Where I'm At

I have the time stamp on the photos to tell me how much time I have spent on the work so far. This is looking good, but I am lacking in some very important ways and I am getting ahead of myself. I do not have any kind of drawing to guide me to the finished product. The only guide I have is the walk on the other side. That isn't good enough.
When a design flaw becomes apparent a solution has to be created. Going one step at a time does not inform the plan of the variables in future steps. Some people take things as they come. But if I am creating future difficulties for myself on account of a lack of foresight I want to know it sooner rather than later. If I have bent my back producing one thing only to get to the end and find that it does not square means bending my back again re-doing what would have been painfully obvious had I taken the time to work through the various equations at the start. If the project has to be gone back on, it looses something and isn't quite what it could have been.
This accounting is exactly what I want to address with this little job. So I will go back to the drawing board armed with the notes, pictures and sketches to produce a plan. It is a relatively simple job but it touches many elements of design. There is more than can be addressed in one post. I am trying to get to an overall "package."

A Practice Accounting Project

I am working on an improvement project in the front. There is a previous post showing the before and after of the first part of the project. It is walk way between the front steps and the car parking area. It includes a low retaining wall which creates a planting bed behind it. The wall is lined with border grass and the border grass has a brick border in front of it. Then the gravel path with a brick border on the outside.
Now I have to carry it through on the other side of the steps. It is a short run. I detail the work in my other blog, The Argenta Gardener which is at: http://www.bnbsgarden.blogspot.com/. In this blog I put this same project out there in economic terms in the way it relates to the value and improvements to the house. So I am going to put together some kind of documentation which I can develop into a template for future work. In this way I will grow into doing more and better work which will add monetary value in direct proportion.
Here is the starting picture....

The completed project is seen on the other side of the walk. This all begins like the home budget process...I will just start to gather up the transactions and sort them into categories by date and time. As the collect I can then add them up.

FINANCIAL EXERCISES AND ESTIMATES

The whole slate of improvements would be accomplished much more economically and efficiently if we built the garage apartment first and moved in there during the rest of the work. But if our faith was only to carry us only as far as one part of the project that would definitely mean doing the structural repairs first. But bearing in mind the level headed thinking of the guy that renovates income spaces on HGTV, we would be better off building the income space and the garage which we have been told will add much value, then attack the structural problems.
I could do much of the work provided I had clear architectural plans. I think we should have the garage built with me doing the sheetrock and painting work. Then contract a firm that specializes in the structural installations that we need. In the mean time I can do the other tear out and framing. I would get bids for the electrical, plumbing and ventilation work. But acting as the general contractor, I could would be able to complete much more of the work if we were living in the apartment out back.

Costs:
Architect, engineer fees……………………………….........
Construction of the garage apartment………………………
Permits, rubbish disposal……………………………….......
Structural engineering………………………………............
Electrical installation……………………………….............
Plumbing installation……………………………….............
Materials………………………………................................
Equipment rental………………………………...................
Tools………………………………......................................

Something to make life a little better

These are before and after photos of a project I have recently completed on the house: 

I did not spend any money to construct this new walk. I have discussed my plans for this project a couple of times on my gardening blog and now I have finally gotten this much done.

Now I have to do the other side of the steps to complete the thing. I regret that I did not take the time to document the construction with progress photos to show how I did it. I am resolved to do this on the other part of the project. It will more or less be done in the same manner.

THE PROJECT

The renovations break down into three or four separate parts. They are:
Structural repair and upgrades to the back of the house.
The addition of a mud room with a laundry room at the back, kitchen remodel, converting the downstairs bedroom and bath into a master suite and converting the former laundry room into a powder bath.
Front porch remodel, structural improvements to the front room ceiling.
Construction of a garage and apartment.

CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE
There are questions as to how we should proceed. Option 1 would be to construct the garage and apartment first. Then we would move into the apartment. Then the structural work can be done along with the rest of the interior work. It seems that this would be the most cost effective way. Then as the back is finishing up I can start the front porch demolition work and the front porch concrete work done last.
Option 2. It seems like option 1 is the way to do it, because of the savings in time and money to combine all of the interior project into one project. We can get a pod to store all of the household stuff and live apart from the dust of the work. This would allow much wider latitude in the demolition which I would be doing thereby making the framing much easier. By our not occupying the house during the work I would be able to do more of the work on account of there not being a very strict time frame to get the work done. If we try to occupy the house while the kitchen and downstairs bath is torn up the work will have to be on a fast track. As it is, if we can avoid occupying the house while doing the work, we should.
Option 3. Do the emergency structural repairs needed in the basement, kitchen and upstairs, then build the garage apartment so as to make the house salable first. I still think that the way to go is option 1. Build the garage and apartment first, then do the remodel.

