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Back ground: Susie and I started our married life together in Canada believe it or not. She's a West Virginia girl who fell in love with a Hamilton, Ontario, Canada biker/mmo player. MMO you say? Yes if it weren't for the Internet and online gaming I probably never would have met my Soul mate. Thanks to a medieval game called Ultima Online and our fictional characters, mine a villain and guild leader/founder of the Shadow Lords named Shogun and hers a lovely bar maid named Bridgette (Bridgy for short) we fell in love. Strange how love works, we didn't care about our appearances, what mattered was the words that we wrote to each other in chat. We shared a unique kindred spirit of the world together. Oh don't get me wrong in life we disagree on somethings political and ethical but we're like a check and balance to each other. If I go to far in MY direction her Strength pulls me back in her direction once again balancing out the cosmos, likewise I to her. We keep each other grounded. And how can that not be he best love of all right?
So she and I made a life together for 10 years we lived in our beautiful home in AZ. Both of us worked hard every day to chase our American dream together. But then came along this false King, the Kenyan, the Muslim. Our world changed his promises and his ideas destroyed the economy and with it our jobs, me first then Suz. We like so many millions of other people lost our homes and our balanced lives and our American dream.
Next step was to chase employment, she got lucky, I didn't so we went her way, to TX. She got a great job. Wasn't so easy and still isn't for me. I'm disabled due to several car injuries. Strange thing Obama had something to do with that as well. He ignored the Constitution and allows Mexican Illegal aliens to reside in the USA against our laws, my accidents involved illegal aliens causing injury to me on two occasions. They have taken their toll on me. I'll never be he same again.
So Suz works, while I'm ignored for disability. If you can still walk your ineligible, I'm appealing. Yet illegals get free welfare, educations, housing and can vote in our elections. Go figure. Anyhow, I worked for 32 years in Canada and for 7 years here in the USA that's a total of 39 years and Suz is 11 years older than me and ready for retirement.
So tragically I lost my father to a massive heart attack in 2012 in FL. He died in Hospice while Suz and I stood watch over him praying. I miss him allot, my mother had died in the early 90's of Cancer at age of 50 and now my dad was gone. Since I am the first born in North America, my brother and I are all that are left of my fathers family in North America everyone else and there are not allot are in Germany.
My dad and his wife Annemarie had a place in FL though and they were typical Canadian snow-birds and came down to FL for 6 months of the year each year as the law allowed. With his passing my step mother decided she could no longer come to FL, memories and the trip was too long for her. She and my dad knew of Suzie's and my bad luck in AZ and made provisions to give me the property in FL. It's our primary home, our last refuge, we look forward to moving there soon as we can in full capacity.
The home is small, it's a mobile double wide, 2 bedroom, 2 bath with a Florida room on the back of the house. It sits on beautiful pine covered 1.07 acres of land, there's plenty of white sand around too.
The property has it's own well water and the only utility we'll worry about is the electricity, and the cable. we have plans to care of the electrical problem as soon as we can by converting to mostly solar and wind.
This is the home, it was built in the early 90's by my dad. As you can see the land is very sandy 1.07 acres of land.
The home is in fairly decent shape but is dated to the 80's - 90's in decor. My dad didn't go nuts buying all kind of expensive stuff this was a bare bones vacation home, a mix match of Walmart and Kmart. So Suz and I have decided to do some things and record them here for prosperity or just for the hell of it.
In the pix above we're looking at the Florida room. Currently the home has a regular sized window inside the Florida room and a smaller kitchen sink window, there's also a rear entrance. Our vision, to bring out the Florida room and the concrete pad to double the width and have it glassed in. This open area under the over hang, I want to make an outdoor kitchen in this space. Built in BBQ etc in this space, island, counters and cupboards. Inside the FL room we'll remove the larger window and replace it with a double French Door. All other windows will be replace to new efficient windows as well. The rear door will be walled up, drywalled in and seamlessly removed. The concrete pad will be etched to resemble river rock.
Once the Florida room becomes a Four Season's room we'll have added almost another 1000 Sq. Foot living space to the small house. We'll use the addition as a living room/Family room and have shades installed for privacy when desired.
We both miss our swimming pool from Az and it's waterfall, that was so soothing at night when we slept, hearing the water tumble down into the pool. So we're also considering an enclosed pool behind the Florida room .
On the left side of the house we're planning to build a single bay garage with a studio above it for an office and graphics art/ modeling studio for me in order to supplement our retirement income. The garage below will be turned into a Motorcycle shop for my Harley's.
The garage will be built on this side of the house more to the right of the car in the photo. The street is beyond the car.
The small bathroom window will be replaced with a full size normal window. The central air unit is also old. My dad had it over hauled recently but we can't rule out having to get a newer more energy efficient one soon.
The front of the joint is butt ugly and it makes the place look like a trailer look at that over hang and the rickety stairs?
So looking at the front of the house Suz and I have come to he conclusion a large enclosed front porch is required. From the door to the left edge of the home. We'll scra the steps, loose the awning, replace the closest window with a new efficient one and the large living room 4 pane window replaced with a single pane large picture window, some nice lighting, and replace the entire skirting around the home with a faux river rock skirt. The porch would also be enclosed (Mosquitos and no see-ums are nasty) with a large wider stair case in wood with railings and a screen door to enter the porch. We'll loose the antenna and the 4-5 satellite dishes at the side of the house as well.
In front of the porch we're considering raised flower beds. and under the large picture window as well. the shutters will get a touch up in new color and the entire houses vinyl will be repainted a more beachy color the wife has picked out.
Inside the home the kitchen will be remodelled and the former mud room with the now removed and sealed rear door. Will make a large pantry and kitchen extension. A kitchen island will be added with new cupboards and lighting as well as granite countertops. The appliances will all be updated Stainless steel to go with our Stainless fridge. from the French doors in the rear there will be a nice flowing wood staircase into the Florida room. We will remove some walls internally to open the concept up a bit.
Inside both bathrooms will receive a refresh. The master has a nice large walk-in shower but some of the colors need to be updated as do the water features. Vanity, sink and counters will all go and be redone. the walls in this home utilize a pre attached vinyl wall paper which is butt ugly and every sheet of wall material has a seam with a plastic filler. Those will all be removed, compounded and drywall taped then textured and painted hiding all the seams or most of them anyhow.
Well that's a start. I'll add more photos of the property in it's before state and as we set aside finances for each renovation I will post pictures of the completed result as well. Hope to see y'all again. Remember to subscribe to this blog.
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