I know just enough about house shopping and buying houses. My itinerate lifestyle has landed me in a number of homes, a bunker or two and a shelter half on occasion in Vietnam. After retiring, I hired out to an old school, German builder in the Jefferson City area with the understanding he was to teach me to build from the footings to the finish. He applied German craftsmanship to his prodigious carpentry skill and began my education. I loved it..and my education ended with my contracting our Truman lake home and participating in its build from A-Z.
When we shopped for our current home, I went to work to find the scars, warts and shortcomings that every house has. This house was built by one of Springfield’s better builders and we couldn’t be happier. It is, however, 10 years old and improvements were needed. We budgeted a generous home improvement purse…and are spending it right along. The cost of materials today has left me shaking my head in disbelief and we are ever so fortunate to locate and buy this home with Sharon’s (and Kai’s) pool in a very nice burb of Springfield. We could not build it today for what we paid…not even close.
We have remodeled the master closet, ridding ourselves of the wire shelving, anchored by countless mollies and occasional stud fasteners. We have replaced the water heater, installed a nice water softner, and will be tearing out 350” of wooden privacy fence and replacing it with a like number of new privacy fence, replete with steel posts and gate frames, scheduled for next week. We have installed a reverse osmosis water system. The landscaping was in relatively poor shape and needed to be torn out and the mounds of wooden mulch replaced with washed river rock. A whole house Generac is now in place and we completely remodeled the spacious garage, previously in use refinishing old cars. The yard was average, but is rising to the Johnson standard, courtesy of our lawn service, Ryans. Our aluminum pergola with shutters is installed at pool side and the landscaping in the back yard is rocked and coming along nicely. The late Sgt. Bob Plymell, my early patrol supervisor, was fond of saying that all things were possible with enough time and money. Bob, you nailed it.
Giving credit where credit is due, up until a month or so ago, Ms. Sharon did the “heavy lifting” as a result of my knew shoulder, a prodigious task but handled nicely by the farm girl in her. We have added a saber toothed tiger, excuse me, I meant lab puppy to our fold and he is busy helping with the new decor…if he can reach it.
Complaint? Nope I love it and thank the Lord daily for what we have. I am also at the age where I don’t want to do it again…..and believe we have finally found our forever home. Tall talk for a little Indian, married to a younger and more adventurous wife…so who knows.
The moral of this story? Choose your builder with the care you exercise when choosing your doctor, have a contingency fund and take Valium before shopping for materials. Then enjoy the experience…
Have a great week!
SR
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