MONTHLY INCOME POTENTIAL

The proximity of the property to Main Street makes it an excellent candidate for the addition of an apartment which would be rented out for monthly income. The house was split into two apartments in its former life. We would construct a garage with an apartment above. According to current rental rates this apartment would rent for around $650 per month. The rent could go higher if we built a three car garage with one space reserved for the apartment.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Development has been planted in this neighborhood. The area is growing with more people choosing to relocate or otherwise visit here on a weekly basis. The master plan for the downtown is very attractive. This house sits in the historic district along with a limited number of craftsman dwellings. This house has good bones. This house is the closest single family residence to a trolley stop on the whole line. This house is the closest house to the grocery store. This house is far enough away from the urban core to not be crowded and far enough away from the boundaries to still be secure. The urban area is home to many attractions and possibilities for activity like the baseball park, the arena, the river trail and downtown Little Rock. The neighborhood is becoming walkable and sustainable.

SWEAT EQUITY

I am the banker. I will pay the bills for the project as they arise and account for every dollar.
I am the contractor. I will have the power of the purse and I am the one in the drivers seat. I will make the deals and have the oversight on the project. The buck stops with me.
I am the laborer. I will do the demolition work and the clean up work. I will manage the job sight keeping it orderly and secure.
I am the painter. I will hang and finish the wall board and apply all the finishes.
These cost savings will translate directly into the check we will receive upon closing the sale of this house when we decide to sell.
Through the years of my trade work I consciously developed these skills for this project. However, when I would tell myself when I was mixing mortar under the hot Florida sun that I was doing that so that some day I could mix mud to build a house of my own, I did not believe that the day would really come when I would really do it.
My mother bought a house to fix up and sell for her retirement, but she died before getting it done. That put the idea in my heart. I thought it was a good idea then and an even better one now. Fixing the deficiencies of a good house adds to its value. A fixed up house adds to the value of the neighborhood. I believed in what my mother was trying to do.
These things constitute the “sweat equity” portion of the project. An inventory of my abilities in this regard reveals that I have a large treasure to contribute to our sweat equity. Sweat equity can save money on labor costs. The savings can be realized by getting more and better work done within the budget, which results in a higher profit margin on the sale. But sweat equity is an element that can only come into play when there is sufficient cash to cover the whole project beginning to end.

Options

One thing about renovations to our house is that I have to be in the drivers seat. It is very easy to fall into the mindset of waiting for something to happen. At my age I recognize that things happen when a mind has called for the thing to happen. I forced myself to sit down and write out my objective again and again. It's not that I can never hope to achieve my aims because they are too high. The thing is that I can't inject faith into a project that is as vague as fog. Becky and I have been kicking the ideas around for years and soliciting ideas from the neighbors. But they don't know. I have to decide then I have to convince Becky to decide with me. Our two minds together will set up the eternal spiritual forces that set the universe to swirling. These forces will go to work for us and help us with what ever we need when we need it. Once the mind begins to meet problems and make decisions designed to solve the problems faith begins to grow. This work will require faith.

Project 216 - Imagineering

This house at 216 West 6th St. had reached the bottom, being neglected so badly as to become uninhabitable. The girls, as we call them, the sisters who purchased this house and brought it back to life, exercised faith to invest their treasure for the chance to earn a little profit by updating then selling the house. They were successful according to their aims and now the same and even greater opportunity is in our hands.

The two year project the girls undertook was aimed at bringing the house to just above par for the neighborhood by the time they completed the work and put it on the market. “Par” at the beginning for them was a goal that anyone would have called ridiculous. The neighborhood was still very ugly when they came looking at this house, but they had a vision and a dream. From the time they took over this house, about seven years ago until now, the neighborhood has made rapid strides in improvements in the quality of life and there is a new “Par”.

Basement Situation

This is a cracked floor joist in the basement directly under all the slumping going on upstairs. I wonder if they are related? I spotted another joist that was cracked not far from this one. The Architect, Bill, preliminarily says that the load bearing wall is incorrectly constructed bringing all the weight of the roof and the upstairs to bear on one of the columns in the kitchen. The load needs to be spread out.
I look forward to the visit of the structural engineer. I'm not doing any work until I get these plans which give a specific course of action. In the mean time I need to find a job.

Downstairs Structural

This is the header wall between the dining room and the kitchen under the slumping floor upstairs. Something is definitely going down here.

Upstairs Structural

These are two views of the situation upstairs. There is a pretty big slump in the floor and the carpet is wrinkling from the dip.

