Want: Nest Thermostat

I’ve been looking into getting a programmable thermostat for my HVAC system, since I’ve heard all about how they save you money on your electricity bill.  I had already picked out a Honeywell 7-day programmable model and added it to my ever expanding list of things to buy in the near future.

Then I stumbled across the Nest Learning Thermostat.

Unlike every other programmable thermostat, you use the Nest just like you would a normal thermostat.  You turn it up when you’re cold; you turn it down when you’re hot.

Then, like magic, the thermostat begins to learn your habits and adjust the temperature for you.  No programming needed.  It even knows when you are gone on vacation and adjusts accordingly!

Another thing I like about the Nest is that you can control it with an iPhone or on the web.  And when you consider the fact that your HVAC use comprises 50% of your utility bill, you can quickly see that having a programmable thermostat that actually does its job is worth the initial investment.

It also doesn’t hurt that the unit itself is a marvel of industrial design.  Simply beautiful.

Add that to my Want List.

Evolution of a toilet

Like singer Mary J. Blige, I prefer a new/like-new toilet seat.  That is especially true whenever I move someplace new.  When I moved to Chapel Hill, I immediately replaced the toilet seats in my apartment.  When I moved to the Fountain Apartments, I sanitized and sterilized the one they provided.

Likewise, it should come as no surprise that my first new home purchase was two new Kohler toilet seats.  The new seat in the pink bathroom was the more dramatic transformation of the two bathrooms, as the existing seat was equipped for handicap accessibility.

The pictures above show the evolution of my guest bathroom’s toilet: before, during, and after.

Moving day is here

One month after closing on my house, moving day is finally here!  You’ve seen what has taken so long on the pages of this blog.  Two weeks of carpentry and two weeks of floor refinishing have kept me from moving in until now.  But I’m happy to say that it has been worth the wait!

My realtor and friend Tish Goodman loaned me the Bowie Realty van for my big move.  I’ve got two guys coming to help move the big stuff and friends and family helping move the rest.  The fall weather should be perfect for moving furniture and unpacking boxes.

If you are in the neighborhood of Four Zero Two, swing by.  Beware, though, because I might put you to work!

Happy Owloween

A few weeks ago, mom came home from Big Lots with this little guy.  She said it only cost $10 and she “just couldn’t pass it up.”  I used it to decorate my campsite at King Biscuit two weekends ago and after the festival I decided it would be a nice addition to East Monroe Avenue.  I’m sure my neighbors are just thrilled that I’m moving to the neighborhood, tacky lawn decorations and all.

Oak, meet Special Walnut

The only thing standing in the way of me moving into my new home is the hardwood floors.  Victor is working hard to get them done by Thursday, but from what I understand, it is a ten step process. Victor’s motto when working on hardwood floors is that when the job is done, the floors will be “furniture that you walk on.”  I really appreciate the pride he takes in his work.

I went by the house today at lunch and got my first glimpse of the floors with the stain.  It really looks great!  We tested three Minwax colors: Provincial, Special Walnut, and Dark Walnut.  The Dark was too dark, the Provincial was too red, and Special turned out to be the perfect compromise between the two.  I think you’ll agree that it is an improvement over the original, slightly orange, finish.

Tonight, he screens the floors and starts the polyurethane application process!

Allis, not Alice

I just found out that I had been spelling the name of Dave’s dog Allis wrong the whole time I’ve been writing this blog.  It’s Allis, not Alice.  Come to think of it, I’ve been thinking of Allis as an Alice the whole time I’ve known her too. Turns out she is named after Dave’s Allis Chalmers WD45 tractor.  Great name.  I’ve since corrected it on the blog.

Incidentally, the spelling and pronunciation of a name go a long way in helping me associate and remember a person and their personality.  In other words, I think of people (and animals) in terms of how their names are spelled and pronounced.  For example Katie is completely different from Katy or Kady, just as Zach is different from Zac or Zak. Even though those sets of names are technically pronounced the same, they’re just not the same to me.

Which is why my Alice mistake is such a bummer.  It’s almost as if I’ll need to spend more time with Allis so I can get to know her as an Allis and not an Alice.  I guess I’ll have to find something else for Dave to do at my house once those donations to the “Tile Thomas’ Kitchen and Den Fund” come rolling in.

Be gone, carpet

Right before Dave left, he pulled up the last of the carpet in the house.  Although there weren’t hardwood floors underneath the carpet in the den, it had gotten extremely dusty during all the construction and simply had to go.

Being the clean freak she is, my mom offered to buy me an area rug if I’d just consent to ripping the dusty carpet out (which at first I was opposed to).  With this offer in place, I couldn’t say no.  So out went the carpet.

