Moving after 25 yrs

[doddg]

Hope it all goes well. Sounds like so far so good. Keep us posted. I did enjoy reading about the electrical updates. I have the same type of shop light in my garage. People are nuts. How old are the people buying your home. Maybe they don't know any better.

1. Never met her, but I think in her 30s, don't even know if she kids.
2. Selling furniture 3 days in a row in Marketplace, going to Goodwill nearly everyday and Half-Price Bookstore (got as low as $9 and as much as $50 in the 4 trips I've made there, plus there is taking DVDs to the used shop to sell.
3. My wife is staying up to 3am nearly every night: crazy woman!
4. Downsizing is not fun. We are losing 15' - 20' of closet space.
5. Can't wait till the Electrician gets here next week to see what it's going to cost to get an electric baseboard or whatever installed and wired.

 

[nra4ever]

If it's just a baseboard heater I bet you could do it yourself. Look on Amazon for one. I just looked. About $60 to your door you install or $300 and they will install for you.

 

[doddg]

If it's just a baseboard heater I bet you could do it yourself. Look on Amazon for one. I just looked. About $60 to your door you install or $300 and they will install for you.

1. I have to have a "contractor" do it, and it will require a 15k or 20k BTU, so it will take a dedicated wire to the electrical box that an electrician must do.
2. It will take 15-20 feet of baseboard by my calculations, but perhaps they will have a heavier grade that doesn't have to be as long for the proper output.
3. I know that it has to be bigger than required and only do 80% to do the desired BTUs.
4. My 15 x 19 room requires 10.3K BTUs, so I guess that means a 15k or maybe a 20k for overkill.
5. We've been using a baseboard heater out there (small one 1500 watts = 5K BTUs) for years to take the edge off, and used the vent in front of the French doors.
6. I never stepped into the room in 25 yrs. but maybe a dozen times, but my wife would use her treadmill out there.
7. I have a man lined up I've used before that I trust to give me a fair price for the work.

 

[doddg]

Yesterday we signed the papers.
We went and looked at the house for fun last evening: surrealistic that it is our house.
Going pick up a Uhaul Van in a few minutes and make a run tonight with some things that take up space like grille, bicycles, snow blower and lawn mower, maybe some tools.
Tomorrow I'll have the help of my son and his wife and will make 3 or 4 runs; it is about 19 minutes one way, not too bad.
Lowes is replacing our garage to dining room door (b/c our old door had a cat door cut into it).
Still waiting to get a bid on electric heat in the Sunroom, I have a guy that is supposed to come out next Wednesday, but I got 3 other appts. next week must in case he doesn't show.
I texted him this am to get confirmation, and he hasn't answered, so I'm wondering. I have trust issues.

 

[WebSnyper]

Still waiting to get a bid on electric heat in the Sunroom, I have a guy that is supposed to come out next Wednesday, but I got 3 other appts. next week must in case he doesn't show.
I texted him this am to get confirmation, and he hasn't answered, so I'm wondering. I have trust issues.

Eh, I have trust issues too. I like to have options rather than be at someone else's mercy. Just good planning.

 

[doddg]

Troy, who owns Affordable Electric, that my wife found online, and did my garage rewire, came today as he said he would and I got a great quote to put in two 8 foot baseboard heaters and wire them in running underground to my breaker box. And, he can do it Monday, before my Thursday closing date on my old house. (movers coming this Sat. and we will be out)
He said he had done the exact thing for a guy with a room about the same size just 2 weeks ago.
I had a company come before he got there and will be sending a bid to me tomorrow, and I know they will be double the price, if not more.
I love dealing with a small company who can price right and not have layers of business to pay for.
Too bad he doesn't work where I'm moving to SE Indy.
I canceled another company that was scheduled for tomorrow.
I had 4 companies that did not follow up their appts. One company found out I was getting other bids and I think that scared them away (good!), and one changed an appointment to the next day but I never heard from them, and 2 companies were supposed to get back with me this week and never did. If they finally contact me tomorrow or Friday I'll love telling them: too late.
Now you see why I wanted options for multiple bids, but Troy was good to his word.