First

Our Architect's proposal and fee schedule. I cleared the amounts. A plan creates a thing. Like when you loan or borrow money. The loan becomes a real instrument when it has a schedule for repayment and due dates and all of it is written and agreed to by the parties concerned. Anyone can do this. So, we have hired an Architect and paid a retainer. It makes this a real thing.
The first problem is a structural defect wherein the upstairs is on competition with the downstairs to relocate to the basement. Our Architect will seek a structural engineer to do a proper and legal evaluation. We find this important as we hope this unavoidable repair work will be covered in whole or in part by our homeowners policy. Some neighbors say yes, some, no. Becky is fit to be tied.
We don't know where or how we will come up with the money for this, but we can't just sit back and wonder what will happen next. It may run in the $10,000 range. BUT, in keeping with my vision, it may be possible for me to do the demolition work myself as well as the Sheetrock and finish work. We would get a Federal Historic National Parks grade structural repair and upgrade on our house for the lowest possible cost given my ability to apply my trade work and given the economic climate at this time.
This structural improvement is to be made in accord with the rest of the improvement plan to follow. As those plans are made we will know what to do next. It may be that we undertake a garage with an apartment which will provide us with rental income. But that is probably a year away.

Assume the Sale

We have taken the first real step. We have paid a retainer to an Architect to begin plan making. When I did sales in Florida, the first thing I learned was to "assume the sale". Everything in the salespersons language had to "assume" that the sale would be made. It is an attitude to adopt. So, from now on I am assuming that we will follow through with the improvements to this house.

Development Momentum and Wisdom

The Preacher in Ecclesiastes pointed out how there is a time and a season for everything. In this part of town it is the time of early development. Since our house is so close to the center of the district, we are drawn into "what's happening now". The feeling or life style here is more about the future and what is to be than it is in the right here, right now. Folks naturally kick at inevitable change because we fear.
Holding this property is more about developing it to make it more valuable in order to sell it to the people who will occupy the house during the coming "hey day". Because, for this house to really enjoy a "hey day", it must receive improvements. Once the improvements are made, this house will no longer suit us. It will be more suited to younger people. A Mother and a Father with their children. There will be schools here again. There will be better security. Higher property values will bring more stable people with more to lose. Property taxes will go up and the people who pay them will have their say in what goes on here. The American dream will go on. They will spend more time walking and biking than riding in cars.
But as I see it, the only way of making these improvements is with the view of making them and then selling the house. The part that takes faith is that the momentum of development will continue. This momentum is directly and immediately measured by the price per square foot. Momentum of development is people working to make profits with faith in the future.
The only way we can afford to make the improvements is with the goal of achieving a higher price per square foot in order to sell at a profit. It is a gamble, a risk. There is a scale: cost of improvements to higher square foot price points. Knowing how much certain improvements cost and how many dollars per square foot those improvements will add is the holy grail.
Here's the thing: I believe that only wisdom can tell what those numbers are. Wisdom only comes by faith. Profit requires faith and profit requires risk. To hit the target in the exact spot at the exact time will require the utmost in study and planning, but also intuition which comes from God's Wisdom. Wisdom tells me to make this house what it should be then rather than what it could be now.

More Thinking

I have felt stymied. I sat down and thought things over, starting at the beginning. I concluded that I am on track and that I have to keep the faith no matter what the circumstances or situations. In so doing I was able to clarify my feelings and decide on a course of action. I am talking about our Argenta Craftsman Home, and my mission to move it's value up by making certain improvements. I am more clear that doing anything is like growing a garden. It is a miracle that in the spring a seed can be planted that after it's growing time yields some tasty ears of corn, or some other such crop. Nobody really knows how. Nobody knows how a baby grows in the womb. That's life - nothing stands still. It takes Faith.

Through the course of the last four years I have made a survey of everything I believe needs doing on this Our Argenta Craftsman Home. Through the same time I have educated myself on the real estate market and I have reconciled the list of improvements with the market. I have come up with the basic renovation program which would satisfy me. It's what I feel should be done.
If it was spring and I was to till up a plot the size of two city lots to plant a garden, I would have no more confidence in saying that come harvest time that plot will yield all this different produce. You just have to sow and put in the time everyday doing what needs to be done. Stuff just grows and you win some and lose some. Maybe fixing that wall in the picture above is like growing a mess of cantaloupes. The seasons will pass and the earth will yield. Though I may have doubts I can't reap if I don't press on anyway.

