A Home of my Own - Piece by Piece

November 24, 2008
I'm buying the supplies bit by bit. Actually, I'm giving money to my dad and he is getting the supplies, because I would have no idea what to get. Before anything, I had to pay to get the ground percolated. Luckily, my uncle had a back-hoe, and he was allowed to dig the holes for the test, so it cost me only $400.00. Yeah, I say only, but that's a lot for a single mom and waitress. It passed the perc test...whoo-hoo, so my dad cleared the land with the back-hoe. Luckily, it's his land, and he gave me some acreage, otherwise, I would not have been able to afford land and a house. I know it's small, but my dad said it would be easy to add onto later.

January 29, 2009
After the perc test and cleared land, I gave my dad $4858.00, and he went to the local Russel-do-it-Center and bought building materials. Times are hard, and no one is building, so Russel told my dad if he bought at least $3000.00 worth of materials from them, he would get it wholesale and they would deliver it for free! Thank God, because that money took over half of my savings. My dad started building my house.

My dad is retired with the Army Corp of Engineers, and has several brothers retired from them as well, but I didn't know he knew how to build a house! My younger brother has worked in construction for a while, and he helped my dad out. My uncle's back-hoe was a huge help, and some other relatives would lend a hand in the building, because my dad has helped them build their houses. I'm lucky in that my relatives came together for me, because in reality, I'm a loner, and not really close to anyone.

Okay, I really shouldn't gripe, but it's going to be difficult living so far from civilization! I currently live 3 miles from work, and my new house will be 23 miles from work. What a difference! It's also so far in the country that my only internet option is either dial-up or satellite. Dial-up will drive me insane, and so I may eventually have to get satellite TV and internet. My dad lives within sight of my house and he had to plow through the trees to build a bumpy dirt road to the area. It's so rough that it sometimes disconnects my airbag connection in my car.

Okay, no more complaining! I am looking forward to planting a garden next year, and flowers, and having my own yard. Oh, and I also live on the lake! My dad also has a fish stocked pond nearby that attracts all kinds of wild-life. It's really cool. My dad loves fishing, and it's been years since I've had fresh fish.

My house is level. As a matter of fact, to make sure he had the foundation level, he filled a hose with water and laid it across my house to see the amount of water that came out of both ends. If the water ran evenly, the house was level. He did this from end to end and then crosswise to be doubly sure. A unique idea, and it worked. He also put a termite guard on the soil underneath the ground, and a plastic wrap covering the floor, over which he put the flooring base. I think it was OSB board or something like that. The wrap keeps insects and helps prevent moisture damage. The OSB board has a fifty year warranty...cool!

March 2, 2009
My dad started putting the roof on my house, and he did a lot of it himself. Now that is quite a feat for a 68 year old man. Yes, my dad is 68, but he is extremely healthy. He is the kind of guy who can't sit still, and always has to be doing something. I talked to my mom about this before I accepted my dad's offer, and she said he would be ecstatic to have something to do, and would feel really good about doing it for his own child. So, I happily agreed. I was running out of options anyways, especially since the company I worked for restructured the pay for everyone working in my position at work (curbside). Basically, all the raises I had earned over my 5 years with the company were taken away, and I was paid below minimum wage. My managers were livid, because I was such a good employee, and 2 of them soon quit because of the way the corporation ran their business. Needless to say, I no longer make enough to pay rent.

May 29, 2009
I gave my dad an additional $500.00 and I was excited when the walls started going up. In reality, it was because I knew that if I lost my job, I'd at least have some protection from the elements in my own glorified clubhouse. That may sound silly, but the economy is so bad, and there are rumors of the restaurant closing.

Wow, the windows were expensive, and there wasn't anything fancy about them. Your basic paned storm windows. It does let the light in, though, and so the $800.000 or so for 7 windows was necessary. I would have liked a few more windows, but I just can't afford them. I also have the electric box and a little bit of plumbing done. I really need a door!

I got my tax return, and used part of it to pay my last 3 months rent, and gave the remainder to my dad so he could buy more building materials, which was $2,000. I'm almost broke now, I do have $2000 left in savings, but I need to save up for a septic system, and according to research, it's going to be somewhere around $4000 or more. I'm making next to nothing at work, and everyone's hours have been cut back. I've been looking for another job, but no one is hiring...

June 16, 2009
Most of the $2000 I gave my dad from the tax return went for the metal roof. My dad said it was the wisest choice, because it is low maintenance and lasts much longer than a shingled roof. It was a bit more expensive, but worth it in the long run. My house is also wrapped to protect it from the rain, but I need to eventually put siding or brick on it. I'll probably go with siding, because brick is more expensive, and I'm barely scraping by now. The thing is, though, that I won't have a mortgage or rent! People may think I'm a bit nuts for doing this bit by bit, and I'll be living like a peasant for a while, but it's worth it. Boy, it does get hot in Alabama, and I'll be moving in August....I'm going to miss air-conditioning. My son will stay with his dad until it is a bit more liveable, and my daughter will be going to college. My parents live within sight, so I'll probably be crashing at their place for a while, but I really don't want to 'live with my parents'.

