The Week Before Moving Day

1:53 PM

Last Friday we picked up the keys for the new place and with an SUV filled with 2 dogs, a Nathan, and a whole bunch of stuff, we headed out on the road for the hour long trip to good old Dundalk.

We had a few things we were a little concerned about. We suspected that there was an issue with 1 of the furnaces (there are 2) as the last time we went out it was shut off and when we turned it on it made a very loud noise. We turned it back off and called our trusted heating and refrigeration friend, Mitch, to see if he could come out and inspect it. We confirmed that he would come on Saturday night, the day after we got the keys. So when we got to the house, it was really cold which wasn't a shock but still an inconvenience. Thankfully we had one furnace working (the one which heats the apartment) so we set up camp in the apartment for the night where the temperature was a LOT more bearable.

When we bought the home, it was winterized and the water was shut off so during our inspection we couldn't confirm anything plumbing related. We pushed to have the bank send their property management company to dewinterize the house for us before we got occupancy and we finally heard back from them the DAY before we got the keys that they would send someone out to turn it back on. With this knowledge, we were a little curious while heading out to the house about whether or not the water was on and whether or not there had been any issues.

We arrived at the house at 6:30pm on Friday to find a little note on the stairs from the management company that read: "Came out to turn water back on. Heard water leaking from underneath kitchen floor. Turned water off." We were 100% prepared for some bad news but were still hoping things would go off without a hitch. Thankfully, we already had a plumber friend booked to come out to the house that same evening as we wanted the plumbing to finally be inspected, even if all seemed well when the water went on. So I called him and gave him a heads up that there was a leaking pipe and Scott got to work pulling up some floor boards to check out the issue. Jef, the plumber, discovered 3 leaks in that same area and fixed them all immediately, which was such a huge blessing. A surprise to us was that 2 out of the 4 showers in our home aren't even hooked up to the plumbing and the 3rd is hooked up but leaking, so we had 1 working shower. Again, no big deal...all things that can be fixed.

Once the water was on and all the leaks had been fixed, Scott plugged in the water heaters and we waited for the hot water. We waited, and waited...and then realized there was no hot water coming any time soon. There was a flashing code on 1 of the tanks making it evident to us that something was up, so Scott again called Mitch to see what he thought and unplugged it in the meantime. Since one tank was working fine, we ended up having hot water to our 2 kitchen sinks, as well as the non-existant washer machine and dish washer but NOT the bathrooms and more notably, not the one shower that we had actually working. Somehow this made us laugh. We are those types of people, which is probably why this whole crazy adventure appeals to us in the first place.

So our first night definitely didn't go to plan. We had a broken furnace, 3 leaks in the plumbing, a tore up kitchen floor, a broken hot water tank, a freezing half of the house, no showering capabilities, and a bunch of friends coming the next day to help us clean. We were feeling a little stressed but still quite prepared. We are so thankful that even though problems struck, we had friends already lined up to help us with the issues. Being prepared was what really saved us from what could have been a lot more of a stressful situation. Not only that but Nathan was there with us and he is Mr. Positive which helped keep the atmosphere a happy one.

The first night in the house was SO rough. We forgot our fan at home which we sleep with every night. I can't sleep without it on a normal night so the sounds of the new house as well as my breathing husband kept me up half the night. I was so tired from all the set backs of the day and wanted to sleep so bad but then a banging sound from the duct work or a creak in the floor would wake me again. Old homes move! They make noise. I wasn't terrified or anything...just not used to the sounds and my brains is wired to think a banging sound in the night actually means something! The dogs were on the alert too since they didn't know what was going on. That night was rough but every one that followed I slept like a baby :)

We had friends driving out from Barrie the following afternoon so we had them stop in at the Barrie house first and grab all the little things we had forgotten - namely the fan and some folding chairs, since sitting on the floor got old really fast! We had 6 of us cleaning on Saturday and it was actually loads of fun. We blasted music and split into 2's so that we were entertained while we cleaned. That night we went out for an awesome dinner at a local restaurant and then headed home to play games, have a dance party, and play hide and go seek in the dark. It was great...and fun making those memories with some of our best friends :)

I left my camera in the bag all weekend but snapped a lot on my iphone. Here are some photos from the weekend to give some samples of what it all looked like! Moving day is in 2 days!


Fixing toilets! Nate is loving the experience...























our red bedroom is now a pale blue :)


So the good news IS: our house is super clean (other than the floors which were only swept but not mopped since moving day will just muck them up again), we were able to paint 3 rooms and a hallway so far, and the issues with the furnace and hot water will be repaired on Saturday! Internet and our water softener are being hooked up Monday. This house already feels like home! We are back in Barrie now until Saturday and I already miss the house...I just love the whole place! I feel so inspired and excited when I am there :)

I will do a moving day post sometime early next week....and will do a few before/after's of the rooms which have seen a lot of progress already once furniture is in!

Thanks again to all the lovely people who made the drive out to help us this past weekend...and to those who are planning their coming weekend around helping us move! We love you guys.

Cheers,
Sam

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