I am worn out from working every evening on moving more stuff down to our new house and I've got some drywall mudding and painting work to do in my old garage b/c when I moved all my shelves I saw the walls had some bad places in them and I wanted to do the right thing, even though the realtor says I don't have to.
My wife wanted me to paint the garage floor but my realtor says I should not touch it since it might not be what they want.
Floor was mostly covered up with carpet and boxes and tools when they saw the house and the wife says they don't know how bad it is. (been like that for nearly since we bought it, the previous owner had painted it, but it mostly came off and the "gravely" surface drives my wife nuts. I simply wanted to put the garage floor vinyl over it years ago.
Since it is mostly below 50* now, I'm afraid it won't cure properly, so it looks like I'll have to do what the realtor says.

 

[doddg]

Last night to sleep at our old house.
Took off work today to get things done before movers: take TVs and cable/internet stuff in car, take clothes in car, box up things in garage that weren't done, taking freezer items down, hopefully finish sanding drywall mud and do some painting in garage (afraid it won't get done and have to come back next week after work argh!).
Got to go to Lowes and buy a deadbolt for the new door b/c my old one was too small, and take back large size boxes that we didn't use.
My advice is to stick with the small and medium boxes, large boxes really only suitable for blankets and the like. Boxes are fairly thin: it cost double or more to get the "heavy duty" boxes that you'd need to load up heavier items in a large box, couldn't even get large in our Corolla.
Lowes did a good job replacing entire exterior door with trim both sides and threshold, and transferring door handles and lock/dead bolt (if fit).
They chaulked the proper places where wood met wood or wood met the wall: I was quite satisfied, cost was about $260 labor and $170 for the steel door (32"): $440ish total.
It is white prime coat and looks good enough that I don't feel motivated/obligated to paint it (painted the wonderful old door 3 coats of white, over brown).
I'm still thrilled that I'm getting the heat done for $1000 from Affordable Electric, a small shop where the owner (Troy) does all the work (my kind of place), and his prices are better than other places b/c of that lack of overhead and layers of others to pay. Too bad he doesn't go clear down to where I'm moving b/c I want to put in 3 or 4 dawn/dusk lights (like I have now) and perhaps an attic fan.

 

[doddg]

Moving day today and it's over: I'm "home" although I feel like I'm in someone else's house.
7pm and I'm in my big chair on the cmp with Hallmark Channel running after the ATT guy got everything running.
We will have to get rid of some more pieces of furniture and their are boxes everywhere.
I can't believe people don't put up 2 towel racks in a bathroom: how do you live like that with only one.
We made 3 trips up and back from old to new and there will be more.
We close this coming Thurs. on our old house and there is so much to do yet: exhausting!

 

[Steel and wood]

Well I bet you are enjoying that chair time you and your wife have been busy. Hope soon you guys can just sit for a while and do nothing but enjoy what you have done.

 

[Clay]

Been in my house for about 17.5 years now. The one thing that scares the hell out of me with moving is all. our. crap! I don't even want to think about moving all of it. I've got a 4 car garage full of stuff besides what's in the house.

 

[lovemachine]

Been in my house for about 17.5 years now. The one thing that scares the hell out of me with moving is all. our. crap! I don't even want to think about moving all of it. I've got a 4 car garage full of stuff besides what's in the house.

The advantage of living in a small house means that you are limited to how much stuff you can have

It’s a joy and a curse all at the same time!

 

[Hop]

Been in my house for about 17.5 years now. The one thing that scares the hell out of me with moving is all. our. crap! I don't even want to think about moving all of it. I've got a 4 car garage full of stuff besides what's in the house.

I can't imagine. We built ours in ~'94 I think. I'm somewhat of a pack rat too. I've had a broken motorcycle in the barn now for >15 years.

All this time and Doddg was just down the street & around the corner. He joins INGO and promptly moves out of the hood. What a crappy neighbor!

 

[doddg]

I can't imagine. We built ours in ~'94 I think. I'm somewhat of a pack rat too. I've had a broken motorcycle in the barn now for >15 years.

All this time and Doddg was just down the street & around the corner. He joins INGO and promptly moves out of the hood. What a crappy neighbor!

1. That is so funny!
2. Did you live close enough to know that I was the old guy that had the ancient Gravely Tractor with the sulky?
3. I loved that thing: put a snow plow on in the winter and mowed with it in the summer. Dad had one so I used it in my teens: no electric start, a real beast.
4. Had dualies on it for my hill: loved it.

