I thought I'd give a little update on all of our house projects since everyone here is always so helpful with advice.

We had the new roof installed (yay!). It's dark, dark gray, almost black. I think it looks great. Oddly enough, I didn't realize that the garage door is gray (light gray, but decidedly gray) and the gutters and outside window trim on the bay windows etc. are gray as well. I truly thought it was white, but none of those things are white, and I can't decide if doing the roof made that obvious, or if I just wasn't paying attention before.

We had the sump pump installed in the crawl space. You might remember that there was a "sump pump" there in another part of the basement, and at some point WTG asked if it was for the sewer/basement toilet. I didn't think it was, but actually that was wrong. That is part of the basement toilet, which flushes into that and then it gets pumped up and into the house's main sewer line. I don't know why the inspector didn't catch that. It’s not a big deal because it works, but I would have liked to have known that. Anyway, the sump pump installer explained it to us. That one doesn't have anything to do with water control. Which is fine because we had the sump pump installed in the crawl space as originally planned.

We have contracted with a carpenter to do the railing on the basement stairs. The plan is for him to "peel" back the carpet that's there and then have a carpet layer come in when he's done and reinstall that carpet. I'm kind of skeptical that this will actually work, so I'm steeling myself to have to get brand new carpet installed there if it doesn't go well. We're hoping this can be finished before we move in, but it might not, we're prepared for that as well.

Let's see, what else?

Oh, Mr. SK painted all the rooms and surfaces that were grays or browns, so those dark guest bedrooms and the bathrooms look much brighter!

We had the piano room light fixture replaced and I ended up having three ceiling fans replaced because I didn't like the old ones (too dark, both in style and light bulbs -- they used those weird candelabra light bulbs that barely give off any light).

Mr. SK removed the built-in blinds from all the windows in the guest rooms, patio door and living room. He added mini blinds to all the windows, and we added a curtain to the patio door. It looks sooooo much better now, and we can truly enjoy the back yard through the patio door now. He’ll remove the built-in blinds from the bedroom window after we move in because we’re still using the curtains that we plan to hang there. But that’s the last set of built-ins that need to be removed. The windows are so much nicer without them!

Oh and we had three different companies give us quotes for new HVAC systems. I had already had them all lined up when you all convinced me not to replace the current system, so I went ahead with them, it was very educational. I was surprised how off-the-charts expensive the Bryant systems were... The other one I now can't remember the name of... And the only quote I thought was reasonable was for the Trane system. But that guy also said our current system (Trane) was top of the line when it was installed and he said we certainly could wait on new equipment. The only thing that gives me pause is the new refrigerant issue, but that's maybe a topic for its own thread. Anyway, we're in a holding pattern with the HVAC, I want to live there and see how it does on hot days first.

We have had two different landscaping companies out to talk to us about our flower beds and the possibilities for privacy trees or bushes. I still haven't gotten their quotes yet. But it looks pretty now that everything has greened up in the front, so we probably won't do too much in the short run. Oh and we discovered that there are some lovely hostas in the back. Unfortunately, the front has too much hot, direct sun for hostas.

I think that's it. Except for the stair railing, the house is basically ready for us to move in.



P.S. thanks for reading this long update!

Wow!

You guys have been busy!

I hope you'll post pictures down the road, SK.

Probably not what you meant by photos, but here are the hostas in the back and also (I assume) clematis:

Nice! Those hostas should have some fine blooms later this summer!

Congratulations on getting so much done!

Good work.

That clematis is lovely. IMHO, one of the joys of being in a new home is seeing what happens in the outdoor spaces as the first round of seasons pass. There are often plants that only emerge or show their varied colors at different times of the year.

Big Al

BTW, Steve

quote:

You guys have been busy!

and Quirt

quote:

Congratulations on getting so much done!

I think we've gotten lucky at getting contractors in... I almost wonder if they are slightly less busy because people aren't moving. If that makes sense. I suspect a lot of jobs people do either because they just moved, or because they're planning to sell.