  But you can't grow a thing until you make a start and break ground. Everything done is measured in financial terms. Here is what I figure and come to every way I approach it: The regular Craftsman houses in our neighborhood go for around $95 - $105 per square foot. The new condos across the street are listed at $250. I am convinced that with the certain improvements that this house will rise to the $250 value level, if not more. The improvements will add some more square feet.
Currently a conservative estimate of our square feet is 1650. At $95 that puts the value of our house at $156,750. Sounds about right. With the improvements I envision the square feet becomes 2000 and at $250 that puts our value at $500,000. Stop right there because you are thinking, "Impossible." If you were to lay out all the seeds to go into the productive garden aforementioned and calculated the predicted yield you would say then, "Impossible." So I think I can make this house everything it should be for $100,000. (No doubt.) So here it is: take that $500,000 and subtract the $100,000 improvement investment, subtract our current principle mortgage balance and that leaves quite a lot of money. So in that sense it works out. I still just feel in my gut that it is the thing to do.
I can do nothing without a true set of plans. The next step is to begin having real plans drafted and that requires money. I have contacted a man who claims to have the kind of qualifications for this and I am going to find out how much it will cost to develop detailed plans. Another thing I have done is to set up a calender. I want to be finished with the work by our anniversary in November of 2012. This would allow for a grand Thanksgiving in our newly remodeled home. I want a plan so complete as to have the work done start to finish in six months. That means a starting date of May 1, 2012.
I want to pay for everything as I go. The plans will take months of work to develop, this I know, so I should be able to pay the man some money every month between now and the start of construction. I will superintend the project and pay all the bills as they come in. Right now I have only a vague idea as to how I can earn the money required for the construction. But I do know with the skills I have acquired in a lifetime of construction work, that I can do some of the work myself, and that will be my extra benefit. I can float all the wallboard and do all the painting. That will be a substantial savings. I will be able to do some of the demolition work myself as well. I can rent a dumpster and do the tearing out and clean up work. I will be a general laborer throughout the job. This will help keep it moving and keep me aware of the possible snags, while saving some real dollars.
Instead of trying to cut any corners I want to use my extra benefit to go above and beyond. We cannot replace the windows, so I think I have a plan to refit them and make them more air tight, however, that will cost "X" amount per window, but still less than replacements, and the energy savings and noise reduction will add real value. I am thinking that I can do this myself with scaffolding. My extra benefit should go to making this house in this historic district the house all others are measured by. This would make me feel that all the years I spent gaining my stock and trade were the best investment I could have made.

The Market a Block Away

Our Argenta Craftsman home is only a block away from the new Argenta Market grocery store. We are very fortunate to have the store and to be the closest house. The market is a major milestone for the urban development of both downtowns on either side of the river.

Our Argenta Craftsman Home is also the closest house to a trolley stop. We got married on this one.

Clawing my way forward

I got started on getting this area cleaned up. I am working with a hypothetical goal of making the house presentable as if it were to be shown on the real estate market.
I want to fix this wall by taking down the bad parts and re-building it complete with a new concrete cap. Fixing this wall is complicated by the need to have a rain gutter over this portion of the porch. The concrete porch deck needs to be demolished and replaced with a new deck with drains. The rain pours onto the porch here and gets behind this wall and has to leak out through the joints.
There is much to be done on the whole front porch to bring it up to speed. Just doing this little bit of preliminary work is exhausting. But I have to make progress when and were I am able. Looking at this picture makes me feel better about this area, so it is well worth the effort.
I think a big part of making progress is for me to take it in small bites. I am getting a better feel for proportion. I had to remove an ornamental plant at the far end of this excavation, but I left the one on the right. The area of this project starts about five feet on the other side of the gate and comes past where I stood to take this picture, beyond to the sidewalk, which is about 25' behind me.

Curb Appeal Project Growing

Becky and I had a good talk this morning about our budget.  I have vacated the mini storage unit and dealt with almost everything in it. I put up a picture here of some of the junk out at the street for pick up tomorrow morning. Here is the voided check for the mini storage rent and the estimate I have accepted for a new gutter to be installed in about two weeks. The cost for the gutter came in $100 less than the amount I had budgeted.
I donated the excellent shelves which I had in the storage along with some plywood to the Downtown Council here. They helped with moving it out. I separated out anything from my former painting business and we will be taking that stuff to Habitat For Humanity. There are some tools and supplies they may be able to use. Becky saw to that. Basically all I will have left to dispose of is the old paint and solvent.
I already feel so much better. I hope these experiences I am reporting will serve to inspire others to break out of old, dead ways and move to new and exciting adventures. Just the other day I was thinking there was no way I could come up with the money to take care of some of the problems of our poor, neglected house and here I am well on the way.
For inspiration I use the image of Sandra Rinomato of HGTV standing in our house and telling us that we have done a fabulous job with it and that it is worth so and so. The things that need doing just jump out at me. And they are things which by and large are fairly easy and inexpensive to accomplish given my experience as a professional painter.