 

[doddg]

Took today off work.
Everything out of the old house.
Walkthrough Wednesday.
Tried to put a simple deadbolt on new door Lowes installed: it didn't line up with frame: argh.
I could have gotten my wood chisel and hammer and drill, but I'm going to let Lowes deal with it.
Wife is going to finish cleaning tomorrow but I've got to go back to work.
We haven't even had time to unpack at our new house; I'm sure it will be a fun weekend.

 

[doddg]

When we left the house this evening (Tues.), everything is gone.
We shouldn't have to go back into the house.
Window being replaced at 9am tomorrow, but noone has to be there.
Lowes supposed to come back and get the door lined up so the deadbolt will go through the frame (whenever they can find the time).
Walkthrough by buyers tomorrow at 6 pm, closing on Thursday @ 3pm.
Now we can start to make a home at our new house after we unpack boxes in every room and every closet, garage and shed.
Need to buy a stainless steel microwave for over the stove.
I tried to find someone to mow/mulch the grass, someone supposed to come, but you never know.

 

[doddg]

Window not replaced today b/c of rain, but tomorrow.
Lowes coming Monday, but it won't be my home anymore and they'll have to negotiate the time with new owners.
I got on a mission to get garage door remotes for both cars tonight since that is my preferred entry, and my wife and I have been fighting over who has to use the keypad to close the garage door (last one in the car).
It took way too long to program them. The directions that came with it did not work.
I went online and followed some very simplified directions that didn't even do the first step of the directions: frustrating.
Tomorrow I'll get my pile of money, that I simply have to keep until after 5 months, then I can pay off my new mortgage w/o penalty, and have enough left over to pay for the repairs that I made on credit card.

 

[doddg]

Done!
closing over
Check received
We moved furniture in the living room around 15 boxes: going to have to get rid of a couch, and maybe a sofa table.
done with the old house: finally.
Made arranged to have an electrician come in a couple of weeks to do a myriad of items around new house.

 

[doddg]

We went to Lowes, then Best Buy and ended up at Sears b/c we have always had good fortune buying appliances there over the decades.
Kenmore and Whirlpool (who makes Kenmore) are our "go to" brands.
We had to buy a Microwave today (new house only had range) and I have an online Consumer Reports for research.
Ended up with a 71 yr.old guy at Sears that had more personality than a 30 something who knew who made what brand and which were best/worse in the different categories.
We got a Whirlpool microwave (had that last time we bought).
I got Carol to look at refrigerators next and found out that LG was great in that department, and we ended up with a Kenmore made by LG.
Then I got her to go to ranges and it was easy: a Kenmore (made by Frigidaire), then to finish it off since I got her that far, we went to dishwashers and again, it was quick:
a Kenmore (made by Whirpool).
Everything was priced moderately, no $4000 'fridges or $1200 Bosch dishwashers.
Carol could have spent more on a 'fridge and I tried to push her to get a pricier one, but the one she liked was the least expensive of the 4 we narrowed it down to (did I marry right or what? ha!).
As long as she had the freezer on the bottom and the ice maker in the bottom she was happy.
I had promised her stainless steel appliances and told her, whywait until they fail individually, let's just get all new now so you can enjoy them.
It's nice to have extra money from selling the old house to fund appliances, so there is no pain and, of course, the sales were great this time of year on appliances.
Hopefully, we won't have to do that again for 10-15 yrs.

 

[Steel and wood]

I am 63 and do not think I could keep up your schedule this last month or two. Glad to hear you guys are getting settled just in time for the holidays, my thinking is by Feb. you should have time to take a break.

 

[doddg]

I am 63 and do not think I could keep up your schedule this last month or two. Glad to hear you guys are getting settled just in time for the holidays, my thinking is by Feb. you should have time to take a break.

1. I can't keep it up either.
2. I was worthless today. I woke up at 4:30 and couldn't go back to sleep, got up and played with the computer and paid a price later in the day when I was up on my feet for hours appliance shopping.
3. Didn't do any work today around the house (my wife is putting books in the bookshelves at 12:15 am.
4. I did go and get a cabinet I found on Marketplace on Facebook around 9 pm to make the wife even more happy.
5. I hope I don't get sleep during church tomorrow (again, ha!).