Underneath the carpet lived a long-hidden gem of a linoleum tile floor that resembles terrazzo.  See for yourself:

While the long range plan is to eventually lay ceramic tile in the kitchen and den, I am out of money in the short run, so I’m going to be living with my linoleum floors for now.

All contributions to the “Tile Thomas’ Kitchen and Den Fund” can be mailed to 402 East Monroe.  Donations are not tax-deductible but will be appreciated all the same.

At last, the angled bookshelf

Dave finally completed his work today and the finished product is just great!  He left me with a lot of neat things to show you over the next few days, but I’ll start by showing you the project that he completed last (today).

Now, I’m kind of partial to the angled kitchen bookshelf, in part because I came up with the idea for it and designed it on my own (with some help from the good folks at the Not So Big House), and in part because it turned out so well.  If you forgot how the idea came about, read my earlier post.  Once you’ve refreshed your memory, check out the finished product:

Once my countertops arrive, they will extend to cover the top of the bookshelf.  This will add additional square footage to my overall counter space, but also (and perhaps more importantly) to the counter height bar that will be to the left of the bookshelf in the photos.

As previously discussed, I think the bookshelf will be both functional and will be a nice added design detail to the kitchen.  Of course, all of this will look much better once I get it caulked and painted.  All in due time.  Nice work, Dave!

How I became a homeowner

I guess I never really told you how it happened that I became a homeowner.  Perhaps I got a little ahead of myself by jumping straight to the fun stuff.  I should have told you how I made it to the point of owning a house to renovate in the first place.  So, let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.

I’ve lived in the Fountain Apartments for right at two years with my wonderful cousin Malone.  This has been the perfect situation for me as my apartment is exactly two blocks from City Hall, my place of business.  Each weekday morning I commute to work on my two feet in less than two minutes.  In fact, my morning commute is arguably my favorite part of the day.  There’s just something peaceful about an empty downtown street early in the morning.

Nevertheless, as I’ve gotten settled in Greenwood and warmed up to the idea of sticking around for the long term, I began to get the itch to buy a house.  Now, I’ve already told you how and why I decided to buy.  What I didn’t tell you was how I landed at 402.

House Hunting

I started looking pretty seriously at houses in March of this year with my realtor, Tish Goodman of Bowie Realty.  The first house I became interested in was actually a house my dad lived in years ago.  It was small at 1,200 square feet, but was big enough for me.  It needed some work to both bathrooms, along with a general overall freshening up.  With that in mind, I made what I thought was a reasonable offer, which was quickly rejected.  Although I felt a bit defeated, I didn’t let it get me down.

From the get-go, I decided that I wasn’t going to get desperate and buy something that wasn’t right for me.  And with my sweet setup downtown, I had no incentive to settle.  I kept telling myself that the right house would come along at the right price at the right time for me.

The next house I really liked was owned by friends of mine.  It was an older home with all the charm in the world.  Three bedrooms, two baths, an updated kitchen, a beautiful back yard, and a front porch to die for.  I knew that I was looking at it alongside others, so I tried to make my decision quick and put my offer together, but in the end I was too slow moving.  It turns out that the other party made an offer and it was accepted before I could pull the trigger.  This also turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  The house was really too big for just me, and as it turns out, it is the perfect size for the couple that bought it.  In fact, I am happy that the couple that bought the house are friends of mine, so I can go and sit on their awesome porch!

The third house I really liked was also owned by friends of mine.  It was really a great house for me, with three bedrooms, 1.5 baths, a nice kitchen, a double carport, and a huge back yard.  It just happened to be slightly out of my price range and we weren’t able to reach a price point that worked for them and for me.  No hard feelings.  They ended up selling it a week or so after I first made my offer.

The Road Home

Finally, feeling a little worn out from the stress of looking and thinking and offering and starting the process over and over again, I got a glimpse of hope.

One afternoon, I was texting my friend Brett, who had talked to our friend Patrick, who had told him I had been looking at houses.  I told him about the tough time I’d had finding something and then, out of the blue, mentioned that if his family ever got to the point of selling his grandmother Lucy’s home to let me know.  As it turns out, Brett’s mom was in the process of finding a place for Lucy to live closer to them in Florida and was considering putting the house on the market.

A few days later, I spoke with Mrs. Person on the phone, met her over at the house, and made an offer, all before she ever listed the house with a realtor.  After looking at every home in my price range in Greenwood, I knew the moment I walked in that it was perfect for me.  With two large bedrooms, two baths, a large living room and dining room with a den and a kitchen, all it needed was an update. Before she left town that day, we signed a contract on a coffee table in the lobby of The Alluvian Hotel.

It was then that I knew that I would be the proud owner of 402 East Monroe.

Stretch it out, Allis