The Unveiling
Monday
Monday was all about lighting. Our final fixture was installed in the stairwell:
Plus, our electric meter passed inspection, which meant we got to see the lights on (!!!):
I stenciled these stars on the ceiling in Daughter #2’s room, and I love how the light fixture makes the whole scene look even more cosmic.
Tuesday
Tuesday was unexpectedly magical. For starters, the Dining Room is now fully wallpapered.
Next, every bit of ram board was removed from all of the surfaces. We got to see things (like the floors and the kitchen countertops) that we haven’t seen in months.
Wednesday
On Wednesday, a crew came through and washed and vacuumed and dusted the whole house. They also removed all the plastic film from the windows on the top level (they left the film on the outside of the lower floor windows because landscaping is still happening). It was like Tuesday, but cleaner. It was also the first time we visited the house at night with light fixtures that turned on:
Thursday
Thursday marked the first time I got to take a picture of the front of the house without the gate blocking the whole bottom. Later in the day, all the pretty plants showed up in the front yard. The carpenters were on sight, adjusting cabinet doors and adding final paneling to the island and the lower cabinets in the kitchen. The house also passed its fire inspection.
Friday
On Friday, a few finishing touches were added to the kitchen: the hood extension and the dishwasher. The woodworkers also returned our bathroom drawers, which were cut to accommodate our sink bowls. The Husband assembled our shower teak bench, and I got a head start on filling the fridge. Later in the day, we got to see a happy pollinator flitting about the new plantings.
We also got the green light to start moving items into the bathroom and kitchen cabinets.
Saturday
Saturday found the landscapers hard at work getting the “required landscape area” ready for final inspection. They also used the rocks we formerly had in our fire pit area to fill in the spaces around the walkways and planter beds, and I absolutely love how it looks.
Meanwhile, I spent the day driving back and forth between the house and the rental, carting over half of the kitchen. I made many, many trips to Home Depot to get a truly staggering amount of contact paper and lined most of the cabinet drawers. At the end of the day, the Husband and I enjoyed a little Prosecco in the backyard. We are so close to going home again.
What’s Next
We’ve got three more inspections to clear before we can move back in: public works, planning, and building. Our contractor also filed for a temporary certificate of occupancy, because PG&E is taking its sweet ass time getting back to us with a date for reconnecting power to the house (right now we’re just using the temporary pole in the backyard).
On Monday, the painters come back to paint the garage, and then we’ll really amp up the pre-move process. The garage is also where I will be setting up my sewing station, which I am really missing lately. At some point this week, the railing for the back steps and the final floor finishing will also happen.
I scheduled movers and furniture delivery for Friday, but chances are I’ll have to push one or both off until the following week. It’s all up to the city now.
