Let’s Catch Up

Hi everyone!  I’m so sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted anything of substance here on the blog.  There have been many changes going on in the Garden household as of late. 

As many of you know from my Facebook page, Mr. Gardens grandmother passed away a couple weeks ago.  Unfortunately none of the family was overly close to her as she has lived in Missouri for many years and there were a lot of hard feelings between my in laws and her over the years.  However to our surprise when the in laws went to Missouri and the will was presented she had made my father in law the executor of the estate.  My mother in law was an only child and grandmas husband had already passed a few years back and his two sons were for some reason written out of the will. 

Now here comes the big surprise.  Grandma lived on an estate with 16.2 acres of land.  The house is paid for.  There is a beautiful catfish pond on the property with a small boat.  The property taxes are only $1000 a year and the utilities there are next to nothing. She willed the estate to my in laws!

Now with the current economy they know they can’t get much for the property since it’s in such a remote area of southern Missouri.  And as a result they have come to the decision to to move into the property.  This will free up much of their financial obligations and set them in a good place for retirement.

Here is the kicker for us.  They want to give Mr. Garden and I their home!  Okay not totally.  They want us to assume payments on it until we are a place to purchase it from them.  The note is paid down exponentially.  The mortgage is about $750 less than what were currently paying.  It’s only 20 min from where we currently live.  However… It’s a 1960’s/ 1970’s home.  NOTHING has been updated in it since it was built.  It’s on an amazing 1/3 acre lot with views that go forever.  We are figuring we can have the mortgage paid on in about 15 years. 

Here are some of the lovely features the home currently offers:

1960’s blue shag carpet, original.

A smurf blue master bathroom.  I mean I don’t know what people were thinking back in the day.  Must have been all the drugs.

A deck that wobbles when you step on it.

Poop brown wood fascia on the exterior. 

Cabinets that are literally falling off the walls.

And 20 years of cigarette smoking in the home.

Needless to say we have our work cut out for us.  It’s a DIY heaven in there.  We expect roughly 100K in updating the home and about 5-7 years worth of projects to get it up to par.

Here is a small list of the things we plan to do to the property.

Landscape front and back yards.

Put vinyl siding on the home.

Replace all the flooring in the home. 

Update kitchen and all bathrooms.

Knock down a few walls to create a more open concept including a 5 piece master on suit, a kitchen island and a mudroom off the garage entry.

Completely demo the basement.  Seal all the walls and rebuild.

A new deck the length of the house.

All new windows and much much more!

Now father in law is putting a request with his company today about transferring and becoming a remote employee since there are no offices where they will be.  He feels good they will agree.  We will know the finality of all of this by the weeks end. 

I will keep you posted.

We also bought a new car recently.  My 1999 Ford Expedition was getting a whopping 10mpg on a 26gal tank.  This was costing us an arm and a leg to keep fueled just to get the kids to and from school each week.  So we bought a cute little Kia Sportage that is currently getting 23-25 mpg.  I about fell over when I filled it up the other day and it cost my $34.75 LOL  I had to treat myself to a Starbucks!

Lastly I was with the bestie who passed along some furniture to me and we did a little shopping last week.  We completely updated my formal living space which I am now in love with!  Thanks bestie!!

 

I will keep you all posted on the house situation.  We currently have a lease until next February.  But we plan to ask the owner if he would be willing to try and get new renters in sooner.  I will also be getting pics and measurements of the in laws home.  Let me just say… you will need to keep an open mind! LOL

 

~Sommer