16th and Main

Everything is a “go” for closing on the 30th… but I am living in fear that something will happen at the last moment to derail the entire deal.  My realtor and parents continue reassuring me that is not the case, that it really is happening now. But I just can’t shake the feeling.

In any case, I want to share pictures of the house with you so that I can discuss what needs to be done and what changes will need to be made… because once I move in, things will start to move quickly!

I only have one month between moving in and starting residency, so any really serious changes will have to happen between June 1 and June 30.

Without further ado….

First is the outside of the house. This is a picture from the corner of the lot, showing both the front door and side door (the one next to the garage).  The plantings were apparently chosen in accord with what species are native to–and thrive in–Florida weather without needing too many care requirements (such as watering).  Also, it’s not really notable in this picture, but when I was last at the house for inspection, the plants were all blooming and there were flowers everywhere.  They really did a gorgeous job.

The front of the house.  The one thing I really hate is the color. It’s not apparent in these photos, but it’s much deeper and pepto-bismol like in person. Easy to fix.

Again, the front.

When you come in the front door, you are in the living room (the house’s original family room). The floors are the original hardwood, just restained and refinished along the way.

The kitchen still has its original 1950′s kitchen… the countertops have been redone with a butcher-block-look-alike laminate, and are in great shape. The cabinets, original to the house, were built-in-place, not boxes hung on the wall.  It’s not apparent from this picture, but they are huge. There’s a lot of storage space in this kitchen, believe it or not (though I haven’t tried to fit everything in them yet! I may reconsider that statement later!)

Yes, the wall on the left side of the picture has only a refrigerator, stove, and a sliver of countertop.  But the hood does vent right outside, hallelujah!

This weird room seen through the french doors is the old dining room. I am calling it “the breezeway”, as it doesn’t have a great purpose except to waste space, as things are currently.

This carpeted room used to be open to the air and a breezeway between the house and the garage. It was enclosed and has become the dining room. The door on the far wall is the side door outside; there is a door that you can’t see directly to the left of the picture which leads to the garage.

Seen from the  other side of the dining room, there is an entrance to the garage (right wall), and to the family room (far wall), which was a late addition to the house.

This room will be used as the family room–it is by far the largest room in the house, and has great light.

If you were to turn left once you walked in the front door, there is a short hallway which leads to the master bedroom, spare room, and bathroom. This is the master… So many windows! It makes me so happy.

This is the spare room.  It is only 10′x10′… but it has great potential.

And this, dear friends, is the original 1950′s bathroom. The tile is in perfect condition–as if it were built yesterday–but oh. man. So dated.

This is the backyard!

The lot is not huge, but it has a beautiful patio made of pavers to sit on, and raised garden beds made of nontoxic, long-lasting composite material, and a citrus tree in the corner.  Also, there is no lawn and it is mostly groundcover, which means minimal maintenance and low water needs, which is a huge plus for someone about to start their intern year!!

The garden beds.  (When I visited a month ago the plants were so much larger already!

The garden bed on the right side of the picture is already full with a huge rosemary bush and parsley, thyme, oregano, and basil!

So that’s it! I have a million projects planned in my head! If you have any ideas: please, drop me a line in the comments and let me know how you envision my house changing.