The Nightmare House

Outside work in progress.




In the fall of 2007 we found an older home near Poppa's old assisted living apartments and Kelli's family's home. We felt like this could be a wonderful home for all of us.

In November Eric sent me to sign the papers to purchase. We had only walked through the home once and felt that we could make it our winter home. It wasn't until sixteen days after the previous occupants moved out that I discovered it was really a "Nightmare House". When they took their belongings out we found the wall in the living room wet and mildewed and standing water in the kitchen and hall from the inside air conditioning unit. If that wasn't enough, when they took down a conveniently placed picture off the wall it was quite apparent that they had replaced a square of wallboard and behind it was black mold. Of course, we called the real estate agent and she had two mold inspectors come out. Naturally, it was the "serious mold". Instead of being able to have the jungle yard replaced with a lovely landscaped yard and a swimming pool, we had to totally have the inside torn out and redone... including and expensive new outside air-conditioner.

In retrospect, I feel blessed that it happened as it did. The inside and outside are starting to shape up. I don't know if we still have photos of the before.... but I would like to share the "in the making" and the "after" photos. Too, with Poppa with his severe Parkinson's and dragging his feet, plus now that Eric isn't comfortable anymore, this floor plan is very good for us. It is almost all new inside and easy to watch the golfers outside (Poppa's old past time that he enjoyed so much not too many years ago).