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.
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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:
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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:
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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