Disappearing Pillars



This week we removed all the trim (in most of the house) and started painting.  We have about 50% of the house painted, at this point.  While we were painting we came up with an idea to remove the current fireplace and replace it with a stone fireplace.  Through this conversation the idea to cover the 3 pillars in the living/dining room with stone came up.  One thing led to another and viola! the pillars have been removed.  We will probably put the center pillar back - but with some really pretty stone around it.

 

(The before photo is below) 

 

Project House

Since we had a quiet week with the storage unit (no bullet holes to repair, etc.), we decided to get started on our new house.  There are many things to be done, but we decided to start with removing all the trim and painting.  On the to-do list for the next couple of months are just a few items:  landscaping, painting every square inch, all new flooring throughout, updating bathrooms, new fixtures throughout and finishing off 2200 sq ft in the basement. 

Below are a few of the official before interior photos.  Obviously, we are once again living in this house as we do the projects.  We only pull out the absolute required furniture to live for a short period.  I can see a gorgeous home (in my head) and it's only a few months away!

New Sign

This weekend we were able to finally install our new sign at the storage unit.  We are hoping to get some nice landscaping around it, but we're happy just to have it up right now!

Our new sign/logo was designed by Brittany Riblet.  She did an awesome job, created exactly what we were looking for and did it in record time!

**And to all who drove past and honked this weekend; we saw you and noticed you didn't stop and offer to help.

First Month

The first month of the storage unit is in the books!  Most small businesses hang their first $1 bill in the office.  Since we don't really have an office and the first bill I received was a $5, I decided to take a pic and post it here.  That's it.  Our first profit.

This month was eventful and full of surprises.  Trent has repaired a bullet hole in a unit (your guess is as good as mine), I've spoken to almost every tenant at this point, we've had a few new tenants join, I've heard "the check is in the mail" one too many times and I've met some wonderful people.  No, we have not had a "Storage War" auction yet, but I see one on the horizon.

Latest lesson:  I received a call from a guy who wanted to rent a new unit.  I told him I could meet him out there at a designated time and I head on out.  We both arrived at the unit, I opened up the garage-style door and walked in.  This was the exact moment I realized that I was recreating a scene from any number of Lifetime murder/mystery movies.  Going forward, I probably won't be walking into an empty storage unit alone with a stranger.

Outside/Inside

This is our gorgeous view from the back deck at the new house.  Quiet and perfect. 

This is just a sample of the complete disaster on the inside.   Messy and unorganized.

If there ever happens to be another situation where Trent and I can purchase a struggling business, get all the records in order, sell our home, buy a new home and move all in 7 days we will probably decline some part of it.   Lesson.  Learned.

Newest Project House

Today is the day that Trent and I become home owners again.  Since we sold the last project house 10 days ago, we've basically been homeless (and without a mortgage!) for the past 2 weeks.  Today, however we return to the land of home ownership...and we're very happy about it.

While we will, once again, be living in a house as we do the projects, this one is completely different.  This home was built just a few years ago and has been lovingly cared for.  We'll be making some changes, but they will come a little more slowly than the last couple of homes.  Also, (you can hold me to this one) we plan to stay in this house significantly longer than any other.  Probably not forever - but much longer than a year.

Some day I'll post the story of how we were able to get this home...but for now we are simply countings our blessings.

True Story

See the new payment drop box we installed at the storage unit?  Now look at the two yellow poles in front of it.  Trent purchased those two poles years (over a decade) ago while he was renovating a vehicle.  He had plans to use them, didn't and he's been luggin' them around ever since (think of all the times we've moved).  When we purchased this  crazy expensive  fancy new payment drop box (basically, a really costly mailbox) we wanted something to deter theft.  Trent pulled out these two metal poles, painted them bright yellow and set them in concrete.  Since the poles were free (well, they were to me since I wasn't around when he bought them), it sorta' made up for what we spent on the drop box.

**Funny tidbit:  the drop box came from a company called "Fort Knox" and they delivered it with gold coins (chocolate, not real ones) inside of it.

The Project Couple Goes Corporate

Okay - we're not exactly going corporate.  It's more like The Project Couple goes LLC (it just doesn't sound quite as cool).  This week we made a purchase of a different kind of project.  Instead of purchasing a home that needed a makeover, we purchased a business that needs a makeover.  1703 E Main Street, Niles, MI currently houses 96 storage units (of various sizes).  The facility is just a little over 10 years old, but needs some TLC.  While this project won't allow me to pick out new appliances and paint colors, I'm confident there will be plenty of decisions to be made in the near future.

Q & A Time:

Q.  Did you just buy it?  Today?  What?  Who does that?
A.  No, silly.  We've been in discussion for the past couple of years.  We've researched other storage facilities and chatted with lots of people in the biz.  We've considered profits, losses and everything in between.

Q.  Are either you or Trent quitting your jobs?
A.  Um, no.  We need our income to get this project up and running.  There will be no quitting of the jobs ANY time in the near future.  This is purely a project...much like our house projects have been.  We expect it to take about the same amount of evening/weekend time that those projects have required.

Q.  What is the storage facility called?
A.  It had a name/sign/logo/etc from the previous owners.  However, effective today it is called (drum roll), "Sheridan Blue Storage."  There will be a new sign, new logo, new phone number, new website, new everything....within 3-4 days.

Q.  Do you have any open units to rent out?
A.   Why YES!  While many of the units are filled currently, there are some still open (and we would LOVE to rent them).

Q.  Did you do all this just to try and be on "Storage Wars?"
A.  Absolutely not.  However, I wouldn't turn down an invite if the producer called us up today.

Q.  So, are you still selling your house and moving?
A.  Yes.  This week.  I'll spare you the next question:  we know we're crazy.

10 Days

It's been a long time.  The truth is we finished up the latest project house around the holidays last year (2012).  We were so happy and tired that we just cruised through the next 4 months quietly, while enjoying the finished house.

The quiet time is up!  In 10 days, this project house will have new owners.  The couple seems excited to move in and we're excited to sell it to them. 

Where are we going?  Good question.  There will be another project house, but it will probably be a little different from the last couple of homes.  We're still mulling over our choices (yes, I know we only have 10 days).

When we move out of 2390 Yankee Street, we will have lived here for 14 months.  When we purchased this house it was a 3 bedroom/1 bath home.  It is now a 4 bedroom/3 bathroom home.  Below are the official before and after photos.
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After:

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Really Close

We are getting really close to being done with this project house...really close. I'm uploading some photos of where things currently stand. Furniture is mostly in its final resting place. Decor is still coming. Window treatments are basically non-existent (but hopefully that will soon change). The basement still needs a few bigger (but kind of simple) items. The shower door is a special order (and rather expensive, in my opinion), the door knobs will probably be installed tonight, and the basement windows will be replaced and trimmed out this weekend.

What will we do with our time after this weekend?!