Hugo Goodbyes...

Here is the progress on the Hugo house...and a little trip down memory lane...(this one is going to be long, sorry!)

Check out this video, from the 2:27 mark - to the end. This house has come a LONG way, by way of projects and improvements. Wow. (Video from May 2005, we bought the house in Feb 2005)



So...

Driving away from my little Hugo house, today.

I actually have missed this little house quite a bit. I'm not complaining about my new yard, or the much larger house and CLOSET SPACE...but Hugo holds a really special place in my heart...

 

It was our first house. We bought it because of the rental space upstairs (the yellow door beside garage leads to a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, full kitchen apartment). We schemed that one day, we'd move away, but we'd never sell it. It will be good rental income, we thought. It was a scheme, I'd say, or a dream...but it didn't really seem like much of that dream would ever kiss reality.

 

So many memories made here.

 

We've been working hard and doing the best we can - but I feel like on top of that, we've been dealt with very graciously by many. Basically, through no fault of our own...we've got 3 houses. It sounds outrageous, and it is. It's a crazy ride, let me tell you.

 

Well, we moved. And we needed to find a renter for Hugo - for December. That is when the house would be rent-ready, we thought. Well, we found a renter kind of by accident (did not advertise)...but they needed it...now. They just moved here from Seattle and were staying in a hotel ($$) while looking for a place to rent. Enter us, with the bleeding hearts. Of course you can rent it now so you can save money on the hotel...This was 3 days ago.

 

It's been a busy three days.

 

Obviously, it is really not rental ready, yet! But they came to see it in all it's glory and said it would be fine as is for now. They will rent it and we will finish up things we need to do over the course of the month.

 

So we got to work! All we really want left to deal with is kitchen cabinet doors (make & install), garage (move things out and clean), and some outdoor stuff too (trim painting, new shutters etc). That left us with A LOT to do before they moved in today...

 

A short list:

paint green room wall & trim

paint our room

install and paint trim in our room

stain & poly quarter round, and install it throughout entire house

re-work ducting for HVAC system under the house

re adjust upper cabinets

install counter tops

install backsplash

re-work/move certain electrical boxes/light switches

re-caulk tub

Clean everything from top to bottom (fridges - both of them, oven, floors etc)

 

Looking at the list...doesn't seem too bad. In reality? Our estimation of a month was accurate. On the plus side, we squeezed about a months worth of work into three days.

 

Not looking so good

I got to paint the green room. That was a little sad! The last time it was painted...we painted it green. And my mom was here and did it with me. I picked the colours, and made that "chair rail" myself. Well, I bought the wood, came up with the concept and all that, Brian hung it on the wall:-)

 

My babies room - getting un-personalized

Work is happening!!

Still so much to do!

This room needing washing and quarter round installed. Officially the easiest room in the house! They have a little girl, and like the room as is:-)

Ahhh...we're almost done here!

It's almost ready to go! - just have to hook up the sink under the counter

A picture to show the counter, the sink and the backsplash all together. It looks great. All the colours blend so well.

We need to purchase and install a range hood microwave this month. When I took this pic, Brian still had to pin up the under counter lighting cords

There will be a cabinet above the fridge too

Our bedroom - painted, and with trim around the doors and floor. yay!

The green room - not so much anymore. Now it's just another beige room:-) We painted this room, and the other room in Baked Scone, which is the same colour the great room is...we had lots of the paint left, so we used it!

Old green room

It seems like the renters want these for their little girl, so we've leaving them

My crafts used to hide back here

Buh bye bathroom!

Floors, washed by me :-)

This lower cabinet must be installed

And then I left! This was the pile of tools used over the past few days. I leave them with Brian to put in his truck after he tinkers around (sink, lighting)...and I say farewell to Hugo!

  I don't really know if I'll be back anytime soon...or inside the house anyway. Brian will be, as he is building and installing cabinets/doors over the next month, but that has nothing to do with me...I'd only be in the way, so I doubt I'll get to lay eyes on it. I'll force him to take a pic or two I hope! I can't wait to see those doors on the cabinets!!! It's going to look amazing!

A HUGE thank you to our wonderful friends and neighbours! We literally could not have done it without you letting us sleep and nap kids at your house(s). Lauren & Dale, Tiffany, and Chae - Thank you!

*Small tip - if you value your sanity, don't allow 5 small children to speak, even in a whisper, in an empty, echo-y house. After about 5 minutes, you'll want to die. I believe I genuinely wished I was deaf, for a moment there. Drive. Me. Crazy. -- So glad it's OVER!

Now on to "easy stuff" like out door trim, shutters, wrapping the posts...oh yah. Easy! Grateful for renters who seem happy to live cabinet-door-less for a little while!

Good bye Hugo. Maybe we'll be back again someday...but probably we won't, and that makes us a little sad. We will always remember you, because so far, all of our best days were seen by you. We'll go on to make many new memories in many other great places. But none of those places will be exactly there. And for one brief time in history, we belonged together. This was home. You housed so many of our firsts...those are things that can't be repeated in life. You will always be our First House. We will always be grateful we found you.