Welcome to the 906th Metamorphosis Monday! The end of May marked my 2nd anniversary of buying this cottage home, a home I often refer to as the Dollhouse because of its many adorable dollhouse-like features. Over the next few weeks, for Metamorphosis Monday, I’ll share some of the updates I’ve made since acquiring this cottage, along with new updates as they happen.
One of the first things I did after moving in was to remove the crabapple tree on the right side of the house. In this older photo I found online, you can’t see how overgrown it had become. By the time I purchased the house, it completely blocked the walkway to the front porch. When my realtor and I went back for a final walkthrough, in order to reach the front porch, we had to bend way over to go under the tree branches that stretched out beyond the walkway. The day I moved in, I noticed the seller’s movers had taken those branches and pulled them all the way back to the trunk of the tree and taped them down with brown packing tape. I soon discovered that the sellers had treated the home as if it were a rental for the three years they lived here, letting the garden go to ruin and not keeping up with basic maintenance. One of the owners had a job that required them to move every few years, so I guess they didn’t want to invest any time, money, or effort in maintaining a home they would soon be leaving.
Personally, I don’t like it when trees are planted right up against a house. They tend to darken interior room(s) and block the view. The top branches of the tree were right up against the upstairs window, lying atop the window box outside that window. I didn’t even realize the house had window boxes until after I purchased the home and moved in.
I first discovered there were window boxes on the front of the house when I walked into the bedroom that’s on the front of the house just above the tree and saw tall weeds growing right outside the window. In this photo, the crabapple tree is visible outside the window with one of its branches lying on top of the window box that was full of weeds.
I had the tree removed, greatly brightening up the dining room and revealing the long-hidden window boxes on that side of the house.
The next thing I had done was the removal of a million and one weeds from the backyard gardens. Brown mulch was added back to the beds. I wish I could get pine straw here for a reasonable price. A single bale of pine straw costs 3 to 4 times what it does in Georgia. This was only about a third of the weeds that were removed from the back and side yards. Unfortunately, I’m dealing with the weeds again, but I hope to have that dealt with soon.
I don’t remember the exact dates, so these updates that I’m sharing may not be in order, but sometime during that first year, I had the exterior of the home washed. It was so dirty!
Here’s an example of how this side of the house looked afterward. I think the whole house gave a big sigh of relief to have years of grime removed. Not long after that, I discovered there used to be a window on this side of the house. It’s still visible on the original house plans. At some point it was bricked up; I wish I knew when.
I also had the roof cleaned. Moss was growing down the right side of the roof over the garage, and the whole roof needed a good cleaning. While we are looking at this photo, note the round electrical box and the wire guard that’s running across the top of the garage door to the wall on the right—more on that in a sec.
Here’s how the roof looked after cleaning, so much better!
The wiring guard/cover that we saw a few pictures up in this post was covering a wire that ran to this ancient floodlight installed on the back of the house. Actually, there were three of these very old floodlights on the house. I had two removed, not realizing at the time that there was a third one on the other side of the house. I didn’t know about that third one until we had hurricane winds come through and the power went out to all the outlets in my office. All three floodlights, along with their wiring, are now gone. I love seeing the exterior of the home without a bunch of ugly wires snaking up its walls.
Ignore the roof in this photo; this photo was taken before the house and roof were cleaned. I wish I had thought to take a photo while the floodlight wiring was still on the house. It looked just like the electrical service wiring that’s still there, so I had two of these ugly wiring things running up the back of the house in this spot. At least, I was able to get rid of one of them. I’ve gotten quotes for moving this meter (and its wiring), and it’s a very expensive process. All the old homes in this historic area have above-ground wiring.
Now the area over the garage looks much better with the wiring removed. (Photo was taken before the roof was cleaned.) I had all the wiring inside the garage and on the back wall of the garage removed and cleaned up. Over the 88 years this home has been here, as new families moved in and had services added (phone, cable, etc.), those required wiring and boxes/housing that were usually added to the left wall of the garage. As new services were added, nothing appeared to have ever been removed. That brick wall had become a graveyard for old cable boxes, cables, and wiring that went nowhere. I hired a contractor who spent an hour or two doing nothing but removing defunct wiring, cable boxes, and cabling from both inside and outside the house. I can’t stand to see wiring running everywhere, especially when it’s not even in use anymore. It’s like having trash tacked to the exterior walls of your home. Argh! This summer, one of my many goals is to have the driveway and patio pavers cleaned, resanded, and sealed.
