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antique decor, antique reproduction, attic build out, dont replace your historic windows, hopefloats, house moving, housemoving, Moving a house, moving a victorian house, moving from the city, movingahouse, movingastructure, old house restoration, oldroofsystems, Plumbing a 100 year old house that's downhill, remodeling an attic space and installing a dormer, Remodeling and old house, Repairing old historic windows, Restoration in texas, salvaging and restoring old houses in texas, smalltown usa, smalltownusa, smithvilletx, texashouses
Pre note: I actually started writing this post 3.5 months ago, it has taken me that long to sit down long enough to finish it! Of course it is because there is so much to do in a small town, really!
Let me start by saying that, I want to call it a restoration, but technicaly, I can’t lay claim to doing a full historically accurate restoration on Big Girl. Big Girl, yes ( I named the house) , you will see here in a minute why I called her Big Girl! I can however call it a restoration from a remodel standpoint.
Remodel being where one , remodels, upgrades, makes things better, or newer and even transforms a space. To me a restoration is more about really taking things down to the stud, which is what I did here, and building it back out again.
But even more important and exciting on this house is the fact that I had to move this house. Not only move it, but cut it in half, take over 80% of the roof off… And have it taken down the road!, I know what ur thinking… (And yes I’m a little crazy to some, but I just like to reckon it to ” always thinking BIG picture). But there is also a big dose of “passion, perseverance and determination” and I’m oozing with faith and prayer! So one does not take on a project like this without lots of faith & prayer. (I’m just saying).
That said, I’ll just let these pictures show you the transformation, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did in the moment, and I still pinch myself (at least once a week), not believing that one, I’m actually living in it now, two that I’m so grateful God let me find this house to save and restore and three, that He gave me the resolve and faith to “just go for it”. This pics are in somewhat of an order, including what the house looked like when I “won” it in a bid, the house had to be moved for expansion of a local church… If not purchased, would be demolished is my guess, as the church had to expand,and this cute house had to go. So yes, as I stated I found it on Craigslist, listed as, “house to be moved” taking bids. Bids due the next day at 2pm by the way….
After the move, lots of drywall cracked and fell off, the move was a bit rough, the lot we placed her on was down sloped, and just the fact she as cut in half and 80% of the roof removed was trying on the house, but she held strong, she as and is amazingly well built, with some of the best lumber milled in the area.
But it already meant new wiring, electrical and replumb ing, so at this point you make a decision to gut all the drywall, check all your studs and repair damage (termite damage and water damage) in this case, so drywall comes off and the house gets retired. Now it’s time to change just a few walls, and when I realized how much space the attic had?? Why not add a room, a bathroom and a dormer up there??
Now the drywall goes in:
Then paint, details, fixtures, and finally refinishing the floors, which ended up needing to be replaced in one room, tile in the bathrooms and vintage reclaimed wood flooring, aka bubblegum floor in the master, you’ll see why when you see the colors.
And the final before and afters, (ohh there was lots in between) but the fun part is seeing the PRE and the POST:
And a few more of the final product, although it will never be completed, and I’ll always be doing something, I’m blessed and happy with how she turned out:
IT’s not the end, not now anyway, now I’m working on the landscape and exterior, for another post and another time, Belle in Training and Big Girl, signing off.
Now off to one of my favorite spots, the porch: