bad weather in Washington State ! Here is the 10 day weather forecast for where I live in SW Washington State.


That forecast would totally put Washington back on my radar until Dave posted after you that it's not like that the rest of the year, lol. I love the Pacific Northwest, but I hate being cold and I hate wet/dampness. I think the most beautiful places in the country are all up there in Oregon and Washington - and Alaska! I just wish I didn't hate being cold and wet so much.

I think I will start considering Nevada again. I love southern California and would hate to leave, but at some point, the cost of living isn't going to support us staying here. I didn't want to be too far away from my kids, but now with COVID, I don't hang out with them anyway. One's moving to San Francisco next year and who knows what the other one will do. My dogs are between 10-13 years old. I'm not sure how much energy they'll have or even if they'll still be around by the time we'd move. So, our morning routine might not be an issue. We do think about Palm Springs area, but that's still California and that wouldn't help cut our expenses nearly enough to warrant the move, unless we were madly in love with the place.


----------



## geoand (Sep 3, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Right on all counts, and comments are okay.  We lived about an hour north of Seattle, in a very different real estate market.  We listed our house well above what the realtor thought was the right price (at my insistence), and it sold in ONE DAY for over the asking price.  The day it hit the market it was shown NINE times, and we received FIVE offers to buy.  Excellent experience.
> 
> The house we bought here in Mesquite was one we'd had an eye on since March, and that happened to still be for sale when we got here the first of July.  We knew the house needed to have some things updated, and we bought below their asking. Another good experience.  Now we're updating the house, making it "ours,"and getting ready to live here long term.  It's all good.
> 
> ...


Hope you have the legs for “shorts.”  Most guys DON’T


----------



## bogey21 (Sep 3, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I have my dogs on a schedule now, and we go out at 7:00AM and again at 7:00PM to visit the dog park down the street.



Don't know if your Dog Park has any shade.  Ours (in Texas) did.  Sometimes when I would take my German Shepherd to the Park he and I would end up socializing for hours, me with dog owners and he with other dogs.  The variety of people one meets at the Dog Park is amazing.  And there is always an "ice breaker" with a stranger.  Just start talking about their dog.  During the 5 or 6 years my dog and I went to the park we both made many friends...

George


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

presley said:


> If it removed my husband's arthritis, that would be a huge plus. Both he and myself love the desert climate. I've visited Vegas a few times in the summer and I love the feel of getting out of my car and having the hot wind blow my hair all over. I hate hot wind from hair dryers, but I love it when it's in the desert for some reason.
> Hmm, I might need to check the temps every day, that sounds really good. That would be a very reasonable temp to walk my dogs. I also wouldn't mind washing my car at 5am if it was light enough outside. I like to be outside. In spite of me being inside most of the time, I like knowing that I can go outside whenever I want. I also like to know that I can go to the beach easily if I want to, however, I don't go enough to use that as an excuse to stay here. I do think I would adapt and probably easier than I am imagining it.
> That forecast would totally put Washington back on my radar until Dave posted after you that it's not like that the rest of the year, lol. I love the Pacific Northwest, but I hate being cold and I hate wet/dampness. I think the most beautiful places in the country are all up there in Oregon and Washington - and Alaska! I just wish I didn't hate being cold and wet so much.
> 
> I think I will start considering Nevada again. I love southern California and would hate to leave, but at some point, the cost of living isn't going to support us staying here. I didn't want to be too far away from my kids, but now with COVID, I don't hang out with them anyway. One's moving to San Francisco next year and who knows what the other one will do. My dogs are between 10-13 years old. I'm not sure how much energy they'll have or even if they'll still be around by the time we'd move. So, our morning routine might not be an issue. We do think about Palm Springs area, but that's still California and that wouldn't help cut our expenses nearly enough to warrant the move, unless we were madly in love with the place.




I agree with your points, and know there is plenty to think about.  Like any good traveler, the smart thing to try would be to make a visit to this area, to experience it first hand.  Different times of year will bring a different experience, I'm sure.  If it was only going to be scorching hot year round, it might not be a good option.  Are you golfers?  I didn't mention there are (I think) six golf courses here. I don't golf, so often forget to mention that item.

The other fact that makes Mesquite an interesting option is the freeway.  It's located right on I-15.  So it's easy to get here, especially from Southern California.  My brother and Sister-in-Law in San Diego are planning to make the drive up later this year, after we're settled into our new house.

Here is an annual average temperature chart for Mesquite, if you want to look at things seriously:





Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

geoand said:


> Hope you have the legs for “shorts.”  Most guys DON’T



When I say "shorts" I'm talking about walking shorts, that come to my knees.  And from the knees to my socks, I'm as attractive as any other guy.  LOL! 

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

bogey21 said:


> Don't know if your Dog Park has any shade.  Ours (in Texas) did.  Sometimes when I would take my German Shepherd to the Park he and I would end up socializing for hours, me with dog owners and he with other dogs.  The variety of people one meets at the Dog Park is amazing.  And there is always an "ice breaker" with a stranger.  Just start talking about their dog.  During the 5 or 6 years my dog and I went to the park we both made many friends...
> 
> George




No shade at the one by my house.  Mainly grass and specimen plantings (so to speak. LOL!)  There's a tree, but it's in a planter kind of off the walkway area.  Not sure why it's there. It's beyond the "reach" of any dog - regardless of size. 

Dave


----------



## bogey21 (Sep 3, 2020)

You picked a good spot in Mesquite.  For years we would spend a week or two in Mesquite while attending the NASCAR races a Las Vegas Motor Speedway which is Northeast of Las Vegas and only a few miles West of Mesquite.  We loved the drive to St George but had to time it to avoid the sunlight in our eyes.   Beautiful drive.   We always stayed at the CasaBlanca in Mesquite which some may not know is a Casino/Hotel but with part of the hotel being TimeShare Weeks of which I owned one...

George


----------



## Beachclubmum (Sep 3, 2020)

Thinking if you in the desert as I just received a used book in the mail, ordered from Amazon. called Pay Dirt. Erle Stanley Gardner, known for Perry Mason, also wrote a bunch of short stories about the desert. The underlying coda in each story: The desert is a harsh mistress, cruel yet kind.

Hope this inspires you! Lol


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

bogey21 said:


> You picked a good spot in Mesquite.  For years we would spend a week or two in Mesquite while attending the NASCAR races a Las Vegas Motor Speedway which is Northeast of Las Vegas and only a few miles West of Mesquite.  We loved the drive to St George but had to time it to avoid the sunlight in our eyes.   Beautiful drive.   We always stayed at the CasaBlanca in Mesquite which some may not know is a Casino/Hotel but with part of the hotel being TimeShare Weeks of which I owned one...
> 
> George



I didn't know the CasaBlanca had timeshares.  They sell studio units there as condos, though, so I can see that.

Yes, for us, Mesquite is the right place to be. 

Dave


----------



## VacationForever (Sep 3, 2020)

We love the weather here in Southern Nevada and we play golf several times a week even in this summer heat.  We haven't found something to not love where we live.  Oh BTW, we love our 2800 sq ft single level condo with breathtaking views but we are heading out right now to look at a single family home within the same greater community where we live.  It will cost us an arm and a leg so a part of me wish that we won't like this home.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

Beachclubmum said:


> Thinking if you in the desert as I just received a used book in the mail, ordered from Amazon. called Pay Dirt. Erle Stanley Gardner, known for Perry Mason, also wrote a bunch of short stories about the desert. The underlying coda in each story: The desert is a harsh mistress, cruel yet kind.
> 
> Hope this inspires you! Lol



I have to agree. The desert can be amazing, but it must be respected.  I'm enjoying learning how to live here.

Dave


----------



## VacationForever (Sep 3, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I have to agree. The desert can be amazing, but it must be respected.  I'm enjoying learning how to live here.
> 
> Dave


Lots of sunblock and fluids...


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

VacationForever said:


> We love the weather here in Southern Nevada and we play golf several times a week even in this summer heat.  We haven't found something to not love where we live.  Oh BTW, we love our 2800 sq ft single level condo with breathtaking views but we are heading out right now to look at a single family home within the same greater community where we live.  It will cost us an arm and a leg so a part of me wish that we won't like this home.



I hear you.  When I first started to look into retiring to this area, I wanted a cheap little house or condo I could fix up.  By the time things got serious and I got here, my want list had grown.  I needed that 2 car garage. I needed privacy and space.  I wanted conveniences in the neighborhood.  I ended up spending more for the house than I had originally planned, but I got a lot more house that I thought I could afford. It's all good. 

Dave


----------



## Luanne (Sep 3, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I hear you.  When I first started to look into retiring to this area, I wanted a cheap little house or condo I could fix up.  By the time things got serious and I got here, my want list had grown.  I needed that 2 car garage. I needed privacy and space.  I wanted conveniences in the neighborhood.  I ended up spending more for the house than I had originally planned, but I got a lot more house that I thought I could afford. It's all good.
> 
> Dave


And don't forget, you *needed* a swimming pool.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

Luanne said:


> And don't forget, you *needed* a swimming pool.



Well, yeah.  Who doesn't?  LOL! 

Dave


----------



## Passepartout (Sep 3, 2020)

Hey Dave, You are in (or going to be in) a Del Webb community, right? I am envisioning monthly newsletters with a calendar of events, y'know, water exercise at 7:00 daily, Walking the trails at 8, Cooking with Nancy at 11, Puzzle time in the Activity Center at 2, and crafts at 3. Or something similar. Am I missing something, or is it totally different, and independent? 
I remember when Paula's dad was in a retirement community in Texas. He was a golfer and if he wanted to play, he put his clubs out by the mailbox on the street and someone who needed a fourth (or third) would stop and pick him up. But that was a different time and place.

Jim


----------



## Luanne (Sep 3, 2020)

Passepartout said:


> Hey Dave, You are in (or going to be in) a Del Webb community, right? I am envisioning monthly newsletters with a calendar of events, y'know, water exercise at 7:00 daily, Walking the trails at 8, Cooking with Nancy at 11, Puzzle time in the Activity Center at 2, and crafts at 3. Or something similar. Am I missing something, or is it totally different, and independent?
> I remember when Paula's dad was in a retirement community in Texas. He was a golfer and if he wanted to play, he put his clubs out by the mailbox on the street and someone who needed a fourth (or third) would stop and pick him up. But that was a different time and place.
> 
> Jim


My dad was a golfer as well.  My parents retired to a condo on a golf course in Upland, CA (to be closer to my sister and her family).  I "think" I remember Dad telling me there were times he'd just take his clubs out and play the course starting at their house.


----------



## rickandcindy23 (Sep 3, 2020)

I love watching this thread.  Your house looks great, and I am sure you will enjoy it for many years to come.  

We bought our plantation shutters at Steve's Blinds and Wallpaper.  It's online, we measured, they came in about four weeks, and Rick installed them.  We are so happy, and we saved so much over the Costco vendor prices.  I mean 75% savings.  We are going to buy a lot more of them from Steve's.  Our theater room has some dark wood ones, and they keep the room nice and dark and cooler on that south side of the house.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

Passepartout said:


> Hey Dave, You are in (or going to be in) a Del Webb community, right? I am envisioning monthly newsletters with a calendar of events, y'know, water exercise at 7:00 daily, Walking the trails at 8, Cooking with Nancy at 11, Puzzle time in the Activity Center at 2, and crafts at 3. Or something similar. Am I missing something, or is it totally different, and independent?
> I remember when Paula's dad was in a retirement community in Texas. He was a golfer and if he wanted to play, he put his clubs out by the mailbox on the street and someone who needed a fourth (or third) would stop and pick him up. But that was a different time and place.
> 
> Jim



Hey Jim,

Yes, Sun City Mesquite is a Del Webb community.  And yes, there is such a weekly newsletter.  Due to Covid-19, a lot of those activities are restricted or cancelled right now.  But in normal times, they'd happen. It's one of the things I found very appealing about living here.  

I can't speak to the golf clubs by the mailbox thing.  I'm not a golfer, and mailboxes here are those clustered boxes on every block. But I'm sure there must be a way for someone to signal to others that they're interested.  There is no golf course as part of the development, but the development is adjacent to one of the six(?) courses here. As I recall, owners here get a discount on greens fees at that course.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 3, 2020)

rickandcindy23 said:


> I love watching this thread.  Your house looks great, and I am sure you will enjoy it for many years to come.
> 
> We bought our plantation shutters at Steve's Blinds and Wallpaper.  It's online, we measured, they came in about four weeks, and Rick installed them.  We are so happy, and we saved so much over the Costco vendor prices.  I mean 75% savings.  We are going to buy a lot more of them from Steve's.  Our theater room has some dark wood ones, and they keep the room nice and dark and cooler on that south side of the house.



Thanks, Cindy! Glad you like it. It really is a nice house, hopefully to be even nicer when we're done with it. 

I'll look into Steve's Blinds.  I have measurements one of the estimators took. Might be a good way to go.  I'm balking a bit at the prices I'm being quoted. One is substantially higher than the other, but neither is what I'd consider a "good" price.  And we haven't even asked Costco for their vendor's price.   

Dave


----------



## WinniWoman (Sep 3, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Thanks!  I'm enjoying the process. Now that I've retired, I have time to focus on getting things done, rather than trying to coordinate things around my work schedule.  The hardest part of life here is waiting till the workmen can get to us.  They're all pretty slammed with work.  if anybody is job hunting, there is no shortage of opportunity here.
> 
> Lightning Grease is something I'll have to find.  I'm always looking for an e easier way to do something. Won't need it in the oven for awhile (getting a new stove) but if it works on other things, I'm shopping.
> 
> Dave



I hope you have a self cleaning oven!


----------



## WinniWoman (Sep 3, 2020)

geoand said:


> Hope you have the legs for “shorts.”  Most guys DON’T



Here in N.H. guys wear shorts in winter! No joke! Lol!


----------



## geist1223 (Sep 3, 2020)

After a while you will somewhat adjust to the heat as long as you do not shelter in AC all the time. Patti's sister and BIL live in Melbourne Beach Florida and have for 10 or so years. For them if it gets down into the 70's they put on sweaters. If it gets down into the 60's they are putting on puffy jackets or vests.


----------



## AnnaS (Sep 4, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Thanks!  I'm enjoying the process. Now that I've retired, I have time to focus on getting things done, rather than trying to coordinate things around my work schedule.  The hardest part of life here is waiting till the workmen can get to us.  They're all pretty slammed with work.  if anybody is job hunting, there is no shortage of opportunity here.
> 
> Lightning Grease is something I'll have to find.  I'm always looking for an e easier way to do something. Won't need it in the oven for awhile (getting a new stove) but if it works on other things, I'm shopping.
> 
> Dave



As far as workmen, same here.  You would think many people lost their jobs - but yes, many working from home.  We take long walks most of the mornings at the beach/park but many walks in our neighborhood too.  We see it driving too - work in homes has been non-stop.  My son, back in April/May - looked for contractors.  One to build a deck around his new above ground pool and one to completely gut out his kitchen/new kitchen/open concept.  He finally settled on two - one contractors started a month ago with the deck and has yet to finish.  A 3-4 day job is taking 5-6 weeks.  Very frustrating.  They have jobs lined up/busy.  Seems like they are going one day a week to each job.  Won't get into it.  Almost done now.  The other contractor was finally able to start this past Tuesday (had said Monday first/my son took off but a no go).  They have been working non-stop.  I guess that is a good thing.  

We don't normally use Lightning grease in the oven.  I tried the fume less (whatever it's called) Off and it does not work well.  If you find it - maybe Home Depot?  Need to ask hubby.  Works great on many things/spray/soak/scrub.  I was going to post a picture, but you can google  - faster


----------



## WinniWoman (Sep 4, 2020)

*We don't normally use Lightning grease in the oven.  I tried the fume less (whatever it's called) Off and it does not work well.  If you find it - maybe Home Depot?  Need to ask hubby.  Works great on many things/spray/soak/scrub.  I was going to post a picture, but you can google  - faster *

I know not of this cleaning of ovens people speak of. I have had self cleaning ovens since age 21 when I bought my first house! 





 Like Quote Reply 

Report


----------



## Sugarcubesea (Sep 4, 2020)

Dave, everthing looks great and I love the style of home you picked, I love that it has a little patio right off the entry of the home, that is such a nice feature.  Thanks for posting this, I'm still working on getting my house finalized so that I can put it up for sale... I work a ton of hours so we only have the weekends to get the home ready. After losing out on 8 bids, we have decided not to purchase a new home until we have put our house up for sale. If we can not find what we like we will rent and take out time.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 4, 2020)

AnnaS said:


> As far as workmen, same here.  You would think many people lost their jobs - but yes, many working from home.  We take long walks most of the mornings at the beach/park but many walks in our neighborhood too.  We see it driving too - work in homes has been non-stop.  My son, back in April/May - looked for contractors.  One to build a deck around his new above ground pool and one to completely gut out his kitchen/new kitchen/open concept.  He finally settled on two - one contractors started a month ago with the deck and has yet to finish.  A 3-4 day job is taking 5-6 weeks.  Very frustrating.  They have jobs lined up/busy.  Seems like they are going one day a week to each job.  Won't get into it.  Almost done now.  The other contractor was finally able to start this past Tuesday (had said Monday first/my son took off but a no go).  They have been working non-stop.  I guess that is a good thing.
> 
> We don't normally use Lightning grease in the oven.  I tried the fume less (whatever it's called) Off and it does not work well.  If you find it - maybe Home Depot?  Need to ask hubby.  Works great on many things/spray/soak/scrub.  I was going to post a picture, but you can google  - faster



We've had similar experiences with contractors we've talked to here.  One company gave us a flooring bid, and it took nearly four days for the estimator to contact me to answer some questions about it.  You'd think if they wanted my work, they'd have tried harder.  I was in touch with the company's office each of those days, but they said he hadn't been into the office - he was working early until after-hours doing all the estimating on-site they had laid out for him.  When he did finally call back, it was at nearly 8:00 at night.  Busy outfit.

The paint contractor has been more reasonable.  We talked about scheduling, and he said he doesn't want to to have to stop working on my house to go to another job.  So we's arranging things so that when he starts work at my house, he'll stick with it till it's done.  Only a few days to do it, but better to get it done all at once, rather than dragging it out.  I agree.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 4, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> I know not of this cleaning of ovens people speak of. I have had self cleaning ovens since age 21 when I bought my first house!



Same here.  Self-cleaning is the way to go.  But sometimes you need a bit of extra help.  I can see where a product like Lightning Grease would be helpful for that, or for cleaning other greasy messes.  In the case of these cabinets, they're made of a high-end cherry wood. The fronts and frames just need a good scrubbing with a good cleaning agent.  I've been told by another homeowner friend here who has the same cabinets that she used some Murphy's Oil Soap with a bit of ammonia mixed, followed by a wipe-down with Liquid Gold really did the trick.  Her cabinets look great. We'll see.

Dave


----------



## presley (Sep 4, 2020)

Have you talked to pool contractors, yet? I'm wondering if the wind would keep tossing dirt/sand into the pool? In spite of not being in a windy area, my yard, car, pool cover all get covered in dust quickly. I tend to think of my area as a dirty, dusty place. I'm imagining that living in the desert would be worse. I haven't seen those issues staying at timeshares in the desert, but people are always out cleaning up the common areas at those places.


----------



## Sugarcubesea (Sep 4, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I'm thinking if it's an issue, it'd only be on the rear fence, since that's a "common area" along the roadway. They have a long list of HOA rules here.  Since there is already screening on the side fences, I may have an "in" with asking to put it on the rear fence, too, since they all connect. Raising the height on the one side from 18 inches to five feet is a natural idea.  The Building Code here requires a five foot fence minimum around a swimming pool, so at least I won't need to change the fence height.  These fences are iron - some sort of square tubing, not sure if they're wrought iron or not - but they weigh a ton, and are very expensive.  All we need to add are two five-foot security gates at the end of the fencing along the sides of the house.
> 
> Here's a view of the back yard, over that rear fence.
> 
> ...



I'm more in love with your new house everyday.... I love this backyard


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 4, 2020)

Sugarcubesea said:


> Dave, everthing looks great and I love the style of home you picked, I love that it has a little patio right off the entry of the home, that is such a nice feature.  Thanks for posting this, I'm still working on getting my house finalized so that I can put it up for sale... I work a ton of hours so we only have the weekends to get the home ready. After losing out on 8 bids, we have decided not to purchase a new home until we have put our house up for sale. If we can not find what we like we will rent and take out time.



Thanks very much.  The home layout is great, and that central courtyard entry really makes it worthwhile.  There is a sliding door off the kitchen that makes it convenient for serving meals in the courtyard.

I hope you can find time to sell your home, and that you'll get top dollar for it.  I was told by my realtor here that having your current home at least in escrow makes purchasing easier. She said Sellers don't want to hassle with contingent offers that require waiting for someone to list and sell their current home.  Of the five offers I got when selling my Washington home, none had a contingency to sell a current home.  So you selling first makes a lot of sense.  Using that escalating offer clause technique will really make your offer stand out.  Good luck!

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 4, 2020)

presley said:


> Have you talked to pool contractors, yet? I'm wondering if the wind would keep tossing dirt/sand into the pool? In spite of not being in a windy area, my yard, car, pool cover all get covered in dust quickly. I tend to think of my area as a dirty, dusty place. I'm imagining that living in the desert would be worse. I haven't seen those issues staying at timeshares in the desert, but people are always out cleaning up the common areas at those places.



We've only had one pool contractor out to the house so far, and we did have a discussion about landscaping plants that drop leaves, and reducing the general maintenance work for the pool. I'd planned to speak with a few neighbors who have pools, about their experience. Our pool won't be terribly big (12X20 is about all that we want), so I'm hoping it won't be difficult to maintain.  Keeping it covered when not in use will also help.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 4, 2020)

It occurs to me that it might be helpful if everyone could see the layout of the house we got.  This is the floorplan:





As I mentioned, they aren't building this plan here any longer, so the only way to get it is through the resale market.  Of the dozen or so floorplans they started with, and the fifteen or so they're building now, this one is still our favorite.  It's all about that enclosed courtyard. 

Dave


----------



## rickandcindy23 (Sep 4, 2020)

That is a great floorplan.  

I always give Costco's vendors a chance to get my business, but the local company was crazy expensive for all of the shutters we need in our house.  

The one thing about Steve's is the directions were not good for hanging the shutters.  He figured it out, but I am sure there were You Tube videos.  Those videos are out there for everything.  

Just an example, we got our kitchen cabinets for our rental property and the directions were vague.  They are made in China, and so they had diagrams.  Rick found a You Tube video for our specific cabinets and the guy had pointers that were so helpful and saved us hours of work.  I love the cabinets.  I will post the pictures when we are done with the kitchen.  Rick is currently doing the granite himself.   We bought it from Floor and Decor and saved at least $3,000.  He is watching You Tube videos for that as well.  

With cleaning Rick's stepmom's house of junk and treasures and stuff to donate, Rick's plate is full.  I don't see the townhouse getting finished anytime soon.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 4, 2020)

Sugarcubesea said:


> I'm more in love with your new house everyday.... I love this backyard



Thanks!  We think once we get things dialed in to how we want it, with the right landscaping, the pool, and the right hardscape, it's going to be very pleasant.  We were there at sunset yesterday, and the views of the Virgin Mountains to the southeast were pretty amazing. (It looks higher, but that rear fence is only five feet high - the minimum height required if we have a pool.  It's about a fifteen foot drop to the street on the other side.)





We're deciding where to place a couple of lounge chairs under that tree in the back, so we can enjoy that sunset view. Jeff took this one too, as the sun got closer to dropping behind the mesa to the west:





I think once things are all done back there, it'll be really pleasant and peaceful.

Dave


----------



## Panina (Sep 4, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Same here.  Self-cleaning is the way to go.  But sometimes you need a bit of extra help.  I can see where a product like Lightning Grease would be helpful for that, or for cleaning other greasy messes.  In the case of these cabinets, they're made of a high-end cherry wood. The fronts and frames just need a good scrubbing with a good cleaning agent.  I've been told by another homeowner friend here who has the same cabinets that she used some Murphy's Oil Soap with a bit of ammonia mixed, followed by a wipe-down with Liquid Gold really did the trick.  Her cabinets look great. We'll see.
> 
> Dave


If you have any issues will color wearing off “Restor A Finish Liquid by Howard” is easy to use and is a miracle product.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 4, 2020)

Panina said:


> If you have any issues will color wearing off “Restor A Finish Liquid by Howard” is easy to use and is a miracle product.



Thanks!  Good to know.  I use Howard Feed-n-Wax on some natural wood bowls I have, to keep things from drying out.  Stuff works great.

Dave


----------



## sun starved Gayle (Sep 4, 2020)

presley said:


> That forecast would totally put Washington back on my radar until Dave posted after you that it's not like that the rest of the year, lol. I love the Pacific Northwest, but I hate being cold and I hate wet/dampness. I think the most beautiful places in the country are all up there in Oregon and Washington - and Alaska! I just wish I didn't hate being cold and wet so much.


Presley, before you take Washington State entirely off your list, you might consider looking at Sequim, Washington. This is in what is know as the "banana belt", in the Olympic rain shadow. It has a very large retirement community and only gets on average 18 inches of rain a year. In contrast, Forks, Washington just 90 miles west, where parts of the movie Twilight was filmed is in the rain forest and gets an average of 120 inches a year !  It's still not the desert though, so it does get cold. Pretty moderate climate though.









						Home
					

Welcome to the Sequim Chamber of Commerce. We represent the business community of Sequim a town located in the North Olympic Peninsula.




					sequimchamber.com
				








__





						Sequim Tourism, WA - Official Website | Official Website
					






					www.visitsunnysequim.com
				




A quote from an article": We're called the “*banana*-*belt*” in Sequim because we have the best weather, fewest rainy and most sunny days, in Western *Washington*. In fact I've heard pilots refer to the “blue hole” over Sequim. When it's dark and gloomy on the coast and around Seattle, it's generally pleasant here."

Also, anything east of the Cascades is generally much sunnier than the west or "wet" side of the mountains.


----------



## AnnaS (Sep 7, 2020)

I don’t think I had the name correct if you google . Posting picture just in case


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 7, 2020)

AnnaS said:


> I don’t think I had the name correct if you google . Posting picture just in case ☺



Thanks for the picture.  I hadn't tried to locate it yet.   

Dave


----------



## isisdave (Sep 7, 2020)

Krud Kutter works pretty well on most everything, too.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 9, 2020)

Painting company is starting interior painting today.  WooHoo!    

Dave


----------



## Sugarcubesea (Sep 9, 2020)

isisdave said:


> Krud Kutter works pretty well on most everything, too.



Thanks for the recommendation, I just ordered some of this...


----------



## presley (Sep 9, 2020)

I just had 2 days of temperatures in the 100 teens. I decided that I can't do more than that in a row. I'll have to live there vicariously through you.


----------



## Luanne (Sep 9, 2020)

We are here in the high desert.  Temps have been in the high 80's to low 90's. This is what we woke up to today.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 9, 2020)

It was a low of 63 here overnight. Weather is being weird. 

Dave


----------



## presley (Sep 9, 2020)

Dave, are you getting any smoke/ash from California? I only had one day where ash took over my street in this round. I've been fortunate this time.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 9, 2020)

presley said:


> Dave, are you getting any smoke/ash from California? I only had one day where ash took over my street in this round. I've been fortunate this time.



There have been a few days with a strong haze, and two days ago I could swear I smelled the scent of burnt plastic. But the winds kicked up, and things cleared out.  It's a beautiful blue sky day today, clear view of the mountains in the distance, and we had a high of 80 degrees.  It was epic.  

Dave


----------



## amycurl (Sep 10, 2020)

Whew--I am BEHIND! I love Iggy. 
*goes back to catch up on the five pages of this thread that I had totally somehow missed*

Also, pool. *sigh*

We got a bonus week of our pool this week, only to have it be gray, rainy, overcast and kind of cool all frickin' week. THANKS 2020! Blerg.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 13, 2020)

Today's Update:

Paint is so weird.  We'd chosen paint colors for the new house based on colors we'd had previously at our Washington home.  Since we intended to install the same hickory hardwood floors we had up north, it made sense to use the same colors here that worked there.  And sure enough, they're now on the walls, and look awesome.

What's weird is how light plays tricks on your eyes.  The same color in different angles of light seems to change to another color. So even though we've only used three colors on the interior walls, it looks like a range of different shades of colors.  I don't mind, but it's hard to take pictures of the walls that actually represents the colors accurately.

These images below are the paint codes we used, with the paint manufacturers' color chips, and a few snapshots we took today.  For as much as it looks like we have different colors all over the place, most walls are the lightest color.  There are a few walls of the middle color, and only two walls with the darkest color.  The ceilings are white.  (Note that the flooring has not yet been changed.  After it's done, with the exception of ceramic tile in the Kitchen and Bathrooms, the rest of the floors will be hickory engineered hardwood.)

  

Circular Entry Foyer, and part of the Living Room. Media Wall is on the right:




Foyer, through the Den, toward Guest Bedroom:




Master Bedroom, with accent wall on the right:




Master Bedroom, other end of the accent wall, and windows that look into the back yard:




Dining Room area taken from the Living Room. The wall to the right and area under the granite countertop are the only two walls painted the darkest of the three colors we used:




These colors look more even in person than these images show.  But this is the best I can do right now. 

Painting is mostly done.  We'll find out this week when the flooring will go in.  Appliances should be here within about two more weeks.  At this pace, we hope to move in by the first of October. Wish us luck! 

Dave


----------



## rickandcindy23 (Sep 13, 2020)

Love the paint choices.  Looks good.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 13, 2020)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Love the paint choices.  Looks good.



Thanks!  It'll look even better with the new floors, and some furniture. 

Dave


----------



## amycurl (Sep 13, 2020)

I love the color choices, and the sparing (but effective) use of the darkest color (nice way to anchor the kitchen in an otherwise open and bright space.) Please keep the pics coming!


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 13, 2020)

amycurl said:


> I love the color choices, and the sparing (but effective) use of the darkest color (nice way to anchor the kitchen in an otherwise open and bright space.) Please keep the pics coming!



Thanks, Amy!  The darkest color is a deep chocolate shade that does anchor the kitchen counter.  (The sink is behind that countertop.)  The only other wall that color is visible on the left in the very first image, and on the right of the last image.  That's both ends of an "art niche" wall about six feet wide.  We have a dynamic rendering of Van Gogh's "Cafe Terrace" that will hang there.  It's 3.5 feet by 5 feet in size, and will be striking on that wall. Stay tuned! 

This is the image of the Van Gogh rendering we have:  (Ours is much bigger than this one.)





Dave


----------



## Panina (Sep 14, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Today's Update:
> 
> Paint is so weird.  We'd chosen paint colors for the new house based on colors we'd had previously at our Washington home.  Since we intended to install the same hickory hardwood floors we had up north, it made sense to use the same colors here that worked there.  And sure enough, they're now on the walls, and look awesome.
> 
> ...


So nice and not only light affects paint color but once your new floors are in it will reflect once again a bit differently.


----------



## WinniWoman (Sep 14, 2020)

I know in our other house before I chose a paint color, what I did was hang the samples up in each room and throughout the day would take a look to see how the light affected it.

In this current house, the builder painted the whole thing cottage cream- definitely not a color I would have chosen (and because it is a small house I definitely would have painted the whole house one color). I probably would have wanted gray or taupe/sand type color (I had a gorgeous tone of this from Benjamin Moore in my other house's living room. Always got complimented on it).

However, now upon having everything is place, pictures up on the walls, etc., and being in the house a lot, it actually has grown on me and I don't mind it at all. It's neutral enough and makes the house look bigger. I have been in many of the other homes here and most people paid extra money and went with various shades of gray in the same homes as ours and also in the bigger homes. And in many of the homes different colors for each room.

I now know if/when we ever do paint again it will not be gray. I will go with either a darker or lighter shade of white than the trim is, or something like that, for the whole house. I now actually do not like the grays I have seen for this house.


----------



## WinniWoman (Sep 14, 2020)

The colors look really nice, Dave.

In our other house we used different colors in each room, as it was a big salt box house with a lot of separation between the rooms. In fact some of the rooms that were big we would also use 2 colors. And sometimes the shades were just slightly off so that you almost could not tell (well- I could). Other rooms it was more defined with light and dark colors.

I like the use of your rare wood color- almost like a light black/dark chocolate. Blacks/dark browns make everything pop! I always try to have something in a room with black for that reason. Even my last kitchen I used espresso color cabinets for my island and opposite wall from the cream and red maple ones. Sounds weird but it worked beautifully.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 14, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> The colors look really nice, Dave.
> 
> I like the use of your rare wood color- almost like a light black/dark chocolate. Blacks/dark browns make everything pop!



Thanks!  It's hard to tell with the computerized colors, but in real life it's a very, very deep chocolate brown - definitely not black.  We used eggshell paint, so there is a faint sheen to things, and the walls have a really unusual texture.  So in combination, those dark walls (the Rare Wood color) look almost like leather.  The middle color walls (the Smokey Topaz color) look like a warm saddle color.  And the lighter ones (the Only Natural color) is a great desert shade, evocative of what is happening in the hills around here.  The combination, with our hickory flooring, will be very warm, comfortable, and pleasant to live with. It's going to be great.

I should mention we'll have three bar stools in front of that granite countertop, so the starkness of the dark color there will be kind of disguised.

Dave


----------



## WinniWoman (Sep 14, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Thanks!  It's hard to tell with the computerized colors, but in real life it's a very, very deep chocolate brown - definitely not black.  We used eggshell paint, so there is a faint sheen to things, and the walls have a really unusual texture.  So in combination, those dark walls (the Rare Wood color) look almost like leather.  The middle color walls (the Smokey Topaz color) look like a warm saddle color.  And the lighter ones (the Only Natural color) is a great desert shade, evocative of what is happening in the hills around here.  The combination, with our hickory flooring, will be very warm, comfortable, and pleasant to live with. It's going to be great.
> 
> I should mention we'll have three bar stools in front of that granite countertop, so the starkness of the dark color there will be kind of disguised.
> 
> Dave




Yes! Your walls look great but the floors will definitely tie everything together! Then the furniture! I can only imagine!

I really like eggshell paint. Had that in our other home. Easy to clean also. 

Unfortunately, the builder for this house used that awful flat type paint. Probably the cheapest he could get. LOL! It's ok. At least it is easy to touch up when necessary. He gave me some paint for that. One thing good about it is it is very forgiving for any flaws in the sheet rock (not that there are many).


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 14, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> Yes! Your walls look great but the floors will definitely tie everything together! Then the furniture! I can only imagine!
> 
> I really like eggshell paint. Had that in our other home. Easy to clean also.
> 
> Unfortunately, the builder for this house used that awful flat type paint. Probably the cheapest he could get. LOL! It's ok. At least it is easy to touch up when necessary. He gave me some paint for that. One thing good about it is it is very forgiving for any flaws in the sheet rock (not that there are many).



We chose the eggshell so it can be cleaned.  My dogs like to scrape their faces along the baseboards and lower wall corners.  It leaves marks on the paint that need to be washed off.  This house has bullnose corners on the sheetrock, so it'll be easy to keep it wiped clean.

Not a fan of flat paint - it tends to leave scrub marks.  Or at least the builder-grade paint in our old house did.

Dave


----------



## Luanne (Sep 14, 2020)

@DaveNV  in the pictures one of the walls looks more yellow in the kitchen. I'm guessing that is the more neutral color and the yellow is just due to the light.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 14, 2020)

Yes.  Same lighter color.  There are only those three colors on all the walls now.  In that same picture you see, the vertical wall section on the right of the image, next to the darkest color, is that same lighter shade.  That was what I meant about light playing tricks on your eyes.  

Once we're in the house and the floors are done, and our furniture is in there and such, I expect things will settle down some.  Maybe.  

Dave


----------



## pittle (Sep 14, 2020)

I  know what you mean about how the paint colors change!  We once saw a paint color in a model home and I asked the builder the color.  When we painted our condo those colors, it had a pinkish tone that I hated in the afternoon.  I did some rag painting with a grayish taupe over it to tone it down.

At our home here in AZ, some days our rooms look off-white and others, it looks taupe depending on the time of the day and the lighting at night! I like ours better at night when it looks more taupe.  Hubs likes the lighter look that we have in the morning.  I did finally get him to paint our bathrooms a couple of shades darker and love it as that had been my first choice for the entire house.

It is amazing how so much bright daylight in NV & AZ affects the colors inside.!

Congrats on the new house!


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 14, 2020)

pittle said:


> Congrats on the new house!



Thanks, Phyllis!  For as weird as these colors seem in these pictures, they look excellent in person. It's all about the lighting. 

Dave


----------



## pedro47 (Sep 15, 2020)

When select paint colors you need to know the amount of tint that was added to achieve your paint color. IMHO.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 15, 2020)

pedro47 said:


> When select paint colors you need to know the amount of tint that was added to achieve your paint color. IMHO.



I just went with the paint color chips they had at the paint store.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 18, 2020)

Updating furniture.  Kind of. 

We have a number of pieces of quarter-sawn oak furniture, in kind of a Mission style.  We've owned them nearly 20 years, and really like them.  The dining room table has eight chairs, each of which was covered in a nondescript, rather boring upholstery.  They're comfortable seats, but we've been talking for years that we'd like to have them reupholstered.





While shopping online for everything else (it seems) we need for this house, I tried to find an online upholstery fabric store.  I stumbled across one that seemed to have a decent selection of remnants that were of a good quality, at a fair price.  I found one pattern that seemed especially suited to the Southwest design style we're trying to go for.  I bought the entire remnant, about 7.5 yards. It cost me just over $100.  A nice price, if the fabric was good.

When the fabric arrived, we were both absolutely blown away with the quality.  It's a heavyweight chenille, with strong colors and consistent pattern.  I hoped we'd be able to get the eight chair seats redone, if there was enough fabric.  I started looking around town here in Mesquite for an upholstery shop, not expecting I'd have any luck.

