This week has been very tiring and back breaking. This was due to the recent events. It started off when we finally closed escrow on the house on Thursday, August 19. We received the keys and got right to work.

After  the drive to the San Diego County Estates, About 12-15 min. later. We arived at our new, but very dirty, dusty, and strange home.

Petra and I did not know where to start, but we had to start some. So, we started by vacuuming the second floor and removing any items that we did not want. We disposed things like old and VERY dusty curtains, random hanging screws, and plenty more. While I was removing the random screws, and curtains… Petra was busy vacuuming the spider webs and giant dust balls. This was a short and painless task thanks to our always reliable Miele Vacuum.

When the next day came, I had had to go to my new school for a video training class. While I was gone Petra was meticulously working to get it a little bit of clean into the house. When I arrived at around 2:00 pm she was about at “c” in clean. Amazingly, the laundry room had been moped and wiped down while I was away. After a short break we began to tear up the living room. Removing Curtains ad removing a hole lot of dust.

Later that day,

Moisture Barrier

Ivan came he first came around noon to unload his tools, but then he got a call from MJ Flooring and Design. They told us that their truck had broken down, but that our wood, carpet, and vinyl was not on board. They are on twitter @FloorsSanDiego. So Ivan and his two buddies went to go and pick up the carpet, wood, and vinyl. Nestor and Rafael came back first with the carpet and padding. Ivan came about 30-45 minuets latter, because he had to pick up the moisture barrier  and the glue. Also he had to

Glue

drive slower, due to his increased load, and he did not want that any of the wood falls of. They all started removing the carpet upstairs then removing the padding.Next they removed the tack strips in the bathrooms and prepped for the carpet installation.

On Saturday Ivan was working on the living room and the den. When We arrived Ivan was already grinding the living room. Grinding is important, because if the floor is not level the wood will bow and bend. At about 12:00 he had finished grinding.

While Ivan was grinding Nestor and Rafael  were working on the carpet. Nailing down padding, and stretching carpet. Then strenuously doing the stairs the cap and band way. Petra, Wolf, and I like it better that way!

Our 24' Truck

Sunday, was the day! We had reserved a 24 foot truck at our local uhaul. We started off by clearing our 10×10 storage unit, then we filled the extra space with items from the apartment. It was a very fun ride, at lest that is what I thought. We drove from Carlsbad to the San Diego Country Estates. Wolf did a GREAT job driving and amazingly drove it down the long curved driveway. Hats of to him!! We unloaded the truck using an ingenious system, Petra was on the stairs delivering the boxes in Wolf and/or my room. Wolf feed Petra the boxes that I has sorted out. While I used the utility dolly to put boxes into the third car garage. It was much easier to unload the truck than to load it After we had finished unloading and distributing the payload of the truck, we drove the truck back to Carlsbad. Wolf drove a little faster, because there was nothing in the back. We arrived at uhaul just an hour before closing time. For those of you who are wondering when uhaul closes, they close: 7:00 Monday through Saturday, and 5:00 pm on Sunday.

On Saturday, We had rented another uhaul truck. When we went to pick it up at 7:00 were turned down, because the truck had been scheduled for pickup at 8:45 am. So, we ate breakfast then drove down again at 8:45, and we got the truck. Wolf did an stunning job of loading the truck. we drove only once. when we drove the truck back, we stumbled across a role of padding that Ivan had lose. We stopped and picked it up. Wolf and I dropped of the truck and Wolf luged the padding all the way back to the apartments.

When we arrtived at the apartments, we loaded the T.V. in the Jeep. We also loaded the router, and other stuff in the car. Then we went to In- n’- Out. I had 2 regulars, and wolf had a #3. It was great. Then we drove away for the last time. For now…

The Inspection

On Saturday, July 10, 2010 we had the home that we wanted to buy inspected. Certified home inspector Tom Daugherty from Countrywide Property Inspections helped us out.

We arrived at around 9:45 with the inspection scheduled to begin at 10:00. When we arrived the inspector was already there, patiently waiting in his car. He told us what he was going to do  and how he was going to do it.

We began at 10 o’clock sharp. Interestingly the seller’s agent was NOT there. Tom helped the inspector and got to play around with some cool gadgets.

We went through the whole house, inspector Tom checking off things on his list. Tom was told to check every power outlet he sees, with a small device, that indicated if the outlet was properly installed.

