Update from the North - Phase I

(Picture of Upton House.)

We're back in MA, and I'm already exhausted. What does this have to do with "The Lakehouse" you may ask? Money, honey, money. Until we sell our primary residence and my sister's house, we won't have the mullah to do renovations at the lake. So, here we are and the work continues.

There are two major projects here: finish moving out of the Lexington house, then paint and repair as needed, and create "curb appeal" for the Upton house. Last Friday we hauled seven boxes of books, four large trash bags of blankets, sheets and towels; two fans and other small miscellaneous items to Goodwill. Getting a receipt for a tax deduction is key. It feels like we get something back for our stuff without having to organize a yard sale or put things on eBay or Craig's List. I just don't have the energy or motivation for the latter two options.

We also had a 15-ton dumpster delivered that now blocks our primary driveway. But, it is readily located next to the lower parking spot for easy loading. After we finish throwing away precious items we just couldn't part with (read this as junk), we still have several more trips to Goodwill ahead of us. One can just never have enough tax deductions, can one? There are five rooms to empty and renovate: a large family room (the room we're starting in), a bedroom, a storage room (which could be a bedroom for some future owner), and the furnace/laundry room, plus a bathroom.

We have only just begun emptying the family room, but we already see the massive job ahead: freshly painting every room and replacing all the asphault tile flooring (about 1,000 s.f.!). As Larry put it: the major living space for us right now is down here. Please note, there is another floor upstairs the same size. However, we already painted upstairs and replaced all the flooring with Brazilian Cherry and Bamboo, plus wall-to-wall carpet in the bedrooms. Once our friend moves out, we will just have to touch up the walls and "stage it" for showing.

Our friend, Nancy, moved in upstairs almost a year ago when we finished building our RI house and moved into it. We needed to retain a presence here in MA while Larry still worked at the Observatory in Cambridge, and Nancy needed a place to stay temporarily. We also needed temporary storage for stuff we didn't want to or couldn't keep in the new house, and time to figure out what to do with it all. The timing worked out perfectly, and the arrangement has been good for all of us. She moved in upstairs and we stay downstairs. If we were really creative, we could make a Masterpiece Theater series out of it. Our lives are all in transition, and we support each other while we wait for "the Universe" to tell us what happens next. It is the greatest adventure.

Today, we meet with the realtor in Upton, MA to sign papers, and check the list my sister left us of repairs she deems necessary, and we can add to the list ourselves. Our realtor is my uncle's ex-wife. I just love living close to family. We can trust her and she will take care of us. We have too much going on to worry about dealing with a stranger. So far, we will mulch the gardens, power-wash and Cuprinol the deck, paint the outside and replace any rotted boards, plus paint the little shed to match. "Sistah" has kept up with the yard, so I'm sure we won't have much to do there.

So, here we go again. Work, work, work. But, in the end, we will be free of two huge responsibilities; completing our retirement goal of downsizing, and hopefully, reap a few "greenbacks" to help us upgrade the house down South. Stay tuned, dear readers, and thanks for listening. Anybody wanna buy a house?