Boy, was I wrong.  I found a guy who has worked as an upholsterer for 60 years.  (Yes, SIXTY years.)  He's a widower who went back to work after losing his wife several years ago.  The guy is sharp as a tack, and does phenomenal work.  I explained what I wanted to do, and he said it was no problem.  I disassembled the chair seats from their frames, and took them with the fabric to his shop.

Four days later, (yes FOUR DAYS!!), he called and said things were done.  We went in, and were blown away with the workmanship of what he'd done.  All eight chair seats were done, with exact precision.  The pattern was located in the same place on each seat.  What a professional job!





So then he says, "What do you want to do with the rest of the fabric?  There's a lot left over."  I was shocked!  He'd gotten eight chair seats out of the remnant, and had enough leftover to ask what else we might want?  Seriously??  We talked about options, and ended up asking for two throw pillows for the couch, and a table runner for the dining room table.  He said no problem, and had them done in TWO DAYS.  I picked them up today.  Simply outstanding.

Our dining room in the new house is going to look great, and I am very, very pleased. 





This guy is really helping us to make our home in the desert. 

Dave


----------



## Panina (Sep 18, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Updating furniture.  Kind of.
> 
> We have a number of pieces of quarter-sawn oak furniture, in kind of a Mission style.  We've owned them nearly 20 years, and really like them.  The dining room table has eight chairs, each of which was covered in a nondescript, rather boring upholstery.  They're comfortable seats, but we've been talking for years that we'd like to have them reupholstered.
> 
> ...


Love this story. What a difference in the chairs, like new, beautiful and finding the upholsterer was a great find.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 18, 2020)

Panina said:


> Love this story. What a difference in the chairs, like new, beautiful and finding the upholsterer was a great find.



We were very surprised.  I expected we'd have to travel out of town to find someone, and wait forever for it to be completed.  He was really good, very fast, and quite affordable.  To have the eight seats redone, (with new foam), two 20" throw pillows, and a 6.5 foot table runner all custom made, in less than a week, cost just $746, including tax.  Throw in the $102 I spent on the fabric, and we're out the door for less than $850. I'm really happy right now. 

Dave


----------



## Glynda (Sep 18, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Updating furniture.  Kind of.
> 
> We have a number of pieces of quarter-sawn oak furniture, in kind of a Mission style.  We've owned them nearly 20 years, and really like them.  The dining room table has eight chairs, each of which was covered in a nondescript, rather boring upholstery.  They're comfortable seats, but we've been talking for years that we'd like to have them reupholstered.
> 
> ...



That fabric made all the difference! Just right for the style of chair and your home yet subtle as to not take away from the design of the chairs!  Great find!


----------



## klpca (Sep 18, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Updating furniture.  Kind of.
> 
> We have a number of pieces of quarter-sawn oak furniture, in kind of a Mission style.  We've owned them nearly 20 years, and really like them.  The dining room table has eight chairs, each of which was covered in a nondescript, rather boring upholstery.  They're comfortable seats, but we've been talking for years that we'd like to have them reupholstered.
> 
> ...


Beautiful!


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 19, 2020)

Glynda said:


> That fabric made all the difference! Just right for the style of chair and your home yet subtle as to not take away from the design of the chairs!  Great find!



Thanks!  It certainly renews the table and chairs a lot, doesn't it?  I was surprised to find a fabric so exactly perfect online, for a great price, and have it work so well in the end project.  Really felt great.  The upholsterer kept saying how great a fabric it was, and how nice it was for him to work with a quality product, and such.  He was awesome to work with, and the finished product was exactly as I had pictured.  i'm now looking around, trying to figure out what else I could have him work on. 

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 19, 2020)

klpca said:


> Beautiful!



Thanks, Katherine. I'm pretty happy right now. 

Dave


----------



## WinniWoman (Sep 19, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Updating furniture.  Kind of.
> 
> We have a number of pieces of quarter-sawn oak furniture, in kind of a Mission style.  We've owned them nearly 20 years, and really like them.  The dining room table has eight chairs, each of which was covered in a nondescript, rather boring upholstery.  They're comfortable seats, but we've been talking for years that we'd like to have them reupholstered.
> 
> ...




Wow! They look fantastic!


----------



## AnnaS (Sep 19, 2020)

I love it!!! Great idea with the table runner and pillows


----------



## linsj (Sep 19, 2020)

@DaveNV, great story! What's the url for the online fabric store?


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 19, 2020)

linsj said:


> @DaveNV, great story! What's the url for the online fabric store?



It was fabricguru.com. I'm sure there are other companies out there.  I just happened across their site.  When I placed the order, I received the remnant in about a week.  Pretty fast service.  I'd definitely buy from them again.

Dave


----------



## Monykalyn (Sep 19, 2020)

Love love love the house! Love the courtyard design!


DaveNV said:


> As for me, I'm liking this weather a lot. My arthritic aches and pains has virtually disappeared. I don't feel the creak in my bones when I walk around. I like that. It's one of the reasons i wanted to move here. Would I go back to Washington to live? No. I'll modify my life and lifestyle to fit the climate here. By next year I'll probably be so adapted, I'll be out and about in the hot temps and think nothing of it, and then freezing when it gets below 100. We'll have to see.


 Live in midwest, but I have asthma that always "disappears" in the desert when we go to Las Vegas. I forget how nice it is to breathe freely and _deeply_ lol! Although with 2 kids and a grand in Florida I suspect eventually we will end up some place with more humidity eventually.


DaveNV said:


> This is the floorplan:


 Wonderful layout.  Wondering if you guys like the tub in masterbath? We have a huge ginormous (I can sit in it with legs stretched out and I'm 5'7") corner jetted tub that I despise -would like to rip that out and put in larger shower. Your layout I am imagining a wonderful walk-in shower with "carwash" style tons of shower heads/sprayers...



DaveNV said:


> darkest of the three colors we used:


 Gorgeous colors! Love the accent colors. Lucky you had a color that worked for you so well previously. Painted living room this summer and I had 12 (yes twelve) different sample paints/swatches on walls before could find one I like. 
Those colors must be stunning with the fabulous views...


DaveNV said:


> he pattern was located in the same place on each seat.


 oh my gosh how that fabric transformed the look!! 
Um---been 10 years in current house-wanna come decorate for me?

Suspect you will have no trouble acclimating and in a year find that you laugh at yourself when you put jackets on for "cold" weather of 75 degrees. 
Have one kid that just moved to Seattle for grad school at UofW. She says she won't mind the not sunny days-we will see. 

You've got to be close to move-in day??


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 19, 2020)

The momentum is finally starting in earnest.  Timeline updates:

Interior painting is completed, except for a few touchups that will happen this coming week, September 21. Two new toilet fixtures and a patio roll-down shade are going in this coming week as well.

Hardwood flooring we ordered was delayed, due to availability of the make/color we'd chosen.  It will finally arrive this coming week.  Barring any further delays, the old flooring, tile, and carpeting will be removed this coming Friday, September 25, and the new hardwood landed. It will be allowed to acclimate over the weekend, and then will be installed starting Monday, September 28.  Installation should take two to three days.  We'll be able to deep clean the house over the weekend after the old flooring is gone, to be ready for the new flooring to be put in.

Kitchen appliances are due to be delivered September 25.  Installation will happen the week of September 28.  They can be installed without impacting the flooring work.

Laundry appliances are due to be delivered October 2nd, and will be installed anytime after that date.

Starting any time after the flooring and kitchen appliances are installed, we'll begin the process of moving from the rental.  We have only unpacked the basics, so we have a mountain of boxes to move.  I have rented a pickup for a week at a time over a several week timeline, not sure of which week(s) we'll need it.  The plan is to move a pickup load of boxes at a time, unpacking and putting things away as we go.  Sorting and eliminating what is not needed will happen during that process. Excess will be donated, given away, or sent to the dump.  We aren't planning to fill the new house with things we don't need or won't use.

After the boxes are moved, we'll have one day with a larger truck rental (and some hired muscle) to move furniture to the new house. I expect that will happen the week of October 5. We'll come back and clean the rental house we're vacating, and turn in the keys before the rent comes due again, which is October 15.  The owners have been excellent to work with, and they'll work with us on whatever timeline we need. Once we're out of the rental, they'll turn around and rent to someone else, likely a Snowbird who will be here for the Winter.

Once we're fully landed in the new house, the lesser changes will happen.  We have a number of new light fixtures (three inside and five outside) to install, new interior door hardware and hinges, and a patio ceiling fan.  A new front door is on order.  Two sets of patio furniture and a kitchen island need to be assembled and set up.  A few new living room and bedroom furniture pieces are on order, and will be delivered over the next few weeks. 

The swimming pool discussion is still underway - no decisions have been made as yet. There are questions about which companies have control over this town.  It's kind of a "no man's land" area of overlapping territories, and the state line being on the edge of town comes into play.  Some Utah companies are not allowed to cross the state line to install in Nevada.  The better pool companies in Nevada are in Las Vegas, and I'm told they're reluctant to travel the distance to install in Mesquite.  The conversation continues.  

All in, the upcoming holidays are going to be very nice.  

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 19, 2020)

Monykalyn said:


> Love love love the house! Love the courtyard design!



Thanks!  It's always been our favorite layout for this area.  People in the neighborhood tend to mind their own business, but there is something especially nice about having a private courtyard like this. There is direct access via sliding glass doors from the kitchen, making it a great breakfast spot. We plan to put in a lighted fountain, some potted plants, and a sun shade of some variety.  With the new patio table and chairs, it should be a very comfortable place to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet.



Monykalyn said:


> Live in midwest, but I have asthma that always "disappears" in the desert when we go to Las Vegas. I forget how nice it is to breathe freely and _deeply_ lol! Although with 2 kids and a grand in Florida I suspect eventually we will end up some place with more humidity eventually.



I had that discussion with my daughter in Washington, who wasn't happy we were moving out of state.  I explained we were still a phone call away, just like before.  Just that the driving distance from her house to ours would be a bit longer. 



Monykalyn said:


> Wonderful layout.  Wondering if you guys like the tub in masterbath? We have a huge ginormous (I can sit in it with legs stretched out and I'm 5'7") corner jetted tub that I despise -would like to rip that out and put in larger shower. Your layout I am imagining a wonderful walk-in shower with "carwash" style tons of shower heads/sprayers...



The garden tub in the master bath is not something we're ever likely to use.  It's not jetted, and we are not bathtub people anyway. The entire bathroom would benefit from a facelift, and plans are to tackle that later.  We'd like to remove both the tub and current fiberglass molded shower, and do a large tiled shower space.  We've discussed possibly making it into a steam shower. The vanity countertop is a dated "cultured marble" style that we'd like to change, too. Things as-is are okay for now, but we'd definitely like to update things at some point.



Monykalyn said:


> Gorgeous colors! Love the accent colors. Lucky you had a color that worked for you so well previously. Painted living room this summer and I had 12 (yes twelve) different sample paints/swatches on walls before could find one I like.
> Those colors must be stunning with the fabulous views...



The colors are really nice, and we're looking forward to living with them again, especially with the extra light we have here.  They worked beautifully in our previous home with the same flooring we're having put in here, so it should be a nice thing.  The covered patio is a natural extension of the interior living area, and we'll have seating there that ties in with the same color scheme.



Monykalyn said:


> oh my gosh how that fabric transformed the look!!
> Um---been 10 years in current house-wanna come decorate for me?



HAHA! No thanks.  I think we've got a pretty full plate here already.  But there are so many tools available now, you can make an adventure of it.  The new fabric on the chairs really is nice.  It'll help tie things together well, I think, and make a nice transition.  We're trying to blend our Mission furniture style with a good Southwestern color palette and decor, without going "cowboy."  It's a bit of a delicate dance. 



Monykalyn said:


> Suspect you will have no trouble acclimating and in a year find that you laugh at yourself when you put jackets on for "cold" weather of 75 degrees.
> Have one kid that just moved to Seattle for grad school at UofW. She says she won't mind the not sunny days-we will see.



Weather is something people don't really consider.  The lack of sunshine has a tangible effect on people.  For those who haven't lived it, it doesn't seem like it's such a big deal.  But after living with it a long time, and knowing there is no recourse, people do start to feel the effects. Hope your daughter enjoys her Seattle experience. UW is a great school.



Monykalyn said:


> You've got to be close to move-in day??



See the post above.  We expect to be in the house within the next two to three weeks.  Fingers crossed!  

Dave


----------



## WinniWoman (Sep 19, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> The momentum is finally starting in earnest.  Timeline updates:
> 
> Interior painting is completed, except for a few touchups that will happen this coming week, September 21. Two new toilet fixtures and a patio roll-down shade are going in this coming week as well.
> 
> ...




I can't believe how much you guys have accomplished in such a short time frame! Good for you!


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 19, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> I can't believe how much you guys have accomplished in such a short time frame! Good for you!



Thanks, we can't believe it either.  But my hemorrhaging bank account knows it all too well.  LOL!  

Dave


----------



## NWTRVLRS (Sep 19, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Hi Lisa.  The shortest answer:  It's in a perfect location for us.  Draw an X on the map from here, and in each of those four directions are family, friends, or locations where we like to spend our time. We could not be more centrally located.
> 
> The longer answer:  The decision to move from Washington was mainly all about the weather.  I retired in March, and my husband retired in May.  We did not want to spend our retirement years being a prisoner in our own home.  (Covid notwithstanding, of course.)  Washington weather where we lived was just too wet and cold for too much of the year.  I wanted the sun. I mentioned previously that last winter we went five whole months without a single sunny day up there.  That kind of thing will age a person - especially me.  Arthritis and other joint aches were more than I wanted to deal with. We knew we wanted to move to a warmer, drier area. That came down to affordability and location in areas where we enjoy spending our time.
> 
> ...



Very much enjoying your adventure... thanks for sharing 

We are in WA State also looking to potentially relocate to NV. We were on track to visit Mesquite in April/May, but then COVID hit and travel plans went out the window. Quick question on utilities... do you have solar? If not, how do the utilities compare to WA State where you now have to run the AC most of the year?


----------



## amycurl (Sep 19, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Updating furniture.  Kind of.
> 
> We have a number of pieces of quarter-sawn oak furniture, in kind of a Mission style.  We've owned them nearly 20 years, and really like them.  The dining room table has eight chairs, each of which was covered in a nondescript, rather boring upholstery.  They're comfortable seats, but we've been talking for years that we'd like to have them reupholstered.
> 
> ...


LOVE THIS! I have a lot of wooden, mission-style furniture in our house, too (LL Bean, believe it or not.) The new fabric really does make a huge difference.


----------



## Karen G (Sep 19, 2020)

NWTRVLRS said:


> how do the utilities compare to WA State where you now have to run the AC most of the year?


We also moved from WA to NV and have been here since 2007. Fortunately, we don't have to run our AC most of the year because it does get cold here in the winter.  We have gas heat and electric air. Our electric bills average about $165/month with the highest in the summer being $325.97 and the lowest in the winter being $74.38. Our gas bill averages $145, but we do heat our pool and jacuzzi w/gas at times, and the pool equipment uses electricity, too.


----------



## NWTRVLRS (Sep 19, 2020)

Karen G said:


> We also moved from WA to NV and have been here since 2007. Fortunately, we don't have to run our AC most of the year because it does get cold here in the winter.  We have gas heat and electric air. Our electric bills average about $165/month with the highest in the summer being $325.97 and the lowest in the winter being $74.38. Our gas bill averages $145, but we do heat our pool and jacuzzi w/gas at times, and the pool equipment uses electricity, too.


Not bad at all!


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 19, 2020)

NWTRVLRS said:


> Very much enjoying your adventure... thanks for sharing
> 
> We are in WA State also looking to potentially relocate to NV. We were on track to visit Mesquite in April/May, but then COVID hit and travel plans went out the window. Quick question on utilities... do you have solar? If not, how do the utilities compare to WA State where you now have to run the AC most of the year?



It depends on where you live, I think.  We're finding electric and water utilities are about the same.  Mesquite has only just started to install natural gas. Currently everything in most areas is all-electric.  Some homes have solar, and there are still Nevada state tax breaks for new solar installs.  Our home doesn't have solar, and it's doubtful we'll put it in - the installation costs would take longer to recoup than we'll likely need, so it's a bit of a wash for us.  If we were doing a new build, I think we'd put it in, since the long-term savings would work out.

As for costs, again, I think it depends on where in the state the house is located.  In Mesquite, we have just finished the hottest month of the year.  We had the a/c running 24-7.  For a 31-day billing cycle that ended a few weeks ago, the electric bill was $168.  Consider that is probably the most expensive it will be all year, since the Winter months here are lower use than Summer, for air conditioning. So I'd expect the bill will go down.  I'll know more after we've been in our new house for a few months.

Hope this helps. If you make it to Mesquite, give me a holler. 

Dave


----------



## Monykalyn (Sep 19, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> There is direct access via sliding glass doors from the kitchen, making it a great breakfast spot.


 ok officially jealous now


DaveNV said:


> We've discussed possibly making it into a steam shower. The vanity countertop is a dated "cultured marble" style that we'd like to change,


 actually killing me now.  And I just said to hubs we should consider Nevada when we retire 


DaveNV said:


> It's a bit of a delicate dance.


 well you mastered it!


Karen G said:


> Our electric bills average about $165/month with the highest in the summer being $325.97





DaveNV said:


> For a 31-day billing cycle that ended a few weeks ago, the electric bill was $168.


Wow. I think ours are higher here in MO- although we have 3300 sq and vaulted ceilings in 3 rooms in main level- which I also hate.  Heat and energy wasting spaces. All the space was good when all kids home. Think it’s time we move with only one HS freshman left in the house...problem is our outdoor space is so nice. If I could bulldoze house and keep the lot...have chickens running around back yard- those are specks in the yard (ignore overgrown garden boxes- getting cleaned out and redone for fall gardens tomorrow)

With all electric- does that mean no gas stove? Is that common there? My poor husband got me a gas stove about 6 years ago after hearing me complain (nice word) for four years about the electric  cooktop - turns out it cost more to run the gas line than what it cost for my new stove.


----------



## klpca (Sep 19, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> It depends on where you live, I think.  We're finding electric and water utilities are about the same.  Mesquite has only just started to install natural gas. Currently everything in most areas is all-electric.  Some homes have solar, and there are still Nevada state tax breaks for new solar installs.  Our home doesn't have solar, and it's doubtful we'll put it in - the installation costs would take longer to recoup than we'll likely need, so it's a bit of a wash for us.  If we were doing a new build, I think we'd put it in, since the long-term savings would work out.
> 
> As for costs, again, I think it depends on where in the state the house is located.  In Mesquite, we have just finished the hottest month of the year.  We had the a/c running 24-7.  For a 31-day billing cycle that ended a few weeks ago, the electric bill was $168.  Consider that is probably the most expensive it will be all year, since the Winter months here are lower use than Summer, for air conditioning. So I'd expect the bill will go down.  I'll know more after we've been in our new house for a few months.
> 
> ...


Holy cow. I knew that our electricity was expensive but not how expensive. We have solar but if we ran our AC 24/7 I am sure that our bills would be well over $500 per month! (Based upon our pre-solar bills).


----------



## VacationForever (Sep 19, 2020)

klpca said:


> Holy cow. I knew that our electricity was expensive but not how expensive. We have solar but if we ran our AC 24/7 I am sure that our bills would be well over $500 per month! (Based upon our pre-solar bills).


I don't know how Dave only paid $168 in electric bill last month.  Our monthly summer electric bill is between $450 to $500, and it is that way for each of the 3 months - June, July, August.  Beginning and end of Summer runs closer to $400 per month.  Right now the estimated cost of our electric bill for Sept is $390.  We don't have a pool.  @DaveNV if you don't mind sharing, what is the sq footage of your home?  Ours is about 2850 sq ft and we run air-con 24x7.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 19, 2020)

Monykalyn said:


> With all electric- does that mean no gas stove? Is that common there? My poor husband got me a gas stove about 6 years ago after hearing me complain (nice word) for four years about the electric  cooktop - turns out it cost more to run the gas line than what it cost for my new stove.



There is natural gas in Mesquite, and it is now being installed in new construction homes.  Existing homes generally don't have it available, so are all electric.  Our new house is 12 years old, so falls into that category.  My understanding is they aren't going to retro-install it for the foreseeable future.  Probably because of how houses are built in this development.  They all have "post tension" concrete foundations, and can't be cut into to add a gas line.  They can allow for it with new builds, but it can't really be added to existing structures.  

I'd suggest if you are considering Nevada as a place to move to, ask about natural gas in the area you're looking into.  I have had both, and am functional with both, so for me, it's not a major issue.  If you really want gas, make sure you can get it.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 19, 2020)

klpca said:


> Holy cow. I knew that our electricity was expensive but not how expensive. We have solar but if we ran our AC 24/7 I am sure that our bills would be well over $500 per month! (Based upon our pre-solar bills).





VacationForever said:


> I don't know how Dave only paid $168 in electric bill last month.  Our monthly summer electric bill is between $450 to $500, and it is that way for each of the 3 months - June, July, August.  Beginning and end of Summer runs closer to $400 per month.  Right now the estimated cost of our electric bill for Sept is $390.  We don't have a pool.  @DaveNV if you don't mind sharing, what is the sq footage of your home?  Ours is about 2850 sq ft and we run air-con 24x7.



This rental is only 1240 sf. It's a brand new house (we're the first tenants) and it's quite energy efficient. There are only the two of us. We set the a/c at about 75, and let it run. We don't waste electricity, and I'm always turning off unnecessary lights.  We do laundry about once a week.  Run the dishwasher maybe twice a week. Also, the power district here (I'm told) has fairly low rates.

Here is a screen cap from the power company's website for the bill I just paid.  Maybe you can compare it to your rates?





Otherwise, I'm not sure what to say?

Dave


----------



## controller1 (Sep 19, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> This rental is only 1240 sf. It's a brand new house (we're the first tenants) and it's quite energy efficient. There are only the two of us. We set the a/c at about 75, and let it run. We don't waste electricity, and I'm always turning off unnecessary lights.  We do laundry about once a week.  Run the dishwasher maybe twice a week. Also, the power district here (I'm told) has fairly low rates.
> 
> Here is a screen cap from the power company's website for the bill I just paid.  Maybe you can compare it to your rates?
> 
> ...



Being retired from an electric utility, two observations. 1) That $30.00 base charge is high; and, 2) most of the U.S. is envious of that low rate per kWh! Nice!!!


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 20, 2020)

controller1 said:


> Being retired from an electric utility, two observations. 1) That $30.00 base charge is high; and, 2) most of the U.S. is envious of that low rate per kWh! Nice!!!



Thanks!  I have no idea what is considered high or low.  I will say this is my first experience with central air in a home, and I was surprised that a full month at the height of Summer heat here with a/c running nonstop was only $168. 

Dave


----------



## Karen G (Sep 20, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Thanks!  I have no idea what is considered high or low.  I will say this is my first experience with central air in a home, and I was surprised that a full month at the height of Summer heat here with a/c running nonstop was only $168.
> 
> Dave


That really is amazing!


----------



## VacationForever (Sep 20, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> This rental is only 1240 sf. It's a brand new house (we're the first tenants) and it's quite energy efficient. There are only the two of us. We set the a/c at about 75, and let it run. We don't waste electricity, and I'm always turning off unnecessary lights.  We do laundry about once a week.  Run the dishwasher maybe twice a week. Also, the power district here (I'm told) has fairly low rates.
> 
> Here is a screen cap from the power company's website for the bill I just paid.  Maybe you can compare it to your rates?
> 
> ...


Hard to compare...here is my July bill


----------



## PcflEZFlng (Sep 20, 2020)

klpca said:


> Holy cow. I knew that our electricity was expensive but not how expensive. We have solar but if we ran our AC 24/7 I am sure that our bills would be well over $500 per month! (Based upon our pre-solar bills).


Concur. It's why we have solar also, as do most of our neighbors. It really pencils out here.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 20, 2020)

VacationForever said:


> Hard to compare...here is my July bill
> 
> View attachment 26724



Just at a glance, it appears you used 4321 kWh of electricity.  We used only 1669. Using that number, at the higher of the two rates on my bill, 4321 kWh here in Mesquite would cost $376.  So it's not terribly different, if all the other rates are factored in.  Your home just used a lot more electricity than mine did, I think.  Maybe Robert @controller1 can shed some light on things?

What kind of rates does the rest of the country pay?

Dave


----------



## NWTRVLRS (Sep 20, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> It depends on where you live, I think.  We're finding electric and water utilities are about the same.  Mesquite has only just started to install natural gas. Currently everything in most areas is all-electric.  Some homes have solar, and there are still Nevada state tax breaks for new solar installs.  Our home doesn't have solar, and it's doubtful we'll put it in - the installation costs would take longer to recoup than we'll likely need, so it's a bit of a wash for us.  If we were doing a new build, I think we'd put it in, since the long-term savings would work out.
> 
> As for costs, again, I think it depends on where in the state the house is located.  In Mesquite, we have just finished the hottest month of the year.  We had the a/c running 24-7.  For a 31-day billing cycle that ended a few weeks ago, the electric bill was $168.  Consider that is probably the most expensive it will be all year, since the Winter months here are lower use than Summer, for air conditioning. So I'd expect the bill will go down.  I'll know more after we've been in our new house for a few months.
> 
> ...


Thanks Dave! Very helpful info  if we decide to make the move, we will definitely let you know!


----------



## WinniWoman (Sep 20, 2020)

Electric so far averaged $116 per month since Dec (Central AC and all electric appliances, including an electric fireplace, but we didn’t move in until February (Dec we were still in the old, little rental in NY) and propane $107 per month  (heat and hot water) here in NH. New house is 1100 square feet and brand new build. We are very frugal and just the two of us here. AC is usually set between 70 and 72. And it was a very hot spring and summer here. We do have a dehumidifier going in the basement. And the radon mitigation fan. We have 2 ceiling fans and a small chest freezer in the garage. Winter we set it at between 65 and 70. We sometimes throw on the electric fireplace for supplemental and ambiance  when we are watching TV.

I consider this to be expensive for a small house but hard to compare with NY as our former house was 2600 square feet and two stories- oil heat. But both states are known for high electric rates.

There is no natural gas in NH, except for some points south. In fact, a lot of older homes and condos have electric heat and a few even kerosene. Some have oil for heating, but by far most use propane.


----------



## pedro47 (Sep 20, 2020)

VacationForever said:


> Hard to compare...here is my July bill
> 
> View attachment 26724


Unknown factors: the size of the home, the number living in the home, the age of the ac unit, day and night time  temperatures settings, the type of windows and the age of the home. The way the sun hit home in the mornings and during the day. All their trees surrounding the home to reduce the sun and heat.

Finally the type of insulation and the efficiency of the insulation and windows installation. IMO.


----------



## WinniWoman (Sep 20, 2020)

pedro47 said:


> Unknown factors: the size of the home, the number living in the home, the age of the ac unit, day and night time  temperatures settings, the type of windows and the age of the home. The way the sun hit home in the mornings and during the day. All their trees surrounding the home to reduce the sun and heat.
> 
> Finally the type of insulation and the efficiency of the insulation and windows installation. IMO.



All these things considered, I think for us it is more expensive in NH than where we lived in NY.  AC unit was old ( over 10 years) Windows were old. (1987). Was insulated well, however. Plus we supplemented heat with wood stove.

The upstairs got a lot of sun light. Good in winter; bad in summer. Here in NH this little house gets direct hit from sun south and west. No shade.


----------



## controller1 (Sep 20, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Just at a glance, it appears you used 4321 kWh of electricity.  We used only 1669. Using that number, at the higher of the two rates on my bill, 4321 kWh here in Mesquite would cost $376.  So it's not terribly different, if all the other rates are factored in.  Your home just used a lot more electricity than mine did, I think.  Maybe Robert @controller1 can shed some light on things?
> 
> What kind of rates does the rest of the country pay?
> 
> Dave



Most people in the U.S. pay between $0.11 and $0.14 per kWh.


----------



## VacationForever (Sep 20, 2020)

pedro47 said:


> Unknown factors: the size of the home, the number living in the home, the age of the ac unit, day and night time  temperatures settings, the type of windows and the age of the home. The way the sun hit home in the mornings and during the day. All their trees surrounding the home to reduce the sun and heat.
> 
> Finally the type of insulation and the efficiency of the insulation and windows installation. IMO.


I stated sq footage above - 2850 sq ft.  2 people living at home.  Our HVAC is a hot water heat pump system and we have 2 units.  Temp set at 77 F during the day and the bedroom at 71 degrees for 8 hours at night.  Dual pane windows, built in 2008. Our living room/dining room/kitchen face East and the 2 sides of the home face North and South.  Single level top floor penthouse condo.  We don't get West at all because there are other units that face West directly.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 20, 2020)

pedro47 said:


> Unknown factors: the size of the home, the number living in the home, the age of the ac unit, day and night time  temperatures settings, the type of windows and the age of the home. The way the sun hit home in the mornings and during the day. All their trees surrounding the home to reduce the sun and heat.
> 
> Finally the type of insulation and the efficiency of the insulation and windows installation. IMO.



In reply #167 it says @VacationForever lives in a 2850 sf home.  So more than twice the size of the house I'm living in.  Their bill also says they're using 12% more energy this year than the same month last year.  So something changed.  

Dave


----------



## geist1223 (Sep 20, 2020)

We have a 3000 sqft  2 story home in Salem Oregon. Our August Electric Bill was $157 and our Gas Bill was $12. We do run A.C. set at 72°.


----------



## DancingWaters (Sep 20, 2020)

This is an interesting thread.    Our house is 2400 sq feet, large inground pool, hot tub, dehumidifier in basement.
Summer electric: $160-$270 highest, Fall, Winter, Spring: $70-$120.  All seasons: propane budget-$100
So some months we pay total of $170,  highest month we pay $370


----------



## JanT (Sep 20, 2020)

Dave,

Wow!  Your place is coming along nicely!  I love the colors you chose and the fabric for the chairs - both very warm and inviting.  I can visualize how your hardwood will look in there and it is just going to be stunning.  So excited for y'all to be getting closer and closer to having everything done.  You will have such a beautiful setting for the upcoming holidays.  Can't wait to see your pictures when it's complete!


----------



## klpca (Sep 20, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Just at a glance, it appears you used 4321 kWh of electricity.  We used only 1669. Using that number, at the higher of the two rates on my bill, 4321 kWh here in Mesquite would cost $376.  So it's not terribly different, if all the other rates are factored in.  Your home just used a lot more electricity than mine did, I think.  Maybe Robert @controller1 can shed some light on things?
> 
> What kind of rates does the rest of the country pay?
> 
> Dave


I really can't quite figure out our bills because we use something called net metering and everything seems to be presented as a net number but I was able to find the rates. We have three tiers (off peak, semi peak, peak based upon time of day) but the rates seem to be the same for semi-peak and peak. That rate is $.26265/kwh and the off peak rate is $.08682/kwh. You can see why, at those rates, solar is a no brainer in CA. (Btw I spent some time looking but still can't find out what the semi-peak hours are, but peak hours are 4pm-9pm). I do quite a bit of research in my job but SDGE has really found a way to hide a lot of information on their website. I am sure that it's there but wow, finding it takes a lot of effort!

We still have a big energy user in our house - our 22 year old single speed pool pump. We're just waiting for it to die. The newer ones that are variable speed are a lot more energy efficient. I suspect that the outdoor bar fridge that is in the sun half of the day might be costing us some money as well but that is where the beer is living these days. We will move the beer into man-land (the garage) soon. We will move our older refrigerator in there and turn off the bar fridge unless we are entertaining.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 20, 2020)

JanT said:


> Dave,
> 
> Wow!  Your place is coming along nicely!  I love the colors you chose and the fabric for the chairs - both very warm and inviting.  I can visualize how your hardwood will look in there and it is just going to be stunning.  So excited for y'all to be getting closer and closer to having everything done.  You will have such a beautiful setting for the upcoming holidays.  Can't wait to see your pictures when it's complete!



Thanks, Jan!  Glad you and others can see what we see.  When I start to get tweaked over the expense, I remind myself that we're reinvesting "found money" from our old home into this one. With our eyes firmly focused on the prize, it all seems like it'll be a really nice place to live.  After we get through the next couple of weeks, and we start moving in, things will get seriously "real."  Can't wait! 

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 20, 2020)

klpca said:


> I really can't quite figure out our bills because we use something called net metering and everything seems to be presented as a net number but I was able to find the rates. We have three tiers (off peak, semi peak, peak based upon time of day) but the rates seem to be the same for semi-peak and peak. That rate is $.26265/kwh and the off peak rate is $.08682/kwh. You can see why, at those rates, solar is a no brainer in CA. (Btw I spent some time looking but still can't find out what the semi-peak hours are, but peak hours are 4pm-9pm). I do quite a bit of research in my job but SDGE has really found a way to hide a lot of information on their website. I am sure that it's there but wow, finding it takes a lot of effort!



When I was in the Navy, stationed in San Diego from '79 to '89, SDG&E was known THEN for being outrageous with their electric rates. I don't remember the rates we paid, but I'm sure it was over $100 a month for a basic house.  It doesn't surprise me to hear they're still very high.  if I lived in California, solar would be a no brainer, certainly.  

Here, it doesn't pencil out at this point in my life to add solar to my home here. (At least not now.)  With ROI timeframes of 12-15 years, I may not be living in this house long enough to get the money back. And there may not be enough resale profit to cover the difference. If I was younger, if it was a new build, or if install costs were cheaper, I'd do it in a heartbeat.  I want to use alternative energy costs, if I can.

Dave


----------



## Karen G (Sep 20, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Here, it doesn't pencil out at this point in my life to add solar to my home here. (At least not now.)  With ROI timeframes of 12-15 years, I may not be living in this house long enough to get the money back. And there may not be enough resale profit to cover the difference. If I was younger, if it was a new build, or if install costs were cheaper, I'd do it in a heartbeat.  I want to use alternative energy costs, if I can.
> 
> Dave


That's our position, too. It really would be great to be able to have solar here.

Dave, I  love your furniture and color choices.  Our dining room table and chairs are very similar to yours and that small table in the background with a lamp on it looks almost identical to our bedside tables and lamps.  At least with all the expenditures you're making now it's for things you can see, use, touch, and enjoy everyday as opposed to some major expense to fix something behind a wall that you never see.


----------



## klpca (Sep 20, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> When I was in the Navy, stationed in San Diego from '79 to '89, SDG&E was known THEN for being outrageous with their electric rates. I don't remember the rates we paid, but I'm sure it was over $100 a month for a basic house.  It doesn't surprise me to hear they're still very high.  if I lived in California, solar would be a no brainer, certainly.
> 
> Here, it doesn't pencil out at this point in my life to add solar to my home here. (At least not now.)  With ROI timeframes of 12-15 years, I may not be living in this house long enough to get the money back. And there may not be enough resale profit to cover the difference. If I was younger, if it was a new build, or if install costs were cheaper, I'd do it in a heartbeat.  I want to use alternative energy costs, if I can.
> 
> Dave


I wouldn't do it either in your case. And yes, SDGE is still ridiculous. Honestly, as a long time SDGE customer, kind of sticking-it-to-them was part of the decision making process, lol. 

Our breakeven point when we installed it in 2016 was 6 years. Truly a no-brainer. Plus we have no plans to move. We used to think that we would move someday, but over the past 5 years we have gotten our home to the point where it is almost perfect for us, so now we are really enjoying it. We still need to reduce the yard maintenance so that as we age we can keep up with it, and we don't have a full bathroom downstairs so we plan to address that need, but once that is done we can probably stay here comfortably for quite awhile.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 20, 2020)

Karen G said:


> Dave, love your furniture and color choices.  Our dining room table and chairs are very similar to yours and that small table in the background with a lamp on it looks almost identical to our bedside tables and lamps.  At least with all the expenditures you're making now it's for things you can see, use, touch, and enjoy everyday as opposed to some major expense to fix something behind a wall that you never see.



Thanks, Karen.  We call that our "Hall Table." It usually sits near the Front Door, where it catches car keys and the mail. It's a nice piece of furniture. 





Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 20, 2020)

klpca said:


> I wouldn't do it either in your case. And yes, SDGE is still ridiculous. Honestly, as a long time SDGE customer, kind of sticking-it-to-them was part of the decision making process, lol.
> 
> Our breakeven point when we installed it in 2016 was 6 years. Truly a no-brainer.



That was pretty much the discussion with our real estate agent here when we bought the house.  I asked about adding solar, and she said, "Why? It's not cost effective here."  And as this thread is showing, she's right.  Utility rates here are a lot lower than other areas, and solar here isn't worth it, in the short term.  Over time, certainly, it's worth it.  But until/unless the costs change, you'd really have to be committed to the premise to spend the money it takes.

I have a  friend in Phoenix who installed his own (because he's a wizard at stuff like this, and he "can.") He said with the paybacks he gets from the power company, his monthly electric bill is something like $24.  Ridiculous.  I'm happy for him.

When I asked him to come and install a system at my house, he actually said No. Can you imagine?  Some friend he is!  LOL  

Dave


----------



## JanT (Sep 20, 2020)

I know the cost of refurbing can definitely cause us to ask ourselves what we're doing.  But, you're right - in your circumstances you are being very wise to make all the improvements you can.  As you know, Mesquite is a nice retirement haven and should you ever want or need to sell, the improvements you are making to your home will make it stand out, just as the home you sold in Washington did.

As I was looking at your pictures and reading your narrative of your journey, I found myself again longing for the deserts of Nevada.  We spent 8 years in Henderson and really loved it there.  Life events caused us to make the decision to move and while I really do love the little town in Texas that we currently live in, I have sometimes regretted the decision to move from Henderson.  I grew up in the deserts of Cali, too and still love the desert.  So, we could find ourselves moving back out that way again.  Right now, we're laying low and not buying anything for at least a year+.  We're concerned about how the long term economy in the Vegas/Henderson area is going to shake out and there is no way we are going to invest in housing there at this point.  So, we're going to travel as much as COVID-19 and safety will allow for the next year or so.  That's the plan anyway.  Who knows, we might make the trek to Mesquite and check it out there!  In the meantime, I am watching your journey and living the desert life vicariously through you.     