Gotta Dream Boys? Paint Your Wagon

I did not wait for Becky's approval to get started on getting the back door fixed. First thing to do is to empty out the mini storage unit before the 1st. That's all the junk paint left over from countless jobs. Every single can and jug has some significance to me. When I look out at this I don't see old paint cans. I see old tombstones of dead jobs. Each and every one of them come from certain paint stores for specific jobs and specific customers, all of whom became very familiar to me, the good and the bad. I realize that respectfully closing up and clearing out all the dead stuff is very important. This is going to do us a world of good, getting rid of all that. That's all the paint material to be processed. There is much more junk to be got out and rid of.
It's going to be work for sure. All that old paint has to be solidified with cat litter and then the city will pick it up. The dirty paint thinner, which is settled has to poured into containers without residue. The residue which is settled out also is solidified with kitty litter. The city has a reclamation center for the clear solvent. Sitting where it is, I am highly motivated to be over and done with it.
It is surprising to me that the first action to take to fix the rotten spots on the back door is this.
This is what I've got to cure before the door is ruined:

My neighbor and I installed this door. It had to be custom made to fit the odd opening. It was very difficult to get in there and it was very expensive to have made. I only want to repair this with marine (boat) epoxy to extend it's life two years until we effect the improvements in the kitchen. That should be very possible if I can prevent the water from getting to it.
Closing the shop gets the money that buys the gutter that keeps the rain off the rotting door whose life must be saved.

A Light Shining Through The Darkness

I put up stiff resistance to the crushing doubts in my ability to meet the challenges of making repairs to the house. Looking over the plan I had created I saw that I really needed only $350 to get started. I could request estimates if I was assured of having that amount. While I was wracking my brain the idea kind of slipped into my head full grown. It was based on ideas I already had but not acted on.
I have maintained a mini storage unit for over ten years. The unit was the base of my painting business operations up until I stopped accepting work. In the year or two leading up to the stopping point I had crammed some junk I inherited or otherwise could not let go of from the sale of my parents' house. Becky's sons had used it to store their stuff in. I had the remnants of my old business and boxes of company records in there, junk from the old houses, Mike and Dan's leftover junk, and junk I have taken out of the house, here. $83.85 per month down the sewer.
It was clear to me... close out the mini storage and put the $83.85 a month into an account for home improvement. There was my funding stream. Next is the need to sell Becky on the idea. What I propose is to transfer $350 from savings into a new checking account as a start up loan. I will deposit the check I have ready for July rent in there as well. Then, beginning July 25th, I will make monthly payments back into the savings account to repay the loan and with a little interest. So, if Becky approves and we can find a gutter installer to come in under budget, we can soon have that very important, very crucial repair of the back door under way.
Here is my loan analysis:

A Problem? It Costs Money

The list of our monthly budget items from the least, Netflix, to the greatest, the home mortgage or the grocery bill is a long list indeed. For the car, alone, the sub-list is: 1. car payment 2. car insurance 3. fuel 4. service and maintenance 5. registration fees 6. property tax. Numbers one and three come up every month.  A simple calculation renders the total cost per mile, on average. The cost can be shown in terms of time, the cost per month. With the passing of time costs arise. You eat breakfast and in while you are hungry again. Time passes and it costs calories - there is no getting around that. The idea is that life is to be lived in the faith that the earth does indeed yield her increase. It does not pay a thing to live life in fear of all the realities of life and death. Better to live in faith for love's sake that as we sow good faith we shall reap the good fruit of good faith.
Thinking about the repairs and improvements so desperately wanting my faith was a little withered. I can't do a thing without a budget. Where to begin? Creation of a budget requires a clear-cut plan with accurate line item costs. There was nothing left for me to do but to sit down and work up a cost estimate. I figured up the fixes and the line items tallied to $1360. So, I added another $140 for unforeseen circumstances which brought it up to an even $1500. My heart wanted to sink, but I just kept working at the problem.

I produced this document:

Add To That List - Paint The Down Stairs

May as well add these areas to the painting list. I can do it.

Curb Appeal 3 - The Bathroom

The downstairs bath has got to be re-painted. Becky wants to replace the rusted chrome shelves above the toilet. The existing paint is very cracked and there is substantial peeling. We made a plastic curtain which keeps the water out of the window. As long as the window is opened while the shower is running there is just enough ventilation. However, lacking a vent fan, it gets very moist in there when the shower is going. But it is good enough to paint. It is a must-do project. The whole downstairs is in need of fresh paint and color. This is the best place to start.
It will cost whatever the materials cost.
Fixing wallboard...............$   25
Primer and paint................   80
New cabinet......................  120
Total.............................................$225
Something like this.

Curb Appeal 2 - The Back Porch

The eyes of buyers would not look with favor on this sight. One problem is the old concrete counters leaned up out here. Then there's the other stuff that amounts to nothing but clutter. But worst of all is the peeling paint so obviously associated with the much larger problem of a lack of rain guttering here. It is wreaking havoc with the house. This is the back door:

So, I got to put up some kind of gutter and solve the drainage problem. Next, I will have to get some marine epoxy and fix the door, then repaint all the affected surfaces.
This area has to be fixed:

As for the concrete slabs, I can use one piece as a pavement for the garbage cans on the side of the house. That is if I can move it some how. The other two pieces... We'll see. Those may be incorporated on an improved grill area. I need some kind of dry cupboard to keep the hibachi and grill equipment in. That would keep me from putting it on the porch.
As for this gutter project, I think I have everything I need to at least to make a real attempt at the fix. Getting this done will clear another mess in the basement of materials not applied and going to waste. I bought some guttering stuff a couple of years ago, but then I hurt my back. I am ready now and this problem is an emergency.

