End of the Story

With the sealing of the concrete, the house is basically finished.  (Yes, I know - the joys of home ownership are never ending.)  There will always be things to do, and I still have some boxes in the garage that need unpacked, pictures that need hung, shelving that I bought that goes into the garage, etc.  But, those are just minor details.  So unless something major comes up (& I doubt it will), the story is come to an end.  I hope you have enjoyed the adventure.  I certainly have.  And, a big thank you to Valerian Homes and all the sub contractors that built the perfect home.  There is not one thing that I would change!

Patio

The guys from Valerian Homes came by Tuesday and sealed the concrete at the front entrance, the man door on the side of the garage and patio.  By Thursday evening everything was dry enough to walk on, and I put the new patio furniture out.  It is absolutely right sized for the space, and the chairs are very comfortable!  Sara at Fishel's in Portland did an excellent job helping me pick it out.

(How did I go in/out of the house for 2 days?  I used the overhead garage door.)

Pieces of Renee

I continue to unpack boxes and am now finding the treasures I kept.  Many are pieces of art that Irene did.  Her last major piece was a stained glass panel she wanted to use outside at the Merlin house.  She had drawn the design, gathered the glass and had much of it laid out before she died.  Fortunately, Charlie, my neighbor, consented to build a frame for it, and Kate Smith agreed to finish the piece.  Rex Hart, my finish carpenter, came by today and helped me hang it.  The original idea was to hang it in the bedroom window.  But, that would not work due to the window treatments.  Thus, we implemented Plan B.  The result is below.

I am very pleased with the outcome!

Cooling Down

Our home in Merlin was a 2 story.  We opened all the windows on cool summer nights, and the chimney effect sucked the hot air out and the house cooled down.  Since my new home is a one story, I wondered how effective opening windows would be.

Yesterday was an 84 degree day, and I baked dinner in the oven.  The house warmed up to 74 degrees.  I opened all the windows last night about 9:30.  This morning, the outside temperature was 44 degrees, and the house had cooled down to 65.  Any cooler and the heat pump would have run.

I was very pleased with the way the house worked.  The air conditioning will probably not run much this summer - another money saver!

Things Are Blooming!

The landscape materials are growing & blooming nicely.  Also, the hydro seeded lawn is just now starting to show through the mulch.

Close up of the dogwood tree in bloom.

Some of the plantings behind the retaining wall.

Grass (Well, At Least Green!)

The front and rear lawns were hydro seeded today.  I talked with the gentleman who did it, and he said that my plan to mow it with my old Sears push reel style mower was a bad idea.  This grass needs to be at least 4 inches tall and will need to be mowed only once or twice a month.

He recommends a high wheeled weed style mower.  So, I will be doing some research along those lines.  I won't need to mow for at least 2 months; so, there is time to do it right!

Front yard

Backyard

Energy Efficiency

The main goal of this house was to reduce overall operating expenses (mortgage payment, utilities, insurance).  Thus, I am keeping a spreadsheet of monthly utility costs.  Utilities do not bill at exact 30 day periods; thus, I calculate a "30 Day Equalized Amount" so that I can easily compare changes.  The first 30 days total gas and electric cost was $107.94.  The second 30 day period dropped to $91.35 due to warmer temperatures.  Thus, my two month average is $99.65.  The Energy Trust of Oregon estimates an annual monthly utility cost of $76.  I would like to beat that.  We'll see!  So far, I am very happy.  I was on an equalized payment plan at the Merlin house of $214/month.  So, I am definitely savings money!