...and in conclusion...
Meanwhile, back at
the homestead things were moving along nicely. We got held up for a few weeks
while we waited for the appropriate inspections so the addition could be
insulated and then sheetrock. No more major "situations", thank goodness. I did
make changes to the hallway bathroom and I started making final lighting, color
and fixture decisions. Mike had someone here each and every day doing something
while we were out of the house, for which I was grateful. He knew we were
spending in excess of $115 every day we were out, and he wanted to get us back
home as much as we did.
We moved back home
in late April, 2003. When we moved back, we had the toilet and shower finished
in one bathroom, with the sink working in another. No hallway tile. Eventually,
everything in the interior finished and it became our house again. As of this
writing in early July, the garage is still not done (doors need openers and
there's a mess to clean out to make room for cars), we have one light fixture
than needs to be replaced (it's a bare bulb, the intended fixture was broken),
and we still need to have all the final inspections and get our new C.O. The
lawn has been repaired from the construction damage and I'm getting estimates to
repair the beat-up driveway. From there, we just have to decorate and get things
like lamps, dining room chairs (we have a table), curtains, etc.
Had I the chance to
do it again, would I? Absolutely. The only thing I would have done differently
is that I would have planned to move out from the beginning. That way we would
have picked somewhere we could stay for the duration and we could have packed
and organized better. In less than a year we went from having one of the oldest,
smallest houses on the street to having one of the largest and most beautiful.
This house is now functionally perfect for us, it's energy efficient and I have
no regrets.