DaveNV said:


> Thanks, Jan!  Glad you and others can see what we see.  When I start to get tweaked over the expense, I remind myself that we're reinvesting "found money" from our old home into this one. With our eyes firmly focused on the prize, it all seems like it'll be a really nice place to live.  After we get through the next couple of weeks, and we start moving in, things will get seriously "real."  Can't wait!
> 
> Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 20, 2020)

JanT said:


> I know the cost of refurbing can definitely cause us to ask ourselves what we're doing.  But, you're right - in your circumstances you are being very wise to make all the improvements you can.  As you know, Mesquite is a nice retirement haven and should you ever want or need to sell, the improvements you are making to your home will make it stand out, just as the home you sold in Washington did.
> 
> As I was looking at your pictures and reading your narrative of your journey, I found myself again longing for the deserts of Nevada.  We spent 8 years in Henderson and really loved it there.  Life events caused us to make the decision to move and while I really do love the little town in Texas that we currently live in, I have sometimes regretted the decision to move from Henderson.  I grew up in the deserts of Cali, too and still love the desert.  So, we could find ourselves moving back out that way again.  Right now, we're laying low and not buying anything for at least a year+.  We're concerned about how the long term economy in the Vegas/Henderson area is going to shake out and there is no way we are going to invest in housing there at this point.  So, we're going to travel as much as COVID-19 and safety will allow for the next year or so.  That's the plan anyway.  Who knows, we might make the trek to Mesquite and check it out there!  In the meantime, I am watching your journey and living the desert life vicariously through you.



Kind words.  Thanks!  As I've said previously: Mesquite is not for everyone.  But it's right for me. 

Dave


----------



## pedro47 (Sep 20, 2020)

DaveNV,  your home is looking like a model home in Better Home & Garden  magazine.  Love your color selections.


----------



## Karen G (Sep 20, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Thanks, Karen.  We call that our "Hall Table." It usually sits near the Front Door, where it catches car keys and the mail. It's a nice piece of furniture.
> 
> View attachment 26750
> 
> Dave


What a beautiful piece and the lamp is gorgeous, too! Upon closer took, that's about twice as wide as our bedside tables, but several details are similar.


----------



## Luanne (Sep 20, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Thanks, Karen.  We call that our "Hall Table." It usually sits near the Front Door, where it catches car keys and the mail. It's a nice piece of furniture.
> 
> View attachment 26750
> 
> Dave


Love this.  It would go very well in our home.


----------



## little1 (Sep 20, 2020)

Make sure to install solar panels. You will need them to run that AC and keep that temperature down or up in Nevada desert. In the long run (normally under 10 years break-even costs-savings), it should save you money.
I live in Southern CA and installed solar panels ~5 years ago. It already paid for itself in 3 years since I have 2 electric cars and saved over $400 per month on gasoline. I paid an average of <$10 per month for electricity for the last 5 years with 2 cars using electricity for ~26,000 miles per year.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 20, 2020)

pedro47 said:


> DaveNV,  your home is looking like a model home in Better Home & Garden  magazine.  Love your color selections.



Thank you!  Hope it lives up to the expectations! 

Dave


----------



## slip (Sep 20, 2020)

Everything looks great Dave. It’s all coming together. It’s a lot of time and work but your getting it dialed in.


----------



## VacationForever (Sep 20, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> In reply #167 it says @VacationForever lives in a 2850 sf home.  So more than twice the size of the house I'm living in.  Their bill also says they're using 12% more energy this year than the same month last year.  So something changed.
> 
> Dave


We had to put our cats down due to illness last year, the 2nd/last of our cats was put down in November.  We kept the home warm for the kitties and would run the living room and dining area where they spent most of their time at 80 degrees.  We started indoor hydroponics gardening in late April this year, a side effect of COVID-19 SIP, and kept our home at 77 degrees because lettuce grows better in low 70s.  Our electric bill has actually gone down this year even though usage is up because NV Energy dropped their rates this year.


----------



## presley (Sep 21, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> What kind of rates does the rest of the country pay?


I live near @klpca, just a few miles away. The temps are more extreme where I am, though. Usually, when I watch the weather on the news and it says the high or low in my area, my property was actually higher or lower by 5 degrees or more. I've often thought about asking them to put their weather station in my yard.

At any rate, here's the part of the bill that shows my charges. Our air conditioner has been on almost all the time for this billing period. We've had an average of +10 degrees this year compared to last year (according to the electric company). House is 1600sq ft and extremely inefficient. Large pool, with variable pool pump that's on about 8 hours per day. Bill is over $400. after we used what our solar generated.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 21, 2020)

presley said:


> I live near @klpca, just a few miles away. The temps are more extreme where I am, though. Usually, when I watch the weather on the news and it says the high or low in my area, my property was actually higher or lower by 5 degrees or more. I've often thought about asking them to put their weather station in my yard.
> 
> At any rate, here's the part of the bill that shows my charges. Our air conditioner has been on almost all the time for this billing period. We've had an average of +10 degrees this year compared to last year (according to the electric company). House is 1600sq ft and extremely inefficient. Large pool, with variable pool pump that's on about 8 hours per day. Bill is over $400. after we used what our solar generated.
> View attachment 26788



Thanks for that.  It looks like you're paying 13 cents per kWh for your regular electricity usage. That is double what the rate is here, I think. I don't understand all the credits and different kinds of rates or charges on these various bills - makes me wonder if the power companies are trying to make it confusing. Kind of like cell phone bills. 

Yesterday I gave my dogs a bath here in the rental.  It's the first time I've stood at the sink with the water running for any length of time.  I discovered the average temperature was really low.  Afterwards I checked the thermostat on the electric water heater.  It was already set to Hot, but the water temperature, even on straight hot, was just too low.  So I bumped it up a smidge.  We'll see if the electric bill next time is higher than it was this last time.  It should be our last full month's bill here in the rental. After that, we can just work with the electric usage and rates at our new house.  It's a bigger house than the rental, but our electric usage will be about the same.  I'll be curious to see if the bill is much different.

Dave


----------



## chellej (Sep 21, 2020)

Our rate here in Eastern Wa is .065.  This thread got me wondering....we put in a solar system about 18 months ago... It was one of those meetings where you go to dinner and they set an appointment.  I will tell you it was like going to a timeshare presentation.  The salesman was throwing so many rates and figures and rebates around that this was going to pay for itself in no time....the last 12 months it has produced $175 worth of electricity.... we did get about $8000 in tax credits.  I wanted the thermal blanket for the attic and solar attic fan..DH wanted the solar.... We got it all.  I can't take him to timeshare presentations either.  It will not pay for itself in our  lifetime but may increase the home value.

In Texas...we were there for 22 years.  3 kids, 2 parents and us....large all-electric house , large swimming pool....my highest summer bill was almost $700 and averaged around $500.  It was wonderful to move here and have my bill go down to $50 in the summer and less than $200 in the winter.  We do have gas fireplace and water heater which adds an additional $55/month


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 21, 2020)

chellej said:


> Our rate here in Eastern Wa is .065.  This thread got me wondering....we put in a solar system about 18 months ago... It was one of those meetings where you go to dinner and they set an appointment.  I will tell you it was like going to a timeshare presentation.  The salesman was throwing so many rates and figures and rebates around that this was going to pay for itself in no time....the last 12 months it has produced $175 worth of electricity.... we did get about $8000 in tax credits.  I wanted the thermal blanket for the attic and solar attic fan..DH wanted the solar.... We got it all.  I can't take him to timeshare presentations either.  It will not pay for itself in our  lifetime but may increase the home value.
> 
> In Texas...we were there for 22 years.  3 kids, 2 parents and us....large all-electric house , large swimming pool....my highest summer bill was almost $700 and averaged around $500.  It was wonderful to move here and have my bill go down to $50 in the summer and less than $200 in the winter.  We do have gas fireplace and water heater which adds an additional $55/month



Rates are sure variable.  In our western Washington house all those years we paid more for electric (without central a/c) than the rates here.  We also had natural gas, which I'd always heard was supposed to lower the utility costs.  But our gas bill was always high, too.  Here, we don't have gas, and our electric costs are lower overall, even with running the a/c 24/7.  I just don't get it.  

Dave


----------



## Karen G (Sep 21, 2020)

This is our most recent bill in Henderson, NV. Our house is about 2600 ft.², with gas heating, gas dryer & water heater & cooktop, & gas pool heater. Pool is 18,000 gallons.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 21, 2020)

Karen G said:


> View attachment 26791
> 
> This is our most recent bill in Henderson, NV. Our house is about 2600 ft.², with gas heating, gas dryer & water heater & cooktop, & gas pool heater. Pool is 18,000 gallons.



Thanks, Karen.  So it looks like you're paying 10.6 cents a kWh for your basic electricity.  Different power companies have different rates even here, I guess.

Dave


----------



## chellej (Sep 21, 2020)

In Texas, you could choose your electric company and the rates varied tremendously.  They were often on a 1 year or 2 year contract and if you forgot to renew or change the rate could go up tremendously.





__





						Power To Choose | Home
					

Power to Choose is the official, unbiased, electric choice website of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, where all certified electric providers in the State of Texas are eligible to post their electric plans. On the Power to Choose website you can compare electric offers and choose the plan...




					powertochoose.org
				




Here, we get who covers the area...no competition or choice


----------



## isisdave (Sep 21, 2020)

@presley is paying about *30 cents per kWh*.  In California, there are separate charges for generation and delivery. He's paying 13 to 20 cents for delivery on a tiered rate plan. (And over 29 cents  for 22 kWh; he just hit the trigger for that "penalty" level, it appears.) It looks like generation is all at 13.5. So up to 33.5 cents total for most of the power.

KarenG is paying less than 11 cents, so she gets about twice as much triz for less money.

I live just a little north of presley and klpca but in SCE-land. For our last bill period, which ended 9/2, our solar made 770 kWh and we paid $265 for 1108 kWh from Edison (an average of 24 cents).  All the generation was at 10 cents, and the delivery either 10.5 for Tier 1 or 16.5 for Tier 2. But our baseline ration (Tier 1)  was 548 kWh at 20.5 cents, then 27 cents for Tier 2, which would be about the next 1900.  After that the price is 33 cents. We also got a $61 credit for agreeing to AC cycling, which they did about six times that month for a total of probably 25 hours.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 21, 2020)

isisdave said:


> @presley is paying about *30 cents per kWh*.  In California, there are separate charges for generation and delivery. He's paying 13 to 20 cents for delivery on a tiered rate plan. (And over 29 cents  for 22 kWh; he just hit the trigger for that "penalty" level, it appears.) It looks like generation is all at 13.5. So up to 33.5 cents total for most of the power.
> 
> KarenG is paying less than 11 cents, so she gets about twice as much triz for less money.
> 
> I live just a little north of presley and klpca but in SCE-land. For our last bill period, which ended 9/2, our solar made 770 kWh and we paid $265 for 1108 kWh from Edison (an average of 24 cents).  All the generation was at 10 cents, and the delivery either 10.5 for Tier 1 or 16.5 for Tier 2. But our baseline ration (Tier 1)  was 548 kWh at 20.5 cents, then 27 cents for Tier 2, which would be about the next 1900.  After that the price is 33 cents. We also got a $61 credit for agreeing to AC cycling, which they did about six times that month for a total of probably 25 hours.



So after all that, what is their average cost per kWh?  It's like trying to compare apples to rutabagas. 

Dave


----------



## controller1 (Sep 21, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> So after all that, what is their average cost per kWh?  It's like trying to compare apples to rutabagas.
> 
> Dave



30.24¢/kWh compared to your 10.08¢/kWh


----------



## amycurl (Sep 21, 2020)

In our 2400 or so square foot house, I don't think we've ever had an electric bill top $200, even in the height of summer. We do have gas heat, hot water, and stove/oven. We put in solar panels about six years ago, and qualified for net metering (i.e. Duke Energy has to pay us the same amount per kilowatt that we put onto the grid that they would charge us for the same kilowatt.) Duke Energy has spent *a lot* of money to try to undo net metering across its footprint, FYI, so they don't have to pay as much as they charge. 

We do get this thing each month from Duke Energy that compares our home to similar homes--based on size, age, location--and then compares our monthly usage to other "efficient" houses and then to the "average" house. I can't remember a single month that we haven't been well-under the "efficient" house. 

We LOVE our solar panels. My only regret is that we didn't bite the bullet and put more on; we kind of cheaped out and put in the barest minimum that still made sense financially over our time horizon.


----------



## klpca (Sep 21, 2020)

isisdave said:


> @presley is paying about *30 cents per kWh*.  In California, there are separate charges for generation and delivery. He's paying 13 to 20 cents for delivery on a tiered rate plan. (And over 29 cents  for 22 kWh; he just hit the trigger for that "penalty" level, it appears.) It looks like generation is all at 13.5. So up to 33.5 cents total for most of the power.
> 
> KarenG is paying less than 11 cents, so she gets about twice as much triz for less money.
> 
> I live just a little north of presley and klpca but in SCE-land. For our last bill period, which ended 9/2, our solar made 770 kWh and we paid $265 for 1108 kWh from Edison (an average of 24 cents).  All the generation was at 10 cents, and the delivery either 10.5 for Tier 1 or 16.5 for Tier 2. But our baseline ration (Tier 1)  was 548 kWh at 20.5 cents, then 27 cents for Tier 2, which would be about the next 1900.  After that the price is 33 cents. We also got a $61 credit for agreeing to AC cycling, which they did about six times that month for a total of probably 25 hours.


I was trying to puzzle through our bill yesterday. I don't understand the separate charges for generation & delivery. Can you explain it? My rates are .1915 across the board for delivery (regardless of peak or off peak) and the generation portion of the bill is .26265 for peak/semi-peak and .08682 for off-peak. I feel like we are being intentionally duped by making the plans (and there are many!) so complicated.

At any rate (lol - sorry for that pun!) I continue to be jealous of everyone's cheap electricity, especially Dave's. That said, because of solar, our actual bill was $36 last month for three people in a 2400  sq ft house with AC and a pool.


----------



## controller1 (Sep 21, 2020)

amycurl said:


> In our 2400 or so square foot house, I don't think we've ever had an electric bill top $200, even in the height of summer. We do have gas heat, hot water, and stove/oven. We put in solar panels about six years ago, and qualified for net metering (i.e. Duke Energy has to pay us the same amount per kilowatt that we put onto the grid that they would charge us for the same kilowatt.) Duke Energy has spent *a lot* of money to try to undo net metering across its footprint, FYI, so they don't have to pay as much as they charge.
> 
> We do get this thing each month from Duke Energy that compares our home to similar homes--based on size, age, location--and then compares our monthly usage to other "efficient" houses and then to the "average" house. I can't remember a single month that we haven't been well-under the "efficient" house.
> 
> We LOVE our solar panels. My only regret is that we didn't bite the bullet and put more on; we kind of cheaped out and put in the barest minimum that still made sense financially over our time horizon.



How much capacity (kW) in solar panels did you install?


----------



## amycurl (Sep 21, 2020)

I honestly can't remember. My spouse now handles that bill. I think we have about 8 panels total.


----------



## controller1 (Sep 21, 2020)

klpca said:


> I was trying to puzzle through our bill yesterday. I don't understand the separate charges for generation & delivery. Can you explain it? My rates are .1915 across the board for delivery (regardless of peak or off peak) and the generation portion of the bill is .26265 for peak/semi-peak and .08682 for off-peak. I feel like we are being intentionally duped by making the plans (and there are many!) so complicated.
> 
> At any rate (lol - sorry for that pun!) I continue to be jealous of everyone's cheap electricity, especially Dave's. That said, because of solar, our actual bill was $36 last month for three people in a 2400  sq ft house with AC and a pool.



In a deregulated state you have two separate charges. You pay one company to generate your electricity which also may have a separate fuel component with it. You pay another company (the distribution company) for the "wires" to deliver the electricity from the generating plant to your residence. In a non-deregulated state you pay only one company and that company is responsible for both generation and distribution of the electricity.


----------



## klpca (Sep 21, 2020)

controller1 said:


> In a deregulated state you have two separate charges. You pay one company to generate your electricity which also may have a separate fuel component with it. You pay another company (the distribution company) for the "wires" to deliver the electricity from the generating plant to your residence. In a non-deregulated state you pay only one company and that company is responsible for both generation and distribution of the electricity.


Thank you! I was really puzzled by this.


----------



## controller1 (Sep 21, 2020)

amycurl said:


> I honestly can't remember. My spouse now handles that bill. I think we have about 8 panels total.



About two years before we moved we installed 5 kW of solar panels because the cost of that amount of installation was the maximum that would qualify for our state's 50% tax credit at the time. The state no longer has that tax credit so we did not install panels on our new house since the most we could get in tax credits would be the Federal credit and with our low cost of electricity it would not pay for itself. Additionally, the state allowed the utilities to switch from net metering to avoided cost which further decreases the ability to get a pay back.


----------



## amycurl (Sep 21, 2020)

And by "the state allowed," read "your state legislators were swayed by significant PAC money donated to them by the electric company." 
I know that we got both the state and federal tax credit, and that the "payback" was about 7 years, so we're almost there. We hope to be in this house for a while longer (we moved in about 16 years ago,) so it should all work out. And, for us, it was both philosophical as well as a economic decision.


----------



## isisdave (Sep 23, 2020)

klpca said:


> I was trying to puzzle through our bill yesterday. I don't understand the separate charges for generation & delivery. Can you explain it? My rates are .1915 across the board for delivery (regardless of peak or off peak) and the generation portion of the bill is .26265 for peak/semi-peak and .08682 for off-peak. I feel like we are being intentionally duped by making the plans (and there are many!) so complicated.
> 
> At any rate (lol - sorry for that pun!) I continue to be jealous of everyone's cheap electricity, especially Dave's. That said, because of solar, our actual bill was $36 last month for three people in a 2400  sq ft house with AC and a pool.



First, I think you are on some kind of TOU (time-of-use) rate plan. "Peak" usually means 4-9pm weekdays, but before there was so much solar and wind power, it used to be much earlier in the day.  Then, it made sense to sign up for this if no one was home in the daytime. Now, with much later peak hours, it rarely does because people are usually at home during part of them.

And incidentally, those are summer rates. Here is the guide for SDG&E. Interesting: your summer season is June through October; SC Edison's is only June through September.

Finally, replace that pool pump now. Don't wait. A 1 hp pump uses 1 kW, so about 30+ cents per hour if you use it in peak summer hours.  At the very least, set its timing to run only for the minimum necessary, and during off-peak hours. We used to run ours 6 hours per day, so 6 * 365 * 20 cents was at least $438 per year. The variable speed pump cost $1200 a few years ago, but almost nothing to run. We run it 10 hours a day at 500 rpm, and one hour at 2000 rpm to make the pool vac go. Order on Amazon and get a pool guy to install it.


----------



## klpca (Sep 23, 2020)

isisdave said:


> First, I think you are on some kind of TOU (time-of-use) rate plan. "Peak" usually means 4-9pm weekdays, but before there was so much solar and wind power, it used to be much earlier in the day.  Then, it made sense to sign up for this if no one was home in the daytime. Now, with much later peak hours, it rarely does because people are usually at home during part of them.
> 
> And incidentally, those are summer rates. Here is the guide for SDG&E. Interesting: your summer season is June through October; SC Edison's is only June through September.
> 
> Finally, replace that pool pump now. Don't wait. A 1 hp pump uses 1 kW, so about 30+ cents per hour if you use it in peak summer hours.  At the very least, set its timing to run only for the minimum necessary, and during off-peak hours. We used to run ours 6 hours per day, so 6 * 365 * 20 cents was at least $438 per year. The variable speed pump cost $1200 a few years ago, but almost nothing to run. We run it 10 hours a day at 500 rpm, and one hour at 2000 rpm to make the pool vac go. Order on Amazon and get a pool guy to install it.


We're definitely on a TOU  plan and ours ends in a G (grandfathered plan maybe?) and it appears that our peak hours are 11-6pm. I have had any time to study it but I plan on spending more time this weekend. And thanks for the tip on the pool pump.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 23, 2020)

Things need to get ugly before they get pretty again.  I hope. 

The hardwood flooring saga continues.  This time it wasn't Covid-related delays.  It was wildfires.  The specific flooring we wanted to buy was locked away in a warehouse in Oregon, in a location that had been evacuated due to the wildfires there.  Even though the flooring maker is a national company, this Oregon warehouse was (apparently) the only location that had the specific color we wanted.  Luckily, after several weeks of not knowing it would be able to happen, the flooring was able to be retrieved from the Oregon location, and brought to town.  It landed in my kitchen this morning.





52 boxes worth.  Yay!!

Then, the delivery guys turned around and removed the old flooring - all of it - from one end of the house to the other.  I explained what needed to be removed, and then I stood back, letting them do their work.  Kudos to them - the two guys had the new flooring landed, everything else removed, and the bare flooring cleaned up, all within about three hours.  They did a great job.  Installation of the new flooring will start Monday morning.  I'm ready!

     

As luck would have it, we found traces of subterranean termites when they removed the flooring.  This topic had been the subject of some concern to us, as nobody wants termites in their home.  The exterior evidence of previous termite trails had been treated during the home purchase process, and nothing active was found.  This new evidence, under the vinyl flooring and carpeting we had removed today, also appears to be inactive.  But there is enough evidence of it that I'm meeting with a termite treatment company tomorrow to look things over, and develop a treatment plan before the new flooring is laid down next week.  It may be a lot of fuss over nothing, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. It seems pretty reckless to install hardwood flooring over termites, if they are active.  I don't think these are active, but I want to take precautions.

The appliances that were to be delivered this Friday have been delayed again. But at least now I have a pretty firm commitment that they will be here next week. If I can get them installed close to the time they arrive, then we could still start moving in at the end of next week.  Cross your fingers.  

The story continues. 

Dave


----------



## Panina (Sep 23, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Things need to get ugly before they get pretty again.  I hope.
> 
> The hardwood flooring saga continues.  This time it wasn't Covid-related delays.  It was wildfires.  The specific flooring we wanted to buy was locked away in a warehouse in Oregon, in a location that had been evacuated due to the wildfires there.  Even though the flooring maker is a national company, this Oregon warehouse was (apparently) the only location that had the specific color we wanted.  Luckily, after several weeks of not knowing it would be able to happen, the flooring was able to be retrieved from the Oregon location, and brought to town.  It landed in my kitchen this morning.
> 
> ...


Can just imagine how great a difference the floor will make.  Looking  forward to see it complete.

I also would take the same precautions.


----------



## Passepartout (Sep 23, 2020)

Lookin' Good, Dave. We can hardly wait to see it. It's going to be soooo worth all the choices and trials and tribulations. Color us green with envy.

Jim


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 28, 2020)

Finally!! The hardwood flooring we chose is being installed today. The install team are experienced and are doing a great job. It’s going to look great!

This is the wood. It’s dimensionally stable engineered hickory. Harder than oak, and wears like iron. There is a reason ax handles are made of hickory.





More to follow, once it’s been laid.

Dave


----------



## SandyPGravel (Sep 28, 2020)

Pretty!!


----------



## mentalbreak (Sep 28, 2020)

Looks great. What, if any, termite mitigation was recommended?


----------



## Karen G (Sep 28, 2020)

That flooring is really beautiful. I'm sure your mission-style furniture is going to look gorgeous on that floor.


----------



## AnnaS (Sep 28, 2020)

I agree, play it safe.

The floors are going to be awesome!!


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 28, 2020)

mentalbreak said:


> Looks great. What, if any, termite mitigation was recommended?



Thanks!

The termite situation was tracks ("mud tunnels" or the stain where they had been) left behind in several places by subterranean termites. When the painters took down the ugly window treatments and the blinds under them, there was evidence of previous termite activity in the window headers in two rooms.  Then, when the old flooring was removed, there was evidence of previous termite activity on the cement slab under the vinyl plank flooring that was floated on top of it.  No signs of current activity, but definitely something that residents in this (and probably other) areas need to be on the lookout for.  These are not the dry wood termites that swarm.  These are subterranean termites, that tunnel up from underground.

I won't go into morbid detail, unless everyone wants to hear the whole story.  But if you ever take up flooring or see tracks like this at your house:





It's the narrow, jagged lines coming from under the center of the upper board, and on the far right leading down under the right end of the lower board, before the ceramic tile.  (The wider, fuzzy line is where a carpet pad had been glued down at some point.) The narrow lines are the tracks of previous termite tunnels.  They had come in at a corner of the front door frame, and meandered around under the flooring.  The tracks don't go far, and kind of peter out. Their access in was removed some time ago, and they had no way out, so dried up and died.  No current activity. No wood damage to repair, and we have the "all clear" from the termite extermination company.

The mitigation for this is perimeter drilling and treatment with Termidor, a very effective termite killing agent.  They will drill down a ways, about every eighteen inches all around the house, and inject the chemical.  They will do this all along the outer perimeter, and also drill down in the central courtyard area, which is outside the foundation of the house. The holes are then patched, and life goes on. It's all we can do without drilling through the slab.  It's a post-tension slab, with cabling under tension that can't be disturbed.  So drilling through the foundation slab can't happen.  The termite company normally guarantees a five year "they won't come back" warranty.  With the extensive drilling they're doing around my house, they've extended that to a ten year guarantee.  If the termites do somehow come back, they'll come and treat again for free.  I'm as satisfied with that as I can be.

One additional picture, just in case you think subterranean termites are not as destructive as dry wood termites:





This picture is the underside of the board that was removed in the upper picture.  The termites ate through the rubber membrane padding on the bottom of the plank, as they tunneled along trying to find food to eat.  The best we can figure is there was some sort of recycled paper or wood material or cellulose or something on that plank, to give them reason to keep chewing along.  This was the only board that showed this sort of evidence, and everyone who has seen it was surprised. 

This plank was laid in March.  So this activity has happened since then.  In the few weeks since this activity was discovered, there has been no new activity.  The little gremlins are gone now.  And my plan is to keep them out.  Now that I know what to look for both inside and outside of the house, I'll do all I can to make sure they don't come to lunch at my house, or on my new flooring.  

Dave


----------



## easyrider (Sep 28, 2020)

Desert termites are a bummer. I'm glad you found them out. If you see winged ant like bugs these could be flying desert termites.   

Bill



			https://cdn-ext.agnet.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Desert-termite-featured.jpg


----------



## PrairieGirl (Sep 29, 2020)

Welcome to the SW! As a former fellow PNW (OR) girl now living in Canada, I knew NOTHING of termites when we bought our seasonal home in AZ.  They are simply a fact of life in this climate and you just "deal" with them.  Your pest control company would/should have a clause in their contract that includes an annual termite inspection.  In ours, this is a requirement, and they are more than happy to come more frequently if you wish.  Best to catch the little buggers early!

We had issues early on, but none for the last few years after treating one interior wall (they did it through a closet that backed to the bathroom).  Bathrooms are one of their favourite places because it is water they are always seeking (to mix with you know what to make their tunnels). One year we arrived to find a tunnel running up the side of our toilet!


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 29, 2020)

PrairieGirl said:


> Welcome to the SW! As a former fellow PNW (OR) girl now living in Canada, I knew NOTHING of termites when we bought our seasonal home in AZ.  They are simply a fact of life in this climate and you just "deal" with them.  Your pest control company would/should have a clause in their contract that includes an annual termite inspection.  In ours, this is a requirement, and they are more than happy to come more frequently if you wish.  Best to catch the little buggers early!
> 
> We had issues early on, but none for the last few years after treating one interior wall (they did it through a closet that backed to the bathroom).  Bathrooms are one of their favourite places because it is water they are always seeking (to mix with you know what to make their tunnels). One year we arrived to find a tunnel running up the side of our toilet!



Oh yes, as I told another Tugger, I have learned more in the last few weeks about termites and the "mud tunnels" of their waste left behind than I ever wanted to know.  But I also now have a clear plan of action and prevention in place.  As a homeowner, I will do my own regular and frequent inspection of the house perimeter, and a pest company will come inspect and spray monthly for any other sort of insect trying to "bug " us. 

The thing that surprises me so much is all the people (even my real estate agent) who tell me "We don't have termites here."  Say what?  Maybe not dry wood termites, but apparently subterranean termites are very common around here.  I've been working directly with the Owner of the largest local pest control company, and he laughed when I said that.  He said, "What do you think has kept me in business for the last 20 years? They're everywhere around here."  Live and learn, I suppose.

But forewarned is forearmed.  Now that I know what to look for, I'm on my guard. 

Dave


----------



## VacationForever (Sep 29, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Oh yes, as I told another Tugger, I have learned more in the last few weeks about termites and the "mud tunnels" of their waste left behind than I ever wanted to know.  But I also now have a clear plan of action and prevention in place.  As a homeowner, I will do my own regular and frequent inspection of the house perimeter, and a pest company will come inspect and spray monthly for any other sort of insect trying to "bug " us.
> 
> The thing that surprises me so much is all the people (even my real estate agent) who tell me "We don't have termites here."  Say what?  Maybe not dry wood termites, but apparently subterranean termites are very common around here.  I've been working directly with the Owner of the largest local pest control company, and he laughed when I said that.  He said, "What do you think has kept me in business for the last 20 years? They're everywhere around here."  Live and learn, I suppose.
> 
> ...


Thank you for sharing this.  We are "thinking" of selling our all steel condo (no wood at all anywhere) to buy a single family home within the same larger community.  I think we will need to have pest control set up if we were to make the move.  With my first home in California, pest control set up what looked like plastic buckets in the ground and each month they would look at the plastic buckets to see if there were signs of termite activity.

We have not listed our home for sale but an agent has a couple who is looking for a condo and they have seen our home and they are considering to make an offer on our home.  It depends on the $ as to whether we will accept the offer.  After that we will be homeless!  Our plan is to just live out of timeshare and hotels for months while we look for a home to buy.  It is pretty scary to be "homeless" as we had always bought another home before selling ours.  Now that we are retired and with the uncertain future due to high unemployment rate we do not want to be caught with owning 2 homes and unable to find a buyer to pay a good price for our home.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 29, 2020)

VacationForever said:


> Thank you for sharing this.  We are "thinking" of selling our all steel condo (no wood at all anywhere) to buy a single family home within the same larger community.  I think we will need to to have pest control set up if we were to make the move.  With my first home in California, pest control set up what looked like plastic buckets in the ground and each month they would look at the plastic buckets to see if there were signs of termite activity.



I'm told termites like the paper on sheetrock and insulation, too.  I guess it's the cellulose they want.  So all steel doesn't necessarily mean no termites.  Good luck!



VacationForever said:


> We have not listed our home for sale but an agent has a couple who is looking for a condo and they have seen our home and they are considering to make an offer on our home.  It depends on the $ as to whether we will accept the offer.  After that we will be homeless!  Our plan is to just live out of timeshare and hotels for months while we look for a home to buy.  It is pretty scary to be "homeless" as we had always bought another home before selling ours.  Now that we are retired and with the uncertain future due to high unemployment rate we do not want to be caught with owning 2 homes and unable to find a buyer to pay a good price for our home.



Absolutely smart, and right on all counts.  The reason I sold my Washington home was because the time was right, and I was ready to move.  Getting settled in Nevada is the right place for us, for now.  Although in recent days the lure of vacationing (at least) in Mexico in a drive-to location is really starting to get our attention.  And that discussion always turns to "Would we want to live there?"  

So we'll see whether DaveNV will become DaveMX at some point. 

Dave


----------



## WinniWoman (Sep 30, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I'm told termites like the paper on sheetrock and insulation, too.  I guess it's the cellulose they want.  So all steel doesn't necessarily mean no termites.  Good luck!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



No! You’re not seriously already thinking of moving again?! Omg...


----------



## Passepartout (Sep 30, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Oh yes, as I told another Tugger, I have learned more in the last few weeks about termites and the "mud tunnels" of their waste left behind than I ever wanted to know.  But I also now have a clear plan of action and prevention in place.  As a homeowner, I will do my own regular and frequent inspection of the house perimeter, and a pest company will come and spray monthly for any other sort of insect trying to "bug " us.


Thanks for the primer on termites. Not a thing we worry much about hereabouts. Glad things are working out as quickly as they are. Happy Moving Day(s)

Jim


----------



## Jan M. (Sep 30, 2020)

Dave you might consider a tankless water heater or a solar water heater. An electric water heater uses more power than anything else in the house, even the AC. We're all electric and have a solar water heater with a switch for electric back up. In the rainy season in Florida we do get overcast days, sometimes several in a row, so we flip the switch for 20 minutes and we're good for the whole day. When the sun comes out it doesn't take long at all to get the water back up to temp in our 80 gallon water heater tank. For just the two of us we wouldn't put that large of a tank in if we ever have to replace it. A tankless water heater would probably be cheaper to put in.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 30, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> No! You’re not seriously already thinking of moving again?! Omg...



Haha!  Not "considering" it.  Just not ruling it out as something we might look further into several years from now.  I like exploring real estate in various places.  We like visiting coastal Mexico.  We've talked about buying a vacation condo down there, so we'd have a place to go that would help pay for itself when we weren't using it.  Then, later on, we might consider moving there.  Having a vacation place we could drive to from here might make it easier to support the idea.

We have a friend who did that in Puerto Vallarta.  He was from our town in rainy Washington, and he bought a vacation condo in PV.  He visited every few months for a week or so, renting it out through a management company in between his visits. He retired early, and started visiting there for longer and longer periods.  Eventually, he moved there full time, and put his Washington home into a rental pool.  After several years of that, he married a PV local, sold his Washington home AND the vacation condo, and now lives comfortably in a beautiful hacienda style home in PV.  Lucky dog.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 30, 2020)

Jan M. said:


> Dave you might consider a tankless water heater or a solar water heater. An electric water heater uses more power than anything else in the house, even the AC. We're all electric and have a solar water heater with a switch for electric back up. In the rainy season in Florida we do get overcast days, sometimes several in a row, so we flip the switch for 20 minutes and we're good for the whole day. When the sun comes out it doesn't take long at all to get the water back up to temp in our 80 gallon water heater tank. For just the two of us we wouldn't put that large of a tank in if we ever have to replace it. A tankless water heater would probably be cheaper to put in.



That solar option is something I do want to explore.  We just had a conversation about the water heater with a plumber who installed two new toilet fixtures for us.  The water heater is 12 years old, original to the house.  Due to the water quality here, water heaters tend to only last about ten years.  So he warned us we're on borrowed time with the water heater, and we should expect it to fail at some point, probably sooner than later.  If that happens, I want to see if a solar water heater is an option for us.  May as well use some of that free sunshine we have all day.

Dave


----------



## Jan M. (Sep 30, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Haha!  Not "considering" it.  Just not ruling it out as something we might look further into several years from now.  I like exploring real estate in various places.



We like playing the could I or would I want to live here game when we travel. 

We've been to some places we thought were beautiful and would like to go back to but for one reason or another couldn't or wouldn't want to live there. On this trip we encountered a definite not only would we not want to but we couldn't! It was on the way from Angel's Camp, CA to Las Vegas when we got out of the mountains and were driving across the desert. We entertained ourselves talking about what it must have been like for the wagon trains crossing the Mojave and the people who settled in the desert. There are desert areas we've liked but this wasn't one of them.


----------



## easyrider (Sep 30, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Haha!  Not "considering" it.  Just not ruling it out as something we might look further into several years from now.  I like exploring real estate in various places.  We like visiting coastal Mexico.  We've talked about buying a vacation condo down there, so we'd have a place to go that would help pay for itself when we weren't using it.  Then, later on, we might consider moving there.  Having a vacation place we could drive to from here might make it easier to support the idea.
> 
> We have a friend who did that in Puerto Vallarta.  He was from our town in rainy Washington, and he bought a vacation condo in PV.  He visited every few months for a week or so, renting it out through a management company in between his visits. He retired early, and started visiting there for longer and longer periods.  Eventually, he moved there full time, and put his Washington home into a rental pool.  After several years of that, he married a PV local, sold his Washington home AND the vacation condo, and now lives comfortably in a beautiful hacienda style home in PV.  Lucky dog.
> 
> Dave



We have a few family members and friends that have a home in Mexico. My wifes first cousin lived in Bucerias for many years. They also bought a place on the beach near Manzanillo, which is or was for sale. Had a place in San Miguel de Aldende . Currently for the last few years they live in Ajijjic and seem to really like it there as it is nice weather all year.

I like the Mexican timeshares and do not think we want to actually own property in Mexico. I'm thinking Maui or Big Island is a better fit for us if we were to purchase a second home.

Bill


----------



## WinniWoman (Sep 30, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Haha!  Not "considering" it.  Just not ruling it out as something we might look further into several years from now.  I like exploring real estate in various places.  We like visiting coastal Mexico.  We've talked about buying a vacation condo down there, so we'd have a place to go that would help pay for itself when we weren't using it.  Then, later on, we might consider moving there.  Having a vacation place we could drive to from here might make it easier to support the idea.
> 
> We have a friend who did that in Puerto Vallarta.  He was from our town in rainy Washington, and he bought a vacation condo in PV.  He visited every few months for a week or so, renting it out through a management company in between his visits. He retired early, and started visiting there for longer and longer periods.  Eventually, he moved there full time, and put his Washington home into a rental pool.  After several years of that, he married a PV local, sold his Washington home AND the vacation condo, and now lives comfortably in a beautiful hacienda style home in PV.  Lucky dog.
> 
> Dave



I see.

That’s one thing we used our drive - to timeshares for in Vt and NH and how we ended up here in NH permanently.


----------



## geist1223 (Sep 30, 2020)

In our prior house we had a gas fired tankless hot water heater. We loved it. If you decide to shop for one buy a bigger unit than you think you will need.


