Big plans for next week?
April 4th, 2006 @ 12:00 pm

I haven’t mentioned anything about it in a while. But there’s news. I figured I’d post about it today.

I’m pregnant.

(Oh, I’m so funny. I slay me.)

No, really. That’s not what I wanted to talk about.

Let me get you caught up, The King and I recently sold our house. The house we built. From scratch. (I know I always remind you that we actually built it. But seriously, we built it. It took up the major part of the last few years of our lives!)

This is why we live in the tiny one bedroom apartment. The apartment is temporary. Until we build the next house.

“The next house?”, you ask. “You want to do this again?” It’s not so much that I want to do it. But history has proven that we can do it. And make some bank in the process.

Almost 18 months ago, The King and I bought a second home. It’s a really crappy house in a really nice neighborhood. It wasn’t cheap. This means we’ve been paying the mortgage on this house for over a year. Along with the mortgage on the house we were living in. And now along with our rent. (And you wonder why I’ll be going back to work 8 weeks after the baby comes!)

The original plan was to remodel the house. “Gut it” is more like it. The King and his Dad started on the plans. They soon figured out that the house was in worse shape then we originally thought. That’s when the plan became to tear it down, expect for one wall and the foundation. Again, plans were worked on.

That’s when we decided to tear the motha’ down. All of it. Even the foundation. And just start from scratch. Oh fun. Let’s build another house. Just because. (Can you sense the sarcasm?)

The King drew up the plans (it looks great, don’t you think?). We submitted them to the City for approval. This was like a year ago. Two week ago, we finally got our permits. We could actually start building. But first we have to tear the existing house down.

Over the last few weeks, the King and his Dad have been trying to find a contractor to demo the existing house, remove all of the debris, and build the new foundation. (Keep in mind, we did all of this work on the house we just sold. So we know that we don’t want to do our own foundation this time. No way, Jose!) We think we’ve found a contractor to do all of this. One that won’t charge us more than the sixty bazillion dollars we’ve budgeted for it. Hooray.

So just guess when the demo will take place?

Next week.

Yes, the week our baby is due.

That shouldn’t be a problem. I mean, lots of people start building their own house the same week their newborn baby comes home from the hospital. Right, like maybe Charles Ingalls.

The New House · We're having a baby

19 Comments

  1. Jenna
    said,

    April 4, 2006 at 1:52 pm

    Yeah you guys are crazy…jk! You’ll be fine, if you got through building the 1st one you’ll get throught this too. We are talking about building again too, I think we are crazy and I don’t know if I will be able to leave our current house! Take care of yourself, can’t wait to see pictures of your beautiful baby!!!! I bet your so excited you can barley stand it!!!
    p.s. the plan looks GREAT!

  2. Mrs. Ca
    said,

    April 4, 2006 at 1:53 pm

    Good luck! That looks like it will be a beautiful home.

  3. kerri
    said,

    April 4, 2006 at 2:14 pm

    Yes, you are most surely insane. But also it sort of sounds like fun! The tearing down and rebuilding I mean! Fun! Also, you two defintely bring new meaning to the term “fixer-up(per).”

  4. Heather B.
    said,

    April 4, 2006 at 2:39 pm

    And no you’re not worried about this at all. Not in the least. I could never tell from this post.

    At least the newest house is going to be pretty and then the baby will have a room. Whooot!

  5. Sarah
    said,

    April 4, 2006 at 3:29 pm

    How brave of the two of you! Congratulations. Why do you have to sell this one too? Will there eventually be one that you get to stay in? You are a much more patient woman that me.

  6. Audrey
    said,

    April 4, 2006 at 4:02 pm

    I stumbled over here from Amalah’s blog and instantly fell in love with your writing - you are so much fun to read!

    At least once you have your baby you will have a totally valid excuse for slacking on the house-building (not that you would ever do that…)

    The plan looks gorgeous! Good luck with house and baby!

  7. Anth
    said,

    April 4, 2006 at 4:36 pm

    I think I’ll start calling you Laura.
    And I would say y’all are crazy to buy dumps/tear down/rebuild with such reckless abandon, but I have some familiarity with the Seattle house market, which is freaking insane. (I handle all of my firm’s Washington cases.) So really I think you are quasi-geniuses.
    You know what this makes you though right? Land speculators. (Doesn’t that just sound straight out of a Mark Twain novel.)

  8. Suzanne
    said,

    April 4, 2006 at 6:46 pm

    Wow! I feel overwhelmed by just reading this post! Ok, it’s not that bad!!
    I really like the plans for the house & I’m sure the baby will love knowing that the house was started the week he was born!

  9. TB
    said,

    April 4, 2006 at 7:04 pm

    Nothing like adding another of the major life events on top of having a baby. My husband and I do this too… sell our house and move right when we get married or move again right after starting a new job and trying to have a baby.

  10. Lisa
    said,

    April 4, 2006 at 9:20 pm

    I thought we were crazy with living in our new house now and still paying the mortgage on the old house while we fix it up to put on the market.

    And you guys were doing this AND paying rent. Wow! I bow before thee. I have no clue how you managed that.

    And wow, you guys apparently like to live on the edge. Demo AND have a baby in the same week? I think you need your own reality show. heehee.

    Hope all goes well. I have been thinking of you TONS the last few days. Can’t wait to hear that you’ve had the baby!

  11. Rude Cactus
    said,

    April 5, 2006 at 5:38 am

    Ahhh, like the age-old cycle of destruction and creation. Or something like that.

    Good luck with the demo. But, more importantly, good luck with the birth thing ;-) Priorities!!

  12. Stephanie A.
    said,

    April 5, 2006 at 6:59 am

    Lisa’s right. You so could score in the reality tv biz. Maybe you can get an agent today and start that up next week, too??

  13. janet
    said,

    April 5, 2006 at 8:20 am

    I know I have told you this like a jillion times, but damn your hubby is talented. Which makes you brilliant for marrying him! I am marrying the anti-handyman. I had to teach him how to change a flat tire once. Building a house? SO SO out of our league.

    PS I can’t believe the baby is coming so soon! I am so excited for you!

  14. napagirl
    said,

    April 5, 2006 at 8:25 am

    I’m gonna call you Laura, too. It goes along with the whole “the boy” thing that we talked about! lol
    Seriously….have that kid already!
    And the house? GORGEOUS! I love it and I am super excited for you, The King, and the Boy.

  15. Nap Queen
    said,

    April 5, 2006 at 8:37 am

    Dang, y’all are busy! We some houses similar to your new one (which is really cool, BTW) here in Austin that are going for A TON of $$.

  16. Ginny
    said,

    April 5, 2006 at 9:49 am

    wow. You guys got some gumption. Holy crap I can’t even imagine. (1st time visitor, came by Beth.)

  17. Frema
    said,

    April 5, 2006 at 10:19 am

    Talk about ambitious! With the willpower of his parents pulsating through his genes, your little King will be enrolled in college by the second grade. :)
    It’s getting so close. How exciting!

    The birth, I mean. Not the demolition. Be sure to get pictures of both, though. :)

  18. DeAnn
    said,

    April 5, 2006 at 9:41 pm

    Have I ever mentioned that you’re insane?

  19. hola, isabel » Blog Archive » Status Report: 100 pack of condoms
    said,

    August 22, 2007 at 4:40 pm

    [...] Our last house had all wood floors. With this new house, I wanted some carpet. But only in the upstairs bedrooms. The King hasn’t been too hip on the idea. He doesn’t think that carpet will add to the ultra modern feel of the house. Dude, I just want something cozy on my toes and a soft place for Babboo to play. [...]