Curb Appeal 1 - The Old Driveway

I was watering this morning and I realized that my projects should be more focused and driven. I need to gain efficiency in converting labor and materials into value appreciation. I take the idea from HGTV of calculated improvements to add specific value most directly. In other words I need to get more done, sooner. I need to realize there is a fire under my be-hind.
I imagine that T.V. photographers are panning every square inch of our property with unflinching honesty. Then I see I have so much to do that I got to get in gear and get some clear-cut plans drawn up with clear-cut projects to knock down. So, for the curb appeal improve: Fix- up the front east side. That's the first thing you see coming from Maple.

I want to see a clear, edged side-walk all the way to the tree on the right where the outfit at the corner leaves off. I want all the concrete in that lane pulled up and pounded into rubble. I want the soil turned adjacent to the  ditch left behind where the concrete is taken. Turn soil adjacent to wall foundation and draw it back. Fill in along foundation with concrete rubble keeping just below top of concrete. Rake out the best grade possible. Seed with fescue seed which is on-hand.
The lower drive gets the clean-up treatment. It is left smoothed over with grass growing to cover. The result should be a drainage improvement for rain running off the side of the house and porch. Lawn turf covers the side yard from the side walk to the gate. There will still be a driveway contour there, but parking will be prohibited until the grass is solidly established and that, only very temporary parking. Not so that the grass is affected.
The walk going east needs edging across the lot next to us. The perimeter from the curb back about 12' to 14' needs grooming and cleaning. The two ornamental annuals affected next to the house are moved to the south west corner of the back yard and established in a bed built from the 2x6 lumber which is molding away in the basement. That bed is to be half buried in the relative grade there equitable with the bed in the south east corner so that looking from the house the layout is smoothly unified. That will clear a little mess from the basement. The earth in the bed receives additions and cultivation prior to relocating the ornamental plants.
For this improvement project I have everything on hand in readiness to be spent and done. I won't spend any money on this and I should get a very nice curb appeal boost. Not to mention feeling better about the condition of our property. So this project is well worth spending the labor and materials on. How much time? 1/2 day to start and 1/2 day to finish.

Liveability Improvements

There are improvements wanting for our Argenta Craftsman Home besides remodeling the kitchen, bathroom and front porch. From time to time I am jogged into thinking about improvement elements that would really make this home more livable. I remember, then I forget them. I must begin to translate these improvements into reality by thinking more definitely about them.My first step is to start listing these ideas as I recall them.
 1. Bicycle accommodations.
The first thing I think about is a place to park four bicycles. We don't have bicycles at this time, but I think when the time comes for us to sell the house, the best buyers will be avid bicycle riders. We are located just blocks away from the River Trail that runs up and down both sides of the river with crossings over the Big Dam Bridge on the west end and the Pedestrian Bridge that links the two downtowns in the east. I think the whole trail is probably close to twenty miles long. There are also many other bike trails nearby.
I think that the greatest thing would be a separate remote-controlled bicycle gate wherein a bike rider could push the button on approach and ride straight into the bicycle parking area. The bicycle parking area would, itself, be secure and inside. There would also be a rack to lock down the bicycles if the occupants were gone.
2. I will think of something for number 2.

An improvement project

Here is the project all done. During the weeks it has taken me to complete this, I have gained much in the form of an education. I have a better feel for how to make good, steady progress on all the work this house demands. Not to work is to suffer loss in our home value. To do well-conceived projects keeps that value going in the right direction.
I want to follow through on this project by collecting a record of all the costs associated with this thing. A record would help to measure and calculate future project requirements and returns.

Home Improvement

I have done some sweating the last three days on an improvement project.:

Everything in that bed, including the water meter tank, has been refurbished to at least 8" in depth. Brick pavers will be installed on the pad prepared between the dogwood tree and the light pole. This is a project which has been carefully planned and executed with thoroughness. Getting this house into the condition I desire will require about 200 projects of this scale. Each project has to be as focused on results as this. I haven't spent any money doing this. I have used materials I have on hand. We bought a flat of Asia Jasmine for about $7.00 which will be planted here.
I doubt the value of this improvement can be calculated. However at some point this project and a bunch of other projects executed with skill will begin to influence our property value in a positive way that is undeniable. While I was working on this project a German couple rode up on bicycles and inquired about property available for sell in the neighborhood. I thought of Sandra Rinemato  on HGTV and the way she sells property. I could do that. Our house is pretty good, but this couple wanted something that was solid and complete inside and out. If our house were improved up in the neighborhood of twice it's current appraised value, they would jump on it and buy it.