----------



## WinniWoman (Sep 30, 2020)

We have an on demand water heater. We have gotten used to it now. In winter here it takes awhile to get the hot water. You won’t have that issue in your climate.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 4, 2020)

And the pretty is back...

The hickory hardwood flooring has finally been installed, and the entire house has been cleaned up.  We are in the process of moving in.  It'll be slow going, as we're moving boxes first - staging, sorting, and trying to eliminate what we don't want or need.  After that, the furniture will be moved from the rental house to the new place.  If I squint and tilt my head in just a certain way, I can almost see the end of the long and winding road that got us here. We arrived at the rental house in Mesquite back on June 27th. Now, three-plus months later, we are finally moving into our home here.

Here are a few pictures of how the flooring turned out:

    

You may remember that the entry foyer inside the front door is circular.  Here is a before and after, to show why we wanted hardwood to flow continuously throughout the house:

 

We also switched out five exterior light fixtures, (two on the garage, and three in the courtyard), from a worn-out old school round style, to something more in keeping with our taste:

 

There is still more to do, but the big stuff has been done.  New kitchen appliances are on a truck heading our way, and should be here in another few days.  New laundry appliances are due about a week after that.  A few furniture pieces are being delivered this week.  A new front door and plantation shutters for several windows are both due in about a month.

There is more to come.  Stay tuned. 

Dave


----------



## Karen G (Oct 4, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> And the pretty is back...
> 
> 
> There is more to come.  Stay tuned.
> ...


Dave, that all is just stunning! Can't wait to see it all furnished. You might have a new career of flipping houses over there in Mesquite.


----------



## Luanne (Oct 4, 2020)

@DaveNV it seems like just yesterday that you moved into the rental house.  I can't believe it's already been 3 months!

The new flooring, paint and new light fixture looks great!


----------



## slip (Oct 4, 2020)

Looks great. You’re in the home stretch now.


----------



## DancingWaters (Oct 4, 2020)

Gorgeous, hickory is my favorite wood!   Are the floors engineered hardwood or laminate!


----------



## Rolltydr (Oct 4, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> And the pretty is back...
> 
> The hickory hardwood flooring has finally been installed, and the entire house has been cleaned up. We are in the process of moving in. It'll be slow going, as we're moving boxes first - staging, sorting, and trying to eliminate what we don't want or need. After that, the furniture will be moved from the rental house to the new place. If I squint and tilt my head in just a certain way, I can almost see the end of the long and winding road that got us here. We arrived at the rental house in Mesquite back on June 27th. Now, three-plus months later, we are finally moving into our home here.
> 
> ...



It looks like it’s coming together very nicely. Can’t wait to see the completely finished product.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 4, 2020)

DancingWaters said:


> Gorgeous, hickory is my favorite wood!   Are the floors engineered hardwood or laminate!



Thanks!  These are engineered hardwood.  We had this same flooring for three years at our home in Washington, and they looked as nice on the day we moved out as they did when they were first installed.  Impervious to damage from us, or our dogs and cat.  We knew we wanted that same thing here.  We now have nearly 1300 square feet of it.  The only other flooring in the home now is ceramic tile in the kitchen and bathrooms.  The rest is this new hickory hardwood.

Dave


----------



## Monykalyn (Oct 4, 2020)

Floors are GORGEOUS!! Huge difference with entry way too-love the circular entry way and now it looks like a part of the house instead of a turntable deciding what area to step off lol!


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 4, 2020)

Monykalyn said:


> Floors are GORGEOUS!! Huge difference with entry way too-love the circular entry way and now it looks like a part of the house instead of a turntable deciding what area to step off lol!



I know, right?  My major issue with the way the foyer was done before was the flooring adjacent to the circular walls were squared off on two sides.  One side was the front door itself, which couldn't be changed.  But the edge of the vinyl plank flooring against the ceramic tile that was there?  No need to square that edge, except the installer was lazy, and chose not to finish the look.  Notice the carpeting on the other side of it has a rounded alignment.  but now that it's all hardwood, it flows as it should.  And it looks nicer in person than it does in these pictures.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 4, 2020)

Karen G said:


> Dave, that all is just stunning! Can't wait to see it all furnished. You might have a new career of flipping houses over there in Mesquite.



Thanks very much, but no.  Once is plenty.  

Dave


----------



## lynne (Oct 4, 2020)

Love the seeded glass outdoor light fixtures as well as your flooring choice.   A beautiful transformation.


----------



## pedro47 (Oct 4, 2020)

Your seeded glass outdoor light fixtures, foyer and floor looks very nice.


----------



## Panina (Oct 4, 2020)

Love it, so right for you home.


----------



## WinniWoman (Oct 4, 2020)

Everything looks wonderful!


----------



## amycurl (Oct 4, 2020)

Love how the floors seem to change color with the light....lovely, and ties the lighter paint together with the darker paint. And I do love the more mission-style light fixtures.


----------



## Passepartout (Oct 4, 2020)

Lookin' ever so good, Dave. I'll call before we drop by so you can fill the fridge.   Oh, BTW, the outdoor lights are dead ringers for ours. Love 'em!

Jim


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 4, 2020)

amycurl said:


> Love how the floors seem to change color with the light....lovely, and ties the lighter paint together with the darker paint. And I do love the more mission-style light fixtures.



Thanks so much.  We have more light fixtures to hang inside.  We already changed out the vanity light fixture in the Guest Bathroom, and we're having two fixtures installed above the vanity in the Master Bath.  (Need to run the electricity for those, along with wiring for six new can lights in the Living Room ceiling. That's happening the 12th.) We're waiting to hang the Mission-style down-light over the dining room table until after the furniture is in place.  Less chance to hurt it that way.  We've had it nearly 20 years, and it can't be replaced.  Goes perfectly with our dining room table.

The fixture in the foyer ceiling is new, a replacement for the one that was there.  The old one is gone, and I don't know if we have a picture of it.  It was round, flush-mounted, with an ugly dome glass shade with a center finial that looked very out of place.  This is the one we put in:





The wall colors were chosen because we knew they worked well with the flooring.  We had these same colors and floors at our Washington house.  They're perfect for a Southwestern home.  And you're right- things do change with the light.  Nothing is too harsh, and all of it together is peaceful, relaxing, and warm.  It feels just right. 

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 4, 2020)

Passepartout said:


> Lookin' ever so good, Dave. I'll call before we drop by so you can fill the fridge.



I'll alert the Staff.  



Passepartout said:


> Oh, BTW, the outdoor lights are dead ringers for ours. Love 'em!
> 
> Jim



See, I knew you had good taste. 

Dave


----------



## AnnaS (Oct 4, 2020)

Dave your floors look awesome!! What a difference.  Love your outdoor fixture.  I think I want to change ours now


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 4, 2020)

AnnaS said:


> Dave your floors look awesome!! What a difference.  Love your outdoor fixture.  I think I want to change ours now



Thanks, Anna.  Due to the more isolated location of Mesquite, we did a lot of online business with Wayfair.com and Overstock.com.  They both have a tremendous selection. Only a few things we purchased didn't meet with our approval, and were returned.  Both companies were great about that.

Dave


----------



## JanT (Oct 4, 2020)

Well my goodness, DaveNV!!  Look at those gorgeous floors!!  You're making it harder and harder on me to not rush out there and buy a new house.    Seriously, your house is just so beautiful!!


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 4, 2020)

JanT said:


> Well my goodness, DaveNV!!  Look at those gorgeous floors!!  You're making it harder and harder on me to not rush out there and buy a new house.    Seriously, your house is just so beautiful!!



Thanks, Jan!  You know how it is - you find a place you really like, it's "perfect" in every way, but it just needs a teensy bit of tweaking here and there.  That was how this one was.  Except...

We ended up replacing nearly all the flooring, all kitchen appliances, all laundry appliances, all window coverings, all outside lighting, most interior lighting, all interior door hardware (lever handles, hinges, striker plates), the front door and lockset, undersink Reverse Osmosis system, exterior privacy roll-down screen, added a ceiling fan to the covered patio ceiling, moved some light switches, added an outlet to the Master Closet, and we put in additional lighting in the Living Room ceiling and Master Bath vanity.   And then we repainted the entire interior, overhauled the landscaping, dealt with the termite issue, replaced the drip irrigation controller, have ordered a complete HVAC duct cleaning, and we're still in negotiations about installing a swimming pool. 

Like I said:  "Perfect."  LOL! 

Dave


----------



## presley (Oct 5, 2020)

It's looking amazing! I'm so happy for you that you get to create exactly what you want.


----------



## TheHolleys87 (Oct 5, 2020)

@DaveNV, it’s beautiful, and I’m jealous! One question, are the kitchen and bathroom tiles ceramic or less-slippery porcelain? My concern some years ago was reducing the chances we’d fall and break something as we, um, lived here longer, so I insisted on porcelain despite the cost.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 5, 2020)

TheHolleys87 said:


> @DaveNV, it’s beautiful, and I’m jealous! One question, are the kitchen and bathroom tiles ceramic or less-slippery porcelain? My concern some years ago was reducing the chances we’d fall and break something as we, um, lived here longer, so I insisted on porcelain despite the cost.



Thanks!  The kitchen and bathroom tile is a textured ceramic, with a fairly non-slippery surface. It is newer, and is high quality.  I haven't "slip tested" it yet, but I suspect it will be fairly non-slip.  Appreciate the question - I'll be on the watch for slip hazards.   

Dave


----------



## Sugarcubesea (Oct 5, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Thanks so much.  We have more light fixtures to hang inside.  We already changed out the vanity light fixture in the Guest Bathroom, and we're having two fixtures installed above the vanity in the Master Bath.  (Need to run the electricity for those, along with wiring for six new can lights in the Living Room ceiling. That's happening the 12th.) We're waiting to hang the Mission-style down-light over the dining room table until after the furniture is in place.  Less chance to hurt it that way.  We've had it nearly 20 years, and it can't be replaced.  Goes perfectly with our dining room table.
> 
> The fixture in the foyer ceiling is new, a replacement for the one that was there.  The old one is gone, and I don't know if we have a picture of it.  It was round, flush-mounted, with an ugly dome glass shade with a center finial that looked very out of place.  This is the one we put in:
> 
> ...



I just love everything you have picked out and it all blends it so beautifully with your southwestern them and location...


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 5, 2020)

Sugarcubesea said:


> I just love everything you have picked out and it all blends it so beautifully with your southwestern them and location...



Thanks! As we start moving things in, we'll quickly figure out if the vision is as good as the reality.  

Dave


----------



## Glynda (Oct 5, 2020)

Sorry repeat.


----------



## Glynda (Oct 5, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> There is more to come.  Stay tuned.
> 
> Dave



Those look great!  Perfect with your colors. The circular foyer made a big difference!


----------



## DeniseM (Oct 5, 2020)

The "We accepted an offer on our home today" posts have been moved to their own thread.


----------



## pittle (Oct 5, 2020)

Looks great!  It is such fun to start all over with your favorites as a base! 

When we retired, we kept a few treasures, but bought a lot of new furniture to start fresh.   When we moved to AZ, we brought those, but because we bought a larger home, we got to add more!  

We also repainted every room in the house we bought and went with tile instead of wood for the floors since we like lighter & brighter (but not in wood).  We also have a Mission style oak dining room set that we love - table & chairs are sitting on a Costco area rug. You see this when you walk into the house and it makes a great first impression. We also have lots of leather as it is better for my allergies. 

Now after 12 years, I would not change anything.  I have updated accessories, but nothing major.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 5, 2020)

pittle said:


> Looks great!  It is such fun to start all over with your favorites as a base!
> 
> When we retired, we kept a few treasures, but bought a lot of new furniture to start fresh.   When we moved to AZ, we brought those, but because we bought a larger home, we got to add more!
> 
> ...



Thanks, Phyllis.  I hope in 12 years I can say the same thing.  We were in our previous home 17 years, and we remodeled parts of it a few times.  We never got the chance to live with our final redo of things, so this Mesquite home is kind of a do-over.  Same flooring, wall colors, and kitchen appliances. We liked it up north, so expect we'll like it down here. The best of the furniture we had, with new things added that fit this home.   Looking forward to being all settled, and relaxing on a daily basis in a house we both really want. I think that's what being retired is supposed to be all about. 

Dave


----------



## Rolltydr (Oct 17, 2020)

Hey @DaveNV, how’s it going? You guys must be busy because you’ve been pretty quiet on here for the past couple weeks. I hope things are going well and you guys are getting moved and settled in your new home. Looking forward to your next update!


----------



## pedro47 (Oct 17, 2020)

DaveNV,  last post on this thread was October 5, 2020. DaveNV, is still  posting on TUG, as of last evening. LOL


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 17, 2020)

Rolltydr said:


> Hey @DaveNV, how’s it going? You guys must be busy because you’ve been pretty quiet on here for the past couple weeks. I hope things are going well and you guys are getting moved and settled in your new home. Looking forward to your next update!





pedro47 said:


> DaveNV,  last post on this thread was October 5, 2020. DaveNV, is still  posting on TUG, as of last evening. LOL



Nope, we're still here.  Still in process. I've been waiting until there was something new to show everyone, or at least something interesting to talk about.  So let's see, where are we?  Here's the latest:

Flooring is in.  It looks great.





We're still cleaning bits of tracked adhesive we're finding, and cleaning the cracks between boards, but as each little bit is cleaned, the floors look better and better.  This hickory flooring is just beautiful.

With the potential termite issues resolved, we felt it was safe to move forward with installation. We now have full inside, top to bottom, and perimeter treatment around and under the foundation, so should be safe from any invasion.  In addition, we now have a regular insect spraying plan in place, to take care of any crawling critters who may want to move in.

Electrical has been updated, and has done much to calm my "What the heck were they thinking?" questions.  A lot of the electrical work was cosmetic, so is more for "livability," but all of it was totally necessary, to my mind.

We added six LED can lights on a dimmer to the living room ceiling, which helps to brighten a room that needed a bit of help.  (Two of those new lights are visible in the picture above.)

We added a directional spotlight on a dimmer to a living room niche wall where a large piece of artwork will hang.  (This light will be adjusted once the art is hung up.)





We added lights over the two sinks in the master bathroom vanity.  The only lighting in there was can lights in the ceiling - which are nearly ten feet high.  How could anyone use a bathroom mirror without better lighting? Ridiculous. But it's great now.



 

 



In the process of installing that sort of thing, we moved some light switches around, removing some, adding others, and changing which switches controlled what.  We wanted to put the right switches where the right switches should have been. It amazes me that the previous owners lived in this house twelve years without addressing these issues. I couldn't have done that. But maybe it's just me.

One example:  We had replaced the three old carriage lights in the courtyard with something we liked much better, as shown in post #236 above.  But the only switch to turn on those lights was in the kitchen, in a "blind" corner behind where a kitchen table would sit.  One of those three lights is the light next to the front door!  So if someone comes to the front door, they'd stand there in the dark until somebody walked all the way from the foyer round into the kitchen and climbed around behind the table to turn on the switch that controlled that light.  So, so stupid.

To make it worse, there were two light switches at the front door - one was for the lights on the front of the garage, out at the street.  Ok, fine. The other switch was for the foyer entry light, which we've also replaced (as shown in post #252 above.) But just five feet away, on the other side of the foyer, was _another_ switch that controlled the same entry light.  But no switch to turn on the carriage light right outside the front door.  Just crazy!

So now, when the switch by the door is flipped, it turns on the three courtyard lights, as it always should have been.  When someone enters the home and wants to turn on the foyer light, they can flip the one-and-only switch right in front of them.  Easy peasy.  It's now the way it should have been all along.

Plumbing work has been done.  Both bathroom toilets have been replaced with new Kohler fixtures that are more efficient and look much nicer.  The old, worn out faucet at the kitchen sink was shiny "chrome" made mostly of plastic.  Cheap, ugly, and barely functional.  It has now been replaced with a nice brushed nickel finish metal faucet with better controls.  The old three-stage Reverse Osmosis system under the kitchen sink has been replaced with a new five-stage RO system.  This RO system also feeds the ice maker and fresh water on the refrigerator, which will make ice and ice water taste as good as possible.



 



Major PITA:  Kitchen appliances are still not here.  They were ordered more than eight weeks ago.  I've been working with the freight company to get things scheduled.  The latest plan is they will be delivered this coming Wednesday.  We'll work to get them installed over the next few days after that.  Laundry appliances is another story, and I'm not sure when they will show up.  They were ordered the same day as the kitchen appliances, but as of yesterday, I'm being told they may show up sometime in November.  <sigh>

Through this entire process, these appliances have been the biggest roadblock to our move.  Because of Covid, everything is on backorder, everywhere.  All local inventories are depleted.  Mail order appliance inventories are depleted.  So everything has to be ordered.  But even then, once it shows up, there is no guarantee the order will be complete.  (That was the issue with the laundry appliances.  They arrived at the vendor's warehouse last week, but the dryer had mysteriously been "shorted" on the order, even though it was previously showing as being there.  Somebody likely took it to add to another order.  So now my dryer has to be reordered, unless they can magically "find" one.  Which likely means shorting someone else's order.  It's nuts, and makes me very angry, because I can't do anything about it.  Extremely frustrating.

While most everything has been received, there are a few furniture items still on order.  We received a couple of pieces last week, but one, a big TV console for the living room, was seriously damaged in shipment, and had to be reordered.  It isn't scheduled to arrive for another month.  Arrggh.  In the meantime, we have a number of boxes to open and assemble, with things like patio furniture.  We've been waiting to do that until it seemed we were getting closer to moving in.  I put together one set of patio furniture last week, and it looks pretty good.





So, where are we as of today?  We're moving in, even though things aren't totally ready.  We'll make it work, and stop the financial drain of paying for two homes.

This coming week is the final week in the rental. We're moving smaller things from the rental house to our new home, slowly but surely.  I have a rented van I've been using to move things the last few weeks, but need to turn that in on Friday.  Kitchen appliances arrive Wednesday.  A moving company is coming Friday afternoon to move the big stuff from the rental to our new house. By the time they show up, those few larger items will be all that's left in the rental.  After we're done with that on Friday, we'll clean the rental over the weekend and turn in the keys.  The owners have rented the house to another tenant as of November 1st.  So ready or not, it's "go" time for us.

As we get moved in, unpacked, and settled, there will be more images, and more to discuss.  Then we'll have the big reveal.  We're getting there, one bit at a time.  It feels great. 

Dave


----------



## Karen G (Oct 17, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Through this entire process, these appliances have been the biggest roadblock to our move.


We've found a serious shortage of appliances here, too. When our washer quit a couple of weeks ago we went to Lowe's, Home Depot, and R.C. Willey. All their stuff would be delayed by weeks or months. However, when we checked with Best Buy on a Friday, they had what we wanted in stock and it was delivered on Monday.


----------



## Rolltydr (Oct 17, 2020)

Now, you’re making me re-think wanting to move! 
I know it’s a major PITA, but your place is looking great (love the bathroom lights) and once everything is in place, it will have been worth it. Hang in there, take a deep breath when something unexpected pops up, and forge on! Thanks for the update.


----------



## klpca (Oct 17, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Nope, we're still here.  Still in process. I've been waiting until there was something new to show everyone, or at least something interesting to talk about.  So let's see, where are we?  Here's the latest:
> 
> Flooring is in.  It looks great.
> 
> ...


Great update! Congratulations on getting this far under all of the crazy circumstances.

We have been looking for a new refrigerator since about May and from what I have been told, there are a lot of appliances stuck on container ships that are not being allowed into ports because of covid. I am holding my breath about the refrigerator as our freezer is struggling to keep everything frozen - we are hardly using it at this point - but I want a specific refrigerator that still isn't available so we are just keeping our fingers crossed. FYI, my backup plan is to buy something off of craigslist to hold us over if it becomes necessary. Maybe you could do that with the dryer until yours arrives?

And I had to lol about the light switches. Yours was special-stupid on the placement for the carriage light switch, but I often think about what folks will say if/when we sell this house. Our kitchen light switch is on the wall in the dining room, just outside the kitchen. It's definitely weird but we have gotten used to it. But I am sure that a new owner will say "wth"?? We moved into our house when we were babies (29/26) and it was brand spankin' new. Now it is quite middle aged. We never thought that we would just stay here. As one of our friends said about their home: "It *was* our first house, now it's just our house".


----------



## VacationForever (Oct 17, 2020)

@DaveNV Everything is looking fabulous!  I might have missed the renovation cost, if you don't mind sharing, how much will the renovation cost when all is said and done?  We are not imaginative people and doubt we want to get into a full blow renovation but since pickings are rather slim in the community that we are looking at, we are wondering aloud if we should buy whatever is available and the renovate the hell out of it.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 17, 2020)

Karen G said:


> We've found a serious shortage of appliances here, too. When our washer quit a couple of weeks ago we went to Lowe's, Home Depot, and R.C. Willey. All their stuff would be delayed by weeks or months. However, when we checked with Best Buy on a Friday, they had what we wanted in stock and it was delivered on Monday.



You were lucky to find the one item you needed.  I wish it had been as easy here.  We did much the same, making the rounds to appliance dealers here and in Utah.  Nobody had anything.  Because we needed six different major appliances, and all the parts to install them, it was easier to order them from an online place we knew well, and that we'd used twice before.  Covid delays screwed up everything.  (Yes, we could have ordered through Costco, but they didn't sell the fridge we wanted.  Getting "package deal" pricing saved us quite a lot on the overall costs.  I doubt things would have been delivered any sooner.)

The order went in normally.  But then the delays started.  The status kept changing, and it was one thing after another, and not just with the vendor - the trucking company was a major part of this.  In the case of the kitchen appliances, they were picked up from the vendor on September 30th. I was told it would be one week to delivery.  I finally got a call at two weeks out, on October 14th, and they told me they wouldn't be able to deliver them until October 29th. !!!

I went off, and raised holy hell about that.  But gosh, what do you know?  The very next day I got a call telling me they would be delivering on October 21st.  Hmm.  Like I said before, it's been nuts.

But this is me.  So I'll smile my way through it, work around the delays, and get the job done.  It's all I can do.  Jail time is not something I want to experience.  LOL! 

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 17, 2020)

Rolltydr said:


> Now, you’re making me re-think wanting to move!
> I know it’s a major PITA, but your place is looking great (love the bathroom lights) and once everything is in place, it will have been worth it. Hang in there, take a deep breath when something unexpected pops up, and forge on! Thanks for the update.



Nah, don't wait.  Just order your new appliances well ahead of when you think you'll want them.  Check the new place for termites, even in places they aren't expected, and take appropriate action.  Then take a vacation. LOL!   Come back several weeks later, when things are ready for you.  

Dave


----------



## pedro47 (Oct 17, 2020)

First there was a shortage of paper towels & tissues products, Lysol spays & wipes,  then US coins and now there is a shortage of appliances. What is up????
Is Whirlpool or LG still in business making appliances ?


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 17, 2020)

klpca said:


> Great update! Congratulations on getting this far under all of the crazy circumstances.
> 
> We have been looking for a new refrigerator since about May and from what I have been told, there are a lot of appliances stuck on container ships that are not being allowed into ports because of covid. I am holding my breath about the refrigerator as our freezer is struggling to keep everything frozen - we are hardly using it at this point - but I want a specific refrigerator that still isn't available so we are just keeping our fingers crossed. FYI, my backup plan is to buy something off of craigslist to hold us over if it becomes necessary. Maybe you could do that with the dryer until yours arrives?
> 
> And I had to lol about the light switches. Yours was special-stupid on the placement for the carriage light switch, but I often think about what folks will say if/when we sell this house. Our kitchen light switch is on the wall in the dining room, just outside the kitchen. It's definitely weird but we have gotten used to it. But I am sure that a new owner will say "wth"?? We moved into our house when we were babies (29/26) and it was brand spankin' new. Now it is quite middle aged. We never thought that we would just stay here. As one of our friends said about their home: "It *was* our first house, now it's just our house".



I hope your fridge holds out.  We own one we keep in the garage for overflow beverage storage and such, which we're taking to the new place, along with the chest freezer that sits next to it.  They're both nearly twenty years old, and we expect them to fail at any time, but till then, we'll use them.  So if push comes to shove, I could go buy a cheap tabletop microwave, and get by.  But I'm trusting the trucking company to do what they've said, and I'll expect the new appliances to show up next week.  We'll see how it works out.  Installation is an entirely different story. 

These light switches are just crazy.  They have switches and things all over the house where they aren't needed, and they don't have them where they should be.  Another example: There is an electrical outlet on the laundry room wall adjacent to the door into the garage.  Fine. But it's on the wall opposite where the appliances plug in, and where there is no shelving, or room to place anything that would need to be plugged in.  Oh yeah - and it's nearly six feet off the ground!  This outlet was installed there because they wanted it installed there.  The only thing I can figure out is that they may have had a handheld rechargeable vacuum that hung on the wall, and was plugged in there.  Nothing else makes any sense.

If you look at the "art niche" picture in my post above, there is a double gang switch in the middle-right of that picture.  Those two switches are now removed, because they were directly in the way of the artwork we want to hang there - and they were redundant.  The switches themselves were for the living room ceiling fan, and one wall outlet across the room, for a lamp, I presume.  When we put in the living room can lights, the outlet switch became redundant, since there is another one across the room, AND there is ALSO a switch for the ceiling fan AND one for the light on the fan across the room. How many switches in one room do you need to turn on a ceiling fan?  (And never mind that the ceiling fan also has pull chains hanging from it to turn on the fan and its light.)  

As you said, WTH?  

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 17, 2020)

pedro47 said:


> Is LG still in business making appliances ?



They'd better be - that's the brand of the appliances I ordered.    The problem is that with everyone staying home, they're using their appliances more than ever, so things are failing more often.  Home improvement projects are happening at a greater rate than normally.  And since people aren't traveling, they're putting money into their homes.  The demand has far exceeded the supply, so manufacturers are behind.  They can only make things so fast, and on-hand inventories are exhausted.  It's been weird, for sure.

Dave


----------



## klpca (Oct 17, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> The order went in normally.  But then the delays started.  The status kept changing, and it was one thing after another, and not just with the vendor - the trucking company was a major part of this.  In the case of the kitchen appliances, they were picked up from the vendor on September 30th. I was told it would be one week to delivery.  I finally got a call at two weeks out, on October 14th, and they told me they wouldn't be able to deliver them until October 29th. !!!
> 
> I went off, and raised holy hell about that.  But gosh, what do you know?  The very next day I got a call telling me they would be delivering on October 21st.  Hmm.  Like I said before, it's been nuts.


I'll bet your dryer met a similar fate and went to someone who had to raise hell. Just kicking the problem down to the next customer.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 17, 2020)

VacationForever said:


> @DaveNV Everything is looking fabulous!  I might have missed the renovation cost, if you don't mind sharing, how much will the renovation cost when all is said and done?  We are not imaginative people and doubt we want to get into a full blow renovation but since pickings are rather slim in the community that we are looking at, we are wondering aloud if we should buy whatever is available and the renovate the hell out of it.



I haven't added up the detailed hard costs yet, because I'm afraid it'll scare me to death.    If I were to estimate things in round numbers, though, for flooring, window coverings, painting, appliances, electrical, plumbing, and miscellaneous household expenses, it's easily over $30K.  Add in things like new furniture, the costs of the rental home, and assorted other things, and it's easy to add another $20K.  But it's also hard to pin things down between "needed" vs. "wanted."  Someone else may have done this a lot cheaper than we have.  I can only go with what makes us feel right about the project, and look ahead to how nice it'll be as the "forever" (for now) home this will be for us.  A new-build might have ended up at lower costs, but we wanted this specific floor plan, which this builder isn't doing anymore, and we knew this home would need updating.  So it all balances out in the end.

Also note, we didn't have to remove any walls, or restructure anything.  Everything we've done is around the existing structure.  If this had been a true fixer home, I'd expect a lot more things would need to be repaired or replaced.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 17, 2020)

klpca said:


> I'll bet your dryer met a similar fate and went to someone who had to raise hell. Just kicking the problem down to the next customer.



That's what I think.  And when I said as much to the Customer Service rep with the vendor, he agreed with me.  He said the orders they get are put together by the manufacturer, and then they are sent as a bundled complete order to the vendor.  The vendor then sends them on to the customer.  In my case, my order from the manufacturer was shorted, but nobody said anything until the order arrived - missing the dryer.  Somebody upline had no doubt kicked the can down the road.  And here I am, still waiting for what was supposed to already be received.  Frustrating.

Dave


----------



## AnnaS (Oct 17, 2020)

It's coming along beautiful and little things can make a huge difference!!!


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 17, 2020)

AnnaS said:


> It's coming along beautiful and little things can make a huge difference!!!



Thanks, Anna.  I agree - it'll be a nice home to live in, once we're done.  And it may seem like I'm complaining, but on the whole, I'm not.  It's a great house, and worthwhile project.  I'm just ready to move in.  

Dave


----------



## WinniWoman (Oct 17, 2020)

Love what you’ve done so far! Glad you will soon be in your new home, despite the obstacles!

I know all too well about switches. And our house is a new build!  They had it where when you came in the front door the switch went to nothing! Not the ceiling fan light. Not the outlets in the living room where lamps would be plugged on. Just nowhere! So you’d have to feel your way around the room in the dark to put a lamp on or for the remote for the ceiling fan light!

In the bathroom they had the first switch when you walked in going to the can light over the shower or tub! Why would they do that instead of the center light or vanity light? Beats me! No logic!

Stuff like that throughout the house. I bought a smart bulb for the back door of the walk out basement because sometimes at night I want to see out the back but to put the light on I would go downstairs into the basement for the  switch. 

Now I can just ask Alexa to turn the light on from upstairs or use my phone to do the same and look right out my upstairs windows. No electrician needed.

Thankfully the builder sent the electrician back to correct everything else.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 17, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> Love what you’ve done so far! Glad you will soon be in your new home, despite the obstacles!
> 
> I know all too well about switches. And our house is a new build!  They had it where when you came in the front door the switch went to nothing! Not the ceiling fan light. Not the outlets in the living room where lamps would be plugged on. Just nowhere! So you’d have to feel your way around the room in the dark to put a lamp on or for the remote for the ceiling fan light!
> 
> ...



Thanks, Mary Ann.  That's a great idea about the smart bulb.  The only exterior lights we have on this house are the five carriage lights (three in the courtyard, two on the garage), and two ceiling lights in a covered patio in the back of the house.  (Above where the new patio furniture is sitting.)  So there isn't really anywhere I could use a smart bulb like that.

Check your outlets in the living room for one that is upside down.  Those are called "Half Hot" outlets, and are the ones that are tied to those light switches that seem to go nowhere.  Maybe.  After what I've learned about how this house was wired, nothing would surprise me anymore. 

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 17, 2020)

In reply #278 above I mentioned an electrical outlet in the laundry room that is nearly six feet off the ground, for no apparent reason.  This is that outlet:





I checked, and the outlet is actually MORE than six feet off the floor.  I'm nearly six foot, and it's well over my head.  Anybody have other ideas for what this may have been used for? The best idea I had was to plug in a mounted cordless vacuum or something.  Nothing else seems to make sense.

Dave


----------



## controller1 (Oct 17, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> In reply #278 above I mentioned an electrical outlet in the laundry room that is nearly six feet off the ground, for no apparent reason.  This is that outlet:
> 
> View attachment 27650
> 
> ...



What is the white panel located beneath the outlet?


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 17, 2020)

controller1 said:


> What is the white panel located beneath the outlet?



It's a Leviton Cat 5 Ethernet wiring panel.  There are RJ45 jacks in major rooms to connect computerized things together.  But it's older technology, since wireless connectivity has taken over in recent years.  I had a similar panel in the old home in Washington, and by the time we sold that house, we weren't even using the in-wall wiring anymore.  It'll be the same thing here.  We use laptops, and our color laser printer is wireless.  No need to connect a computerized network together anymore.  (Yes, wired can be faster, but the home network system I have to set up is wireless.)

Dave


----------



## controller1 (Oct 17, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> It's a Leviton Cat 5 Ethernet wiring panel.  There are RJ45 jacks in major rooms to connect computerized things together.  But it's older technology, since wireless connectivity has taken over in recent years.  I had a similar panel in the old home in Washington, and by the time we sold that house, we weren't even using the in-wall wiring anymore.  It'll be the same thing here.  We use laptops, and our color laser printer is wireless.  No need to connect a computerized network together anymore.  (Yes, wired can be faster, but the home network system I have to set up is wireless.)
> 
> Dave



Then I don't know about the outlet location. I thought the panel might have been something that the electrical code would have required an outlet within so many feet of it but I don't think that would qualify in this instance.

Perhaps the wiring panel was installed after construction and replaced a built-in ironing board and that required an electrical outlet?


----------



## klpca (Oct 17, 2020)

controller1 said:


> Then I don't know about the outlet location. I thought the panel might have been something that the electrical code would have required an outlet within so many feet of it but I don't think that would qualify in this instance.
> 
> Perhaps the wiring panel was installed after construction and replaced a built-in ironing board and that required an electrical outlet?


I was thinking iron/ironing board too but six feet+ is a bit much. One of life's great mysteries.


----------



## lynne (Oct 17, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> In reply #278 above I mentioned an electrical outlet in the laundry room that is nearly six feet off the ground, for no apparent reason.  This is that outlet:
> 
> View attachment 27650
> 
> ...



Our outlet is at 5' and has our water softener plugged into it.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 17, 2020)

Good ideas, all.  But this outlet is inside the laundry room - the water softener is in the garage.  And the laundry room is only as wide as a washer and dryer sitting side by side.  So roughly 5 feet wide.  Not really wide enough for an ironing board, especially with two doors opening into the room.  The photo is taken with me standing in the doorway to the kitchen.  Behind the door to my right is the door into the garage, which is hinged on the same wall as that outlet is on.  So the door from the garage opens against this crazy outlet.  If the door was pushed all the way open, I think it'd hit that outlet.  I'm stumped.

Weird mystery, hmm?

Dave


----------



## Blues (Oct 17, 2020)

If that panel is for your home-run cat5 ethernet wiring, then perhaps they had a floating shelf up there for router, switches, etc?


----------



## VacationForever (Oct 17, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> In reply #278 above I mentioned an electrical outlet in the laundry room that is nearly six feet off the ground, for no apparent reason.  This is that outlet:
> 
> View attachment 27650
> 
> ...


Stackable laundry machines?  But it is probably not 220 Volts.  More likely they were short on wire and terminated it where the wire ran out.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 17, 2020)

Blues said:


> If that panel is for your home-run cat5 ethernet wiring, then perhaps they had a floating shelf up there for router, switches, etc?



Good thought.  That may be what was going on.  I've looked, and don't see any sign where shelving mounts were patched, but that doesn't mean anything.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 17, 2020)

VacationForever said:


> Stackable laundry machines?  But it is probably not 220 Volts.  More likely they were short on wire and terminated it where the wire ran out.



The laundry space is to the left of the doorway, hidden in this view.  There was a cupboard across that upper wall, so nothing additional in that regard. This outlet is on a wall basically behind the door to the garage. If anything larger was placed on the wall, it'd block the garage door.

As the King says in _The King and I_, "It is a puzzlement." 

Dave


----------



## isisdave (Oct 18, 2020)

I'll bet it was to plug in a router or some kind of wifi extender. I think they work better when they're high, as opposed to floor level where there's a lot furniture and appliances.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 18, 2020)

isisdave said:


> I'll bet it was to plug in a router or some kind of wifi extender. I think they work better when they're high, as opposed to floor level where there's a lot furniture and appliances.



You may be right.  Given the advanced age and other issues this elderly couple had, it may have been something someone had set up for them.  I doubt I'll ever really know the whole story.

Although come to think of it, there were a couple of smaller monitors mounted higher on the wall in a few rooms (like an older 12" flat screen size) that may have been from some sort of security monitoring system.  So maybe this is related to that.  I'll need to open that Leviton panel and see what's inside.

Dave


----------



## amycurl (Oct 18, 2020)

Our house was built in the summer/fall of 2004....which you may remember featured four hurricanes making landfall in FL within 6 weeks. Every available electrician was....not in NC.  I think we eventually learned that an apprentice electrician and a retired electrical engineering professor were the two people in charge of wiring the house. We have/had *so many* odd issues with both our wiring and our cable. I mean, it all passed inspection, and nothing has felt unsafe; it's just a lot of those kind of weird, odd things, mis-wirings, outlet issues, etc. 

In other words, I feel your pain. We've fixed some of them, and some of them just haven't risen to the top of the deferred maintenance list yet.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 18, 2020)

amycurl said:


> In other words, I feel your pain. We've fixed some of them, and some of them just haven't risen to the top of the deferred maintenance list yet.



I understand. We figured as long as they were onsite doing other stuff, we’d ask them to help us sort out the odd things we’d found. They also did normal stuff, like installing an outlet at the rear of the Master Bedroom closet. Big 8X12 walk-in space, and nowhere to plug anything in.

The electricians commented that the wall where the switch to turn on the courtyard lights was installed, the roof joists came down right on top of it, making it impossible to get to the wiring. So apparently it was wired before the roof was put on the house. Very strange construction here. 

Dave


----------



## easyrider (Oct 18, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I understand. We figured as long as they were onsite doing other stuff, we’d ask them to help us sort out the odd things we’d found. They also did normal stuff, like installing an outlet at the rear of the Master Bedroom closet. Big 8X12 walk-in space, and nowhere to plug anything in.
> 
> The electricians commented that the wall where the switch to turn on the courtyard lights was installed, the roof joists came down right on top of it, making it impossible to get to the wiring. So apparently it was wired before the roof was put on the house. Very strange construction here.
> 
> Dave



My buddy built a home in the Columbia Gorge on a cliff and the master bedroom closet is huge but no electrical socket. I know because I used their closet as our guest room when we stayed over for parties. Good thinking on the extra outlet.

