Why I love my new house

[DeeBye]

I moved into my new house yesterday. Today, my cable guy came to install my cable TV, phone (I use VOIP), and internet. The internet service I have been paying for the last couple of years was advertised as 5mbps down, 384kbps up. In my old apartment, I was lucky to get 1mbps. This was due to the fact that there were hundreds of miles of crappy old cable running through the building, as well as the fact that I'm sure there were hundreds of others using the same cable company for internet.

The cable guy ran brand new cable all throughout my new house, and even ran new cable to the service box. As a result, my speeds more than quadrupled.

I just did a online speed test using dslreports.com

Your download speed : 4694 kbps or 586.8 KB/sec
Your upload speed : 386 kbps or 48.2 KB/sec

[Griselda]

Now you can waste time faster than ever before! :lol:

Congratulations on the new house, by the way.

[DeeBye]

Now you can waste time faster than ever before! :lol:

Congratulations on the new house, by the way.

I don't have any more time to waste. New houses are hard work. I have about 4 rooms full of unpacked boxes, and a lawn that needs attention.

And here I am running bandwidth speed tests :wacko:

[Alram]

I don't have any more time to waste. New houses are hard work. I have about 4 rooms full of unpacked boxes, and a lawn that needs attention.

And here I am running bandwidth speed tests :wacko:

I have been living in my house for 15 years and I still have a box which is not fully unpacked. Hopefully you will do better than me.

[LochnarITB]

I moved into my new house yesterday.

Hmmm, that comes close to bait and switch.:angry:If I see a link that says "new house", I am going to expect what? Yep, that's right - pictures! What do I get? The other house thread. Now you owe me! Pictures. I want them in quantity and I want them now. Those boxes will magically (or by wife power - same thing) unpack themselves, if left long enough. You need to get on the picture writeup walkthrough now.

Now!

MOVE IT, MISTER!

[DeeBye]

Hmmm, that comes close to bait and switch.:angry:If I see a link that says "new house", I am going to expect what? Yep, that's right - pictures! What do I get? The other house thread. Now you owe me! Pictures. I want them in quantity and I want them now. Those boxes will magically (or by wife power - same thing) unpack themselves, if left long enough. You need to get on the picture writeup walkthrough now.

Now!

MOVE IT, MISTER!

Haha, you do have a point. Unfortunately, I don't know which box my digital camera is in. I can't even post cellphone pictures because my USB data cable is somewhere in one of the eleventy-hundred boxes labelled "COMPUTER CRAP".

I can, however, post a very incomplete set of pictures of the house before we bought it. Please note that I saved these pictures from the MLS website before we even looked at it. Obviously, the furniture you see belongs to the previous owner and the pictures were taken months ago.

View from street

We bought the right side of a semi-detached home. I like the big red maple, but I absolutely hate the really square juniper bushes. I paced it out, and it seems that our driveway is long enough to easily accept 4 cars, 5 if they are as small as mine.

Main floor living room

This is a good-sized room with lots of light. I really like the big bay window and the solid oak hardwood flooring. Actually, most of the house is oak flooring.

Kitchen/dining room combo

This room is very bright and inviting during the day. The eat-in part features a sliding glass door that goes right out to my 12' x 18' deck. You can't see the fridge, stove, or dishwasher in this picture. They, along with the half-bath, are way off to the right and out of frame.

Master bedroom

The entire 2nd floor is oak flooring. The windows have been updated to these vinyl-clad double-glazed dealies. I like them.

2nd bedroom

Another nice room. This is now my son's bedroom.

Basement rec room

This is my favourite room. It's 19' x 13', and absolutely mine. My wife has given me free reign over it. There is a 3-piece bathroom and a pretty large unfinished laundry room/workshop off to the right of the picture. I plan on putting a big screen TV and possibly a bar in here. My computers will reside here as well. The bulk of my son's toys are down here too. Since the two of us have been spending so much time down here, we've taken up a "no girls allowed!" approach. Mommy only gets a free pass if she's doing laundry.

So, that concludes a pictorial tour of about half of my new house :)

[LochnarITB]

It looks really nice. Congratulations again! Oh, yeah, those square bushes do so have to go, or at least be made into something sensible like giraffes.;)

[ShadowHM]

Congrats, DeeBye !

I have to agree: red maples are nice and square junipers are not. :P

As to that basement rec room... How long do you think it will take before 'the bulk of' your son's toys start squeezing out 'your' space? :whistling:

But I love the notion of your deck being just outside the dining area. You can eat outdoors for several months a year, eh? Does it have bench railing, so you don't have to drag chairs around when you want to just wander out for a quiet beer on the deck?