Sure wish I could get rid of that electrical service wire that’s just outside my office windows. I’d love to get it buried and have it come in on the left wall of the garage, if possible. I’ve had quotes from $8,000 on up, so that would be a very expensive update.
We’ll go inside next week and look at some of the updates I’ve completed inside over the past two years. I also have more outside updates planned for this summer, especially in the garden. Looking forward to sharing those soon!
Metamorphosis Monday: Metamorphosis Monday is a party that’s all about Before and Afters. Please link up your Before and After projects, like DIY projects, room makeovers, craft projects, and even recipes. Please do not link up Table Settings; save those for our Tablescape Thursday party on Thursday. If you are participating in Met Monday, link your post to the party using the “permalink” to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on the name of your post, then copy and paste the address (that shows in the address bar at the top of your blog) into the “URL” box for InLinkz when prompted.
It’s a miracle and so wonderful the changes you have made to the Dollhouse! Looking at it from the street, it’s a beautiful house! I always hate to hear when home owners don’t maintain their property appropriately. I love seeing the updates and changes you’ve made there. And can’t believe it’s been 2 years!
How did A and B do on the ride back and have they settled back in to their 2nd home? Lucky kitties! Love this blog and always read it ASAP.
Thanks so much, Judy! They did really well! I stopped every couple of hours to let them out inside the car so they could stretch their legs, have something to eat and use their potty if they needed to. They were great and definitely remembered this house when we arrived. They ran around checking out all their favorite spots. 🙂
Wow, 2 years went by already? If you’re looking for a really good simple weed killer, we use the strong vinegar (30% acidity I think) & mix it with water & a small amount of dish liquid. It will kill everything & it’s not full of chemicals. They seem to sell it in big box home improvement stores (we bought ours in Lowe’s). Just be careful not to spray anything you want to keep alive. The dollhouse is looking so much better now that it has an owner that loves it!
It went by so fast! The weeds are so bad in the area where the tree fell last year, I’m hiring a landscaper to deal with that, but I love the idea of using that mixture to maintain.
Between the many improvements to the dollhouse & your recent updates to your GA home, you should be enjoying a wonderful sense of accomplishment!! So many things that some homeowners ignore are more than just aesthetic—making home life more convenient & safe is so gratifying! Enjoy your summer in OH, Susan!
Thanks, MerriJo! It does feel good to get some things done that I’ve been hoping to do. I feel like I’ve made some good headway here at the Dollhouse. Thanks, MerriJo! I hope you have a great summer, too!
Susan, all the things you are doing and have done are so meaningful. Not only for your own sanity and enjoyment, but for the well-being of the property and potential sale value someday.
On this page was a photo and link to when you were having your Georgia basement painted. I love your basement there so much. It’s not only pretty in the living areas, it’s so useful in the storage areas. You’ve done such a great job at that house too and made it so livable. Both houses would be so appealing to potential buyers, I’m sure.
Well, enjoy your summer with the family! I know the boys are so happy to have you back in town. 🙂
Thanks so much, Pam! I would love to turn it into a movie room one day, I think it would be great for that. I know, the storage has really spoiled me there. Not sure I’d ever find that in another house.
Appreciate your kind words so much! It’s a challenge to keep both house up but I’m determined to do it.
It’s always nice to look out and see accomplishment and then you turn and there’s more yet to do! I keep looking at that electrical wire and box outside and think if it were painted in a red and white camo-like design it would blend really well into the bricks for a temporary fix. I painted my wire and box when I painted my siding and it does blend in.
So true! When I look at all that still needs to be done, I try to remember what I’ve done so far, and that helps. lol I like that idea! I wonder if the electric company would care if I camouflaged it. Awesome idea!
Could we give a little grace to the previous homeowners? We don’t know anything about their circumstances. They may have had limited resources to afford much. Traveled for work, had health issues, cared for an elderly family member, etc. Also, many of the improvements you made were to things that had been there many years before they bought the house such as that wiring. I inherited a house that was difficult to maintain without substantial resources. We chose not to sell and lived in it as it was in a good school district that would have been otherwise unaffordable. I did everything I could to keep up with required maintenance but deferred most of the cosmetic items out of necessity. When I finally sold the house after the kids were out of school, it was very clear to the buyers what the condition was – good bones but in need of updates and the price reflected that. When we bought our current house it was in a very neglected state. Why or how it got to that state was irrelevant. We’ve enjoyed being able to upgrade it to fit our tastes and lifestyle rather than living with some nicely done but not our taste.