Bill


----------



## Passepartout (Oct 19, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I understand. We figured as long as they were onsite doing other stuff, we’d ask them to help us sort out the odd things we’d found. They also did normal stuff, like installing an outlet at the rear of the Master Bedroom closet. Big 8X12 walk-in space, and nowhere to plug anything in.


Another 'forgotten' space that needs outlet(s) is in the pantry. So nice to have relatively little used appliances there, not on the counters. Like a slow cooker, or knife sharpener or rechargeable light, all plugged in and ready to use.


----------



## Monykalyn (Oct 19, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> How many switches in one room do you need to turn on a ceiling fan?


 We bought our current house as a short sale (that turned into a foreclosure)-new build. The builder had obviously planned on putting ceiling fans in many rooms as most rooms have a single light fixture but 2 switches. We've added ceiling fans in a couple rooms. But if you have an Alexa and smart "stuff"-husband is the geek who wires our house-you just have to ask to turn stuff on/off. Fireplace, lights, tv, my holiday lights (living room and kitchen), deck lights, deck fan...too bad Alexa can't do the laundry too.


DaveNV said:


> They'd better be - that's the brand of the appliances I ordered


Have had my LG washer & dryer for over 15 years now-had to actually stop and realize it has been that long! Still going strong even with interstate move. Our previous house all the offers on it when we sold wanted my pretty washer and dryer (they are red)-glad we took them with us!
We had to add an outlet in our living room floor-the great room is set up in a way that furniture has to "float" and not be against a wall; no outlet nearby to plug in a lamp! 

Hope those dang appliances show up as promised!! Can't wait to see the whole big reveal!


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 19, 2020)

Monykalyn said:


> We bought our current house as a short sale (that turned into a foreclosure)-new build. The builder had obviously planned on putting ceiling fans in many rooms as most rooms have a single light fixture but 2 switches. We've added ceiling fans in a couple rooms. But if you have an Alexa and smart "stuff"-husband is the geek who wires our house-you just have to ask to turn stuff on/off. Fireplace, lights, tv, my holiday lights (living room and kitchen), deck lights, deck fan...too bad Alexa can't do the laundry too.
> 
> Have had my LG washer & dryer for over 15 years now-had to actually stop and realize it has been that long! Still going strong even with interstate move. Our previous house all the offers on it when we sold wanted my pretty washer and dryer (they are red)-glad we took them with us!
> We had to add an outlet in our living room floor-the great room is set up in a way that furniture has to "float" and not be against a wall; no outlet nearby to plug in a lamp!
> ...



I saw a commercial where the people said "Alexa, tell Roomba to clean in front of the sofa."  That's getting pretty specific.  Alexa doing the dishes can't be far behind.  

I had all LG appliances at my old home, and really liked them.  The kitchen suite I bought for this house is the same LG appliances, but updated.  The laundry appliances, wherever they are, are also LG.  I'm loyal, if nothing else. 

Things are getting very real:  Today is Monday. The kitchen appliances are scheduled to be delivered Wednesday.  I've arranged for them to be installed Thursday.  We'll sleep at the new house Thursday night. Friday the movers are coming to the rental house to load the last of our larger things and move them to the new house. Over the weekend we'll clean the rental and turn in the keys.  We are THIS CLOSE to being moved in, but we're not done yet:  The last of the ordered furniture and such will trickle in over the next several weeks, including the plantation shutters we ordered.  I'm told they're almost done, and will be installed the first week of November.

There are still a few surprises I haven't talked about.  We have a new front door on order, that is due to arrive in about two weeks.  It has a beautiful large glass insert with lots of clear, cut, beveled, and art glass pieces in it.  It will make a showpiece of that courtyard, and a great entrance into the home, once everything is done.  I still need to find someone to install it. 

Dave


----------



## PamMo (Oct 19, 2020)

Dave, you DO know your thread is tempting a lot of Tuggers booking Las Vegas, Mesquite, St. George timeshare vacations to plan an extra day to come visit you and see your place, right?


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 19, 2020)

PamMo said:


> Dave, you DO know your thread is tempting a lot of Tuggers booking Las Vegas, Mesquite, St. George timeshare vacations to plan an extra day to come visit you and see your place, right?



That makes me smile.  Thank you.  The turnstile is still on order.  LOL! 

Dave


----------



## Karen G (Oct 19, 2020)

PamMo said:


> Dave, you DO know your thread is tempting a lot of Tuggers booking Las Vegas, Mesquite, St. George timeshare vacations to plan an extra day to come visit you and see your place, right?


YES! A TUG housewarming party sounds like a great idea!


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 19, 2020)

Karen G said:


> YES! A TUG housewarming party sounds like a great idea!



I'd be up for it, but Covid kind of adds a hard wrinkle to things.  And my Jeff is fiercely adamant about not socializing until this is over. 

Dave


----------



## lynne (Oct 20, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I'd be up for it, but Covid kind of adds a hard wrinkle to things.  And my Jeff is fiercely adamant about not socializing until this is over.
> 
> Dave


Smart man that Jeff!


----------



## Rolltydr (Oct 20, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I saw a commercial where the people said "Alexa, tell Roomba to clean in front of the sofa."  That's getting pretty specific.  Alexa doing the dishes can't be far behind.
> 
> I had all LG appliances at my old home, and really liked them.  The kitchen suite I bought for this house is the same LG appliances, but updated.  The laundry appliances, wherever they are, are also LG.  I'm loyal, if nothing else.
> 
> ...


I have an LG washer and dryer that are a year old and an LG 65” OLED tv that is a couple years old. I absolutely love them! LG will be my go-to brand for any appliance or electronic purchase (outside the Apple ecosystem). They‘re full of features, simple to use, and very high quality. Good choice!


----------



## Glynda (Oct 20, 2020)

We've had our LG top load washer and front load dryer for six years. I have two problems with them. Even though I am using an HE laundry soap and softener, and a very small amount of each, I get white streaks on dark clothing when I take them out of the washer. I often have to run them through another rinse cycle. They dryer rarely fully dries the clothes.  Even when I take out the lighter weight clothing which is drier, the heavier do not dry completely though I set the dryer on the driest level.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 20, 2020)

Glynda said:


> We've had our LG top load washer and front load dryer for six years. I have two problems with them. Even though I am using an HE laundry soap and softener, and a very small amount of each, I get white streaks on dark clothing when I take them out of the washer. I often have to run them through another rinse cycle. They dryer rarely fully dries the clothes.  Even when I take out the lighter weight clothing which is drier, the heavier do not dry completely though I set the dryer on the driest level.



Check the washer fill cycle volume.  Could be it isn't filling the tub fully, and those streaks happen with residual water that is missed in the rinse cycle.  I prefer a front-loading washer, where the size of the load isn't so much of a factor.  Top loaders always seem to use too much water.  Even if the tub isn't full of clothes, it still seems like it uses a lot of water to wash anything. (Yes, I know it sounds like I just contradicted myself. My point is to make sure the water is being changed out with each cycle the washer goes through.)

As to the dryer, check your exhaust lines to make sure they aren't clogged with lint.  If they are, moisture stays inside the dryer, causing longer drying times.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 20, 2020)

Rolltydr said:


> I have an LG washer and dryer that are a year old and an LG 65” OLED tv that is a couple years old. I absolutely love them! LG will be my go-to brand for any appliance or electronic purchase (outside the Apple ecosystem). They‘re full of features, simple to use, and very high quality. Good choice!



I also have several LG flat screen TVs - in fact, they're the only TV brand I own.  They are better than any other brand I've ever had.

Dave


----------



## vacationtime1 (Oct 20, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> As to the dryer, check your exhaust lines to make sure they aren't clogged with lint.  If they are, moisture stays inside the dryer, causing longer drying times.



Clogged dryer exhaust lines can also cause house fires.


----------



## Glynda (Oct 21, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Check the washer fill cycle volume.  Could be it isn't filling the tub fully, and those streaks happen with residual water that is missed in the rinse cycle.  I prefer a front-loading washer, where the size of the load isn't so much of a factor.  Top loaders always seem to use too much water.  Even if the tub isn't full of clothes, it still seems like it uses a lot of water to wash anything. (Yes, I know it sounds like I just contradicted myself. My point is to make sure the water is being changed out with each cycle the washer goes through.)
> 
> As to the dryer, check your exhaust lines to make sure they aren't clogged with lint.  If they are, moisture stays inside the dryer, causing longer drying times.
> 
> Dave



It’s not like the old top loaders. At the time I bought it, Consumer Reports rated it as the most efficient and water saving top loader. I’ve never seen it fill the tub fully.  I do small loads. Now that I think about it, I turn a number of my clothes inside out as directed on the labels and as I’ve learned that they pill less when I do. It is often those that have streaks. Not sure how to check the water fill cycle.

The dryer definitely is not clogged. I clean out the filter before every use. And we have a thin little vacuum made for dryers that we use to keep stray lint that might have escaped the filter. Hubby recently pulled the dryer and pulled the exhaust line out and put a new one in. There was some lint in the exhaust but even after replacing it we still have the same problem.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 21, 2020)

Glynda said:


> The dryer definitely is not clogged. I clean out the filter before every use. And we have a thin little vacuum made for dryers that we use to keep stray lint that might have escaped the filter. Hubby recently pulled the dryer and pulled the exhaust line out and put a new one in. There was some lint in the exhaust but even after replacing it we still have the same problem.



Does the dryer vent directly to the outside, or is it connected to venting that travels inside the wall to get to the outdoor vent?  In my Washington house, the laundry was in an upstairs hallway closet, right outside the Master Bedroom, (which was very convenient, actually.) But the exhaust connection inside the wall traveled twelve feet from that closet to the vent on the exterior wall.  When it started taking a long time to dry things, I bought one of those dryer cleanout gadgets that attaches to a power drill, climbed a ladder to the second floor, and went in from the outside.  I cleaned out massive amounts of lint I didn't know was even there.  It was inconvenient at the time due to being on the second floor and needing to climb a ladder to clean it out, but the dryer worked great after that.  So I'm wondering if your house has a similar thing going on.

Dave


----------



## Glynda (Oct 21, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Does the dryer vent directly to the outside, or is it connected to venting that travels inside the wall to get to the outdoor vent?  In my Washington house, the laundry was in an upstairs hallway closet, right outside the Master Bedroom, (which was very convenient, actually.) But the exhaust connection inside the wall traveled twelve feet from that closet to the vent on the exterior wall.  When it started taking a long time to dry things, I bought one of those dryer cleanout gadgets that attaches to a power drill, climbed a ladder to the second floor, and went in from the outside.  I cleaned out massive amounts of lint I didn't know was even there.  It was inconvenient at the time due to being on the second floor and needing to climb a ladder to clean it out, but the dryer worked great after that.  So I'm wondering if your house has a similar thing going on.
> 
> Dave



Our dryer is downstairs and sits right against the outside wall of the house and is vented directly out. There was some lint in it when he pulled and replaced it. I know about those upstairs units as our other house has a stackable in an upstairs closet and was originally vented with an elbow and up into the attic!!! That became a problem very soon and was re-vented straight and out.

I’ve never wanted an upstairs washer and dryer. Convenient for putting things away but not for doing loads and loads of laundry, running up and down the stairs to check on and move them.  I sleep upstairs but spend the day and evening downstairs. The best layout we’ve had was a master closet that opened from the master bath and also into the laundry room. And in another house, we had a washer and dryer in our master closet and another across the house near the other bedrooms. Daughter was in high school then and did her own laundry.


----------



## Monykalyn (Oct 22, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I bought one of those dryer cleanout gadgets that attaches to a power drill, climbed a ladder to the second floor, and went in from the outside. I cleaned out massive amounts of lint I didn't know was even there. It was inconvenient at the time due to being on the second floor and needing to climb a ladder to clean it out, but the dryer worked great after that. So I'm wondering if your house has a similar thing going on.


Yes our vent line has to run a bit to get outside-when my dryer started having issues on not drying hubs bought one of those rotorooter thingamabobs and he too cleaned out tons and tons and tons of lint! Even though I religiously clean the lint filter it was amazing the amount pulled out. It's now on the yearly maintenance list-it is funny because this is the longest we've stayed in a house (previously we moved every 3-5 years-and moved states!) & buy new builds so we haven't had to do maintenance like this lol! 
Since in-laws decided to cancel their usual January Mexico vacation (and we were going to go for a week) may put that money towards the new floors-I LOVE your floors and good to know hickory is dog nail scratch resistant! I am looking at a more varied in color/streaky? (not sure how to describe color) but in hickory now. We've planned on replacing the carpet since we moved in 10 years ago-but kids expenses/vacations have taken priority...


----------



## clifffaith (Oct 22, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I also have several LG flat screen TVs - in fact, they're the only TV brand I own.  They are better than any other brand I've ever had.
> 
> Dave



Good to know. Cliff plans to leave the ten year old TVs behind mounted to the walls in the MBR & Cliff's office/second bedroom. Not clear to me if he plans to tell the new owner or not (maybe I can leave that damn Sleep Number bed and no one will notice or care). With things like TVs I don't care beyond making him return one ten years ago that was WAY to big for the bedroom. Not something I care to shop for -- get what you want and be done with it. The new owners will be surprised to find wires in the corners of every window that I doubt will be noticed before they move in. "Someone" thought it would be a good idea to have all the windows wired for window coverings.. I don't know how much he paid to have that done when we were doing construction here before moving in -- all his stereo equipment got wired to play throughout the house too. Not my thing at all -- in spite of having sold motorized window treatments for 30 years. My office and his office are the only rooms with remote controlled window coverings -- my office is half a level below grade and the windows are extra high, so it made sense. His windows have shutters which don't provide enough light control for the computer so there is a black mesh screen behind the shutters that is remote operated. My feeling with motorized treatments, since I was mostly dealing with women or couples, was don't make an extra project for the lady of the house. I watched him lose a high ladder window job that created electrician work where instead the woman could have called us every few years to change the batteries. Yes, hard wired would have been better in the long run, but she was ready to buy remote controlled, had said yes to my 10K price, and Cliff tried to push bringing the electrician in to do the wiring. WRONG.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 22, 2020)

clifffaith said:


> Good to know. Cliff plans to leave the ten year old TVs behind mounted to the walls in the MBR & Cliff's office/second bedroom.



Before you buy a new TV, go to Costco and compare the images on the LG’s to any other TV brand they have. The quality will win you over.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 22, 2020)

So after what seemed like forEVER, we finally, FINALLY have kitchen appliances.  Yay!!  After more than nine weeks on order and in shipment, they arrived yesterday.  I was more than a bit apprehensive to see the damage to the cardboard shipping boxes.  They were pretty shredded in places.  My worst nightmare would have been if the appliances had been damaged in shipment, and would have to be sent back. But I opened and examined each item while the trucking company guys stood there waiting. The Vendor had been very specific, that if I accepted them without noting any damage, I was on the hook for any repairs.  Luckily, nothing was damaged.  Makes me very glad for little miracles. 

Then, this morning at 8:00 prompt, a local company I'd hired arrived to install the appliances for me.  New challenges:  I hadn't considered that these were new and improved, 2020-year appliances, and the house has 12 year old doorways.  So it caused a bit of head scratching.  How to fit that enormous fridge through those not-so enormous doorways?  In the end, they had to remove the doors from the fridge, no small feat. There were wires and cabling and connections and water hoses and whatnot all over the place.  I have no idea how he did it, but the guy was obviously very experienced at what he was doing.  Even so, it still took him over an hour to dismantle things enough to get the main fridge part through the doorways.  But it did finally fit through the doorway. There wasn't a lot of room, and I know if I'd have purchased anything larger, it just wouldn't have fit at all. Yikes! Dodged a bullet on that one!



 



The guys stuck with it, and at the end of about five hours of steady work, my four new appliances were installed.  The work was absolutely professional, and I could not be more satisfied with things.  They look great, and I am delighted.  I haven't cooked anything yet, but it all seems ready to go.  Here are three quick pictures I took this afternoon:



 

 



So this means we'll be sleeping at the new house tonight, for the first time.  We've moved the last of the smaller furniture from the rental, and tomorrow we will run over to St. George to turn in the rented van I've had the last few weeks. I even took time this afternoon for one final dump run, to get rid of a mountain of packing boxes, styrofoam, and other leftover trash from moving.  All the appliances came in boxes, with a ton of packing material around them.  It was mostly too large to fit in my car, so it was great that I had this van available to get rid of it all.  It has worked out beautifully, and I'm sure the neighbors will be glad to not have the van filling the street in front of the house. It's too large to fit in the driveway of the rental house. 





We're meeting furniture movers at the rental tomorrow afternoon to move the last of the big furniture to the new house.  Jeff and I will take care of moving the last of the small items and loose things in our cars.  Over the weekend we'll clean the rental, and then turn in the keys.  it'll be nice to only have to think about living in one house, instead of two.

I can nearly taste it.  We're almost done. 

Dave


----------



## geist1223 (Oct 22, 2020)

Measuring for appliances is very important. When Patti and I got married she was in a 2 Bedroom 1 bath 1100 square foot Craftsman Cottage. The first side by side frig she ordered was too big. It blocked part of the door way to the basement. Back it went. She ended up with about the smallest side by side made in 2001. We used in that house, our next house, and for a couple years in this house. It is now in the garage for beer and Gatorade; and, Vodka and Tequila in the freezer section.

Similar thing with the Washer and Dryer she bought. They would not fit through the door to the basement. So back they went and she bought a small set. Still the basement door had to be removed to get them down. We did not move them. We bought new and larger ones for our move in 2004. We moved them to current home in 2010. We just got rid of them. So they lasted over 16 years. The washer drum was starting to get rust. (Lesson always buy Washer with a stainless steel drum.)

When my son and his wife moved from a small apartment in Manhattan to a large house in Salt Lake City they bought lots of furniture and appliances. They made one goof. They measured for the depth and width for the Frig but forgot about height. It basically fit except when they got to the door hinges. So it always stuck out into the kitchen about 6 inches. I offered to remove the molding around the upper Cabinent and recut it. They declined my offer.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 23, 2020)

geist1223 said:


> Measuring for appliances is very important.



I measured the space inside the kitchen, so I knew the fridge would fit the niche. But I didn’t even think about getting it through doorways to get TO the kitchen. That was where the squeeze points came in. It was a great reminder that bigger isn’t always the easiest way to go.

Dave


----------



## WinniWoman (Oct 23, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> So after what seemed like forEVER, we finally, FINALLY have kitchen appliances.  Yay!!  After more than nine weeks on order and in shipment, they arrived yesterday.  I was more than a bit apprehensive to see the damage to the cardboard shipping boxes.  They were pretty shredded in places.  My worst nightmare would have been if the appliances had been damaged in shipment, and would have to be sent back. But I opened and examined each item while the trucking company guys stood there waiting. The Vendor had been very specific, that if I accepted them without noting any damage, I was on the hook for any repairs.  Luckily, nothing was damaged.  Makes me very glad for little miracles.
> 
> Then, this morning at 8:00 prompt, a local company I'd hired arrived to install the appliances for me.  New challenges:  I hadn't considered that these were new and improved, 2020-year appliances, and the house has 12 year old doorways.  So it caused a bit of head scratching.  How to fit that enormous fridge through those not-so enormous doorways?  In the end, they had to remove the doors from the fridge, no small feat. There were wires and cabling and connections and water hoses and whatnot all over the place.  I have no idea how he did it, but the guy was obviously very experienced at what he was doing.  Even so, it still took him over an hour to dismantle things enough to get the main fridge part through the doorways.  But it did finally fit through the doorway. There wasn't a lot of room, and I know if I'd have purchased anything larger, it just wouldn't have fit at all. Yikes! Dodged a bullet on that one!
> 
> ...



That’s some snazzy refrigerator you got there! 

Your range, dishwasher and microwave look like ours, but they are GE.

Everything looks great!


----------



## WinniWoman (Oct 23, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I measured the space inside the kitchen, so I knew the fridge would fit the niche. But I didn’t even think about getting it through doorways to get TO the kitchen. That was where the squeeze points came in. It was a great reminder that bigger isn’t always the easiest way to go.
> 
> Dave



I hate our fridge. It is counter depth and I can’t fit stuff in it. But the kitchen is small and I didn’t want to compromise counter and cabinet space.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 23, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> I hate our fridge. It is counter depth and I can’t fit stuff in it. But the kitchen is small and I didn’t want to compromise counter and cabinet space.



I had this same fridge in counter depth at my last house, because the fridge niche was right around a blind corner. If a regular fridge was put there, it was easy to crash into it when coming around that corner. I didn’t care for the size of it either. This one is full sized, and ready for actual food keeping. 

It’s a snazzy fridge, for sure. The window is a grab-and-go section, which is very convenient for getting a quick drink or whatever. The upper drawer can be temperature controlled as either refrigerator or freezer space. Really useful. I like this model a lot.

Dave


----------



## pittle (Oct 23, 2020)

The kitchen looks great!  The refrigerator is snazzy for sure.  I've been looking at similar ones as ours is 12 years old.  I hope the one I currently have will last a long time, but it seems that appliance life is not as long as it used to be.

Appliances are basically personal preference.  

Our top load washer uses so little water that the clothes are barely covered (it weighs the dry clothes) and I don't think the detergent rinses out, so always use 2nd rinse option.  I have started using the comforter setting so that I have enough water to see that they are swishing around.  I did not want front-load because you need to leave the door open to let humidity escape.
I love my counter-depth refrigerator.  We do have a blind corner so that was why we chose it.  ,But I do like having 4-1/2 feet between the wall cabinets and the island. 
As for my built-in microwave, that was a wrong choice as I am vertically challenged to reach over the door and get stuff out! 
I always had electric ranges until we moved here and had gas.  I really like, it, but cleaning the 6 burner range is the pits.


----------



## Glynda (Oct 23, 2020)

Glad to got everything in! It's a good thing that we have three sets of French doors across the back of our house as it is very difficult to get in and make a turn in our narrow front foyer. Some lazier movers have wanted to try anyway rather than carry the item to the back of the house but most see right away that it is the best option. 

We love the quality of the picture of our LG OLED TV.  However....you know that was coming, didn't you....I guess since we primarily watch two channels, the network symbol for each is permanently imprinted as a somewhat faded symbol in the background of every channel.  It's about three or four years old.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 23, 2020)

pittle said:


> The kitchen looks great!  The refrigerator is snazzy for sure.  I've been looking at similar ones as ours is 12 years old.
> 
> [*]I always had electric ranges until we moved here and had gas.  I really like, it, but cleaning the 6 burner range is the pits.



Thanks! It isn’t over the top, (by choice), but OCD-me likes that they match. The appliances I gave away when we bought this house were three brand names between four pieces, two were twelve years old, one was about four years old, and one was about a year old.  For being just a year old, it looked very worn out.  As I mentioned, I had this same suite before, and they’re great.

The one difference is that we had gas at the old house. Mesquite is only just now getting gas installed for new-builds. I’m told it won’t be available for retroactive installs for many years.  So, we go back to electric. This new range is the electric version of the gas one we had before.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 23, 2020)

Glynda said:


> Glad to got everything in! It's a good thing that we have three sets of French doors across the back of our house as it is very difficult to get in and make a turn in our narrow front foyer. Some lazier movers have wanted to try anyway rather than carry the item to the back of the house but most see right away that it is the best option.
> 
> We love the quality of the picture of our LG OLED TV.  However....you know that was coming, didn't you....I guess since we primarily watch two channels, the network symbol for each is permanently imprinted as a somewhat faded symbol in the background of every channel.  It's about three or four years old.



I don’t think it is supposed to burn in like that. I’d ask LG about it. You might be able to get some great service from them.

Dave


----------



## Panina (Oct 23, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> So after what seemed like forEVER, we finally, FINALLY have kitchen appliances.  Yay!!  After more than nine weeks on order and in shipment, they arrived yesterday.  I was more than a bit apprehensive to see the damage to the cardboard shipping boxes.  They were pretty shredded in places.  My worst nightmare would have been if the appliances had been damaged in shipment, and would have to be sent back. But I opened and examined each item while the trucking company guys stood there waiting. The Vendor had been very specific, that if I accepted them without noting any damage, I was on the hook for any repairs.  Luckily, nothing was damaged.  Makes me very glad for little miracles.
> 
> Then, this morning at 8:00 prompt, a local company I'd hired arrived to install the appliances for me.  New challenges:  I hadn't considered that these were new and improved, 2020-year appliances, and the house has 12 year old doorways.  So it caused a bit of head scratching.  How to fit that enormous fridge through those not-so enormous doorways?  In the end, they had to remove the doors from the fridge, no small feat. There were wires and cabling and connections and water hoses and whatnot all over the place.  I have no idea how he did it, but the guy was obviously very experienced at what he was doing.  Even so, it still took him over an hour to dismantle things enough to get the main fridge part through the doorways.  But it did finally fit through the doorway. There wasn't a lot of room, and I know if I'd have purchased anything larger, it just wouldn't have fit at all. Yikes! Dodged a bullet on that one!
> 
> ...


Nice appliances.  I saw that refrigerator in a store and it is awesome.  Would be interested what you think after using it awhile.


----------



## Passepartout (Oct 23, 2020)

Great job, Dave. That's a helluva fridge to stock before I visit, but I know you're up for it. (snicker, snicker!) 

Hope you got a great night's sleep in the new house/bed/bedding, and the dogs enjoyed their new digs as well!

Jim


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 23, 2020)

Panina said:


> Nice appliances.  I saw that refrigerator in a store and it is awesome.  Would be interested what you think after using it awhile.



It’s the newer edition of the fridge we had before. Other than size, the main difference is that this one makes “craft ice.” Current TV ads talk about being a “baller,” in reference to the frozen balls of ice it will make. (If you’re a whiskey drinker it keeps it colder without diluting your drink.)  It’s a great piece of kitchen helper. This specific one is 30cf, so a small polar bear could live in there.  We used the smaller drawer for wine storage mostly. The clear door was for easy beverages, yogurt, snack stuff. The main freezer was used for everyday frozen food, whereas the fridge and chest freezer in the garage were for the big packages and boxes of stuff, and overflow. It works well for us.

Dave


----------



## geist1223 (Oct 24, 2020)

Oh no you put ice in whisky. Maybe a drop of water but not ice.


----------



## pedro47 (Oct 24, 2020)

Everything is looking outstanding in your new home and I loved that rental van. That is a great idea for moving furniture and appliances.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 24, 2020)

geist1223 said:


> Oh no you put ice in whisky. Maybe a drop of water but not ice.



Actually, I'm not a whiskey drinker.  But I'm told some folks do that sort of thing.  My dad always did.  But he always drank so fast, I don't think the ice even had time to melt. 

The round ice is separate from the cubed and crushed ice this fridge also makes, and you can even tell the fridge how many ice balls to make in a day. They even fall into a separate ice tray. It's all pretty trick, to be honest.  

Dave


----------



## Monykalyn (Oct 24, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> They look great,


Gorgeous actually! and I have fridge envy now   
Hope the last minute things go well this weekend!!


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 24, 2020)

Monykalyn said:


> Gorgeous actually! and I have fridge envy now
> Hope the last minute things go well this weekend!!



Thank you!  We're quite pleased with the appliances.  The fridge is working great, and as of this morning's first use, the microwave also works fine.  Haven't used the stove or dishwasher yet, but that's coming.  I have full expectations everything will work just fine.

The rest of our large furniture was moved yesterday, so we're nearly out of the rental.  Today (Saturday) we'll finish bringing the rest of the loose small stuff from the rental house, and start the process of cleaning it top-to-bottom so the owners won't have to do anything before the next tenant moves in.  The house is rented for a November 1st move-in.  I want to make sure it's ready.

And I got an unexpected great call this morning - the plantation shutters we'd ordered that weren't supposed to be arriving till next month have come in early.  They'll be installed on Friday! That'll go a long way toward making the new house feel like home.  

The rest is going to be unpacking and setting up the house.  We still have a lot of sorting and disposal to do, but that can be done as we go forward. One thing at a time.  Well, maybe two.  

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 24, 2020)

Productive day today, and I'm beat to a pulp.  Spent it mostly at the rental house, thoroughly cleaning it out, to make ready for the next tenant, who will move in the first of the month.  We got both bedrooms, both bathrooms, the Master Bedroom walk-in closet, the Living Room, Dining Room, and part of the kitchen done.  Add in scrubbing things with a fine toothed comb (nearly), to make it all as new as it was when we moved in.  I'm dragging my tail tonight.  Tomorrow we'll finish the kitchen, because that's all that's left. The rest of the house is done.

The Owner came over while we were there, and was impressed by how nice everything looked.  I explained that I had assured him when we moved in that we'd take good care of his property.  I want him to get it back as good, or better, than it was when we moved in.  I think he appreciates that.  I know I would. 

And in other news, today of all days, the garage refrigerator we moved yesterday has given up the ghost.  It's a 2003 model, and had provided good service all these years.  But I think the strain of moving it three times in six months finally took its toll.  The GFCI breaker was tripped this morning when I went into the garage.  The fridge was off, because it's on that circuit.  I reset the breaker, immediately heard electrical crackling from the fridge, and the GFCI tripped again.  In the same few seconds there was an acrid, "burning electrical wiring " smell coming from the back of the fridge, and a small puff of smoke rose from the back of the fridge motor area.  I unplugged everything, let it cool down, then reset everything, and plugged it in again.  The fridge comes on, and the freezer compartment is getting cold, but the fridge section isn't cooling down.  The purpose of having the fridge is for the refrigerator section - I have a separate chest freezer that is working great.

Seventeen years of service from the old beast was a good run.  This was the original fridge we'd purchased when we first bought our home in Washington.  When we remodeled the kitchen in 2012, we kept the fridge because it worked so well.  It has had a good life in the garage ever since.  I had expected it to go at any moment, and I guess today was the day.  So now, after everything else, I guess I'm in the market for a new garage fridge.  The fun never stops, ya know?  

Dave


----------



## WinniWoman (Oct 25, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Productive day today, and I'm beat to a pulp.  Spent it mostly at the rental house, thoroughly cleaning it out, to make ready for the next tenant, who will move in the first of the month.  We got both bedrooms, both bathrooms, the Master Bedroom walk-in closet, the Living Room, Dining Room, and part of the kitchen done.  Add in scrubbing things with a fine toothed comb (nearly), to make it all as new as it was when we moved in.  I'm dragging my tail tonight.  Tomorrow we'll finish the kitchen, because that's all that's left. The rest of the house is done.
> 
> The Owner came over while we were there, and was impressed by how nice everything looked.  I explained that I had assured him when we moved in that we'd take good care of his property.  I want him to get it back as good, or better, than it was when we moved in.  I think he appreciates that.  I know I would.
> 
> ...



You got your money's worth out of that fridge. 

Interestingly when we had our 2nd home inspection (11 month) this month, the inspector said we should not have our garage freezer on a GFI outlet because if it trips for some reason we might not realize it and lose our food.

But after me checking into this further it seems outlets in a garage are required to be GFI so we could not put in a regular outlet there.

It's the same in the kitchen. I am sure our fridge is on a GFI (it's behind the fridge so I can't see it without pulling the fridge out) as is required of all outlets in the kitchen.


----------



## VacationForever (Oct 25, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I don’t think it is supposed to burn in like that. I’d ask LG about it. You might be able to get some great service from them.
> 
> Dave


Are you our LG go-to person now?    I was wondering after Costco what can we ask DaveNV about next.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 25, 2020)

VacationForever said:


> Are you now our LG go-to person now?    I was wondering after Costco what can we ask DaveNV about next.



HAHA!  About all I could do is talk about the features of the appliances I own, and give you the 800 number of LG's tech support, if I looked it up.  

But for the record, to be honest I'm a bit of an LG fan, based on excellent performance of their products, and the quality of what I've seen, compared with other brands.  As of now, I do own LG-branded refrigerator, stove, over-the-range microwave, dishwasher, washer, dryer, and four flat-screen televisions. So maybe you're on to something.  

Dave


----------



## controller1 (Oct 25, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> You got your money's worth out of that fridge.
> 
> Interestingly when we had our 2nd home inspection (11 month) this month, the inspector said we should not have our garage freezer on a GFI outlet because if it trips for some reason we might not realize it and lose our food.
> 
> ...



We have a chest freezer in our garage and rain shorted our Christmas lights a couple of years ago. Those lights were plugged into an outdoor GFCI outlet that happened to be on the same circuit as the garage outlets (also GFCI). That caused the entire circuit to trip and our freezer was off about 36 hours without our knowledge. We didn't lose any food since we also did not open the freezer during that time.

After that an electrician installed a non-GFCI outlet in our garage just for the freezer. The plug has a cover on it to prevent the freezer from becoming unplugged and and the cover is prominently labeled "FREEZER - NOT GFCI".

Not sure if that would work in your locale.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 25, 2020)

I did a bit of creative surfing online today, and found a "garage ready" fridge for sale at Lowes.  The description says it is specifically built to work between 38 and 110 degrees.  That's a great option for the weather here.  Wonder of wonders, they had ONE in stock.  Free delivery, and they'll haul away the dead fridge for $30.  Sold!  It's being delivered next week. For what I need, it'll be perfect.

For those of you keeping track, we are now completely out of the rental house, and completely into our permanent home.  The rental is spotless, and ready for the next tenant.  I'll meet with the Owners tomorrow to turn over the keys.  It feels great to finally be ready to start living in our desert home.  Still need to unpack, sort, dispose of excess items, arrange furniture, and hang pictures.  But to have everything under one roof, finally, feels great!

By the calendar, it's been 122 days since we left our home in Washington, and moved to Mesquite.  

Dave


----------



## SmithOp (Oct 25, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> You got your money's worth out of that fridge.
> 
> Interestingly when we had our 2nd home inspection (11 month) this month, the inspector said we should not have our garage freezer on a GFI outlet because if it trips for some reason we might not realize it and lose our food.
> 
> ...



As Controller states, you can have a dedicated non-GFCI outlet for an appliance in an area where GFCI is required.

In your kitchen for instance the stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, garbage disposal and microwave should have dedicated non-GFCI outlets, check your breaker panel they should be labeled as such. Older homes may not have them unless the kitchen has been remodeled and brought up to code.

The GFCI circuits(2-20A) in the kitchen are for the portable counter top appliances.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## WinniWoman (Oct 26, 2020)

SmithOp said:


> As Controller states, you can have a dedicated non-GFCI outlet for an appliance in an area where GFCI is required.
> 
> In your kitchen for instance the stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, garbage disposal and microwave should have dedicated non-GFCI outlets, check your breaker panel they should be labeled as such. Older homes may not have them unless the kitchen has been remodeled and brought up to code.
> 
> ...




I read somewhere that a refrigerator is supposed to be on a GFCI outlet if it is less than 6 feet from a water source (like the faucet). Ours is  4 feet from the sink, but then again it seems silly because the fridge has a water and ice dispenser. The fridge breaker says "TEST" on it. Does that mean it is non GFCI? We would have to move the fridge out to look behind it to see if it is a GFCI and I don't want to do that (the fridge is in a built in enclosure and I don't want the floors scratched).

I think what I will do is just get a GFCI switch alarm for the freezer in the garage.  I know this will not help if we are away somewhere and it trips for some reason, but less expensive than getting an electrician and less hassles of having holes drilled in the house and so on. I wish there was one that was inexpensive and could be tied to a cell phone because if it did happen when we were away I could have a neighbor come into the house to reset it. They didn't invent this yet I guess. LOL! But we do not go away much anyhow.

Not sure what can be done for the refrigerator unless it is ok on that "TEST" breaker.


----------



## SmithOp (Oct 26, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> I read somewhere that a refrigerator is supposed to be on a GFCI outlet if it is less than 6 feet from a water source (like the faucet). Ours is 4 feet from the sink, but then again it seems silly because the fridge has a water and ice dispenser. The fridge breaker says "TEST" on it. Does that mean it is non GFCI? We would have to move the fridge out to look behind it to see if it is a GFCI and I don't want to do that (the fridge is in a built in enclosure and I don't want the floors scratched).
> 
> I think what I will do is just get a GFCI switch alarm for the freezer in the garage. I know this will not help if we are away somewhere and it trips for some reason, but less expensive than getting an electrician and less hassles of having holes drilled in the house and so on. I wish there was one that was inexpensive and could be tied to a cell phone because if it did happen when we were away I could have a neighbor come into the house to reset it. They didn't invent this yet I guess. LOL! But we do not go away much anyhow.
> 
> Not sure what can be done for the refrigerator unless it is ok on that "TEST" breaker.


If the breaker has a test button its probably a GFCI breaker. The circuit can be protected at the breaker or by the first outlet - GFCI outlet. Since the fridge covers the outlet making it difficult to get to the reset button if it trips that is probably why they used a GFCI breaker since its within 6ft of the sink.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 26, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> Not sure what can be done for the refrigerator unless it is ok on that "TEST" breaker.



If you look around your house for your other GFCI outlets, they all have a TEST button, and a RESET button.  All the TEST does is trip that breaker so you can be sure it's working. Then be sure to press the RESET button to turn it back on.

Dave


----------



## controller1 (Oct 26, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> If you look around your house for your other GFCI outlets, they all have a TEST button, and a RESET button.  All the TEST does is trip that breaker so you can be sure it's working. Then be sure to press the RESET button to turn it back on.
> 
> Dave



The TEST button @WinniWoman is speaking of is on the circuit breaker in the electric panel.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 26, 2020)

controller1 said:


> The TEST button @WinniWoman is speaking of is on the circuit breaker in the electric panel.



Whoops.  I missed that. Never mind.  

Dave


----------



## easyrider (Oct 26, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> You got your money's worth out of that fridge.
> 
> Interestingly when we had our 2nd home inspection (11 month) this month, the inspector said we should not have our garage freezer on a GFI outlet because if it trips for some reason we might not realize it and lose our food.
> 
> ...