Brick Assessment

Mostly, the mortar joints are pretty good on the house. Except, in front, the rain runs off the roof and pours onto the side porch, which gets behind the wall. The porch deck is something funky, too. It appears that the original porch deck was probably concrete and poorly constructed. That deck deteriorated, and the fix was to pour another concrete slab on top of the old one. At the doors, the concrete porch elevation is about two and one half inches above the thresholds. This creates an odd gap.
I want to rebuild all of this in the proper way. My confidence level in myself is high in regards to my ability to tuck point the brick. I think I could eventually cast new caps for the porch wall. Here it is:

The rain runs off behind this wall, and see how it leans!? The mold growing on the wall shows how the water is flowing within the bricks. You can see the deteriorated wall cap. I will make rubble out of the cap and take down this wall. I will pull it down from this column in the foreground, from the top courses down to the course that is solid and level. The destruction will continue to pull apart all the failed brick work to the corner and around to the column at the steps.
This will make access to the concrete porch much easier. Then, all the concrete deck will be pounded into rubble and removed, along with the poor, loose, back fill underneath.
I will install a system to drain the water off the porch. Then I will build everything back, Federal Grade.
In the mean time, I can begin to tuck point the other parts of the front walls and the rest of the house that do not need complete re-building.

Tuck Pointing Start

Our Argenta Craftsman Home is a sturdy brick house. The Brick is laid on top of a footer wall that is about ten inches thick and about three feet tall, except in back where there is a basement and the walls are about eight feet tall. However, the mortar between the bricks is very soft, like sand that is held together with a little dried mud. There are definite guidelines of the National Parks Service Historic Preservation Briefs in regards to tuck pointing bricks and the types of mortar to be used.
I think I am drawing closer to being able to attack this weakness in our house to make important improvements. This is the first page of the brief covering tuck pointing.

2

Repointing Mortar Joints in
Historic Masonry Buildings

Robert C. Mack, FAIA, and John P. Speweik »Historical Background
Identifying the Problem Before Repointing
»Finding an Appropriate Mortar Match
»Properties of Mortar
»Mortar Analysis
»Components of Mortar
»Mortar Type and Mix
»Budgeting and Scheduling
»Contractor Selection
»Execution of the Work
»Visually Examining the Mortar and the Masonry Units
»Summary
»Conclusion
»Selected Reading

A NOTE TO OUR USERS: The web versions of the Preservation Briefs differ somewhat from the printed versions. Many illustrations are new, captions are simplified, illustrations are typically in color rather than black and white, and some complex charts have been omitted.

Near the end of this brief there are two charts which have made my requirements clear:

Mortar Types(Measured by volume)
Designation	Cement	Hydrated Lime or Lime Putty	Sand
M	1	1/4	3 - 3 3/4
S	1	1/2	4 - 4 1/2
N	1	1	5 - 6
O	1	2	8 - 9
K	1	3	10 - 12
"L"	0	1	2 1/4 - 3

Suggested Mortar Types for Different Exposures
	Exposure
Masonry Material	Sheltered	Moderate	Severe
Very durable: granite, hard-cored brick, etc.	O	N	S
Moderately durable: limestone, durable stone, molded brick	K	O	N
Minimally durable: soft hand-made brick	"L"	K	O

I had made a visit to Acme Brick, here in town, and they referred me to the local office if Ash Grove Cement. I was connected to a salesman that affirmed that I probably needed type O, as above. He was speaking off the top of his head by memory, so this tells me he is probably the person to go to for this.

Home Improvement

While working on a landscaping project that involved the water meter, I discovered that the water line from the meter to the house was done new when the girls did all the upgrading before we bought it.

The line isn't visible in this picture, but it is there. We are doing several landscape projects this summer. I got a new vision when we visited New Orleans recently. I can better see this house becoming more valuable.