It sounds like this post hit too close to home, Aliza, and you took it personally. Why would you think that deciding to redesign the location of an unsightly floodlight is deferred maintenance or neglect? This post was about improvements I’ve made to the exterior during the two years I’ve owned the house.
It wasn’t about money. Two middle-aged adults with children lived here, and a pair of loppers cost $25, so money was not the issue. The filter on the furnace wasn’t changed the entire time they lived here per the A/C technician, nor was the whole house water filter. I’m sure you didn’t let things like that go in the home that you inherited. It costs very little to clean a house and to scrap gum off a bedroom wood floor. The kitchen drawer was busted out in the bottom due to a screw being lodged in the back. I took the drawer out, unlodged the screw and it was fixed. I wonder how long they lived with it like that.
This was the back yard I inherited and it was beautiful when the previous homeowners lived here: https://betweennapsontheporch.net/landscaping-update-reviving-a-2-year-neglected-back-yard/
There is so much more I could share that costs nothing to do or maintain, but hopefully, you get the idea.
Since you are carting the cats back and forth, do you still transport household items from GA to OH? Or is that pretty much done for now? I am several states away from OH, and even I was relieved with all the wiring removal! I belive it will take multiple posts to cover all the interior improvements; you have accomplished so so much already.
Thankfully, I am rarely bringing household items up now. I wanted to bring up some more dishes, but the cat carrier takes up the whole back seat, so I really didn’t have the space with the summer clothes and other items I brought up.
lol It was A LOT of wiring/cables that got removed, plus other old things that weren’t connected to anything, like the mystery box in my bedroom that we think had something to do with an alarm system that was in the house in the 50’s or 60s. The horn that went with the alarm system was still on the side of the house, too and I had that removed. I wish I had taken a photo of the huge pile of old cable and wiring that was removed.
I was thinking the same thing—will definitely take more than just one post. As overwhelming as it’s been, it feels good to look back and see the improvements. If I ever move, I will for sure be leaving it in much better shape than I found it. This house deserves that and so does the next family who owns it.
Susan, Surely your neighbors are singing your praises. It means so much to a
nice area when a neglected home is acquired and improved. May you have a
summer of joy making wonderful family memories.
Thanks so much, Rebecca! I’ve spent a lot on basics like electrical and plumbing, but I love this sweet house and I when I move one day, I want to leave it better than I found it. I hope you have a wonderful summer, too! You always leave such positive, uplifting comments and it’s much appreciated!
Thanks so much for hosting this charming party!!! I truly do appreciate it as I do know the time involved with it….I hope you and your family are well and enjoying your week!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
Thanks, Deb! I hope you’re having a great spring so far!
Your Ohio house is absolutely charming. It’s been 2 years already? My word, where does the time go? You have done SO much to it – and each and every change has been a delight to learn. Keep up the good work. How about those storms we had over the weekend? Weren’t they something???? LAST week while you were gone we had some of the best weather I ever experienced. I actually thought about you and hated you missed it to come back to those storms. The hail was hitting sideways. Glad that didn’t cause any damage. Hope that’s the case for you, too.
Hello there. I confess that I have been a fan of your blog for almost 20 years. Is that possible? I don’t visit all the time, but pop in from time to time and enjoy the visit each time. Do you have plans to stay at the Doll House all the time and leave your bigger house? Perhaps you’ve said and I missed it. 3 houses later, I’m still blogging. ~d
Deanna, thanks for being here so long! YOU are appreciated! I don’t think so. I love the Dollhouse, but a lot of my current furniture won’t work here as I had hoped. Also, the property taxes in Ohio are insane, almost 9 times higher than what I pay in Georgia. They will probably go up again this year since they go up every single year. So it just doesn’t make sense to “retire” here. I plan to write a post about that, just haven’t had the time since I returned back from Georgia.
I love that you are still blogging, that’s wonderful! You and I, we are holding down the fort! 🙂