All gfi outlets have to be accessible so there shouldn't be one behind a fridge or freezer. The gfi outlet is usually located some where convenient and can protect all outlets downline from it.  
What many people do is to use gfi circuit breakers instead of gfi outlets. Then a power outage alarm should be added into a protected circuit branch to let you know if the breaker has tripped. There are alarms that will text you.

Bill


----------



## isisdave (Oct 26, 2020)

We took another approach after a couple incidents of not-quite-closing the freezer door in the garage: a remote temperature alarm; this would cover electrical problems or failure of the unit as well. It's frostless, so I had to set the alarm limit for 17 degrees.



			https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0773MNW82/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
		


That one appears to be discontinued, but there's another with TWO sensors for under $14. Is this a great country or what?


----------



## WinniWoman (Oct 26, 2020)

I just ordered a $10 circuit trip alarm from Amazon that we just have to plug into the receptacle where the freezer is plugged in and if it trips it will sound an alarm. I couldn't find one like that that hooked up with Alexa or texted me. Drawbacks are if away on vacation I would not know about it and also we can't use the other plug in the outlet unless we unplug the alarm. No biggies. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg for this otherwise I would just get an electrician to install a GFCI outlet.

As for the fridge in the kitchen, I just don't know what it is plugged into for sure but I pretty much think it might be GFCI on it's own circuit. Like SmithOp said it has a "test" button at the breaker panel. But like I said, no way do I want to go through moving out the fridge right now. So not sure what I can easily do about that one in terms of an alarm.

Funny, without our 2nd home inspection this is something I never would have thought of to add to the list of things to worry about.

Now for those exposed nail heads on the roof......


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 27, 2020)

Well, when it rains, it sort-of pours.  And sometimes there's a rainbow at the end of it all.  Today was a day like that.

When I ordered the new kitchen appliances back in August, I also ordered laundry appliances.  I wanted a full-sized stacked set, similar to what I'd had in my previous home for the last eight years.  (Yes, they were LG, if you must know. )  The Vendor I ordered the appliances from said they needed to split the order, since laundry appliances come from a different supplier than the kitchen appliances.  Ok, fine.  So we've been waiting forever for the kitchen appliances to arrive, and they finally showed up last week.  No sign of the laundry appliances.  I've been calling the Vendor weekly for over a month, trying to find out the status of the order.  Now that I received the kitchen appliances last week, I'd really like to have my laundry appliances, too, so I can really feel like I've moved into our new home.

So I called the Vendor again this morning, trying to get an updated status.  I finally got hold of the one guy who has been excellent along the way.  You know how it is when you reach someone in Customer Service who just seems to get it?  That kind of person does more to provide useful information than three of the less-trained, or less aware people who may end up taking a Customer Service call.  This guy, Bobby, is great at his work.  He's been able to provide me with real information all along the way, even though he had no control over the process.  Delays and whatever are beyond his control, but at least he could tell me what the heck was going on.  We've spoken enough times that all I needed to say today was "Hi, Bobby, this is Dave in Mesquite, Nevada," and he knew exactly who I was.  I didn't even need to tell him my order number.  Great guy.

So Bobby and I spoke today, and he was able to share information with me that completely changed the situation.  I think I mentioned previously that part of the laundry appliance order had been received, but that the dryer had mysteriously gone missing. Bobby was the one who had told me that.  But he said the missing dryer had been reordered.  Today he was able to see that the dryer portion of the order had been automatically cancelled and reordered - by the manufacturer.  That was news, even though I wasn't happy to hear it.  But at least it was on order, right?

Nope.  Today Bobby was able to see that there were many of that dryer model that were on backorder, but none were scheduled for production.  He said the item had been discontinued by the manufacturer.  Say what???  How would I have ever known that I wasn't going to receive my dryer, if it was discontinued by the manufacturer, and none were scheduled to be built?  You're right - I wouldn't have known, until somebody took the time to call and tell me that bit of news.

So we discussed options, the possibility of getting a different model, overstock availability, and whatever.  And it all came up blank.  Nothing to be had.  If I wanted to change the order to a different model, we could try that, but I'd probably be back to square one with waiting for something to be built.  I was disappointed, and probably even a shade angry, but I knew it wasn't Bobby's fault.  So we discussed the only remaining option:  Cancelling the order.  Long story short, that's what we did.  I told him if I had to start over, I'd try a local vendor, where I'd have a live person I could speak to face to face.  Bobby agreed, processed the cancellation and refund of my money, and we said our goodbyes.

Within minutes, I was online again with the St. George Lowes warehouse. (See the "garage ready" refrigerator post above.)  I'm checking laundry appliances, and what do you know?  I see that they have one in stock of a washer similar to what I wanted.  And gee whiz - they also had one of the matching dryer!  I called the store immediately, and got another excellent Customer Service guy on the phone.  I explained my issue - that I was nine weeks into waiting for laundry appliances I just learned were not going to be arriving - and could he help me order the ones their website said they had?  He was great - put me on Hold and went to their warehouse to visually sight the appliances in question.  Yes, they had them, new in the box. He immediately put them into Sold status.  He gathered together the hoses and cords and whatnot they'd need for assembly and hookup at my house, and he tagged them all onto the delivery of the refrigerator I'm receiving next Tuesday.  They will not only be delivered, but they'll be installed, too.  No extra charge, either for delivery or for hookup.  I am absolutely blown away!  If I'd known it could happen that easily, I'd have cancelled this order weeks ago.  So it seems I'll have my garage fridge AND my new laundry appliances next Tuesday. Yay Team!!! 

I also turned in the keys to the rental house today, received my refunded security deposit, and I cancelled the utilities out of my name.  As of about two hours ago, the rental house is now a piece of my history.  We are totally in the new house now, and moving forward with our life in the desert.  It feels great!

Dave


----------



## Passepartout (Oct 27, 2020)

Hey Dave, do you know about the Lowe's veteran's discount? 10% off EVERYTHING. Apply online.

I suppose it could've been you that told me. My memory is like that.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 27, 2020)

Passepartout said:


> Hey Dave, do you know about the Lowe's veteran's discount? 10% off EVERYTHING. Apply online.
> 
> I suppose it could've been you that told me. My memory is like that.



I did know, and I do use it. Got it today, in fact.  One reason Lowe's has become my go-to for things like this. Home Depot also gives it, but not for online orders.  Lowes is the winner for that.  I get the discount for online orders even if I don't think about it.  It's automatically applied.  Good on them for honoring Vets!

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 29, 2020)

It's funny - after all this time and waiting, finally getting into the house happened.  You all knew that.  But the waiting still isn't over.  We can't fully settle in yet, because all the furniture isn't here, and the house isn't quite ready yet.  Some things are still on order, and need to be done.

A major piece of Living Room furniture we had ordered that was to be delivered three weeks ago had arrived severely damaged, and had to be reordered.  The replacement is scheduled for delivery today. Nobody has said whether the replacement is damaged - I sure hope it isn't. They told me they won't open the shipping box until the day before delivery, to reduce the chances of it being damaged at the warehouse.  Here's hoping it arrives in good condition.

A final piece of Living Room seating we had ordered isn't scheduled to arrive until late next month.  I hope it'll be here by Thanksgiving.  We'll see.  We have plenty of seating otherwise, but final furniture placement can't happen until that piece is here. It's a large part of the Living Room plan.

Plantation shutters have arrived and will be installed tomorrow.  That will go a very long way toward making this home our own.  Looking forward to them being here.

The new front door will arrive next week.  It'll need to be painted and installed, and when it's in, it'll really be a nice addition to things.  (Sorry, no photos till it's in. You'll have to wait. )

The rest is doing all the little things that need to be done.  So many boxes still to open, sort, and decide if the items come into the house or not.  We started with the kitchen things.  We have so much, and a lot of duplicates.  It'll be a good thing to pare down the dishware, pots and pans, and all the utensils to a manageable amount.  I want to keep what we will need and actually use - I have a lot of things that haven't been used in years - why are they even here???  I mean, how many cheese graters do we really need?  I think four is a bit much!  LOL!  All the useful excess will go into boxes for the local charity store.  It's not a Goodwill, but is similar.

Bought an assortment of picture hanging hardware items yesterday.  We have so much artwork to hang, it's not funny. But having things on the wall will be nice.

If the devil is in the details, we've reached that point. 

For those who have asked, our two dogs and cat have all settled in like they've been here all along.  Once again, I think they take their cues from us.  If we're relaxed, they are, too.  There is a part of the back yard that has fake grass on it, I think originally intended as a putting green.  The dogs took to it right away as the spot to do their business, which is what I wanted them to do.  They still haven't figured out they can go on gravel.  Not sure if they'll ever figure that out.  

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 29, 2020)

The Living Room item was delivered today, and it's perfect. It's a major-sized TV console that holds up the huge TV we have, and holds down that end of the Living Room.  We're pretty happy that it finally showed up, and was undamaged.   

Dave


----------



## geist1223 (Oct 29, 2020)

You have a TV in your Living Room? We always turn a Bedroom into a TV room. We found that if there was a TV in the Living Room that when were having a party/entertaining that some Boob would always turn on the TV. We also ban TV's from all Bedrooms.


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 29, 2020)

geist1223 said:


> You have a TV in your Living Room? We always turn a Bedroom into a TV room. We found that if there was a TV in the Living Room that when were having a party/entertaining that some Boob would always turn on the TV. We also ban TV's from all Bedrooms.



Yes.  Only two bedrooms in this house, and we'll need a Guest Bedroom for those boobs who drink too much at a party. 

We're a TV family. We have TVs in both bedrooms, in the Office, and in the Living Room.  And don't get me started on the level of high tech we have.

Dave


----------



## JanT (Oct 30, 2020)

Dave, the fake grass is pretty standard out there.  But maybe it was a putting green.  Either way it makes a nice place for the furr-babies to do their business.  You will find over time though that it will begin to smell.  There is a product you can use to kill that (can’t remember the name) but we used a big box of baking soda mixed with water and sprayed it in.  Worked just fine and killed the smell.  We did that every few weeks after the first treatment.



DaveNV said:


> It's funny - after all this time and waiting, finally getting into the house happened.  You all knew that.  But the waiting still isn't over.  We can't fully settle in yet, because all the furniture isn't here, and the house isn't quite ready yet.  Some things are still on order, and need to be done.
> 
> A major piece of Living Room furniture we had ordered that was to be delivered three weeks ago had arrived severely damaged, and had to be reordered.  The replacement is scheduled for delivery today. Nobody has said whether the replacement is damaged - I sure hope it isn't. They told me they won't open the shipping box until the day before delivery, to reduce the chances of it being damaged at the warehouse.  Here's hoping it arrives in good condition.
> 
> ...


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 30, 2020)

JanT said:


> Dave, the fake grass is pretty standard out there.  But maybe it was a putting green.  Either way it makes a nice place for the furr-babies to do their business.  You will find over time though that it will begin to smell.  There is a product you can use to kill that (can’t remember the name) but we used a big box of baking soda mixed with water and sprayed it in.  Worked just fine and killed the smell.  We did that every few weeks after the first treatment.



Great to know.  Thanks!  I'll definitely try that.  I do want to try cleaning it, as there is a lot of accumulated dust and sand in it.  It hasn't rained here in any amount since last Winter, so things are pretty stale.  Even though my guys are pretty small dogs, and they only go out a couple times a day, keeping down any odors is a good thing.  I pick up any messes as soon as they're left, so they don't accumulate. Pee smells are something I can't control.

When I run out of things to do (Yeah, right...) I want to hose down the exterior hard spaces, and try to clean things a bit.  I have no idea when that was last done, if ever, and I think the house would benefit from a thorough cleaning.

Dave


----------



## WinniWoman (Oct 30, 2020)

geist1223 said:


> You have a TV in your Living Room? We always turn a Bedroom into a TV room. We found that if there was a TV in the Living Room that when were having a party/entertaining that some Boob would always turn on the TV. We also ban TV's from all Bedrooms.



We only have a living room so that’s where ours is. Our dining room is part of the living area also and my husband and I usually watch a show we like while having dinner.

In our other bigger home it was in the den ( where we also had our wood stove)  open to the kitchen. I loved it because I could watch it when hubby had it on while I cooked. When we had company it was never turned on except to watch a video or slides of photographs from a vacation or from old times with friends.  

No TV in  the  bedroom for us. And we only have and have only ever had one TV in our house.


----------



## Luanne (Oct 30, 2020)

geist1223 said:


> You have a TV in your Living Room? We always turn a Bedroom into a TV room. We found that if there was a TV in the Living Room that when were having a party/entertaining that some Boob would always turn on the TV. We also ban TV's from all Bedrooms.


Of course we have a tv in the living room, lol.  In our old house in California the tv was in the family room.  We never used the formal living room except at Christmas, as that was where the tree went.  We also had a tv in the master bedroom and one in the upstairs den, where the kids hung out.  Now, in our three bedroom house in New Mexico we have a tv in the great room (that is the one dh uses), one in the master (the one I use) and one in the guest bedroom.


----------



## controller1 (Oct 30, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Yes.  Only two bedrooms in this house, and we'll need a Guest Bedroom for those boobs who drink too much at a party.
> 
> We're a TV family. We have TVs in both bedrooms, in the Office, and in the Living Room.  And don't get me started on the level of high tech we have.
> 
> Dave



We're right there with you. Counting the TV outside on the patio we have eight in our house. And add to that five Echo devices and mesh WiFi throughout the house which helps with the WiFi-controlled thermostats, security system, garage doors, irrigation system and whole-house generator. I can't believe how much more "connected" our house has become in only the last three years.


----------



## Beachclubmum (Oct 30, 2020)

I have a TV in the bathroom where I can watch it for hours while in the soaking tub. Love it!


----------



## WinniWoman (Oct 30, 2020)

Beachclubmum said:


> I have a TV in the bathroom where I can watch it for hours while in the soaking tub. Love it!



We have that in one of our timeshares. Only used it the first few years and then the water in that whirlpool tub started to get yucky. The TV is very small and now there is a big screen tv in the living room, so.....


----------



## mentalbreak (Oct 30, 2020)

TV confession:  we have 2 in the basement. One for each teenager, almost exclusively used for video gaming.  Plus one in great room, and one in master bedroom.  The bedroom TV is really only used when folding laundry or a sporting event goes long and we’d rather fall asleep in bed than on the couch.
The teenagers think we are the meanest parents ever since we don’t allow TVs in their bedrooms (plus a long list of other reasons).


----------



## mentalbreak (Oct 30, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> (Sorry, no photos till it's in. You'll have to wait. )



Not even a sneak peek?


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 30, 2020)

mentalbreak said:


> Not even a sneak peek?



Sorry, but nope.  It'll be worth waiting for, I think.  And since the pool is on hold till later, this will be the last big thing for the house for now. 

Dave


----------



## JanT (Oct 30, 2020)

Whether you use the baking soda method or find the chemical one to use, it will help with the pee smell tremendously.  That was the odor we smelled the most.  



DaveNV said:


> Great to know.  Thanks!  I'll definitely try that.  I do want to try cleaning it, as there is a lot of accumulated dust and sand in it.  It hasn't rained here in any amount since last Winter, so things are pretty stale.  Even though my guys are pretty small dogs, and they only go out a couple times a day, keeping down any odors is a good thing.  I pick up any messes as soon as they're left, so they don't accumulate. Pee smells are something I can't control.
> 
> When I run out of things to do (Yeah, right...) I want to hose down the exterior hard spaces, and try to clean things a bit.  I have no idea when that was last done, if ever, and I think the house would benefit from a thorough cleaning.
> 
> Dave


----------



## geist1223 (Oct 30, 2020)

We are trying to keep our House and its appliances, etc as unconnected as possible. No Echoes, no wifi controlled anything, etc. We do not need to talk to our Frig, Freezer, Thermostat, Dish Washer, Clothes Washer, Dryer, etc. One TV in TV Room (converted bedroom) and one TV in Breakfast Room. Connected to Kitchen and Patti likes to watch the News as she cooks.


----------



## Glynda (Oct 30, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> We have that in one of our timeshares. Only used it the first few years and then the water in that whirlpool tub started to get yucky. The TV is very small and now there is a big screen tv in the living room, so.....



I never use a whirlpool tub that is not my own without first filling it with hot water above the jets and adding powdered dishwasher detergent and bleach. I let the jets run for 15 minutes.  Drain and add more water let the jets run to rinse.


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 8, 2020)

Latest from Mesquite:

Still waiting on some furniture that's on order, so we can't quite finalize placement of certain pictures and such till we know where things will sit.  I think that'll probably be the last thing we decide on.

The new laundry appliances and the garage fridge were both delivered this past week.  They're installed, and working great.  Very pleased with them. Kudos to Lowes for coming through when I really needed them to.

We've decided the new ceiling light we put into the foyer is too small for the space, so we're replacing it with something a bit larger.  Rather than dispose of the light, which we like a lot, we're going to move it to the Master Bathroom ceiling, to replace a can light.  So the light in this image below is moving, from one ceiling to another.  (Note to self:  Ordering things online before living in the house can result in light fixture size issues... )



I've spoken about replacing door hardware, but I don't think I've shown what I was talking about. This house came with everything in chrome.  Door handles, hinges, towel bars, bathroom faucet fixtures - you name it, and it was shiny.  I'm not a fan of shiny things like that, because it reminds me of cheap mobile homes from the 70s. "Bling" has its place, but when it is everywhere in a home, it's just too darn much. In this house, every door handle, hinge, striker plate, and door latch were shiny - or used to be.  The "chrome" finish has kind of faded and worn away in spots, leaving an overall appearance of worn out, a shade dingy, and generally a bit tacky.  I prefer oil rubbed bronze as a finish.  In my mind it's more timeless, less trendy, and seems a bit classier.

Today I finished changing out the door handles, hinges, striker plates, and latches on each of nine interior doors.  As I counted it, that was removing and replacing 216 screws.  So 432 screws.  When I ordered the door handle hardware, I miscounted by one door, so I have one more hardware set to replace when it comes in this week.  I think it totally updates the feeling of the doorways in this house, and adds to the pseudo-Mission and Desert Southwest feel of things. Here is one image of the before, and three of the after:

   

Can we talk about the windows?  You knew this house came with some of the ugliest fabric window treatments ever made.  Those went away before just about anything else.  Good riddance. LOL!   That left us with the generic metal Venetian blinds that were under them on most windows.  They were clumsy to try and adjust, they had four or six sets of cords hanging down from each window section, and they just were not very attractive.

We knew we wanted to replace them with Plantation Shutters on the major windows - in both bedrooms, the living room, and the dining room.  We went with a simple style in white, with a 3.5-inch shutter size.  The color matches the baseboards, ceiling paint, and interior door colors.  They look great!  We're still deciding if we want to do the same kind of shutters on the remaining windows.  We chose the style without the vertical adjustment rod, which I think makes for a cleaner install, and nicer overall look.  It makes a huge difference in the appearance of the room.  Here are the beginning, middle, and ending images of the Living Room window:

  

About the only major thing left to change out is the front door.  (Yes, I know I said no teasers, but I can't wait. I love this door. @mentalbreak you got your wish. )

The old door is worn out.  It's weathered, chewed up around the frame, and looks terrible.  In the image at the top of this post of the entry foyer light, that door is the front door we're replacing.  It's a solid door with no window, and it makes the foyer very dark.  The door we've chosen to replace it with has a large glass insert, that fills most of the door.  It will go beautifully with the house, will frame the courtyard entry very well, and will be especially nice for letting light into the foyer.

The door was ordered seven weeks ago, and arrived two days ago.  I've made arrangements with a workman to install it sometime in the next two weeks, and we can't wait.  It's going to look fantastic!

The packaging looks rather ominous - like some sort of Celtic trebuchet or something.  I had to rearrange boxes in the garage to make room for it, because it was so large.  Luckily, no damage in shipping to the door or its frame.  Once installed, it'll get a coat of HOA-approved brown-bronze paint on the outside, and probably the same shade on the inside.  The doorset handle we've purchased is oil rubbed bronze again, but will have a "smart lock" programmable locking mechanism.  This will let us set a combination for guests or workmen, that we can make for one-time-use or whatever, and we can even reprogram it from the internet.  That's great if we're away from home.  I think this will be a nice touch to finish things around here.

These images are the old door, (notice the chrome door handle?), the new light fixture at that door, two pictures of the new door packaging, and a part of the window detail on the new door itself.  I hope you can picture that entry completely updated with this new door and this light fixture:

    

I know it seems like forever since we started all this.  We're taking our time, mainly because there is no rush to finish things.  We want it to be right, rather than be rushed.  Funny how it goes, now that I'm retired.  I'm not in a rush to do much of anything these days.  It feels great!  

Dave


----------



## controller1 (Nov 8, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Latest from Mesquite:
> 
> Still waiting on some furniture that's on order, so we can't quite finalize placement of certain pictures and such till we know where things will sit.  I think that'll probably be the last thing we decide on.
> 
> ...



Love the new door hardware and the plantation shutters.


----------



## AnnaS (Nov 8, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Latest from Mesquite:
> 
> Still waiting on some furniture that's on order, so we can't quite finalize placement of certain pictures and such till we know where things will sit.  I think that'll probably be the last thing we decide on.
> 
> ...




Have I mentioned you have great taste


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 8, 2020)

AnnaS said:


> Have I mentioned you have great taste



Thank you very much!  I'm trying to keep things orderly, calm, timeless, and tasteful.  It's so easy to go over the top.  Have you ever shopped at Overstock or Wayfair?  It's crazy! 

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 8, 2020)

And in other Mesquite news, the weather is kind of wild and crazy today. Cooler than it's been since we arrived, stormy, a bit windy, and it even splattered some raindrops around.  This is the view today from our backyard of the Virgin Mountains across the valley to the southeast of us.  Yes, that's snow on the ridges.  It's such a beautiful place here. 

Dave


----------



## WinniWoman (Nov 8, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> And in other Mesquite news, the weather is kind of wild and crazy today. Cooler than it's been since we arrived, stormy, a bit windy, and it even splattered some raindrops around.  This is the view today from our backyard of the Virgin Mountains across the valley to the southeast of us.  Yes, that's snow on the ridges.  It's such a beautiful place here.
> 
> Dave
> 
> View attachment 28376




Love it all, Dave! The shutters, the door, the handles, etc. Coming  together beautifully! 

That view! OMG!


----------



## AnnaS (Nov 9, 2020)

Beautiful view Dave!!! Some great weather here too the last few days (4-6) - up to 75 degrees.  I will take it.

Yes, I have bought quiet a few items for myself and my daughter with Overstock.  Very little with Wayfair


----------



## SandyPGravel (Nov 9, 2020)

I have washed stone around the perimeter of my house that sits on 2 and 1/2 acres of land.  My dearly departed corgi regularly did her business on the washed stone.  (Probably because her legs were so short and my DH likes to keep the grass kinda long since it weathers dry spells better that way.)  We were always finding little piles in the stone!

I have too many TV's to count, so I hear ya.  I think I'm done buying any for a while.  

House is looking great, pretty soon you can just relax!!  (Ha-ha that never happens.)


----------



## JanT (Nov 9, 2020)

Everything looks great, Dave!!  It is interesting to see the pictures of the original items you’ve replaced - look very much like the home we used to own in Henderson.    You’re doing a wonderful job updating everything.  You have great taste.

Love that view of the mountains.  Makes me miss the desert.


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 9, 2020)

SandyPGravel said:


> I have washed stone around the perimeter of my house that sits on 2 and 1/2 acres of land.  My dearly departed corgi regularly did her business on the washed stone.  (Probably because her legs were so short and my DH likes to keep the grass kinda long since it weathers dry spells better that way.)  We were always finding little piles in the stone!
> 
> I have too many TV's to count, so I hear ya.  I think I'm done buying any for a while.
> 
> House is looking great, pretty soon you can just relax!!  (Ha-ha that never happens.)



Thanks, Gina.  Dogs tend to go where they smell other dogs have gone, so your Corgi probably had her favorite spots where "going" felt familiar.  It's certainly been proven at my house.  I had a big Doberman years ago who used to back up into bushes to do his business.  I think he thought he was hiding or something.   I had a heck of a time keeping any decent landscaping plants near the house because he'd always break the bushes with his 100-pound self.  No trouble with that now, of course.  My Dachshund boys are not fans of longer grass.  I think it tickles their bellies and other boy parts.    So the fake grass in the backyard here suits them really well. Because it's a desert climate, there are critters around, like scorpions, so I'm right there supervising the dogs when they're outside.  I can pick up dog messes easily right at the moment, so the fake grass stays clean. Bonus: there is no risk of "land mines" as there was in my previous home, where the unsupervised dogs did their business everywhere. Something to be said for making them go in a defined area.

We're done buying TVs too, until something fails.  We have a fantastic huge OLED unit in the Living Room that is great to watch, and is big enough that it's easy to watch at the other end of this longer room.

The house is coming along really well, bit by bit, and we're really happy with it. I agree it'll never be really finished, but I'm looking forward to not having to plan for a delivery, or scheduling a workman to come into the house for something.  We're spending a lot of time deciding which things we want to keep, and what to do with the excess.  e.g. Storing pots and pans is a point of discussion, because our old pans are mostly too wide to fit into the divided lower cupboards.  We bought a smaller, stackable set that may solve the problem. We'll see. The favorite larger pans will likely be saved in a storage cabinet in the garage, so they can be brought out when needed for big cooking needs.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 9, 2020)

JanT said:


> Everything looks great, Dave!!  It is interesting to see the pictures of the original items you’ve replaced - look very much like the home we used to own in Henderson.    You’re doing a wonderful job updating everything.  You have great taste.
> 
> Love that view of the mountains.  Makes me miss the desert.  ❤❤



Thanks, Jan.  The view from the backyard was one of the main reasons we selected this house.  The house sits above a major thoroughfare in the development, but it gives us a great view, and a fair amount of privacy.  There are houses on either side of us, but nobody directly behind us.  The backyard of the rental house looked directly into the back of the house behind it.  No privacy at all in that house.  I was standing at the patio slider one morning, drinking my coffee and looking out at the rising sun, and I happened to glance in a slightly different angle.  I had a full view into the back of the house behind us, and the husband standing at the kitchen counter wearing nothing but, well, nothing.   I'm glad we've moved.

One of the things that's difficult, living in a planned community like this one, is that every house looks similar.  Other than general colors and floorplans, the finishes are all basically the same.  Exterior lights, door handles, flooring choices - they're all the same that everyone else has.  As long as you don't look at the other houses, it's not a big deal.  But when I drive down our street, I see house after house after house with exactly the same lights on the front of their garages.  No imagination.  We've changed all of our lights (with HOA approval, even.)  We're changing out the front door.  We're changing the interior things that make it all look the same. We're making it "ours," within the constraints of living in this development. It feels right. Going forward, as we tweak things even more, it'll get even better. 

After the interior furnishings and fixtures are done, it'll be time to start on updating the landscaping.  And there is still that swimming pool to figure out whether we can install.  It never ends. 

Dave


----------



## b2bailey (Nov 9, 2020)

JanT said:


> Whether you use the baking soda method or find the chemical one to use, it will help with the pee smell tremendously.  That was the odor we smelled the most.



I'd like to mention there is a strange phenomenon where your guests will likely be aware of pet odors that you don't notice, so I'd suggest a rigorous plan to neutralize that pee mat on a regular basis. I remember attending a New Years party at a friends house. They owned 2 large dogs and their dander odor was horrible throughout the house. It was a struggle to make it till midnight.


----------



## amycurl (Nov 9, 2020)

That front door is going to be beautiful. I agree, front doors need more glass. My instinct is to always let more light in, not less.


----------



## WinniWoman (Nov 9, 2020)

No offense, but the idea of dogs peeing on pee mats or fake grass or whatever grosses me out. And I have owned 5 dogs in my lifetime.


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 9, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> No offense, but  idea of dogs peeing on pee mats or fake grass or whatever grosses me out. And I have owned 5 dogs in my lifetime.



I understand.  Growing real grass in the desert is a challenge, and takes lots of water.  This fake grass was already here, and until/unless we tear everything out to build that swimming pool, it's the best we can do.  The closest dog park is about five blocks from this house, and I doubt my boys would agree to be carried that far twice a day.  These are the last two dogs I intend to own. They're five and seven now.  Once they're gone, the requirement will also go away. 

Meanwhile, we have a four year old cat, too.  He brings his own bathroom requirements.  LOL! 

Dave


----------



## PrairieGirl (Nov 9, 2020)

This is a honest question, not a snarky remark.  Why would you not walk the dogs 5 blocks? Certain times of the year perhaps too hot? They don’t seem old.  Are there health issues?

On another note, all the more reason to look forward to the backyard project!  After a rest from this one (which turned out beautifully!).


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 9, 2020)

PrairieGirl said:


> This is a honest question, not a snarky remark.  Why would you not walk the dogs 5 blocks? Certain times of the year perhaps too hot? They don’t seem old.  Are there health issues?
> 
> On another note, all the more reason to look forward to the backyard project!  After a rest from this one (which turned out beautifully!).



Fair question. There are issues.

The younger dog, Kona, is the main problem.  He has a genetic condition that has rendered him essentially blind, and he can't be walked on a leash.  He gets completely disoriented, and walks in circles, on the verge of panic.  If he gets out of his comfort zone, he has seizures. (Trips to the vet or a groomer results in multiple seizures, and those leave him exhausted for days afterwards.)  As it is, I have to carry him outside - he can't manage even the one step down from the sliding glass door.  But if he's taken out without his brother being there, he freaks out, thinking he's all alone.  So they need to be kept together to get their business done.

Cody, the older brother, has recently developed spinal issues.  He's currently being kept confined to a small kennel, and is on three medications, to try and give his back a chance to heal up from whatever he did to it.  Not sure what he did.  Until he is healed, he isn't allowed to walk around, to reduce the risk of him further injuring his back, which can result in paralysis. So he also has to be carefully carried outside to do his business right now, then immediately right back to his small kennel.  

After Cody is healed, (if he heals), I could walk him the five blocks, no problem - he likes the leash.  But then what do I do about his brother?  Kona weighs about 20 pounds, and it's a chore trying to carry him around, even if he's calm and knows what's going on.  Putting them both in the car would require using a crate, because traveling loose in the car isn't an option - neither dog enjoys that.  Trust me, we've tried. 

They're great at home, and it's manageable taking them into the backyard for the two minutes it takes them to do their business.  (They don't dawdle - they want to get the job over with.)  Then it's back in the house, and they both usually go back to sleeping in their beds.  Lazy dogs, for sure.  The struggle is real.  

Dave


----------



## geist1223 (Nov 9, 2020)

As for Cody have you tried acupuncture with a trained Vet? Our Corgie Andrew (passed several years ago) would occasionally tweak his spine and in addition to pain killers and anti-inflammatory medicine our Vet would do acupuncture a couple times a week for about a month. Some times she would hook up low power lines to the needles.


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 9, 2020)

geist1223 said:


> As for Cody have you tried acupuncture with a trained Vet?



We haven't tried that yet, as the meds do seem to be working, but it's something we've got as an option. When I let Cody walk around, he doesn't seem uncomfortable, and he has a more normal gait. When this first happened, he didn't want to walk at all.  My hope is that he'll continue to improve as we go along, and other intervention and treatment won't be necessary.  He has another week of confinement to go. The Vet says not to let initial improvement mislead us, that there is still a risk he could further damage his spine, and end up paralyzed.  Fingers crossed.

Dave


----------



## WinniWoman (Nov 9, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I understand.  Growing real grass in the desert is a challenge, and takes lots of water.  This fake grass was already here, and until/unless we tear everything out to build that swimming pool, it's the best we can do.  The closest dog park is about five blocks from this house, and I doubt my boys would agree to be carried that far twice a day.  These are the last two dogs I intend to own. They're five and seven now.  Once they're gone, the requirement will also go away.
> 
> Meanwhile, we have a four year old cat, too.  He brings his own bathroom requirements.  LOL!
> 
> Dave




I would think sand would work well! Lol!


----------



## WinniWoman (Nov 9, 2020)

I was just thinking a few people I know with little dogs like Yorkies have them trained to go in litter boxes.


----------



## geist1223 (Nov 9, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> We haven't tried that yet, as the meds do seem to be working, but it's something we've got as an option. When I let Cody walk around, he doesn't seem uncomfortable, and he has a more normal gait. When this first happened, he didn't want to walk at all.  My hope is that he'll continue to improve as we go along, and other intervention and treatment won't be necessary.  He has another week of confinement to go. The Vet says not to let initial improvement mislead us, that there is still a risk he could further damage his spine, and end up paralyzed.  Fingers crossed.
> 
> Dave



In my job before I retired I dealt quite often with orthopedic and neuro surgeons concerning spines. True it was concerning human beings but we are all mammals and there are many similarities. Most spinal conditions are degenerative in nature and not acute injuries. An acute incident may cause a degenerative condition to flare up but it is not the cause of the principal issue. Not knowing Cody's exact condition I can say that the amount force necessary to acutely rupture a healthy Disc would also cause spinal body fractures.

About once a year Andrew would need the medicines and acupuncture to get back to baseline.

Andrew was such a good acupuncture patient that our Vet would borrow Andrew when she was giving talks/demonstrations.


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 9, 2020)

geist1223 said:


> In my job before I retired I dealt quite often with orthopedic and neuro surgeons concerning spines. True it was concerning human beings but we are all mammals and there are many similarities. Most spinal conditions are degenerative in nature and not acute injuries. An acute incident may cause a degenerative condition to flare up but it is not the cause of the principal issue. Not knowing Cody's exact condition I can say that the amount force necessary to acutely rupture a healthy Disc would also cause spinal body fractures.
> 
> About once a year Andrew would need the medicines and acupuncture to get back to baseline.
> 
> Andrew was such a good acupuncture patient that our Vet would borrow Andrew when she was giving talks/demonstrations.



His diagnosis has been only verbal so far, so I don't have all the Vet's exact words.  But one term after they took X-rays was "narrowing of the spine."  Not entirely sure what that means.  His symptoms were sudden - he's never had any back issues, and he has always been able to jump up on the couch and such.  About ten days ago he tried to jump onto the couch and only got about halfway.  When he was back on the floor he seemed to take a long time to try and stand up.  He seemed to have sudden back pain, but I don't know if that was from something he'd done earlier that day, and the failed attempt to get on the couch was the aftermath of that.  But then he didn't want to walk.  He'd take a step or two, and stop.  He was not sensitive to any sort of touching, just didn't seem to have a desire to walk.  When the Vet saw him, she said he failed a nerve test, indicating he had a loss of feeling in his lower spine area. Now, after keeping him confined and giving him these medications, he's getting around better, and is walking normally.  I'm still taking things very cautiously, because I've been warned a new injury could paralyze him.  He's doing better, but I'm keeping him confined for another week or so. I want to give him the best chance I can to get over this.

Dave


----------



## geist1223 (Nov 10, 2020)

Sounds like Degeneration. Many mammals will develop bony overgrowth in the spine - arthritis - and can include rupture of the disc. It can flare up with impingement on a nerve. In the human studies using x-ray, MRI, and CT Scans it is actually found to start in teenage years for humans that gets worse over time. Most of us live with it with only minor problems.


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 10, 2020)

geist1223 said:


> Sounds like Degeneration. Many mammals will develop bony overgrowth in the spine - arthritis - and can include rupture of the disc. It can flare up with impingement on a nerve. In the human studies using x-ray, MRI, and CT Scans it is actually found to start in teenage years for humans that gets worse over time. Most of us live with it with only minor problems.



Thanks, Tom.  Your assessment sounds much like what the Vet said. So we're taking things one day at a time, and we'll see how he does. 

Dave


----------



## mentalbreak (Nov 10, 2020)

Poor dog!  I hope he feels better soon and is able to recover.


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 10, 2020)

mentalbreak said:


> Poor dog!  I hope he feels better soon and is able to recover.



Thank you.  We're taking things one day at a time.  To see him this morning, everything is back to normal.  But that's what I've been warned about.

Dave


----------



## Panina (Nov 10, 2020)

All your choices are beautiful. I can feel your love for Kona  and Cody.  You are all lucky to be in each others lives


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 10, 2020)

Panina said:


> All your choices are beautiful. I can feel your love for Kona  and Cody.  You are all lucky to be in each others lives



Thank you.  The house is coming together nicely, slowly but surely.  I'm happy about that. You know exactly how it is with catalog or showroom decisions - you try and decide whether that item will fit into the atmosphere you're trying to create at your home.  Some things work better than expected, and some things don't.  It's been interesting, for sure.

The boys are definitely like having kids.  Not spoiled, but certainly pampered.  There are rules and expectations of good behavior.  We have a great relationship.  Someone once said, "The hardest part of being the human in a relationship with a pet is making the hard choices."  I am a hands-on pet owner.  I'm invested in their well being, and I do what it takes to make their lives as good and enriched as it can be.  In return, my boys give me the unqualified love and devotion that makes having a pet worthwhile.  Definitely a mutually-rewarding, symbiotic relationship. 

Dave


----------



## PrairieGirl (Nov 10, 2020)

Thanks for the clarification, Dave. All I can say is that Kona and Cody are darn lucky boys to have you as their human! Here’s hoping the one situation resolves itself and the other doesn’t get worse (seizures).

 We are on the road now to our winter home in AZ. Trading snow for the desert is always a joy.  I love Mesquite, spent a week there golfing several years ago.  Looked like a nice place to live. Close enough to “civilization” but (more importantly) also far enough away.

Thanks so much for taking us along for the ride on this fabulous journey!


----------



## geoand (Nov 10, 2020)

It is tough on pet owners when they have to deal with pain & misfortune of their pets. They are family. Sorry you are having to deal with this.


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 10, 2020)

PrairieGirl said:


> Thanks for the clarification, Dave. All I can say is that Kona and Cody are darn lucky boys to have you as their human! Here’s hoping the one situation resolves itself and the other doesn’t get worse (seizures).
> 
> We are on the road now to our winter home in AZ. Trading snow for the desert is always a joy.  I love Mesquite, spent a week there golfing several years ago.  Looked like a nice place to live. Close enough to “civilization” but (more importantly) also far enough away.
> 
> Thanks so much for taking us along for the ride on this fabulous journey!



