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lenny
Guest
tanks, you da cat women
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lenny
Guest
I've been doing a few actual paying jobs and have 2 large jobs coming soon so things are progressing slow now. I do have steps now in front but still need to trim the porch and will be there for the next 4 days so pics soon.
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lenny
Guest
started working on the old place again. Finally finished the porch, will have pics tomorrow, left at dark tonight
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lenny
Guest
windingtrailgal
Active member
Porch looks nice, lenny! Not much time left for outside work...
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lenny
Guest
I hope we get another week with sun and in the 50's or even 60's, we'll see!
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lenny
Guest
thanks everybody! The rain and wind up here has been strong. It's kinda hard to plan outdoor work when the weather is like it is. I have a roof job to do and have had the material for a week now and can't start it. Looks like fri may be looking up. My wife has me fixin stuff around the house. Also a pellet stove in "The old Town Hall" is down and I have parts on the way, circuit board blew.
mrsrunningbear
Active member
Looking good Lenny! Oh and by the way guess what I'm having for breakfast.....GEN HOE! just sayin' 
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lenny
Guest
lucky!!!! I had it about 4 weeks ago. I had a full shrimp in Lobster sauce dinner along with a order of fried won ton dumplings
Nothin' new on "This Old House"?
What's been happening since Oct 18th? — Coincidentally, the day I had my total right hip replacement (total hip arthroplasty)!
I don't recall seeing, and it's a bit hard to judge from the pictures (and six staircases):
What are the rough exterior dimensions of this house, and how many total liveable square feet?
Is the attic liveable?
What's been happening since Oct 18th? — Coincidentally, the day I had my total right hip replacement (total hip arthroplasty)!
I don't recall seeing, and it's a bit hard to judge from the pictures (and six staircases):
What are the rough exterior dimensions of this house, and how many total liveable square feet?
Is the attic liveable?
L
lenny
Guest
Frank, I hope your doing well in your recovery. Are you feeling good? As far as the house goes, not much progress. It's done for this year except maybe a week or so of plaster removal. The house is an odd shape in the back because the 2 story porch protrudes into the living space so the actual footage is smaller then it appears, roughly 2700 sq ft. The attic was finished but I gutted it out already. It's still framed and I plan to finish it off adding about 700 sq ft up there. Inside the ceilings are all down and a few walls. All my modifications are complete concerning carpentry. Money was a big factor to me putting the project on hold along with right arm and shoulder hurting all the time. I feel 50% better but my wallet is still hurtin,,,he he he. I made a decision NOT to borrow anymore money so it's a pay as I go job now. I have not lost any interest in moving in and we love the place, just a matter of time. I am looking at making some big changes in my life and the little bit of debt I accumulated needs to be priority so first things first
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lenny
Guest
Thanks bud, I will not be doing any painting before although my wife did prime all the new porch material I did. It's protected minimally till next spring. See,,, next spring I will finish the outside first and than move inside and do as much as I can with whatever money I can save.
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jbsugarbrown
New member
Lenny,
Good for you on not wanting to take on debt--Very much agree with that. The house is absolutely beautiful (& these house threads are so much fun to see & read about!)---We have been looking for an original house that has not been "messed with", in that it has "good bones" as they say (& is out in the country) but it is so unbelievably hard to find where we are at! Been looking for years---see them all the time in the U.P., usually in town.
A few years ago we ended up building a cedar shake, Craftsman-style cottage that we painstakingly tried to give that old rustic-elegant charm (Exposed rafters, dormers, porches, all wood inside, quarter-sawn oak cabinets with soapstone countertops, antique fixtures-or vintage style, built-ins, recently got an antler chandelier for the great room). Took a great deal of time for us to design & to either find these things or someone to do them the way that we envisioned them. And never having built a house before, well it sure was an experience :^) Someday I hope to be organized like you & post pics. of the inside, but for now only have a few of the outside under my profile.) Meanwhile, we continue to search for "the one" on some acreage.
Old houses have a grace & charm that is almost impossible to duplicate---it's almost more of a feeling you get when you see one or enter one that has been kept mostly original. You can just sense the stories it could tell or the memories that have been made within it's walls. Yes, they can be difficult & they have a lot of years on them where someone could've neglected them or really boggled them up, but the good ones are worth saving & you definitely have a good one. It has been my experience that sometimes new stuff can give you grief or break just as often/easily as the old & the old is usually much simpler---back to the basics.
You have found a true gem & you should be commended for going about it the way you have. I'm impressed with both the house & your talents & values. I enjoy seeing your progress & hearing the stories that go along with it. Thank you for being so kind to share them.
Nash, Hope you are recovering nicely & feeling well! That explains where you have been---been wondering about you & hoping everything was okay!
Jennifer
Good for you on not wanting to take on debt--Very much agree with that. The house is absolutely beautiful (& these house threads are so much fun to see & read about!)---We have been looking for an original house that has not been "messed with", in that it has "good bones" as they say (& is out in the country) but it is so unbelievably hard to find where we are at! Been looking for years---see them all the time in the U.P., usually in town.
A few years ago we ended up building a cedar shake, Craftsman-style cottage that we painstakingly tried to give that old rustic-elegant charm (Exposed rafters, dormers, porches, all wood inside, quarter-sawn oak cabinets with soapstone countertops, antique fixtures-or vintage style, built-ins, recently got an antler chandelier for the great room). Took a great deal of time for us to design & to either find these things or someone to do them the way that we envisioned them. And never having built a house before, well it sure was an experience :^) Someday I hope to be organized like you & post pics. of the inside, but for now only have a few of the outside under my profile.) Meanwhile, we continue to search for "the one" on some acreage.
