House Update

I know, I'm behind on blogging. I need to write about Missy and Buster's birthdays, but I wanted to write this first today!

We are overwhelmed with gratitude, excitement, and joy as we ponder the latest news on our new house. Due to the fire damage, the electrical panel needed to be replaced. Therefore, at no cost to us, we are getting a brand new electrical panel that will be safer and able to handle a higher load than the old one. We will also have a breaker on the external box, which simple feature would have prevented the fire in the first place. The city is also running new lines from the pole to the house. When I spoke with the electrician, he said those lines were in such pitiful shape that he was surprised they hadn't already had problems! The city will come and inspect the electrical work.

We need new drywall in the stairwell and on the kitchen ceiling. The firefighters knocked one hole to fight the blaze, and the electrician had to make another small hole for wiring.

The most recent news is, to me, the most amazing. This is an older home, so naturally, there is lead-based paint on the premises. We had originally agreed to buy the home as-is, but for some reason, they now need to remove the lead dust in the property. They have removed all the upstairs carpet, exposing hardwood in most of the upstairs! They are going to put down a new coat of polyurethane. They are trying to rush so we can be moved in by April 1, when the new renters' lease agreement starts here.

This fire has truly been a blessing in disguise. We will still need to put on a new roof and do some other remodeling, but we are very happy with what they will have done.