July 1 2009
After shelling out $528, I got two 'sunburst' doors. I was surprised at how expensive they were, and I could have gotten a much less expensive plain door, but I wanted some kind of window design, so I opted for these. My daughter is peeking her head out of the doorway.

July 9, 2009

I've already moved some boxes into my house, and will be going back and forth until the end of this month when I move in. What you see in the picture above is how it will look when I move in, because I'm still saving up for the septic system. I'm calling it my little peasant hut, but it's MY peasant hut. I won't have electricity hooked up by then, or running water, although the water part should be soon after, since I will be hooking up to my dad's artisan well. No water bill! As you can see, my dad already has the water hoses and pipes installed for the most part. He installed it so that you can turn off water to every individual appliance, and he has blue for cold water and red for hot. That's cool.

My dad's friend gave me a brand new toilet, the coolest bathroom sink ever, expensive bathroom tile, and kitchen tile. He has a storage room full of surplus building supplies that was left over after he built his house. Let me tell you, every little bit counts!

Well, a lot has happened since my last update. August 18th I got my septic system put in, which meant 18 days without running water or sewage. Yeah, that was fun...On the 23rd, or sometime around that date, I got my electricity hooked up. Things were looking up! To say that it was hot in August is an understatement! Now here it is in December, and we are having the coldest winter since 1985! It's an adventure with no AC/Heating unit, but I don't pay rent or mortgage, so I keep reminding myself of that. I bought a stove, refridgerator, and bathroom stuff soon after. I had to break down and put them on my credit card because I really needed these things. In the pic you can see the installation of my septic system.

I just recently got satellite internet access, and I love being able to get the net again, but I sure do miss broadband. I get no TV signal, so I signed up for Netflix so my son and I have something to watch. I had to put Christmas presents and insulation for the house on the credit card, because the winter was getting soooo cold! I would wake up with muscle cramps and fatigue from shivering all night. I just couldn't get my fingers and toes warm, no matter what. I slept in long-johns, three pairs of socks, a cap, and sweats, but would still shiver. I wouldn't allow my son to stay here because it was too cold. That's what prompted me to put $1,300 of insulation on the credit card (ouch). My co-workers felt so sorry for me that they took up a collection and gave me $215.00 for Christmas so I could buy drywall. That was a such a blessing, but being the Asperger's chick that I am, I hid my head in a scarf and tissue paper. They know me by now, though, and didn't mind that I was kind-of hiding and muffled an embarrassed thanks.

So here's the latest pic of my house, all chaotic and stuff, but with walls and insulation, my stove is keeping us warm now.

Well, almost a year since I've moved into my house, and it has improved quite a bit. what you see here is the addition to my house, which will become my master bedroom with bath, and a game room. As of today, June 8th, it has the roof and exterior walls. This is what I used this year's tax return on.

My house is much more comfortable now, and it slowly improves each month. While it's been difficult at times, it was worth it in the long run.

This is my living room so far. I use my display shelves for cups and boxed foodstuffs. I have a kitchen cabinet for canned goods and my other dishes. I also have a dishwasher! Yes! I still lack the kitchen sink, but it's great not having to do dishes in my bathroom sink.

I bought a small air conditioner for my bedroom, because I remember how hot it got in my house last year, and I'm not going through that again. That little window unit does a good job, I have to say. Although, I have a lot of shade around my house, which helps.

That's Final Fantasy 12 on the TV, by the way. It's awesome! I don't get any reception on my TV, and I'm not ready to sign a contract for satellite TV, so I signed up for Netflix, and play my RPG games, which is good enough for me.

What a pain sanding is! I dry sanded my living/dining/kitchen, which took about a month, and had trouble breathing all the while. My son got an upper respiratory infection, so I switched to wet sanding. It takes longer, but I don't have that drywall compound dust everywhere. With the main part of the house don, I'm taking it slowly now. It is exciting to get primer on the walls. My house is really starting to look like a house now.

I got a small pantry so I could get my canned and boxed food stuff into that instead of on my display shelves in the living room. I also got a portable heater and an electric fireplace, because I'm not freezing like I did last year! My dad cleared a few trees from the yard, and I planted four fruit trees and a flowering cherry.

the outside of my house is looking much better too. It has siding and soffit up. What a difference that makes! I will admit, I'm about $3,000.00 in debt on my credit card, but I wanted stuff done by winter, and I won't need to buy anything else for the house until my card is paid off. Last week I got a door on my son's bedroom, and my living room looks so much better with it. Next on the agenda is kitchen cabinets and a kitchen sink. Can't wait to get this card paid off.