Old houses have a grace & charm that is almost impossible to duplicate---it's almost more of a feeling you get when you see one or enter one that has been kept mostly original. You can just sense the stories it could tell or the memories that have been made within it's walls. Yes, they can be difficult & they have a lot of years on them where someone could've neglected them or really boggled them up, but the good ones are worth saving & you definitely have a good one. It has been my experience that sometimes new stuff can give you grief or break just as often/easily as the old & the old is usually much simpler---back to the basics.
You have found a true gem & you should be commended for going about it the way you have. I'm impressed with both the house & your talents & values. I enjoy seeing your progress & hearing the stories that go along with it. Thank you for being so kind to share them.
Nash, Hope you are recovering nicely & feeling well! That explains where you have been---been wondering about you & hoping everything was okay!
Jennifer
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jbsugarbrown
New member
Almost forgot, Lenny---This past weekend in our newspaper (near Grand Rapids), someone had an inside wood boiler for sale. Greenwood brand, gasification boiler, brand new, never installed, heats up to 10,000 sq. ft. Says they paid $13,000 new & are selling for $10,000. Probably not something you want to be bothered with right now & a long ways away from Greenland, only mentioning it because it made me think of you---remembered that was what you said you were wanting to put in the house.
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lenny
Guest
thanks JB for the great post. You know, and I may have already mentioned this, the first time I saw this house I didn't even live here. I had just sold my house in Illinois and drove up to Greenland to look at houses to buy. I saw this one from the road because it was mid October and the leaves were down. I asked a few people about just out of curiosity and kinda moved on. That same trip up hunting for homes my wife and I found our current home. The following spring I couldn't take it anymore and had to inquire about this old house and did just that. I contacted the owner and he said he was just starting to think about selling. He said he would send me detailed info about the house along with a key so I could check it out and he did just that. In my mind the house was sold and I was the buyer meaning I loved the place even more than I did just seeing it from the road. The owner was going to travel to the UP for a funeral and asked if he could meet me and I was all for it. I just so happened to be working on a house a few blocks from home and he pulled up. Joe and I chatted for a bit and I found him to be a super honest friendly guy. Both Joe and I agreed upon a price and we were off. Joe and I both had reservations of completing the transaction and it took 2 years to do so. I still keep in contact with Joe and he is a special person to me. From day one after we made the deal he kept his word. He always said his word was as good as a hand shake. He's just a real good guy and I thank God for a new friend. Other people contacted him during the 2 years of us trying to complete the deal and he kept his word despite me failing to pay him when I said I would. Eventually I made good and did my part and became owner of "The grand Ole Gale" as Joe referred to the house. It had been his dream house just like it is now my dream house. I send Joe updates of the progress and he loves it. I want so bad for Joe and his family to be the first to stay in the place after it is finished and will do whatever I can to work it out, that's how much I am thankful for what he did for me. Joe could have sold the place to someone else for more money and he kept his word which shows a special person with strong integrity. I believe this deal was pre arranged by the big guy above, thanks to Him for that, kinda like our last van. My wife and I needed a more efficient vehicle so we started looking. I spotted one immediately but was 300 miles away. I called it and talked to the guy but it was for bid on EBay. Di and I prayed about this van and just so happened we won it for $2025, it a very comfortable 2001 Chrysler Town & Country, needing nothing and ran like a charm, still driving it. I went to pick it up and the guy invited me in to complete the deal and his entire family was there eating dinner so he has me sit and eat along with them. I talked to him for a few minutes and he was a pastor of a local church. Anyways, a super guy and family and we're the new owners of his van. Sometimes I worry about the van because it has 238k miles but my wife reminded me it's our van "from God." The van will poop out some day but we will be prepared to replace used when the time comes without financing 30 G's just as we will move into the old place some day.
jbsugarbrown
New member
Wow, Lenny, what a great story! We, too, have some similiar stories. One property we owned (vacant land that we had wanted to eventually build a log cabin on) left us speechless & pretty much in tears. The way we acquired both adjoining parcels was a story in itself for another time---but we had owned it for several years & as much as we wanted to build on it, we started thinking more & more in our hearts, how we would rather be debt free. Well, we debated it amongst ourselves for a year trying to come to grips with selling it (we had looked a long time for something like it). Eventually, we gave in & had 3 different Realtors come look at it. The first, not someone you would ever expect to hear this from, said out of the blue, "Well, it just depends if you want to do what the good book says." He was talking about being out of debt---only we didn't know him, only of him, and we had never said anything about being out of debt to him! That had us in awe & tears. We ended up having one of the other Realtors list it---well it never got listed---right after we agreed to have her sell it someone came into the office looking for exactly what we had & wanted it. Then the Realtors friend found out about it & wanted it to. There was a bidding war, which was unbelievable--they both wanted the property badly. Needless to say, we got rid of our debt. It was the best, most freeing feeling, undescribable. As soon as we made that decision & started taking steps, doors opened that only He could open. Blessed we are. You and Joe were both faithful & kept your word. I love hearing stories like that and yours is an especially good one---Your family was meant to have that house!
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Lenny,
Great post there. There are needs and there are wants. Wanting to borrow money can be a huge pull, as it would ge tthe house done. But not borrowing money, and fixing it up as funds come availible will be a great reward when you move in and do not have ethat bank loan sitting above your head. I know i sound like Dave Ramsey, but good for you.
Great post there. There are needs and there are wants. Wanting to borrow money can be a huge pull, as it would ge tthe house done. But not borrowing money, and fixing it up as funds come availible will be a great reward when you move in and do not have ethat bank loan sitting above your head. I know i sound like Dave Ramsey, but good for you.