Oh, I think one other big reason we've gotten lucky is because of our real estate agent. I either start out by mentioning how we got their name, or they ask and I say our agent's name, and everyone is like "oh yeah, great" -- I feel like she has some serious clout around town!

Big Al,

quote:

There are often plants that only emerge or show their varied colors at different times of the year.

Yes, we're looking forward to this!

On tap for today: reading about moving hostas. It would be great if we could take a little from the big one and add it to an empty spot nearby.

Wow - those plantings are beautiful. I love clematis.

Good work! Things are moving along quickly. When is the move? More importantly, when is the first piano party?

I'm not a clematis expert and can't identify that particular cultivar, but maybe someone here or one of your landscape people can ID it for you. It's important to know which one it is because there are three classes of clematis, and how they bloom and how they should be pruned is based on which type they are.

https://davesgarden.com/guides...classes-and-pruning/

The one clematis I'm very familiar with is the sweet autumn clematis, which is in my top 10 list of favorite plants.

https://www.thespruce.com/swee...umn-clematis-2132891

I know hostas better, and I'm thinking the big one is called 'Sum and Substance'. It will probably need to find a new home at some point because it gets quite large and isn't really suited to the little space it's in.

https://www.monrovia.com/sum-and-substance-hosta.html

Here's mine. Of course it is an established plant, but they get settled in quickly and tend to take off. It's five feet across already and it's only early May.




I have a yard full of hostas that need to be divided...and we have Mitsuwa here....SUMMMER FIELD TRIP!!!

quote:

It's important to know which one it is because there are three classes of clematis, and how they bloom and how they should be pruned is based on which type they are.

Yeah, I'll try to figure this out. It's like hydrangea, there is one variety where you need to prune off the flowers when they're done blooming, and other variety where you don't. Get it wrong, and they don't bloom the next season. We have a hydrangea at the new house as well, so I'm trying to figure that out.

re the hostas, any quick and dirty tips about how to think this one out and use it to fill out other spaces?

quote:

When is the move? More importantly, when is the first piano party?

We're moving in about a month (I can't wait!!)

Hopefully I'll get the piano tuned at the beginning of July and then go from there!

quote:

Originally posted by ShiroKuro:

re the hostas, any quick and dirty tips about how to think this one out and use it to fill out other spaces?

I would pick a day when it's not terribly warm and windy and go for it. But realistically, you can do it almost any time. Hostas are practically indestructible.

I just hold up the outer leaves and look to see where the plant is and then stick a shovel in maybe 8 or 10 inches away from the outermost shoots (how far away depends on how big the hosta is). I'll rock the plant up a little to see if it will come loose. If I'm taking the whole thing out to move it, I work my way around in a circle until I can ease the whole thing up. (Obviously you'll only be able to work on two sides of your hosta because of where it's planted).

If I just want a piece of it, as I work my way around I stop at the first couple of shovel digs and see if a section will separate naturally; they usually do. Then I move the division and backfill the hole left at the mother plant with some dirt or my compost. Or I keep going and take the whole thing out and divide it once it's out. The plants may look a little odd for a few days, but the leaves magically rearrange themselves and end up looking like they've been there forever in no time.

That clematis looks like a Nelly Moser to me.

http://www.perennialresource.c...variety.php?ID=CLENM

quote:

Originally posted by big al:
IMHO, one of the joys of being in a new home is seeing what happens in the outdoor spaces as the first round of seasons pass. There are often plants that only emerge or show their varied colors at different times of the year.

Big Al

I agree, Big Al. When we bought our house last summer, I could see that there were a few nice bushes--a couple of hydrangeas and a rhododendron--plus some not-so-exciting-but-serves-the-foundation-planting-purpose like an abelia, a photinia, and a golden euonymus (I think.)

But when I visited in March, I saw one little clump of blooming daffodils that made me smile. Who knows what will be blooming this summer and fall?

Congratulations on getting all that work done so quickly!