Thank you.  I feel lucky to have these guys around.  They're not needy (until this recent development) so are pretty easy to care for.  I have them on a strict diet and daily routine, so they have a predictable life.  Dogs are creatures of habit, and when they know what to expect, they're more calm, and are easier to be around.  They don't "act out," like so many dogs I see. They look to me for their cues on how to behave.  Unless someone rings the doorbell - then all bets are off.  Kona can't see what's going on, so barks, and that sets Cody off, too.  That struggle is definitely real.  

A winter home in AZ would be a great thing, to avoid the Canadian winters.  Snow is awesome, when it's up in the mountains, where it belongs. 

Happy to share my journey.  Hope I'm not oversharing things.  

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 10, 2020)

geoand said:


> It is tough on pet owners when they have to deal with pain & misfortune of their pets. They are family. Sorry you are having to deal with this.



Thanks, Geo.  We'll make the best of it.  I'm just hoping for a good outcome.

Dave


----------



## clifffaith (Nov 10, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> I was just thinking a few people I know with little dogs like Yorkies have them trained to go in litter boxes.



It keeps crossing my mind that maybe when one of the cats dies that I'd like a little dog to walk on the promenade when we move to Carlsbad. Then I wonder if I am capable of training a dog to pee/poop on piddle pads or a litter box. Cats just sort of know to use the box (unless they decide to poop on the floor near the box, I'm talking to you, JB Orange Cat). When we had a beagle and would walk him as our exercise, instead of pooping in our yard before we'd walk he'd hold it to do it on our walk. And he'd out wait us because he knew what was going on. Although I'd get a dog smaller than a beagle, still no fun trying to pick up poop while a dog is then pulling and anxious to continue his walk. Plus Zeke used to do what we call a "traveling sh*t" -- we even had a song to the tune of Ricky Nelson's I'm a Traveling Man that we'd sing when we'd catch him walking and pooping. So there'd we be, good citizens with poop sacks, and eventually Zeke would be lagging a bit behind, turn around and he's taken a traveling sh*t the last half block.


----------



## isisdave (Nov 11, 2020)

Faith, we called our first modern dog, Daisy,a "stealth pooper" and would do what Zeke did.  We got her at 8 months and I think the previous family hadn't trained her. Linda taught her what was expected in about two weeks, but for quite a while she'd still go "on the hoof."

A week ago Linda found a Yorkie-Poo from a reasonably close family. We're calling her Skye. She's only 9 weeks but figured out a pee pad on the second introduction, as long as it's in sight or smell range.  As is true for most puppies, she's training US to make sure she's in the right place at the right time. But a Yorkie's digestive tract is so small it's very predictable.

Her running speed is just about a moderate human walking speed, so your idea might be spot on.  Skye has a habit of inserting her feet UNDER ours while walking around, so we are having to be very careful.   I'll message you a link.


----------



## Beachclubmum (Nov 11, 2020)

Awww, you and your partner are such good dog parents!

Along the lines of doggie acupuncturist, my dd had a horse that needed visits from an equine massage therapist for his stifle area (kind of like hips/upper legs area on a horse).


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 11, 2020)

isisdave said:


> Skye has a habit of inserting her feet UNDER ours while walking around, so we are having to be very careful.



When you have a small dog like that, you learn to do the "puppy shuffle."  That's where you slide your feet along the ground, so the dog can't get underfoot.  Otherwise, one false step and you can boot your dog into the next room.    

As a long time Mini Dachshund owner, ask me how I know this.  

Dave


----------



## pedro47 (Nov 11, 2020)

DaveNV, I hope you asking for your 10% Veteran discount at Lowe's.


----------



## bogey21 (Nov 11, 2020)

For years I would drive my German Shepherd to the Dog Park daily (it was about 5 miles away).  In the beginning he would just leap onto the back seat of my car; later he had to climb in; then he needed a boost from me; then I took the back seat out of my car to make it easier for him.  Finally his hip totally gave out and I had to have him put down.  Not only did he have friends at the Dog Park but I did too.  When we got there we both went out own ways.  On nice days we would sometimes stay for hours. When I decided it was time to leave I would just start walking toward the gate holler out his name and he would come running...

George


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 11, 2020)

pedro47 said:


> DaveNV, I hope you asking for your 10% Veteran discount at Lowe's.



Yes sir, I am.  In fact, I don't even need to ask for it - the discount comes up automatically when I enter my phone number.  I get a similar discount at Home Depot, except it doesn't work for online purchases.  I've also learned to ask in retail stores if they have a military discount.  They often do, but won't mention it unless I ask for it.  Now that I'm retired, it's more important than ever to save every dollar I can.

Dave


----------



## Glynda (Nov 11, 2020)

Having problems with our Olive’s right hip/knee. She’s not making her jumps sometimes or not trying at all. Saw the vet about a month ago but need to go back as today when I picked her up to carry her out she cried out and wouldn’t put her leg down. She’s in the crate again but it’s so hard to keep her in there all the time. Like Dave, sadly this is probably our last dog.  She’s 10.


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 11, 2020)

Glynda said:


> Having problems with our Olive’s right hip/knee. She’s not making her jumps sometimes or not trying at all. Saw the vet about a month ago but need to go back as today when I picked her up to carry her out she cried out and wouldn’t put her leg down. She’s in the crate again but it’s so hard to keep her in there all the time. Like Dave, sadly this is probably our last dog.  She’s 10.



So sorry to hear about this.  If she's hesitant to put her leg down, she may have a pinched nerve kind of thing happening. Sounds like it hurts. Time to see her Vet.

Yes, I've made the decision that these two dogs are the last I'll have. I'm only 67, and I figure I have maybe 15 good years left. I want the freedom to travel without worry, and having pets really adds to the stress.  When you have an animal that can't go with you, a weekend trip away doesn't happen. So this will be it for furry kids, I'm afraid.  

Jeff is more the cat person than I am, and he is always jonesing for another cat.  We currently have just the one, which is a surprise, but is probably because of the two dogs.  Once the dogs are gone, I fully expect Jeff to drag home more cats.  As long as I don't have to clean the litterbox, I'm fine with that.  

Dave


----------



## geist1223 (Nov 11, 2020)

We have learned to always ask for Military or Senior Discount. It is surprising how many places will give you the Discount - Columbia, Eddie Bauer, etc.


----------



## klpca (Nov 11, 2020)

bogey21 said:


> For years I would drive my German Shepherd to the Dog Park daily (it was about 5 miles away).  In the beginning he would just leap onto the back seat of my car; later he had to climb in; then he needed a boost from me; then I took the back seat out of my car to make it easier for him.  Finally his hip totally gave out and I had to have him put down.  Not only did he have friends at the Dog Park but I did too.  When we got there we both went out own ways.  On nice days we would sometimes stay for hours. When I decided it was time to leave I would just start walking toward the gate holler out his name and he would come running...
> 
> George


We all have our dog park friends - me, my husband, and our dog Kaya.  It's funny how that happens.


----------



## Monykalyn (Nov 16, 2020)

Love the new updates; we did same thing with our front door-was solid and we got one with 3/4 glass. HUGE difference!! Our current home has the oil rubbed bronze door handles, but as we bought on foreclosure and the builder clearly rushed through some parts: the faucets are that chrome. We are slowly replacing the faucets as rooms get finished. After 10 years though I still haven't picked out cabinet hardware for the kitchen   .  Bathrooms/laundry room cabinets have handles, but not the kitchen-beware of "taking your time" on some stuff-time gets away!

Hope the doggies are enjoying the new place!


----------



## WinniWoman (Nov 16, 2020)

Monykalyn said:


> Love the new updates; we did same thing with our front door-was solid and we got one with 3/4 glass. HUGE difference!! Our current home has the oil rubbed bronze door handles, but as we bought on foreclosure and the builder clearly rushed through some parts: the faucets are that chrome. We are slowly replacing the faucets as rooms get finished. After 10 years though I still haven't picked out cabinet hardware for the kitchen   .  Bathrooms/laundry room cabinets have handles, but not the kitchen-beware of "taking your time" on some stuff-time gets away!
> 
> Hope the doggies are enjoying the new place!



You have no handles on your cabinets? That would make me insane!

Our builder was not going to put pulls on our cabinets and I told the realtor no way would I move into the home with no handles on the cabinets. So I picked them out online and had the kitchen designer be responsible to get them to the house for the carpenter to install. Every new house owner here has done the same.


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 16, 2020)

Monykalyn said:


> Love the new updates; we did same thing with our front door-was solid and we got one with 3/4 glass. HUGE difference!! Our current home has the oil rubbed bronze door handles, but as we bought on foreclosure and the builder clearly rushed through some parts: the faucets are that chrome. We are slowly replacing the faucets as rooms get finished. After 10 years though I still haven't picked out cabinet hardware for the kitchen   .  Bathrooms/laundry room cabinets have handles, but not the kitchen-beware of "taking your time" on some stuff-time gets away!
> 
> Hope the doggies are enjoying the new place!



Thank you!  The new door will be installed later this week.  Can't wait!

We did buy cabinet hardware for the kitchen, but haven't installed it yet.  Haven't figured out what we want to do with the two bathrooms.  You'd think at some point over twelve years, the previous owners would have installed hardware, but nope.  The kitchen cabinets and drawers are hard to open without a handle - surprises me they wouldn't have installed something.  Go figure.

The dogs are doing well here.  It's been just over two weeks, and Cody has mostly recovered from his back issues reported upthread.  He's moving normally, and is back to trying to jump on the furniture.  (Which is what got him hurt in the first place, I think.) We still have a few days of meds left, so I'll continue giving them to him, until they're gone.  So we'll take this one day at a time. Cross your fingers!

Dave


----------



## pittle (Nov 17, 2020)

When we moved to AZ, we were surprised that in most homes, the cabinets did not have cabinet hardware. We first lived in a rental house with lots of cabinets and no hardware - it drove me crazy.  Then we bought a house that was less than 2 years old and again no hardware.  So I had to buy 113 pulls to do the kitchen, 3 bathrooms and laundry.  That made quite the project one day!


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 17, 2020)

pittle said:


> When we moved to AZ, we were surprised that in most homes, the cabinets did not have cabinet hardware. We first lived in a rental house with lots of cabinets and no hardware - it drove me crazy.  Then we bought a house that was less than 2 years old and again no hardware.  So I had to buy 113 pulls to do the kitchen, 3 bathrooms and laundry.  That made quite the project one day!



Amazing, isn't it?  I was surprised at how many handles and pulls we needed to get.  Just for this small kitchen I think we bought about 30. We still need to get them for the two bathrooms. That'll be another couple dozen, I think.  It adds up fast!  Glad it's something that doesn't wear out. 

Dave


----------



## VacationForever (Nov 17, 2020)

You all got me wondering about cabinet handles.  I went back to check, nope, we are buying a home with no little knobs or whatever for cabinet handles.  We will probably live with it for a while and see if we are OK with it.


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 17, 2020)

VacationForever said:


> You all got me wondering about cabinet handles.  I went back to check, nope, we are buying a home with no little knobs or whatever for cabinet handles.  We will probably live with it for a while and see if we are OK with it.



A lot of cabinet and drawer designs have a lip at the edge making it easier to open them.  So you may not need handles, and it's only a cosmetic item.  In the case of this house we bought, there is a fine edge to the doors and drawer fronts that make it awkward to open them without a handle. Having the handles on them will make life simpler.  

If you're shopping, we found good deals and wide variety of options at www.build.com.  Shopping the local warehouses at Lowes and Home Depot only showed the same tired stuff they've had for twenty years.  Nothing new to see here, move along...  

Designers say that door handles and drawer pulls are the "jewelry" of the kitchen.  They can add a certain amount of style to the kitchen, and bring a subtle (or not so subtle) sparkle to things.  I can see that.  In the case of this house, it's more about utility than a design statement. We'll see how it all sorts out.

Dave


----------



## WinniWoman (Nov 17, 2020)

Having pulls on the cabinets not only makes them easier to open but gives them a finished look imo.


----------



## Monykalyn (Nov 18, 2020)

WinniWoman said:


> You have no handles on your cabinets? That would make me insane!


 My mom's house was the same way-when they remodeled a few years ago she installed the hardware-really does make a difference but you get used to not having them


DaveNV said:


> You'd think at some point over twelve years, the previous owners would have installed hardware, but nope.


 ummm me??    


DaveNV said:


> Designers say that door handles and drawer pulls are the "jewelry" of the kitchen.


Yes-which is why I am having a hard time deciding-what if it's wrong lol!


----------



## Glynda (Nov 19, 2020)

People with arthritis in their fingers, like me, and people with Parkinson’s, like my mother, need a handle to slip their fingers through rather than a knob to try to grasp.


----------



## Glynda (Nov 19, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> So sorry to hear about this.  If she's hesitant to put her leg down, she may have a pinched nerve kind of thing happening. Sounds like it hurts. Time to see her Vet.
> 
> Yes, I've made the decision that these two dogs are the last I'll have. I'm only 67, and I figure I have maybe 15 good years left. I want the freedom to travel without worry, and having pets really adds to the stress.  When you have an animal that can't go with you, a weekend trip away doesn't happen. So this will be it for furry kids, I'm afraid.
> 
> ...



Olive saw the vet surgeon today and has a torn ligament. She has to have either a “TPLO” surgical procedure or “Extracapsular Stifle Repair” surgery next week. I’ll have to Google those as I don’t remember all his explanation. I recall that the TPLO involves reshaping the top of the tibia bone. The hard part afterwards will be to keep her from jumping and from licking the site.  Eight or nine weeks recovery. Yikes.  How odd that I found out recently that I have to have a knee replacement and now Olive has problems at the knee. Go figure!


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 19, 2020)

Poor girl.  I know you'll make the right choice. Good luck!

Dave


----------



## Monykalyn (Nov 19, 2020)

Glynda said:


> How odd that I found out recently that I have to have a knee replacement and now Olive has problems at the knee. Go figure!


Hope you both have successful surgeries and speedy recoveries!!


----------



## clifffaith (Nov 19, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Amazing, isn't it?  I was surprised at how many handles and pulls we needed to get.  Just for this small kitchen I think we bought about 30. We still need to get them for the two bathrooms. That'll be another couple dozen, I think.  It adds up fast!  Glad it's something that doesn't wear out.
> 
> Dave



When we moved in here ten years ago we bought several dozen talavera knobs for the kitchen and laundry room. These were shipped from Albuquerque. We'd remodeled or built 4 bathrooms with talavera sinks that we brought home from Sedona and Albuquerque, and lots of colorful Mexican tile bought locally, but couldn't do a full Mexican kitchen remodel. The knobs helped give me the feel I wanted in the kitchen.


----------



## JanT (Nov 20, 2020)

I’m so sorry to hear about both you and your sweet furr-baby!    You obviously (or maybe not) will be easier to control than she will be.  LoL

You will definitely have to keep her from jumping, etc.  We went through the same thing when our sweet Sugar tore her ACL and had to have TPLO.  She was an 80 pound German Shepherd.  Thankfully, she wasn’t a bundle of energy anyway but we did have to control her movement after the surgery.  We were advised by the vet to keep her kenneled so she could not run, jump, etc.  We did that for 6 weeks and it wasn’t easy because we both worked but I would go home at lunch and let her out to go potty, etc.  She got to go for short walks theee or four times a day just to exercise and strengthen the leg.  We also had to do little exercises for some rehab.

So, you might want to think about a kennel for her so she doesn’t have a lot of room to move around.  It’s hard (more on us than them) but it will help.



Glynda said:


> Olive saw the vet surgeon today and has a torn ligament. She has to have either a “TPLO” surgical procedure or “Extracapsular Stifle Repair” surgery next week. I’ll have to Google those as I don’t remember all his explanation. I recall that the TPLO involves reshaping the top of the tibia bone. The hard part afterwards will be to keep her from jumping and from licking the site.  Eight or nine weeks recovery. Yikes.  How odd that I found out recently that I have to have a knee replacement and now Olive has problems at the knee. Go figure!


----------



## Glynda (Nov 20, 2020)

JanT said:


> I’m so sorry to hear about both you and your sweet furr-baby!    You obviously (or maybe not) will be easier to control than she will be.  LoL
> 
> You will definitely have to keep her from jumping, etc.  We went through the same thing when our sweet Sugar tore her ACL and had to have TPLO.  She was an 80 pound German Shepherd.  Thankfully, she wasn’t a bundle of energy anyway but we did have to control her movement after the surgery.  We were advised by the vet to keep her kenneled so she could not run, jump, etc.  We did that for 6 weeks and it wasn’t easy because we both worked but I would go home at lunch and let her out to go potty, etc.  She got to go for short walks theee or four times a day just to exercise and strengthen the leg.  We also had to do little exercises for some rehab.
> 
> So, you might want to think about a kennel for her so she doesn’t have a lot of room to move around.  It’s hard (more on us than them) but it will help.



Thank you!  The surgeon said that they do several of the TPLO procedures a day on labs and bigger dogs but that with a little dog (she’s 10 lbs) it could be trickier. We do have a crate and fortunately she is accustomed to traveling in the car in it as well as using it from time to time in the house. If we leave it where we are she often goes in it on her own. We’re keeping her on short leash when out now as she likes to jump from sofa to sofa, chair to chair and outside on the low border walls round the flower beds. He told me we’ll have to crate her 8 to 9 weeks and she will have a cone on so she can’t lick it.


----------



## controller1 (Nov 25, 2020)

Glynda said:


> We love the quality of the picture of our LG OLED TV.  However....you know that was coming, didn't you....I guess since we primarily watch two channels, the network symbol for each is permanently imprinted as a somewhat faded symbol in the background of every channel.  It's about three or four years old.



I remember you saying this when I just read an article on OLED TVs. Apparently burn-in when left on a channel most of the time is a problem with all OLED TVs not just LG.


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 30, 2020)

For those of you who have wondered, Yes. I'm still here.    Just waiting for the holidays to be over with, so we can move forward with a few more things in the house.  The big reveal isn't far away.  We aren't totally done yet, but it's close.  Here are a few teasers:

We got our beautiful Hawaiian clock hung in a great spot on a living room wall.  Everyone who comes to the house will be able to see and appreciate it.  Note the plantation shutters adjacent to it, looking onto the back patio.  To the right, the windows in the back are the dining room windows, which look onto the back yard.  The plantation shutters work very well in this home, and completely change the dynamic of the windows.  If you can remember the awful window coverings we had before, with those terrible fabric valances over Venetian blinds, you can see this is a fantastic improvement.  We love this clock.









We had purchased a wine cart for the kitchen from Overstock, not because we needed more wine storage, but because we wanted more food prep room.  The kitchen counters are a bit lacking, in that they're divided up by the stove and sink.  There isn't really enough uncluttered prep space.  The cart that came was nice, but not great.  It is about four feet long, and about 18 inches wide.  The top seemed a bit "weak" for what we wanted, because it was much shorter than the overall cart size, and only about a half inch thick.  This is the stock image Overstock used for it on their sales page (all the accessories not included) :





So, not to be outdone, and being the clever types we are, we bought a 24"X50" Acacia wood countertop at Home Depot. It is very nice, and has a "live edge," which gives it a very dramatic look.  We replaced the weak top with the Acacia top.  To keep it looking great, then we had a piece of plate glass cut and edge-polished to fit.  It all fits like a glove, and the redesigned cart looks and works fantastic.  It is precisely what we needed in the kitchen, and it looks very custom:





Probably the most visual impact of anything we've done so far is that we got the "art niche" set up.  We have a very large (3X5 foot) reproduction of Van Gogh's "The Cafe Terrace" aka "The Night Cafe."  It's a lovely piece done in a glossy dark blue piano lacquer finish on a three-dimensional box frame. The darker blue background enhances the brilliant colors of the image.  We've had this piece since 2002, and never tire of seeing it, and we wanted it in a place of prominence.  This art niche is in our living room, and is the perfect backdrop to this dynamic work.  We had the background painted that darkest chocolate color, (see Reply #117 upthread for the colors we had the walls painted.) We also had a directional can light installed that can be aimed.  It all works great, I think:





That's it for now.  More to come soon.

The new front door is being installed on Thursday.  After it's painted and ready, we'll be taking final pictures, to share with everyone on Tug.  You've been very patient. 

Dave


----------



## JanT (Nov 30, 2020)

Oh Dave, it all looks lovely!!  You are making that house truly your home and have done so much to improve it. I love it!  I especially love your art niche and that picture is just stunning. 

If I might though, I would rethink having the lamp and knicknacks on the table - it takes away from that beautiful picture. The lamp might be fine on its own, set to the edge of the table. Now that’s just my opinion and you can tell me to stuff it - I won’t mind. LoL I just know that at my first glance I saw the smattering of objects on the table as distracting and that picture deserves to be the star on that wall.

I absolutely love everything you have done with your house there.  



DaveNV said:


> For those of you who have wondered, Yes. I'm still here.    Just waiting for the holidays to be over with, so we can move forward with a few more things in the house.  The big reveal isn't far away.  We aren't totally done yet, but it's close.  Here are a few teasers:
> 
> We got our beautiful Hawaiian clock hung in a great spot on a living room wall.  Everyone who comes to the house will be able to see and appreciate it.  Note the plantation shutters adjacent to it, looking onto the back patio.  To the right, the windows in the back are the dining room windows, which look onto the back yard.  The plantation shutters work very well in this home, and completely change the dynamic of the windows.  If you can remember the awful window coverings we had before, with those terrible fabric valances over Venetian blinds, you can see this is a fantastic improvement.  We love this clock.
> 
> ...


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 30, 2020)

JanT said:


> Oh Dave, it all looks lovely!!  You are making that house truly your home and have done so much to improve it. I love it!  I especially love your art niche and that picture is just stunning.
> 
> If I might though, I would rethink having the lamp and knicknacks on the table - it takes away from that beautiful picture. The lamp might be fine on its own, set to the edge of the table. Now that’s just my opinion and you can tell me to stuff it - I won’t mind. LoL I just know that at my first glance I saw the smattering of objects on the table as distracting and that picture deserves to be the star on that wall.
> 
> I absolutely love everything you have done with your house there.  ❤❤



Thanks, Jan.  I appreciate the kind words, and I'd never say a discouraging word when it comes to positive suggestions.  The items on the table are "for now."  This configuration is new, as of this afternoon.  My Jeff is fickle as can be about what goes where.  I've learned that if I give things a few days, and say something like, "Say... What do you think about..." and I throw it out there, suddenly my ideas become his ideas.  And his ideas are the good ones. <wink wink>  I agree, it looks a tad crowded in that angle.  But closer up, or from the other side, it's not so cluttered-looking.  Here's a different angle:





Dave


----------



## JanT (Nov 30, 2020)

I’m a lot like your sweet husband - it takes me several tries to get it just right.  It does look less cluttered at the other angle and it’s just beautiful.  


DaveNV said:


> Thanks, Jan.  I appreciate the kind words, and I'd never say a discouraging word when it comes to positive suggestions.  The items on the table are "for now."  This configuration is new, as of this afternoon.  My Jeff is fickle as can be about what goes where.  I've learned that if I give things a few days, and say something like, "Say... What do you think about..." and I throw it out there, suddenly my ideas become his ideas.  And his ideas are the good ones. <wink wink>  I agree, it looks a tad crowded in that angle.  But closer up, or from the other side, it's not so cluttered-looking.  Here's a different angle:
> 
> View attachment 29250
> 
> Dave


----------



## Glynda (Nov 30, 2020)

controller1 said:


> I remember you saying this when I just read an article on OLED TVs. Apparently burn-in when left on a channel most of the time is a problem with all OLED TVs not just LG.


I've been thinking of getting another one for the master bedroom as I will be spending a good bit of time up there when I have knee replacement. I haven't really seen any great Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals though.


----------



## clifffaith (Nov 30, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Thanks, Jan.  I appreciate the kind words, and I'd never say a discouraging word when it comes to positive suggestions.  The items on the table are "for now."  This configuration is new, as of this afternoon.  My Jeff is fickle as can be about what goes where.  I've learned that if I give things a few days, and say something like, "Say... What do you think about..." and I throw it out there, suddenly my ideas become his ideas.  And his ideas are the good ones. <wink wink>  I agree, it looks a tad crowded in that angle.  But closer up, or from the other side, it's not so cluttered-looking.  Here's a different angle:
> 
> View attachment 29250
> 
> Dave



I think I'd go with just the talavera kitty and the lamp, turn the kitty so his ass faces away from the lamp (or switch the two so you are most often walking toward the kitty's face if the traffic pattern supports it). Then stand back and see what you think.


----------



## stmartinfan (Nov 30, 2020)

Love the Van Gogh print...so much that I've got  copy on my hallway wall!   Mine's just a print from the Van Gogh museum gift shop, so not nearly as dramatic as yours.  But I agree that it's a piece of artwork I never grow tired of.  Love the clock too, and that you're able to show it off so well.


----------



## Glynda (Nov 30, 2020)

The art niche is so eye-catching and has just the right amount of drama. It makes me want to walk up to it and ponder on the Van Gogh piece. Love the colors!  I think I would try it with just the cat and lamp but whatever you decide, it will still be eye-catching!


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 30, 2020)

I talked to Jeff about the cat, and how its butt was being highlighted by the lamp.  I also said Tuggers were saying the candlesticks were too much.  He agreed!  

Here is the latest version.  Note that the ceiling is nine feet high, and this Van Gogh replica is five feet tall, so it's a rather imposing piece of art. We sure like it. . I heard last night that it is the second most popular piece he painted, right after the second version of "Starry Night." I like that one too, but there isn't as much to be seen in it.  This one has much more life to it, I think. 





@clifffaith, the entry foyer and front door is to the right of this location, and the kitchen is to the left.  So the traffic pattern is back and forth in both directions in front of this table. We pointed the cat's butt back toward the wall, so it's not quite as obvious.  Jeff gave you props for knowing it's a Talavera piece. 

Dave


----------



## clifffaith (Nov 30, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> I talked to Jeff about the cat, and how its butt was being highlighted by the lamp.  I also said Tuggers were saying the candlesticks were too much.  He agreed!
> 
> Here is the latest version.  Note that the ceiling is nine feet high, and this Van Gogh replica is five feet tall, so it's a rather imposing piece of art. We sure like it. . I heard last night that it is the second most popular piece he painted, right after the second version of "Starry Night." I like that one too, but there isn't as much to be seen in it.  This one has much more life to it, I think.
> 
> ...



I know it well -- we installed five talavera sinks, and tons of the tile when we moved into this house, and have multiple statuary pieces as well.


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 30, 2020)

clifffaith said:


> I know it well -- we installed five talavera sinks, and tons of the tile when we moved into this house, and have multiple statuary pieces as well.



Then you obviously win.  LOL!  . We got this one eight years ago, near Akumal, not far from Tulum, in the Yucatan.  Jeff (the cat fanatic) babied it all the way home, including carrying it on his lap on the plane.  This kitty has been cuddled more than a real one. 

Dave


----------



## Panina (Dec 1, 2020)

@DaveNV  I just caught up and love everything you did


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 1, 2020)

Panina said:


> @DaveNV  I just caught up and love everything you did



Thank you!  It's getting there, bit by bit.  But you know all about that, right?  

Dave


----------



## geoand (Dec 2, 2020)

I will say this once & only once.
You are going to have a very special welcome to our new home party when this COVID thing is conquered RIGHT?


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 2, 2020)

geoand said:


> I will say this once & only once.
> You are going to have a very special welcome to our new home party when this COVID thing is conquered RIGHT?



Oh yes!  I'd already have done it, but the Covid thing has prevented it.  But afterwards?  You betcha!

Dave


----------



## TheHolleys87 (Dec 3, 2020)

I'm enjoying this thread so much!  And also thinking it's too bad you live so far away from us - you and your husband have great talents as interior designers which I sorely lack!


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 3, 2020)

TheHolleys87 said:


> I'm enjoying this thread so much!  And also thinking it's too bad you live so far away from us - you and your husband have great talents as interior designers which I sorely lack!



Thank you! It's been quite a process, and I've enjoyed sharing it with everyone.  Looking forward to things calming down a bit, and having a bit of "just living here" time. 

Dave


----------



## Carron (Dec 5, 2020)

Dave,  I am looking for your experienced opinion.  We will be moving from our home in Mn to AZ in 21 months and updating this house over that period of time.  Of course we were going to replace the appliances last, and our dishwasher gave out electronically last night.  We are thinking of purchasing a suite of stainless appliances now and only installing the dishwasher and "storing" the others in an empty room until closer to selling so they look new.  Your thoughts?
Thx, Ann


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 5, 2020)

Carron said:


> Dave,  I am looking for your experienced opinion.  We will be moving from our home in Mn to AZ in 21 months and updating this house over that period of time.  Of course we were going to replace the appliances last, and our dishwasher gave out electronically last night.  We are thinking of purchasing a suite of stainless appliances now and only installing the dishwasher and "storing" the others in an empty room until closer to selling so they look new.  Your thoughts?
> Thx, Ann



Hi Ann.  Exciting times for you!  Moving to AZ will be a major life change, especially from Minnesota!  Good luck with the transition.

Bummer about the dishwasher.  I understand what you want to do, and why it would make sense to put a new one in now - you need a dishwasher in your life.  "New" is a relative term, and good quality appliances 21 months old should still look and act like new, if they've been cared for. They shouldn't make or break your home sale deal, if the rest of your home is in good condition.

I think in the bigger picture, I'd replace everything now, get the warranties registered, and opt in for extended warranties the manufacturers offer, which will give your home buyer the comfort of knowing the appliances are covered in the event of a problem.   The other advantage is that if the appliances DO develop a problem, you'll be able to address it in the next 21 months.  If you buy now and wait to install them, the basic warranties will have mostly expired before they're installed.

An alternative would be just to get an inexpensive dishwasher now, to get you through, then replace everything in 21 months, and separately sell the cheaper dishwasher at that time. If your plans are delayed for some reason, you'll still be good to go with all new appliances when the time comes.

Hope this helps.

Dave


----------



## Carron (Dec 5, 2020)

Thanks Dave,  I knew you would come up with some good options! We are really paring down here and getting the house in order slowly but surely. Was interesting to follow your moving adventure. We have decided to give/throw away all the contents of our house here (nothing worth moving)and take only what fits in the trunk of the Camry, it will be very freeing!


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 5, 2020)

Carron said:


> Thanks Dave,  I knew you would come up with some good options! We are really paring down here and getting the house in order slowly but surely. Was interesting to follow your moving adventure. We have decided to give/throw away all the contents of our house here (nothing worth moving)and take only what fits in the trunk of the Camry, it will be very freeing!



Wow, now THAT is the way to move!  Where were you last Spring when I was packing out my house for no real reason?  LOL! 

Another option to consider, as a follow-on to my initial reply, now that I see what you're planning:  Replace just the dishwasher now, with a modest version, or even a used one. (Presuming your other appliances are still in reasonable working order.) Then, when you're going to list your house to sell, give a cash back "Appliance Package" credit to the buyer, so they can buy the appliances THEY want, rather than deciding they will like or live with the appliances you purchased. That way you don't need to do the extra work up front, and your buyer can pick out what they like.  If there is a particular appliance dealer in your area, maybe find out if you can open an account there for this purpose.  Include the cost of installation, if extra.  That way your buyer can go shopping without worrying about paying.  Obviously, you'd need to limit the total to a reasonable amount.  But in the end, it could save you a lot of trouble.

Dave


----------



## b2bailey (Dec 5, 2020)

Carron said:


> Thanks Dave,  I knew you would come up with some good options! We are really paring down here and getting the house in order slowly but surely. Was interesting to follow your moving adventure. We have decided to give/throw away all the contents of our house here (nothing worth moving)and take only what fits in the trunk of the Camry, it will be very freeing!


I can't even imagine how that would be possible, and I'm not a collector of anything.


----------



## Carron (Dec 6, 2020)

DaveNV said:


> Wow, now THAT is the way to move!  Where were you last Spring when I was packing out my house for no real reason?  LOL!
> 
> Another option to consider, as a follow-on to my initial reply, now that I see what you're planning:  Replace just the dishwasher now, with a modest version, or even a used one. (Presuming your other appliances are still in reasonable working order.) Then, when you're going to list your house to sell, give a cash back "Appliance Package" credit to the buyer, so they can buy the appliances THEY want, rather than deciding they will like or live with the appliances you purchased. That way you don't need to do the extra work up front, and your buyer can pick out what they like.  If there is a particular appliance dealer in your area, maybe find out if you can open an account there for this purpose.  Include the cost of installation, if extra.  That way your buyer can go shopping without worrying about paying.  Obviously, you'd need to limit the total to a reasonable amount.  But in the end, it could save you a lot of trouble.
> 
> Dave


Another good thought, thx


----------



## bogey21 (Dec 6, 2020)

Carron said:


> We have decided to give/throw away all the contents of our house here (nothing worth moving)and take only what fits in the trunk of the Camry, it will be very freeing!


This is exactly what I did 20 years ago when I moved from our house into a CCRC.  Doing so enabled me to buy new stuff based on the floor plan of my CCRC apartment.  It worked like a charm...

George


----------



## Carron (Dec 6, 2020)

b2bailey said:


> I can't even imagine how that would be possible, and I'm not a collector of anything.


It will be like going on a permanent vacation--a couple suitcases, lol


----------



## Carron (Dec 6, 2020)

bogey21 said:


> This is exactly what I did 20 years ago when I moved from our house into a CCRC.  Doing so enabled me to buy new stuff based on the floor plan of my CCRC apartment.  It worked like a charm...
> 
> George


Good to hear!  My cousin and his wife just moved from IL to TX after retiring, he said they took a SEMI LOAD of stuff, I just can't imagine-and the cost!


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 6, 2020)

Carron said:


> Good to hear!  My cousin and his wife just moved from IL to TX after retiring, he said they took a SEMI LOAD of stuff, I just can't imagine-and the cost!



That was what we did.  Filled a 26' Penske truck to the brim, and still had leftovers, AFTER we had disposed of many things, and made about 20 trips to the dump.  Just amazed me how much we had accumulated in the 17 years we were in our previous home.  The idea of loading the back end of a car and driving away is VERY appealing.  I hope you can do it!

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 6, 2020)

So...  To prove our lives are not ALL about just fixing up our house, we did a thing this week.

Living in this small town in Nevada, both of us retired and all, we decided we didn't need two cars.  And if we were going to downsize to one car, we knew we may as well combine the best of what we both had, with an eye toward the future.  So Jeff's luxurious, tricked-out BMW 5 Series sedan, and my BMW X1 SUV kind of mixed things up, grew a shade bigger, and went Hybrid electric.

We are now the very proud owners of a Volvo XC60 Plug-In Hybrid SUV.  This car is the coolest ride - ever!









This really is an amazing ride. Gas, electric, or a hybrid mix, selectable either two or four wheel drive, and turbo- & super-charged with 400 horsepower. It matches a Porsche Macan in performance numbers. Impressive, but rides smooth as silk. We can drive all over town here on electric-only, using zero gas.  Awesome car.

Dave


----------



## AnnaS (Dec 7, 2020)

Sharp looking car!!! Love it! Safe driving!!!!

Not long after I stopped working, we downsized to one car ourselves.  My husband had an older SUV so we just donated it.  We said we will give it a try with one car - if it does not work out, we will get a second one again.  So far, 17 months later - we are doing great.  Did not want to go to Target and ask ourselves, "should we take the black car or the white car? lol.


----------



## Rolltydr (Dec 7, 2020)

b2bailey said:


> I can't even imagine how that would be possible, and I'm not a collector of anything.


I think I could do it pretty easily. We’re tentatively planning to move in the 2nd half of 2021 and we’re already having tense discussions about this. DW is a pack rat, I’m a minimalist. I hope this doesn’t end our 48 year marriage!


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 7, 2020)

AnnaS said:


> Sharp looking car!!! Love it! Safe driving!!!!
> 
> Not long after I stopped working, we downsized to one car ourselves.  My husband had an older SUV so we just donated it.  We said we will give it a try with one car - if it does not work out, we will get a second one again.  So far, 17 months later - we are doing great.  Did not want to go to Target and ask ourselves, "should we take the black car or the white car? lol.



Thanks, Anna.  I agree - having one car vs. two is something to plan for.  What we'd figured out was that since being here in Nevada these last several months, we'd only driven Jeff's car a handful of times, where my car was being driven nearly all the time.  When we went somewhere, I either went alone, or we rode together.  If we went on a supply run to Costco or wherever, we took my car, because it had more space for stuff.  This new SUV is larger than the one I had, so has more storage space in the back, but is a better ride for anyone who sits in the back seat.  We wanted to have a comfortable space for guests who may come here to visit, as we chauffeur them around to see the sights.  My BMW X1 was a great car for one or two, but not so much for three or four.  

This XC60 is loaded with lots of bells and whistles (and as a retired IT techie, that's fine by me ) but is also economical for using around town here. We can do it in all-electric mode, using zero gas. But when we need to hit the freeway, this car is a beast.  Extremely comfortable to be in.  This will be great for road trips.  Win-win.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 12, 2021)

Hi Tuggers.  I know it's been months since I last posted in this thread.  I haven't forgotten it, but believe it or not, things are still being set up here in at our Nevada home.  Covid has really caused a lot of delays in things, from ordering and receiving furniture and equipment, to labor shortages, and overwhelmed contracting companies.  We've owned the house over a year now, but we didn't move in till late October 2020.  We've spent the ensuing months getting things arranged the way we wanted them, ordering and setting up furniture & such, and it's still a work in progress. For example: The last of the plantation shutters we'd ordered eight months ago were finally installed just two weeks ago. It's taken forever.