The total inspection was brought to a close, when inspector Tom, Wolf, Petra, and our agent all sat down at the current owner’s dinner table. The inspector went over the inspection report, and what we would have to do.

In summary: Good house, nothing major. No proper heating and air in the master bedroom.

After the inspection we went to our agent’s office to write up a request for repairs. Basically, all we asked for was to get the heating and air in the master fixed.

More photos can be found here, thanks to Wolf!

If you like what you read or have any sugestions please leave a comment!

Thanks,

Tom

Making an Offer!

On Monday, June 28, 2010 we made an offer on a house in the San Diego Country Estates. The San Diego Country Estates are located in the back of Ramona. Ramona is a nice small town of about 36,000 people in 2006. Ramona is just like towns use to be. With a Main St., and that street is packed full of small family owned stores like the Ramona Cafe. Which by the way has great food and is a must eat next time you are there!

The house we bought is a nice 13 year old home and has a great view.

The View From The House

The house overall is in good condition, but some parts need to be redone. Like the carpet and other small things, but the small things, can add up. Most of the house has high ceilings, and great views.

When you walk in the tall wooden door, the formal living room is off to your right. If, you keep going straight you will see the dinning room; immediately followed by the kitchen, with the casual living room on the right. Now making a u-turn and going back towards the door, about halfway branches off. At the beginning of the hallway the stairs go off to the 2nd floor. The hallway has, first, the laundry room on the left, second, a small, but full bath, and at the end an office. As you go up the stairs you make an 180? turn and come to another open hallway, branching off bedroom, bedroom, loft, then master bedroom. In that order left to right.

It has a nice front and back yard, featuring an mexican landscaping style, with mostly rocks and drought resistant plants.

Front View

And it has a great location off of the street.

Back View

If you like what you read or have any sugestions please leave a comment!

Thanks,

Tom

Moving Day #1 is here; The Big One

That day has also come, the rest of our stuff has had to say good bye to Daylily Drive. The move was done with Day & Knight Moving. They arrived at 8:10, and began loading our stuff immediately. They charged us $96 an hour, with a 3 hr. minimum. In total it took them 2 hr., but or stuff was well packed and organized. Ignore their rickety old truck, and the outside of their truck. I would use them again. The Only con is that the made a large scrape in our hardwood floors.

Day & Knight Moving

They had everything furniture pads, appliance dollies, utility dollies, and furniture dollies. They were very nice and friendly.

This was only a short move, but I don’t know what their truck would do up a steep hill? We might use them again to load a u-haul truck that Wolf will drive!

If you like what you just read, please leave a comment!

Moving Day #0.5 is here

Well the day has come. At least for about half of our stuff to say goodbye, to our home on Daylily Drive, but a new beginning will soon emerge. Yesterday, we looked at a newly built home in the Ramona area. It was a nice home with an open floor plan, a nice view, and a great location. We hope to make an offer in the next two weeks.

Back to business!

Today, Wolf, Petra, and I went to pick up the moving truck, utility dolly, furniture dolly, and also inspected our storage bin.

We also had to buy a discus lock for the door of the unit and had to pickup our entrance card. We began loading around 10:00 and it was not that difficult! After we had loaded the first load of mainly boxes, we drove down to the storage facility and opened up out room, and began unloading our truck.

After a short lunch break…

We began loading the truck for our second and final load. Again, after our short drive to the facility, we unloaded and tried to fit every thing in to our unit. After a little bit of shuffling we finally got it all to fit! At around 2:00 PM we returned the truck and went back to Daylily Drive.

If you like what you just read, please leave a comment!

We will be moving. Where to? Well we will be moving from our current attached house to a temporary apartment, but will also look for a house in the San Marcos Area, or maybe in Ramona.

The house has already been sold. Thanks to Margaret Hokkanen, it was sold on 5/18/2010. We got a rent back option till the 25 of June. Then we will move into the Archstone apartments, but because apartments are smaller than regular homes, some of our stuff will go to a 10×10 storage facility. Move out date is June 23, and we will see if Tom can stay at Aviara Oaks Middle School, because Tom am currently a part of their broadcast program. Find out more at Tom’s page.

Old House                                Archstone Apartments              San Marcos

This will become an interesting time, because Wolf will now be working for HP near Lake Hodges.

We wish Wolf luck at his new job at HP.