Home Improvement Improvement

Our Argenta Craftsman Home has a critical need for major improvements. Major improvements mean major commitments and major money. We are still a little short on the money thing, but I won't let that keep me from building plans. I keep learning and my ideas get clearer and that makes the price tag drop and cost efficiency rise. Becky and I regularly watch shows on HGTV about home improvements gone horribly awry and home improvements that are dreams come true. As the time goes by and the anticipation builds, our dreams grow together, and grow more sound.
I have had ideas about how to put ideas on paper that will communicate and resonate with Becky. Her background is in nursing and major renovation is impossible to her. I, on the other hand, have worked on house renovation projects that were enormous and went on for more than a year. So, I refuse to let a little thing like a present lack of funds force me to think contrary to my hearts desire. It is hard work just to discover what the heart desires.
I edited a picture of part of our property as an experiment in drawing up simple and direct plans. I refuse to just go to the home improvement store and start buying without a clear-cut plan. With this particular photo I hope to draw in a future hedge. This will give us a clear idea of the type of hedge we should install and the definite quantity based on the spacing requirements of the plants. My attention is focused on the creation and use of systematic written plans for home improvement in this blog, even though this is a gardening project. I will track the gardening work of planting a hedge row in my Argenta Gardener blog, http://bnbsgarden.blogspot.com/ This blog starts out more concerned with raising plans and finances for major renovation to the house. With the plans and financing secured, then construction begins to come into the picture.
Perhaps I should seize upon this project of the hedgerow to develop a workable, real-time, planning template. This template would be the framework to organize all the information being gathered in connection with the project. The planning template must lead in the direction of eventual hard and fast decisions, like what specific shrubs do we use, how far does the line extend, how many shrubs do we purchase, how much are we willing to spend, and endlessly on.
There must be transactions and budgets and records. Everybody has these things. Whether people wisely observe them is another thing altogether. This project will be followed in this blog and will be concerned with the elements of the undertaking which lead up to and include the transactions. The gardening part I will endeavor to cover in The Argenta Gardener blog. I will link the planning documents with a photo summary in this blog when the project is all said and done. That's my plan.
So, my goal, my finish line, is the final photo summary of the finished project. The date I set for completing this project is...JUNE 21st.
Here is the first official document of: WEST FRONT PROPERTY LINE HEDGE

Becky and I plan to put a hedge of Youpan Holly bushes along the property line to the right, centered between the open gate and the corner of the fence. The planting line will extend to this side of the tree, maybe as far as the side walk which is just behind and to the right of the camera position. I'm going to take a print of this picture and a measuring tape and mark where each shrub will go. That will give us a quantity and a basis for cost estimates. We can take the drawing to experts to find the exact right kind of shrub to plant for our wants. It's an empty lot next door for right now. This hedge is in anticipation of a house being built there in the future. The top of the brick on our house to the left is about twelve feet, so we are thinking of a hedge that will grow about that high to suffice. Here is where consults with various experts will pay. But this is talk. The next act is to draw up the plan and create the frame work for finance that we can carry to shop.

Ideas From New Orleans

We Went to New Orleans a couple of weeks back. I found new inspiration for our house. One element is the ivy covered walls. Ivy- covered walls are common there, in case you haven't been there, yet.

This wall is an outstanding example of an ivy covered wall.









This picture is a wall around a home in the Garden District near Sandra Bullocks home and the house from 'Benjamin Button'. I'm not exactly sure what kind of ivy this is, or if it will grow in Argenta. You can see it is about 9" thick. It is not stuck hard to the wall like crested or English ivy.

This is the ivy on our house. The neighborhood architects tell me it is destructive. Becky tells me it stays. I just have to stay on top of pruning. It doesn't take much work. The year I was off my feet it got way up. It took some doing to wrangle it back into submission. Becky planted it about three years ago. It is growing on me.

Photo Survey

Brody and I did a photo survey of the grounds the other day. This post could be included in my Argenta Gardener blog. I intend to have 6 yards of screenings dumped beside that tree. I will use the screenings as the foundation for walks. I will excavate the soil out of the site and fill in with the screenings. I will go into the details of the project on my gardening blog. In this blog my focus on the project is as a capital improvement to the property and not so much of a gardening project. Six yards of screenings will cost me $131 delivered. This photo is the car park area. The plan is to excavate the strips of bare dirt and fill with 6" of the screening gravel. A 3' wide walkway will be constructed from the brick apron under the gate, yonder, to come around the corner and connect to the front walk. This will link the front walk to the car so that we can get to and from the car on a real walkway. Also the walk from the gate will accommodate the rolling trash can. It is important to get all of this engineered with proper grades that allow for good drainage of the affected areas. Then the yard will be constructed around this foundation. I will use a 6" fill with the view to taking off the top 2" next year and laying down some kind of pavers. The pavers will have a very firm foundation and I can reuse the extra material somewhere else.

Grand Opening of the Argenta Market

The Argenta Market opened today. The bottom picture shows the Mayor, Jody, Shane and other dignitaries. The ribbon cutting scissors are at the left side of Mayor Hays. (The red handle). They are listening to someone speak just prior to the mayor's remarks and the ribbon cutting. The top photo is the front door and the check out counter. There was a large crowd gathered for the event and the local media was well represented. Not only do we have the closest house to a trolley stop, we now are the closest house to the grocery store. I hope the market thrives. Traditionally stores like this were mom and pop operations. This one is a conglomerate with no owners on sight. Momma won't be at the cash register. They have done a great job with this operation.