And now, wonder of wonder, after a full year of waiting, our backyard swimming pool construction finally starts TOMORROW!!  Yay!!  There is only one reasonable pool builder in this small town, and they have been buried in work these last months.  (Anybody want to start a pool building company?  Great opportunity here! )  This one company is building something like 90 pools in this town this year.  By the math, based on 22 workdays per month, that's digging a pool every 3 days. Absolutely incredible how busy they are.  But our turn has finally come, and they start work on our project tomorrow.  We are beyond excited.  They have renewed their promise it'll be done by Thanksgiving.  I'm crossing my fingers, but not holding my breath.  We all know how these things go... 

As part of the pool project, we are also adding a full solar system to the roof, to not only offset the cost of running the house, but also to help with the pool equipment.  That work will happen in early November.  And when everything is dug, built, installed, landscaped, and operational, we are installing a 40-foot awning across the back of the house, to provide shade beside the pool.  It's all going to be fantastic.

We've taken the year we've been here to watch the daily angle of the sun, to learn where the shady places are, what gets overheated or too much sun, and how to properly tend to the landscaping.  Whoever said growing plants in the desert was easy obviously didn't live here.  The awning across the back of the house will provide a lot of good shade for pool users, as well as some great potted plants we have.  (Plumeria, anyone?  Who knew these tropical plants are originally from Mexico, and they love the heat?)

Thanks for hanging in there with us.  Please stay tuned for updated pictures and whatnot at the end.  We think it will all be worth it.  

Dave


----------



## amycurl (Sep 12, 2021)

One of my favorite sustainable business owners (inherited and expanded a local goat cheese making operation) has a great saying, "Don't just do something. Stand there." Exactly what you guys did in regards to the paying attention to what the sun does across the seasons at your house, and planning appropriately. 

I, for one, CANNOT WAIT for the post-COVID pool party at your house.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 12, 2021)

amycurl said:


> One of my favorite sustainable business owners (inherited and expanded a local goat cheese making operation) has a great saying, "Don't just do something. Stand there." Exactly what you guys did in regards to the paying attention to what the sun does across the seasons at your house, and planning appropriately.
> 
> I, for one, CANNOT WAIT for the post-COVID pool party at your house.



Thanks! I didn't want to rush into anything with the landscaping and shade.  It's been very educational, as it's all very different than where we used to live.  My corny old joke is that we lived near Seattle, "Where people don't tan - they rust."  

That post-Covid pool party is going to be really, really crowded.  We're taking reservations on a first-come basis, 13 months in advance, just like your favorite timeshare company.  Come to think of it, maybe that's a new business venture for us:  We have a guest room and bath at the far end of the house, in its own wing.  How fancy-schmancy would it be to run a timeshare with only one room?  Man, talk about exclusive!  

Dave


----------



## VacationForever (Sep 12, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> Thanks! I didn't want to rush into anything with the landscaping and shade.  It's been very educational, as it's all very different than where we used to live.  My corny old joke is that we lived near Seattle, "Where people don't tan - they rust."
> 
> That post-Covid pool party is going to be really, really crowded.  We're taking reservations on a first-come basis, 13 months in advance, just like your favorite timeshare company.  Come to think of it, maybe that's a new business venture for us:  We have a guest room and bath at the far end of the house, in its own wing.  How fancy-schmancy would it be to run a timeshare with only one room?  Man, talk about exclusive!
> 
> Dave


I hope you didn't lose your list.  I was #2 on the reservation list as I recall.


----------



## pedro47 (Sep 12, 2021)

I am just waiting on your photo albums.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 12, 2021)

VacationForever said:


> I hope you didn't lose your list.  I was #2 on the reservation list as I recall.



Ah, yes.  I have it right here.  You'll be getting the "Sleeping Bags on the Living Room floor" suite.  

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 12, 2021)

pedro47 said:


> I am just waiting on your photo albums.



Me too.  Every time I think we have a room finished, we change something.  

Dave


----------



## PcflEZFlng (Sep 12, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> Ah, yes.  I have it right here.  You'll be getting the "Sleeping Bags on the Living Room floor" suite.
> Dave


I was going to say I was #1 and I registered 12.5 months ago, but I think I've just changed my mind!


----------



## bizaro86 (Sep 12, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> Ah, yes.  I have it right here.  You'll be getting the "Sleeping Bags on the Living Room floor" suite.
> 
> Dave



Mandatory presentation?


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 12, 2021)

bizaro86 said:


> Mandatory presentation?



Actually, I have a generous opt-out-for-cash policy. The larger the donation, the shorter the presentation.    Just don't go to the Concierge for your parking pass.


----------



## Luanne (Sep 12, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> Ah, yes.  I have it right here.  You'll be getting the "Sleeping Bags on the Living Room floor" suite.
> 
> Dave


I thought I was #1 on the list.  Do I get the "bed in the bathtub" suite?


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 12, 2021)

Luanne said:


> I thought I was #1 on the list.  Do I get the "bed in the bathtub" suite?



You get the the guest room - at night.  I'm not sure who will be sleeping there in the daytime.  I can't read my handwriting. You'll have to take turns. 

Dave


----------



## sun starved Gayle (Sep 12, 2021)

__





						Swimply - Rent private pools by the hour
					

Enjoy the luxury of a private pool near     you. Book a local private pool by the hour.




					swimply.com
				




Here’s a way to help pay for the pool!


----------



## amycurl (Sep 12, 2021)

Look at the time stamp on my request: 2:59 pm, 9.12.21. Pre-construction, even. I mean, aren't I the one taking a risk here?


----------



## Ralph Sir Edward (Sep 12, 2021)

amycurl said:


> Look at the time stamp on my request: 2:59 pm, 9.12.21. Pre-construction, even. I mean, aren't I the one taking a risk here?


 How much did you deposit?


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 12, 2021)

There's a Holiday Inn Express down the street.  I have them on Speed Dial. 

Dave


----------



## AnnaS (Sep 13, 2021)

Too funny, I also thought pool party and everyone is welcome!!!

Thank you for the update.  A homeowner is never finished with projects.  Take your time.  Having the pool done will be awesome though.

We have the same story here.  Can't get contractors and when you do, there is a long wait for them.  Supplies - similar problem and everything as you know has gone up and up.


----------



## presley (Sep 13, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> our backyard swimming pool construction finally starts TOMORROW!!


This is great news! I am very happy for you. I wasn't particularly a pool person until we installed one. Now, I can't imagine living without one. I found that I love using the pool, I just hate public pools. 


amycurl said:


> I, for one, CANNOT WAIT for the post-COVID pool party at your house.


Yep and there's going to be a waffle bar, too.


----------



## DaveNV (Sep 13, 2021)

presley said:


> This is great news! I am very happy for you. I wasn't particularly a pool person until we installed one. Now, I can't imagine living without one. I found that I love using the pool, I just hate public pools.



There is a huge pool as part of this Sun City development.  But every time I've tried using it, there are lots of people in it - really friendly, (make that "nosy") people.  I may just want to soak or splash around for a bit, and I don't necessarily want to talk to anyone.  Certainly not the nosy ones who want to know my life story, or worse - tell me theirs. LOL!   So building our own pool was a logical option.  We knew before we bought this house that it needed a pool.  And now, apparently, we'll have one.  Yay! 



presley said:


> Yep and there's going to be a waffle bar, too.



Ok, that's funny right there. I know a guy...  

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 30, 2021)

I haven't forgotten you folks, or this thread.  Here's a little update:

Since the end of August we've been in "pool construction mode."  The company doing the work is extremely busy, but they're very good at their work, so this is one of those "be patient" things.  I'm trying not to climb the walls with nervous anxiety, and I'm trying to keep my eyes on the prize.  We'll see how it goes.    Here are some "In process" images.

The backyard before any damage was done:  (Dog in photo is Kona, my younger kid.)





After they cleared everything to get ready to dig: (The dog was safely back indoors at this point. )





They start to dig the hole:





Hole shaping coming along:





Hole is completed, and rebar framing in place:





Shotcrete cement going in, to form the shape of the pool:





The finished cement form, now just needs to cure:





Smoothing the top edge of the pool, getting ready to add waterline tile and coping:





Waterline tile going in, and the white travertine coping being set in place:





Close up of the waterline tile and coping.  This is glass tile, with ridges running in different directions, to reflect the sunlight in various ways. Even though it looks like a variety of different tiles, they're mostly all the same.  It's pretty neat that the tiles change color as the sunlight moves. We really like it. The waterline will be between the two upper horizontal rows, with the lower three rows below the surface.





That's it for now.  Hopefully, we'll have the finished project pictures in the next month or so.  There is hardscape yet to be installed around the perimeter of the pool and adjacent to the house, and a full length Alumawood awning along the entire back of the house, to provide shade next to the pool. Then privacy landscaping around the entire yard, some of our cactus being replanted, and maybe a new palm or two.  We'll see.

We're getting there, one step at a time. This is exhausting work.  The best part is the pool and tile design, as I drew it, is coming together.  The pool builders are doing a good job with things.  I just wish it wasn't taking so long. 

Dave


----------



## Glynda (Nov 30, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> I haven't forgotten you folks, or this thread.  Here's a little update:
> 
> Since the end of August we've been in "pool construction mode."  The company doing the work is extremely busy, but they're very good at their work, so this is one of those "be patient" things.  I'm trying not to climb the walls with nervous anxiety, and I'm trying to keep my eyes on the prize.  We'll see how it goes.    Here are some "In process" images.
> 
> ...



It's going to be _very_ nice!  I like the tiles, the overall size and seating area. What will you use on the rest of the surface? Not sure I am seeing the distinction from the round steps to the bottom of the pool due to change of direction in the troweling Two steps? Hope they get it finished for you soon!


----------



## PamMo (Nov 30, 2021)

Very nice, Dave!


----------



## pedro47 (Nov 30, 2021)

Dave your backyard was so beautiful and your dog love it. 
Your backyard looks liked a putting green @ Kings Mills golf course.  LOL.


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 30, 2021)

Glynda said:


> It's going to be _very_ nice!  I like the tiles, the overall size and seating area. What will you use on the rest of the surface? Not sure I am seeing the distinction from the round steps to the bottom of the pool due to change of direction in the troweling Two steps? Hope they get it finished for you soon!



Thanks, Glynda.  The interior pool surface will be plastered in a "mini-pebble" finish, in a variable light blue color.  The hardscape around the pool adjacent to the travertine will be a light sand color "cool deck" finish, that coordinates with the pool finishes, and matches the house colors. The "cool deck" (I think that's the words for it) is temperature sensitive, and makes it cooler on bare feet.  As you can imagine, cement here gets mighty hot.  This finish makes it easier to walk around barefooted.  That will be the perimeter around the outer parts of the pool, and along the back of the house.

This picture shows some of the finishes.  The travertine we chose is lighter than this sample.  The speckled piece on the right is the mini pebble finish we'll have.  The light sand-colored square bit at the top is the cool deck color.





As for the steps, this picture shows them from the other side.  There are four steps, and a piece of a fifth, due to the sloping  bottom on the pool. There will be a handrail, to make using the steps easier. The seating runs in a zig-zag along the side and one end of the pool.  That is the side and end that face the sun most of the day.  We'll have umbrella mounts embedded in the perimeter decking, so we can put in shade umbrellas where we need them.





Hope this makes it more clear.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Nov 30, 2021)

pedro47 said:


> Dave your backyard was so beautiful and your dog love it.
> Your backyard looks liked a putting green @ Kings Mills golf course.  LOL.



Not after they tore everything out.  See the second picture.     There will be a new section of "dog yard" fake grass at the far end of the pool for the dogs to play and poop on. 

Dave


----------



## Passepartout (Nov 30, 2021)

Looking awfully great. It might even make me a pool user. I'll bring my own towel when we visit.


----------



## slip (Nov 30, 2021)

"I haven't forgotten you folks, or this thread. Here's a little update:"


Dave, this is anything but a LITTLE update. It looks great and it looks to finish up exactly the way you imagined it.


----------



## Glynda (Nov 30, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> Thanks, Glynda.  The interior pool surface will be plastered in a "mini-pebble" finish, in a variable light blue color.  The hardscape around the pool adjacent to the travertine will be a light sand color "cool deck" finish, that coordinates with the pool finishes, and matches the house colors. The "cool deck" (I think that's the words for it) is temperature sensitive, and makes it cooler on bare feet.  As you can imagine, cement here gets mighty hot.  This finish makes it easier to walk around barefooted.  That will be the perimeter around the outer parts of the pool, and along the back of the house.
> 
> This picture shows some of the finishes.  The travertine we chose is lighter than this sample.  The speckled piece on the right is the mini pebble finish we'll have.  The light sand-colored square bit at the top is the cool deck color.
> 
> ...



Yes, thanks!  I like the tiles even better closer up!  I hadn't heard of "cool deck" but it's bound to be cooler than our blue stone. Love the idea of sitting under umbrellas!  I'm glad that there will be a handrail for the steps!


----------



## Luanne (Nov 30, 2021)

Love what you've done with the place!


----------



## MrockStar (Nov 30, 2021)

Nice.


----------



## Krteczech (Nov 30, 2021)

Very nice!


----------



## SandyPGravel (Dec 1, 2021)

Looks wonderful.  I would be antsy too.   Maybe I missed it earlier, but did you go with a saltwater pool?


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 1, 2021)

SandyPGravel said:


> Looks wonderful.  I would be antsy too.   Maybe I missed it earlier, but did you go with a saltwater pool?



Thanks, Gina.  I didn't mention it before.  But yes, we're doing saltwater. I'm told it's better on the skin, and is easier to maintain.  We'll see. This is all new to us. 

Dave


----------



## SandyPGravel (Dec 1, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> Thanks, Gina.  I didn't mention it before.  But yes, we're doing saltwater. I'm told it's better on the skin, and is easier to maintain.  We'll see. This is all new to us.
> 
> Dave


Yes I've heard the same about how it feels on the skin.  I think keeping the PH in balance is easier with saltwater too.   I've only swam in one pool that was saltwater and was practicing SCUBA so little skin exposure.  I've read that it can be hard on the pump which is why hot tubs didn't have a salt water system for a long time.  Supposedly a hot tub can be retro fitted with a salt water system.  I want to check it out if we can upgrade ours.


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 1, 2021)

SandyPGravel said:


> Yes I've heard the same about how it feels on the skin.  I think keeping the PH in balance is easier with saltwater too.   I've only swam in one pool that was saltwater and was practicing SCUBA so little skin exposure.  I've read that it can be hard on the pump which is why hot tubs didn't have a salt water system for a long time.  Supposedly a hot tub can be retro fitted with a salt water system.  I want to check it out if we can upgrade ours.



I've also heard it can be hard on equipment and fixtures.  We're installing "saltwater versions" of the equipment, and marine-grade versions of fixtures, to hopefully make it all work better.  We're also adding a heat pump for water temperature control - the advantage is not only being able to heat the pool in cooler weather, but also to reverse things and cool it down when our desert weather gets to be scorching in Summer.  We'll see how it all shakes out over time.  As I mentioned, this is all completely new to us. 

We had a series of hot tubs at our home in Washington for many years, so chemical maintenance isn't new to us.  This will just be a new way of maintaining things.  We're actually looking forward to it.

And since I know I'm the one who'll be using the dip net to clean things, doing chemical maintenance, and moving the pool furniture around, I'm considering buying myself a Cabana Boy t-shirt.  





Dave


----------



## SandyPGravel (Dec 1, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> I've also heard it can be hard on equipment and fixtures.  We're installing "saltwater versions" of the equipment, and marine-grade versions of fixtures, to hopefully make it all work better.  We're also adding a heat pump for water temperature control - the advantage is not only being able to heat the pool in cooler weather, but also to reverse things and cool it down when our desert weather gets to be scorching in Summer.  We'll see how it all shakes out over time.  As I mentioned, this is all completely new to us.
> 
> We had a series of hot tubs at our home in Washington for many years, so chemical maintenance isn't new to us.  This will just be a new way to maintaining things.  We're actually looking forward to it.
> 
> ...


ABSOLUTELY!!


----------



## Dori (Dec 1, 2021)

For sure, get one of these T-shirts! 

Dori


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 1, 2021)

Dori said:


> For sure, get one of these T-shirts!
> 
> Dori



It made me laugh, for sure.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 1, 2021)

Ok, so I ordered the Cabana Boy shirt.  I know my place in this household...  LOL! 

Dave


----------



## BJRSanDiego (Dec 1, 2021)

Your pool design looks great.  

One of the things that I like about our own pool is we have an automatic pool filler.  If you don't have one planned, I suggest that before they plaster your pool, you may want to talk to your pool folks about adding it.  All it is, is a catch basin with basically a toilet float and a water line to the house.  When my pool level drops and needs water, the toilet float just adds it.  What is really nice is that if we travel for several weeks, we don't have to arrange to have someone drag out a hose and add water.  

Even if you don't add the automatic filler, make sure to have an underground water line run to the pool.  It is so much nicer turning a handle at the house and have water shoot into the pool - - hoses can be ugly and a PITA to coil and uncoil.


----------



## PrairieGirl (Dec 1, 2021)

Looking good Dave!  It will be SO nice once finished and you will enjoy it for sure come summertime.  Aren't these unseasonably warm temps we are having right now just the icing on the cake after you are watching the destruction from all the rain back in your former home?


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 2, 2021)

BJRSanDiego said:


> Your pool design looks great.
> 
> One of the things that I like about our own pool is we have an automatic pool filler.  If you don't have one planned, I suggest that before they plaster your pool, you may want to talk to your pool folks about adding it.  All it is, is a catch basin with basically a toilet float and a water line to the house.  When my pool level drops and needs water, the toilet float just adds it.  What is really nice is that if we travel for several weeks, we don't have to arrange to have someone drag out a hose and add water.
> 
> Even if you don't add the automatic filler, make sure to have an underground water line run to the pool.  It is so much nicer turning a handle at the house and have water shoot into the pool - - hoses can be ugly and a PITA to coil and uncoil.



I think we're getting an automatic filler.  I'll have to check the build sheet. If not, i'll ask for one.  That'll be handy, given our evaporation rates here.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 2, 2021)

PrairieGirl said:


> Looking good Dave!  It will be SO nice once finished and you will enjoy it for sure come summertime.  Aren't these unseasonably warm temps we are having right now just the icing on the cake after you are watching the destruction from all the rain back in your former home?



The flooding and nonstop rain back in Washington is insane! The house we had was on a hill, so no risk of flooding, but the roads around the neighborhood did flood sometimes.  Sorry for all those people there.  But to be honest, I don't miss the cold and rain and wet one tiny bit.  I miss the people, and that's about it. 

Dave


----------



## pedro47 (Dec 2, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> The flooding and nonstop rain back in Washington is insane! The house we had was on a hill, so no risk of flooding, but the roads around the neighborhood did flood sometimes.  Sorry for all those people there.  But to be honest, I don't miss the cold and rain and wet one tiny bit.  I miss the people, and that's about it.
> 
> Dave


This is why my god son left,his University of Washington job. He disliked the cold rainy weather in Seattle; plus the cost of living. 
He is now at the University of San  Diego working and he loved the weather. The costs of apartment living is still very expensive.


----------



## sun starved Gayle (Dec 2, 2021)

People are so different, and that’s what makes this world a wonderful place.

I just returned from a week in the desert and I loved it. 

But when I walked out of the airport in Portland, Oregon and felt the cool, moist air, I knew I was home and it felt good. I guess I’m just a native Pacific Northwest girl through and through. 

62 degrees and sunny here in SW Washington yesterday. And green!


----------



## Luanne (Dec 2, 2021)

sun starved Gayle said:


> People are so different, and that’s what makes this world a wonderful place.
> 
> I just returned from a week in the desert and I loved it.
> 
> ...


Our older daughter attended college in Olympia, WA.  She loved it.  She was hoping to move back to that area.  She is currently living in Silicon Valley.


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 2, 2021)

sun starved Gayle said:


> People are so different, and that’s what makes this world a wonderful place.
> 
> I just returned from a week in the desert and I loved it.
> 
> ...



It's variable, for sure.  I didn't hate living in the PNW, but I got tired to the point of exhaustion about ALL the rain, and clouds, and gray skies. I like seeing the sun.  The year prior to my retirement we went FIVE MONTHS without seeing the sun - not even once.  When I retired, and knew I'd have my days free, I was not looking forward to the weeks and months on end of miserable weather. Most of all, I didn't want the weather to make me a prisoner in my own house.  Here, even though it gets blistering hot in Summer, I can still go outdoors in morning and evening on those days, and enjoy being outside.  The other seasons, when it's not so warm outside, I can do anything I want, at anytime of day, and on any day of the week. Living here, I can expect it'll be a sunny day, each time I step outside.  The town we lived in up north averages 38 inches of rain a year.  Mesquite averages 7.  There is something good to be said for that, at least for me.  

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 2, 2021)

BJRSanDiego said:


> One of the things that I like about our own pool is we have an automatic pool filler.



I confirmed we _are_ getting an automatic pool filler. I'd think here in the desert, with evaporation being such a constant thing, that it'd be a necessity. But I think we're good on that.

Dave


----------



## Ty1on (Dec 2, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> I confirmed we _are_ getting an automatic pool filler. I'd think here in the desert, with evaporation being such a constant thing, that it'd be a necessity. But I think we're good on that.
> 
> Dave



Lots of desert folks like to install pool covers to help abate the evaporation.


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 2, 2021)

Ty1on said:


> Lots of desert folks like to install pool covers to help abate the evaporation.



Unless we go with a manual cover, we'll at least be starting without one.  An automatic cover adds more than $10K to the pool cost.  Prices have really gone up. We'll figure things out as we go along.

Dave


----------



## BJRSanDiego (Dec 2, 2021)

Ty1on said:


> Lots of desert folks like to install pool covers to help abate the evaporation.


That's good.  You may want to consider adding a solar pool cover (and reel) for the shoulder seasons to extend your pool time.  In my experience, they add perhaps 10 degrees F to the pool water.

Another thing to research is HeatSaver liquid pool cover.  It supposedly puts a one-molecule thick layer on top of the pool to drastically reduce evaporation and, as a result, tends to keep the heat in the water.  According to Glenn K., Marriott Desert Springs I and II use it and say that it made a huge difference in their propane heater use (they may have switched over to heat pumps later).


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 2, 2021)

BJRSanDiego said:


> That's good.  You may want to consider adding a solar pool cover (and reel) for the shoulder seasons to extend your pool time.  In my experience, they add perhaps 10 degrees F to the pool water.



I'm looking into different cover options.  A solar cover is a good idea, for sure.  I think this first year, we'll "learn by owning."  Just like with waiting to see what the sun did our first year before changing the landscaping and adding shade covers, we'll probably wait till we've had the pool awhile, and then add the right gadget to make things better.



BJRSanDiego said:


> Another thing to research is HeatSaver liquid pool cover.  It supposedly puts a one-molecule thick layer on top of the pool to drastically reduce evaporation and, as a result, tends to keep the heat in the water.  According to Glenn K., Marriott Desert Springs I and II use it and say that it made a huge difference in their propane heater use (they may have switched over to heat pumps later).



I hadn't heard of that product. We opted for a heat pump instead of propane, because the cost is so high here.  With our solar on the roof, we're aiming for the cost of operating the pool to be covered by the solar.  We'll see how it goes, and adjust as needed.  

Fun times! 

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 2, 2021)

I took this picture along about sunset this evening.  It's exactly what I'm picturing for the future, sitting in the pool under the stars.  Can't wait!





Dave


----------



## slip (Dec 3, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> I took this picture along about sunset this evening.  It's exactly what I'm picturing for the future, sitting in the pool under the stars.  Can't wait!
> 
> View attachment 43033
> 
> Dave



Now that looks awesome. Great place to relax!


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 3, 2021)

slip said:


> Now that looks awesome. Great place to relax!



Thanks!  That's one reason we waited a year after moving in before deciding to go ahead and put in the pool.  It's really nice outside at night here.

Dave


----------



## bogey21 (Dec 3, 2021)

I love Mesquite.  Used to own two Weeks at the Casablanca...

George


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 3, 2021)

bogey21 said:


> I love Mesquite.  Used to own two Weeks at the Casablanca...
> 
> George



It's still here, and is as busy as ever.  We had Thanksgiving dinner at one of the Casablanca upscale restaurants. Really good meal.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 4, 2021)

We had to interrupt our regularly-scheduled construction project to hang a bit of Holiday Cheer around the place.  We're not putting up a tree in the house, (Have you met our cat, "Slasher"? ) But we did decide to hang a wreath on the front gate.  It was fun bringing down forty-eleven boxes of Christmas decorations from the garage storage shelving, rifling through them all, finally locating the few items we were after in one of the last boxes.  A replacement set of fresh batteries, a colorful bow, a bit of Zhuzhing, and the lighted wreath was ready to hang.  The fresh Noble Fir wreath itself is courtesy of (where else?) Costco. Merry Christmas, everyone!





 Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 4, 2021)

And when the sun starts to go down, the wreath lights are more visible.





 Dave


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 6, 2021)

And since we have Kai, (aka Thundercat, aka CFH - Cat From Hell) when it comes to destroying everything bright and shiny, we may be relegated to a tabletop fibre-optic Christmas tree. We've had this little tree for years, and it always seems to make an appearance for the holidays.  Jeff says he isn't done decorating it, that there are ornaments to go on it, but I couldn't wait.  I think it looks great as it is.  What you can't see in this picture is the fibre-optic lights on the tree continually change colors in a rainbow of sparkling tiny little lights.





Dave


----------



## JanT (Dec 7, 2021)

LoL  Yeah, don't you just love animals and the damage they can do?  That's a cute little tree and works just fine!


----------



## VacationForever (Dec 7, 2021)

Dave, I didn't know you have a second cat, CFH, besides Kai.  When did you adopt CFH?  Pictures?   Thanks!


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 7, 2021)

VacationForever said:


> Dave, I didn't know you have a second cat, CFH, besides Kai.  When did you adopt CFH?  Pictures?   Thanks!



Nope, sorry - just the one kitty - but he's like having two or three.  He's a multiple-personality, all-purpose hell raiser. (Probably like most cats.)  This house isn't large enough for more than one feline. And I don't think my dogs could tolerate the harassment from a second cat. 

Dave


----------



## clifffaith (Dec 7, 2021)

VacationForever said:


> Dave, I didn't know you have a second cat, CFH, besides Kai.  When did you adopt CFH?  Pictures?   Thanks!



I also thought there was a second kitty when I read this last night!


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 7, 2021)

I've edited my post to try and clarify that Kai has multiple names in our house.  Some other names also apply, but I can't post them here. 

Sorry for the confusion. One cat, two dogs.  That's all.  

Dave


----------



## MrockStar (Dec 7, 2021)

Sounds like my daughters cat. LOL.


----------



## clifffaith (Dec 7, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> I've edited my post to try and clarify that Kai has multiple names in our house.  Some other names also apply, but I can't post them here.
> 
> Sorry for the confusion. One cat, two dogs.  That's all.
> 
> Dave



We know what we mean when we say The Peach Puma/Tan Tiger/Young *sshole or The Brown Turd/Chubby Chat. Jackson and Mocha are handfuls, no matter what we call them!


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 7, 2021)

clifffaith said:


> We know what we mean when we say The Peach Puma/Tan Tiger/Young *sshole or The Brown Turd/Chubby Chat. Jackson and Mocha are handfuls, no matter what we call them!



Then you definitely know my struggle. 

Dave


----------



## Rolltydr (Dec 8, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> Then you definitely know my struggle.
> 
> Dave


I take it the cat belongs to Jeff? I noticed you said “my dogs” but you didn’t really take ownership of Kai.


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 8, 2021)

Rolltydr said:


> I take it the cat belongs to Jeff? I noticed you said “my dogs” but you didn’t really take ownership of Kai.



We both picked out the kitten from the Seattle cat rescue we adopted him from, so he is "our" cat.  But there is no doubt Kai belongs to Jeff.  He is absolutely a cat person. His Facebook feed is loaded with cat images he finds online, of cats he finds attractive and whatever - it's ridiculous how much Jeff loves cats. His whole family is that way.  His Mother was that way, too.  Growing up, they never had a dog in their family, but they had a succession of cats, most often more than one at a time, some of which were owned by different members of the family.  When they get together, Jeff and his siblings often talk about "my cat" or "your cat" when discussing the cats they had as kids.  So there has been a history of assuming ownership of a family pet.

I like cats, along with most animals, but I am primarily a dog person.  I do everything "our" dogs need daily, along with arranging for the Pet Sitter when we go away, or taking them to the Vet.  If they make a mess, Jeff is quick to point out "Look what your dog did."  That being said, who gives Kai his nightly treats, makes sure he has food and fresh water, and complains to Jeff that Kai's litterbox needs to be changed?  Yeah, you're right.  

It's a balance.  We both love the little beasts, and we both take pride when visitors make much over them.  It's like having children in a blended family.  I don't care how much you might love the step kids, they will always belong to the other parent. 

Dave


----------



## Rolltydr (Dec 8, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> We both picked out the kitten from the Seattle cat rescue we adopted him from, so he is "our" cat.  But there is no doubt Kai belongs to Jeff.  He is absolutely a cat person. His Facebook feed is loaded with cat images he finds online, of cats he finds attractive and whatever - it's ridiculous how much Jeff loves cats. His whole family is that way.  HIs Mother was that way, too.  Growing up, they never had a dog in their family, but they had a succession of cats, most often more than one at a time, some of which were owned by different members of the family.  When they get together, Jeff and his siblings often talk about "my cat" or "your cat" when discussing the cats they had as kids.  So there has been a history of assuming ownership of a family pet.
> 
> I like cats, along with most animals, but I am primarily a dog person.  I do everything "our" dogs need daily, along with arranging for the Pet Sitter when we go away, or taking them to the Vet.  If they make a mess, Jeff is quick to point out "Look what your dog did."  That being said, who gives Kai his nightly treats, makes sure he has food and fresh water, and complains to Jeff that Kai's litterbox needs to be changed?  Yeah, you're right.
> 
> ...


We have 3 cats and each of them has claimed their own human. (Our daughter lives with  us.) We also love dogs, small dogs, and had a Papillon that died a couple years ago. We haven’t gotten another one because we knew we were moving and didn’t know what we would do for a pet sitter when we did. Now that we’re here, maybe we can figure that out. I probably want one more than my wife and daughter so we’ll see what happens. I definitely know what you mean about the step kids!


----------



## BJRSanDiego (Dec 8, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> Kai's litterbox needs to be changed? ....
> 
> 
> 
> Dave


I found a great use for soiled cat litter.  I pour it into qopher and squirrel holes. I've been told that they consider it to have been marked by a carnivore.  Seems to motivate the rodents to move to a fresher smelling territory.


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 8, 2021)

BJRSanDiego said:


> I found a great use for soiled cat litter.  I pour it into qopher and squirrel holes. I've been told that they consider it to have been marked by a carnivore.  Seems to motivate the rodents to move to a fresher smelling territory.



Good idea.  Don't get me started about squirrels.  I am not a fan. 

About the only vermin we seem to have down here are termites. And I don't think they care much about anything. We do get the occasional crawling bug, up to and including scorpions. But the neighborhood roadrunners and chukars seem to take care of them. We rarely see a live bug.

Dave


----------



## Ty1on (Dec 8, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> Good idea.  Don't get me started about squirrels.  I am not a fan.
> 
> About the only vermin we seem to have down here are termites. And I don't think they care much about anything. We do get the occasional crawling bug, up to and including scorpions. But the neighborhood roadrunners and chukars seem to take care of them. We rarely see a live bug.
> 
> Dave



Do y'all only get the desert scorpions out there, or do you get the bronzish colored bark scorpions that hitchhike in on palm tree shipments?


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 8, 2021)

Ty1on said:


> Do y'all only get the desert scorpions out there, or do you get the bronzish colored bark scorpions that hitchhike in on palm tree shipments?



Not sure.  The only ones I've seen here are small - maybe just a few inches long. But being "prime" desert, I'm sure if you go far enough, there are lots of critters I haven't seen yet.

Dave


----------



## Ty1on (Dec 8, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> Not sure.  The only ones I've seen here are small - maybe just a few inches long. But being "prime" desert, I'm sure if you go far enough, there are lots of critters I haven't seen yet.
> 
> Dave



Desert ones grow up to 3 inches and are black.  The bark ones don't seem to grow over a couple inches, are bronze, and have a fatter tail. so they don't look nodal.


----------



## pedro47 (Dec 8, 2021)

BJRSanDiego said:


> I found a great use for soiled cat litter.  I pour it into qopher and squirrel holes. I've been told that they consider it to have been marked by a carnivore.  Seems to motivate the rodents to move to a fresher smelling territory.


Does this really work on qopher? I might try this on the moles in my backyard.


----------



## VacationForever (Dec 8, 2021)

DaveNV said:


> Good idea.  Don't get me started about squirrels.  I am not a fan.
> 
> About the only vermin we seem to have down here are termites. And I don't think they care much about anything. We do get the occasional crawling bug, up to and including scorpions. But the neighborhood roadrunners and chukars seem to take care of them. We rarely see a live bug.
> 
> Dave


I wonder what is the difference in environment of Mesquite and the Las Vegas valley.  We have spoken to 2 different pest control people and they said that there are no termites in the Las Vegas valley.


----------



## Ty1on (Dec 8, 2021)

VacationForever said:


> I wonder what is the difference in environment of Mesquite and the Las Vegas valley.  We have spoken to 2 different pest control people and they said that there are no termites in the Las Vegas valley.



Mesquite is riverside, so there is a bit (but not much) more humidity. I wouldn't be surprised if there were pockets of termite issues in the Vegas developments with manmade lakes.


----------



## DaveNV (Dec 8, 2021)

VacationForever said:


> I wonder what is the difference in environment of Mesquite and the Las Vegas valley.  We have spoken to 2 different pest control people and they said that there are no termites in the Las Vegas valley.





Ty1on said:


> Mesquite is riverside, so there is a bit (but not much) more humidity.



We don't have dry wood termites here - that's a thing they get in wetter climates.  Humidity here is very low.  We have subterranean termites, that tunnel up from the ground under the house, looking for a woody meal and water. They eat the cellulose, I think.  They leave trails behind, composed of their waste products, that make an airtight tunnel for them to move back and forth through.  They can't deal with heat and exposure to air.  Break the tunnel and the termites dry out and die.

The house we're in had termites at some point before we bought it.  They found evidence during the building inspection.  Several tunnels from the ground, several pathways under flooring, and various places where they had broken down through window headers, then retreated when they realized they were on a death march. We did several inspections by different termite companies over a month-long period.  Nothing was active here, and after having the perimeter grounds drilled and treated, we moved forward with moving into the house.  We had more than 1200 square feet of engineered hardwood flooring installed here, and the last thing I wanted to do was give termites a smorgasbord to chew on. 

Dave


----------



## VacationForever (Dec 8, 2021)

Ty1on said:


> Mesquite is riverside, so there is a bit (but not much) more humidity. I wouldn't be surprised if there were pockets of termite issues in the Vegas developments with manmade lakes.


We live by a 320 acres of manmade lake but nevertheless, no termites.


----------



## Ty1on (Dec 8, 2021)

VacationForever said:


> We live by a 320 acres of manmade lake but nevertheless, no termites.



Desert Shores?


----------



## VacationForever (Dec 8, 2021)

Ty1on said:


> Desert Shores?


Lake Las Vegas


----------



## clifffaith (Dec 8, 2021)

Rolltydr said:


> We have 3 cats and each of them has claimed their own human. (Our daughter lives with  us.) We also love dogs, small dogs, and had a Papillon that died a couple years ago. We haven’t gotten another one because we knew we were moving and didn’t know what we would do for a pet sitter when we did. Now that we’re here, maybe we can figure that out. I probably want one more than my wife and daughter so we’ll see what happens. I definitely know what you mean about the step kids!



Cliff has an inferiority complex because all the cats "choose" me. We have/have had cats that were equal opportunity cats who "preferred" me, and cats that have no use for him whatsoever. Currently we have Jackson who adores me to the point of having a fit when he can't come into the shower with me, but he likes his daddy just fine. And Mocha who will not sit with Cliff and who runs if he walks by, but she's learned he is a soft touch for a treat so he extracts "toll" in the form of pets when she cozies up to him at the treat cupboard.


----------



## Rolltydr (Dec 8, 2021)

clifffaith said:


> Cliff has an inferiority complex because all the cats "choose" me. We have/have had cats that were equal opportunity cats who "preferred" me, and cats that have no use for him whatsoever. Currently we have Jackson who adores me to the point of having a fit when he can't come into the shower with me, but he likes his daddy just fine. And Mocha who will not sit with Cliff and who runs if he walks by, but she's learned he is a soft touch for a treat so he extracts "toll" in the form of pets when she cozies up to him at the treat cupboard.


They are so funny. Our newest cat is a Tonkinese which is a very intelligent breed. She has chosen DW as her human and stays with her, almost like a dog, when DW is around. She almost won’t have anything to do with me or our daughter. However, if DW is gone, she will love on whoever is around and will get in our lap and sleep If she can. She just treats us completely differently depending on whether DW is here.


----------



## Ty1on (Dec 8, 2021)

VacationForever said:


> Lake Las Vegas


Niiiiice!


----------



## BJRSanDiego (Dec 9, 2021)

pedro47 said:


> Does this really work on qopher? I might try this on the moles in my backyard.


The mole tunnels that I've seen on my property are just under the surface and seem to be used only a few times and then abandoned.  So, I'm not sure how well it would work or how easy it would be to apply.  Moles are insectivores: there are gummy worm baits that will kill them.  There are also mole traps that kind of work.  They are placed above ground and when tripped, the mole gets speared.

But you could always collect urine and pour it over their visible tunnels.  I suspect that pouring bleach on the tunnel would also work in one fashion or another.  If you have grass, the bleach will probably affect the grass.  Or simultaneously pour equal parts of bleach and industrial ammonia cleaner (be careful to stand upwind as the gas is highly toxic).  This will probably also do a "job" on grass and nearby plants.


----------

