And so it all begins… Well, not really.
This journey truly began about 9 years ago when Rob and I decided to buy our little 1959 Rancher in idyllic Southeast Huntsville. Hey, the house ain’t much to look at right now, but we have a vision! That’s what we bought into — the vision of what our property can and will become.
The Current Home
There have been many times over the past 9 years when I’ve thought, ‘What were we thinking?!?!?!‘ To say this home is ‘dated’ would be a kindness. It is hard to decide on what’s worse:
- My spectacular kitchen with original appliances – 2 functioning burners?
- An oven that cooks at only 450 degrees?
- The ‘old school’ avocado tile and original plumbing fixtures?
- The classic 60’s wood paneling?
- Or the rusted metal railing on a porch that isn’t wide enough to be usable?
But I think my very FAVORITE is the peach (yes, I said peach!) exterior brick. It’s almost too glamorous for words!! Now add to that, the standard structural issues that plague so many of the properties in our area and this house nearly qualifies as just plain ‘pitiful’. I’ve just had to keep reminding myself how blessed we are to be living amongst these beautiful green hills. 🙂
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We Considered Moving
We’ve considering moving. I placed a For-Sale-By-Owner sign in our yard one Saturday afternoon in early 2010 and received 18 phone calls by Monday morning. That was clarification for me that our lot and location truly are as valuable as we thought. After all, it was the LOT and the location on Weatherly Heights that won our hearts in the first place.
I’ve blogged before about Weatherly Heights — the secluded mini-mountain enclave where we live in the heart of Southeast Huntsville. Our lot feels so much larger than its respectable .67 acres. The front is largely wooded and primitive with natural boulders and loads of healthy hardwoods. The slope is steep enough to be dramatic, but gentle enough to be usable. And we are blessed with a large, moderately flat back yard.
So The Dream Begins
It’s taken 9 years, but all the pieces seem to be in place for implementing the dream. Which leads us back to the beginning. This blog launches the chronicles of our rebuild. I invite you to take this journey along with us as we stumble through the process. I’ll share with you the trials and triumphs from financing to finishes.
In future blogs, I’ll elaborate on the thought process and research that made us decide to remodel rather than rebuild. And I’ll introduce you to my friends and partners for this project:
- John Allen, my award-winning builder from Southern Construction & Design
- Trevor Cole from Across the Pond
- Karen & Jeff Durbin from Kitchen & Bath Concepts
- Burt Cox from Foundation & Structural Renovations
- Steve Zipfel from New Look Tubs
- Leon Wink from Wolde Flooring… just to name a few.
And I make you this promise — whenever and wherever possible, we will recycle and reuse. So, welcome to the Chiroux Remodeling Adventure! It promises to be a very wild ride. If you would like more information about remodeling or building in SE Huntsville, give me a call (256) 797-1360 or drop me an email and lets explore your options.
– Donna
{ 3 comments }
I think the best “worst” part are the 2 ft closets…..seriously, I think they were just put there to piss people off.
Nope. My favorite is the death trap fireplace that threatens the well-being of all people under 6 years old. That said, I am really glad you decided to remodel and stay. That house has provided a safe place for my family to be cocooned in warmth and nurtured by Nonna and Grandpa T. and we look forward to it’s renewal.
I love the fireplace and mantle…hope you can use them.
I’m glad your new kitchen will be a destination, not a back entrance hall. Even this house had a warm welcoming feeling because of the people living in it.
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