Before, During and After

What a journey. The before shots are exactly three-years old and taken on the first two tours of the house. I've taken some shots and comined them for a side-by-side view.

Here's a few quick links to more robust photo spreads:

After shots (shot for DWR prior to their photoshoot at the house)

Before shots (shot the day we looked at the house // post with link to Flickr.com photostream)

(More side-by-side pictures after the jump)

It's hard to believe, but even in this state, it was love at first sight. Casie was immediately (and surprisingly) taken with it — it needed so much work, but she was quite excited about the potential.

There had been very little done to the house which was both a good and a bad thing. We weren't paying for someone's "upgrades", but there was a lot of deferred maintenance. All of the tile had been removed (which was a good thing), leaving the very dust and grimy sub-floor. The roof had a million leaks and was black tar-and-gravel… meaning when it was 110deg outside (which it was the first three weeks we lived there), it was 120deg in the house (and still above 90 at midnight). And the entire house had a layer of grime on it… the previous owners were loving homeowners, but had a hard time keeping up with an aging house. We're thankful, though, that they appreciated (and changed very little) of the original design. Original glass, doors, lights, etc… all things that would be tough to replace today.

The second week we were there, we had a "demo party" instead of a housewarming party and much of the house was literally thrown away: the replaced kitchen (the original was replaced by the previous owners in the 60s/70s), the garage stalls (the garage was split into two bedrooms — they had *nine* kids!), scraped doors, dented/scarred paneling… it filled a huge dumpster.

Over the next three years, it was slow going and we had a few set-backs, but we did much of the work ourselves… and looking back, we essentially gutted the house while we lived in it. All new exterior siding, replacement insulation, new drywall, updated/upgraded electrical, phone/data/cable wiring, new flooring, new kitchen, new baths, a new roof, new AC, new windows, new doors, closet systems, shelving systems, an entirely new landscape plan, new fencing… it's interesting to look back at it now and reflect on the progress. 

Along the way, we had some fun, too… and made a lot of friends and said goodbye to some faithful ones (and very special ones).

When I say "we did it all ourselves", I mean we didn't hire a general contractor and write one big check (granted, we have written plenty of smaller checks).We had help, of course — and hired a pro where it made sense (and was legally required) — but I think I can tell you a story about every nail and tell you what's behind every piece of drywall in the house. We built and installed every cabinet; tiled every bathroom; painted every surface; re-hung every door; soldered every plumbing joint; pig-tailed every electrical outlet; ran every piece of irrigation pipe; hung every piece of siding; sanded every beam…

The "thanks" list is as long as my arm, but…

• Anderson Radiant Heating: Simply the best radiant heat folks out there
• Freschi Service Experts: AC install (not an entirely positive experience)
• Abril Roofing: The best foam roof installers around
• Allbright Electrical: 200A panel upgrade
• ContraCosta Floors: VCT tile throughout the house
• Jaime Cruz: Landscaping
• Ace DuraFlo: New coating in a run of pipe… an interesting solution to a difficult problem of in-slab pipe leaks.

And scores of friends, family and patient/encouraging neighbors, including (in no particular order): Dan, Don, Sandie, Sara, Hope, Matt, Chrissy, Joel, Brad, Kerensa, Chad, Stephen, Kyle, Bret, Ryan, Greg, Chris, Brendan, Jacob, TJ, Vincent, Scott, Stefan, Dion, Kiersten, Phil, Tim, Dave, Christopher, Kip, Diego, Heather, Amy, Brian… and lots of patience from Ashley, Juliet, Jen, Elaine, MP, Erin, Dianne, Sara(h), Laura, etc… and of course Marty. There's a story behind everyone's part in the adventure.

From here on out, the updates will be a bit more sporadic as there's just a bit left to do: some finish painting, the hall tub/shower (the last major bit), a new sidelight window, front door… the list is getting really short.

It's been fun. Thanks for tuning in.