Architects and Some Panoramic Videos
The original architect drawings turn up: the house was designed in 1965-66 by Worsley, Rankin and Williamson of Menlo Park. Plus some panoramic videos.
June 2015
Debris and Horse Poop
Exploring the derelict horse barn: old bathtubs, random lumber, a chipper and plenty of leftover debris from the property’s horse farm days.
Plum Problem
Our San Francisco plum tree doesn’t want us to move: a bumper crop of plums, pitted and frozen for jam later.
Bad Pipes
Replacing the gross old drain pipes under the kitchen and laundry, once the plumbers found someone small enough to fit under the house.
Website News
Trying out a plugin to auto-post things from here to Facebook.
Small Things and Big Blinds
My giant ceramic Hello Kitty moves in, a broken Great Room blind moves out and the previous owners leave staples and nails across the tops of the windows.
Work Continues
Meeting the Wall Guy, plumbers who rescheduled 15 minutes before the appointment and a well tank replacement that will need a crane.
Vehicles and such
Our modified Mini Clubman sold, leaving us with “just” five cars, plus a little red tractor and a golf cart that need some love.
What a week…
Less than two weeks in: we have network connectivity, a plumbing quote for the drains and freshly cleaned carpets, with mixed results.
Walkthroughs are up!
Our first, somewhat shaky video walkthroughs of the house.
Locks, Alarms, Gates, and Septic Woes
All 27 locking doors re-keyed, the alarm almost sorted and a phone line that can open the front gate. Plus septic woes.
We has a truck!
We bought a grey Ford F150 4×4 out in Fairfax. Now it just needs a name, and not “Rosie.”
So much to do
Exploring the new house: a first dip in the pool, three contractors who didn’t show and a pile of garbage the previous owners left at the end of the driveway.
Enter here
We are officially homeowners. The key is in the door.
Key in hand
The day we got the keys.
Floorplan
The floorplan from the previous owners’ files, rescued from a rubbish bin full of rolled-up documents, and how it lines up with the aerial photo.
The list of crap we have to do…
The starter list of projects for the new house, from roofs, the well tank and septic to fences, a 300-foot retaining wall and the pool cover. And this is just the starter edition.
Buying a “House”
How Agent Smith and I went house hunting, with one requirement above all else: an extensive garage, or even two.
Original Listing Interior Photos
The interior photos from the original real estate listing. Not our furniture…
Original Listing Exterior Photos
The exterior photos from the original real estate listing.
Original Aerial Photos
Aerial photos of the property from the original listing.