Note: I recently copied this page from my original blog (2011). It’s now 2017 and some of the information is quite old. This message will be removed once I’ve updated it.

Question #1: Why does this section seem so light on content? 

Because it’s under construction, that’s why. Come back later, there’ll be more.

…um, also, if some of you could ask me some questions so I’ll have content to put in here, that would be cool.

Update: I’ve had a few questions come in already, from Attack Slug in Columbus, OH.

What’s the square footage of the CH?
“About 6400 sf” is how the house was listed. We’ve never actually done the measurements, but we can do that for sure! I’ll post the final tally once we’re done.

Have you made a schedule for fixing the Craphouse? i.e., next Wednesday is regrouting day!
Yep, but since I’m a home renovation newbie the scheduling doesn’t really mean jack.

This is especially true when I’m stymied by, say, finding asphalt based VCT adhesive coating lovely subway tile and the first reaction of everyone I speak to is: tear out the wall. Not an option, by the way. Anything I can afford to tear down has done been torn already. The asphalt adhesive actually turned out to be less of a problem than the mastic that they also used, but that’ll be a separate blog post.

So. Researching the problems that come up every time I try to do something simple like take out a disgusting shower stall, discovering that most of those problems are either brand-new or at least pretty uncommon, and using my limited home renovation skills to find a solution ends up wrecking pretty much every schedule I make.

Also, since the place has no electricity, heat, or running water everything takes at least twice as long as it should in the first place.  Grump, grump.

Anyway, next Wednesday is Disinfect the Basement Floors Day if anyone wants to come. It’s the kind of job that should only take one afternoon, but will stretch to two weeks when we discover that the floors are made of a “concrete-like” compound which awakens the Old Gods upon application of enzymatic cleaners and I end up spending hours visiting online home-renovation-exorcism-and-portal-to-Hell-closing forums to find the unique combination of power tools, incantations, and mythological creature body parts I have to bring together to solve the problem; putting in double overtime at my many jobs to pay for the supplies; and wrestling a black goat down the basement steps so I can finish scrubbing the damn(ed) floors already.

How much have you spent attempting to fix up the Craphouse?
Note (again): this is as of 2011. We’ve spent quite a bit more by now. I’ll post an update later. Including permits, inspections, security-type stuff, and everything, about $15,500 so far…and that was mainly just to make the house a less toxic shell, shore up a few things, and reserve about a half-dozen baby black goats (just in case). We’re looking at about another $10,000 if we’re gonna want plumbing & electricity and $5,000 or so on amenities such as repairing broken windows before we move in.

Why does it take you so long to post new blogs?
Because I’m too busy living the dream to sit down and write about it.

Thanks, AS! ~ keep ’em coming, y’all