[DeeBye]

Congrats, DeeBye !

I have to agree: red maples are nice and square junipers are not. :P

As to that basement rec room... How long do you think it will take before 'the bulk of' your son's toys start squeezing out 'your' space? :whistling:

But I love the notion of your deck being just outside the dining area. You can eat outdoors for several months a year, eh? Does it have bench railing, so you don't have to drag chairs around when you want to just wander out for a quiet beer on the deck?

My son can put his toys where ever he wants to, as long as it's down here in the basement. There's a decent sized closet in the corner that we are going to use to chuck his toys into when visitors come over. He's usually pretty good about putting things away after he's playing with them anyways. Besides, he's way more interested in the computer I set up for him down here. I put it on a small coffee table and found a small kid-sized chair for him. He thinks it's great.

The deck doesn't have a bench, but it's one of the things I was thinking about changing. It should be a pretty easy and cheap thing to install.

[--Pete]

Hi,

Nice place and the game room where you and your so can put your toys looks great:)

Congrats on the find (again).

The deck doesn't have a bench, but it's one of the things I was thinking about changing. It should be a pretty easy and cheap thing to install.

Just my personal opinion, but I prefer outdoor furniture to built in benches, etc. Gives you more options in arrangement and for entertaining, and lets you stash everything away in the winter (although the grill lives and is used outdoors all year here -- but Seattle winters are mild).

Good luck and enjoy:)

--Pete

PS When Sue and I moved about a year and a half ago, we found some boxes that hadn't been unpacked from the previous move of twenty years before. :D

[ShadowHM]

The deck doesn't have a bench, but it's one of the things I was thinking about changing. It should be a pretty easy and cheap thing to install.

I have found that the benches around the railing on our deck have added to the flexibility of our possible seating, as well as adding considerably to the number of people who can use it.

Here is an example of one use I make of it. This year, the formica table was replaced with one of these folding ones, and a few of these smaller ones to be able to move about or hide as needed. Lastly, I am much enamoured of the flexibility I have with chairs of this design.

Have fun with the woodworking tools. ;)

[Maitre]

I have found that the benches around the railing on our deck have added to the flexibility of our possible seating, as well as adding considerably to the number of people who can use it.

Here is an example of one use I make of it. This year, the formica table was replaced with one of these folding ones, and a few of these smaller ones to be able to move about or hide as needed. Lastly, I am much enamoured of the flexibility I have with chairs of this design.

Have fun with the woodworking tools. ;)

I wish I had the space in the basement to set up a propper workbench and Build Things(SM) like the projects you linked to. I also wish my deck wasn't in such miserable condition. The wife and I are trying to evaluate the better use of (limited) available funds: deck vs. fence vs. master bathroom renovations. We may get forced into the fence option though. That's what happens when you share walls with your neighbors and the majority of folks on the row are doing fence replacements. Either do it now with everyone else, or do it alone.

[NiteFox]

Oh, yeah, those square bushes do so have to go, or at least be made into something sensible like giraffes.;)

If you carve those shrubs into the shape of Pac-Man, I will consider you a personal hero:D

I persoanlly couldn't stand as much downstairs wooden flooring as your new home seems to possess, but that's because I live in South Wales ("I was eight when I realised you could take the kagoul off."), and slick shoes + uncarpeted floor = ouch. I have the grace and balance of a concussed zebra:unsure:

To the many years of happiness your new home brings.

[DeeBye]

If you carve those shrubs into the shape of Pac-Man, I will consider you a personal hero:D

I persoanlly couldn't stand as much downstairs wooden flooring as your new home seems to possess, but that's because I live in South Wales ("I was eight when I realised you could take the kagoul off."), and slick shoes + uncarpeted floor = ouch. I have the grace and balance of a concussed zebra:unsure:

To the many years of happiness your new home brings.

Pac-Man sounds great. Actually, I think I'll just let them grow into a more natural shape (assuming I don't get really bothered by them and just rip the suckers out).

The wood floors were a big selling point for me. I like the way they look, and I love the fact that I'll never have to replace them. When they get scratched and worn, they can just be sanded and refinished. We have carpeting covering the staircase leading upstairs, and out of curiousity I had a peek and sure enough the stairs are solid oak as well.

[ShadowHM]

Pac-Man sounds great. Actually, I think I'll just let them grow into a more natural shape (assuming I don't get really bothered by them and just rip the suckers out).

My suspicion is that you will have to rip the suckers out. :o As they 'grow' into a more natural shape they will be growing into your walkway. You could shape them into that 'natural' shape every year (or go for the Pac-Man look :whistling:), but they will not stop growing.

I have a juniper in my yard that was sold to me under false pretences. It was supposed to be a low growing variety that would spread. Well, it is certainly spreading, but the damn thing is about 5 feet high and it makes nasty scratches if anyone ventures too close. :unsure: Given its location, that is not a problem, but if it were too close to the walkway I would have a different attitude.

Edit: Oak floors :wub:

[Griselda]

I'd take the junipers over the astroturf porch anyway, personally. Is that astroturf or green paint? Might be worth checking out what's underneath that, too.

[DeeBye]

My suspicion is that you will have to rip the suckers out. :o As they 'grow' into a more natural shape they will be growing into your walkway. You could shape them into that 'natural' shape every year (or go for the Pac-Man look :whistling:), but they will not stop growing.

Yeah, I suspected as much. What, if anything, should I replace them with? I was thinking small cedar bushes, or maybe I could scrounge up a couple of half wooden barrels and grow some herbs in them.

[DeeBye]

I'd take the junipers over the astroturf porch anyway, personally. Is that astroturf or green paint? Might be worth checking out what's underneath that, too.

Ugh, I hate that too. It doesn't bug my wife too much, but I think it looks retarded. It's green indoor/outdoor carpeting (or astroturf). Underneath is solid concrete, which I kind of like. I want to rip it up too, but it's glued down with some pretty hefty construction adhesive. When I get some free time (haha!) I'm going to try to remove some of it from the side and see how clean I can get the concrete underneath. My fear is that the glue residue is permanent. Hopefully a power washer can remove all traces.

Just to the right of my front door is where I would really like to put a Muskoka chair.

I've always wanted a Muskoka chair. They are so damned comfortable.

I won't do any of this stuff until next spring. Prettying up my yard isn't on the top of my agenda, and it's kind of senseless to do it this late in the year before the snow starts flying.

Back on topic, I am really loving my internet connection here.

[Griselda]

Yeah, I suspected as much. What, if anything, should I replace them with? I was thinking small cedar bushes, or maybe I could scrounge up a couple of half wooden barrels and grow some herbs in them.

That's a really narrow walkway already, which seems silly because the porch is actually not as small as it looks with those bushes there. Are the junipers covering up part of the steps, or are the steps that narrow?

I think you want to go for something that's going to make the stairs look more open. The barrels sound good, especially if you can get them a bit further away from the stairs than the current placement. If you're desperate for evergreen shrubbery, I have found that nest spruce grows very slowly and is not very prickly.

If it were my house, I'd be awfully tempted to take out both bushes, then plant a vine on the driveway side, clematis or something. That will soften up that corner quite a bit. But, since you don't want the porch to be closed in, on the other side you might just want to plant something low, like some flowers or herbs right down in the bed. That should visually connect the porch area to that front bed by the house, making it look more open even with a vine on the other side.

It looks like things are sparsely planted enough that you have tons of possibilities.:)

[DeeBye]

That's a really narrow walkway already, which seems silly because the porch is actually not as small as it looks with those bushes there. Are the junipers covering up part of the steps, or are the steps that narrow?

The steps are 3 feet wide. The junipers definitely make them seem more narrow than they really are.

I think you want to go for something that's going to make the stairs look more open. The barrels sound good, especially if you can get them a bit further away from the stairs than the current placement. If you're desperate for evergreen shrubbery, I have found that nest spruce grows very slowly and is not very prickly.

If I replace them with another shrubbery, it's definitely going to be something coniferous. I'll have enough leaves to rake up as it is. I want something that will grow slowly and vertically. The pictures I saw of nest spruces look nice, but they seem to be more of a horizontal-growing plant.

If it were my house, I'd be awfully tempted to take out both bushes, then plant a vine on the driveway side, clematis or something. That will soften up that corner quite a bit. But, since you don't want the porch to be closed in, on the other side you might just want to plant something low, like some flowers or herbs right down in the bed. That should visually connect the porch area to that front bed by the house, making it look more open even with a vine on the other side.

No vines and no flowers! My wife and I are not flower people, and vines are just nasty. I'd like something low-maintainance to visually frame the entrance. I'm still leaning towards a pair of cedars.