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October 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Do I know what Im doing? NO!
Well, I think I'm buying a house. Due to my circumstances (being on disability) I do not have a whole lot of money, but I figured now would be the time to buy with the market the way it has been. So I have been looking for a house to buy. Unfortunately, all the houses I can afford are foreclosures. Either the people lost a job (or whatever) and couldn't afford the house anymore (and took their frustrations out on the house), or they were in the middle of a remodel and ran out of money. Well, I finally found one that was not in too bad of shape, my bid was actually accepted, and I am now in the final stages of the paperwork. Wow. This is one that looks like they were in the middle of remodeling it and ran out of money. There is still a lot of work to do on it, but since I am still living with my Mom (who cannot live alone) there is no hurry for me to be able to move into this house. I can spread out some of the repairs/upgrades as I can afford them.
The first pic is of the front of the house - it has a very nice brick front porch, but no shade over it. (They didn't get the proper permits and had to take down the covering they had).
The second pic is taken from just inside the front door looking through the main living room to the kitchen and the kitchen door. Yes, there is no kitchen. No appliances, no cupboards, nada.
The third pic is one of the bathrooms. Do you like the sink and the toilet? Nice aren't they?
Oh, and the the fourth pic is the air conditioning unit. The one that on the paperwork said "refrigeration/electric heat".
Also, there is no cement poured anywhere - no driveway, no patio, no walkway. No fence between the front and back yards, and an old wood fence on one side that is falling down. The concrete and fence work is going to be one of the more expensive parts of this remodel. The a/c and roof and drywall repair is another.
There are several small - medium sized trees, but they all need to come out. They are either too close to the fence, or the wrong type (I don't much like palm trees) or are dieing. Fortunately, I can take them out myself and use them for firewood (except the palm tree that I will take out and send to uncontained trash). There is one very large tree - I think it is a mesquite - that has nice big thorns. It is pic five. I will probably see if my uncle will come and help me cut it down, then I can cut it up for firewood also. I don't want any thorny trees. Also, it blocks the driveway opening.
Well, I know this house may not look like much right now, but it is on 1/3 of an acre, is in the area I want to stay in, and was within my price range (even with the repairs needed). So, wish me luck! | 
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October 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| I think I might call that one a fixer-upper
Last edited by Gouramiguy17; October 10th, 2009 at 05:58 PM.
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October 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| goodluck gremlin!!!! I love these kind of houses...allot more work but you can do things your OWN way.....I hope everything works out | |
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October 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawnie  goodluck gremlin!!!! I love these kind of houses...allot more work but you can do things your OWN way.....I hope everything works out | Thank you. I do like the fact that this house is essentially a blank slate. I can put in what I want without having to take out a bunch of stuff. | |
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October 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| A see a fish room in your future
How much is it costing? I might be able to outbid you on it | |
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October 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Wishing you the best!!!! | |
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October 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Gouramiguy17 A see a fish room in your future
How much is it costing? I might be able to outbid you on it | All the way from Arkansas 
Actually, there is electricity piped to the back corner of the lot - perfect for an RV, or a workshop, or a POND! | |
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October 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| That's a nice clean slate to do whatever you like to do. Good Luck. | |
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October 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Hey gremlin: Congratulations!
It's a huge step in adult life to be able to own your own place. Lovely bathroom (specially the toilet) LOL. I do have this question for you: Why not let that beautiful tree there? I rather "move" the entrance than tearing it down. It looks great, don't you think? Like for providing shadow to a pond...
I say go for it! Truth being told we go through life mostly getting into things we have no idea if they will work out or not (e.g. carrer, partner in life, kids...) so go get it! You deserve it (and your fishies!)
Pepetj
Santo Domingo | |
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October 9th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| Cool! Looks like a nice place.
The toilet and vanity/sink are the easiest parts of the bathroom, so if you're content with the tile and tub, they shouldn't be difficult to replace.
Sadly, in that kind of land, there are very few trees that can survive (likely why most of the trees, other than the palms, are dying). Mesquite is one of them. I get you on the thorns issue, though. I've got a bunch of bushes that I want to get rid of for the same reason. | |
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October 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| yay gremlin!!! I'm so happy for you!!! hmm... i wonder... what are you gonna do with your pond!?!?! are you gonna transfer it to your new house!?!?!
Last edited by Tony G.; October 9th, 2009 at 09:06 PM.
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October 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| That tree is too thorny to keep, and it is nowhere near where the pond will be. It also has a lot of dead branches hiding in it.
I'm hoping to build a much larger pond, so I'm not sure what I'll do with my current pond. Probably take it with me and set it up as a quarantine pond, or maybe a raised pond that flows into the larger pond, or . . .
As for trees, I'm thinking African Sumac trees, Mesquite trees (that DON"T have thorns), and definitely citrus trees, probably either a Tangerine or a Tangelo. I would kind of like to have a peach tree if I can find one that will do well here. I will probably also put in an apple tree. The Anna or the Golden Dorsett varieties both do very well here.
The tile is all new through the whole house and looks really nice. There is some drywall repair in the bathrooms, and the 2nd bathroom just needs a new tub (it has its sink and toilet). Some of the tiles in the kitchen are cracked and they will probably need to be replaced. There is a possibility that the kitchen floor is not level and will have to be leveled with concrete before new tile is put down. The bedrooms all have carpet that just needs to be cleaned - although in one bedroom (by the kitchen) their was a roof leak at some point and so there is water damage in that room. The whole ceiling will need to be replaced and the carpet removed due to mold. I will probably tile that room anyway. Tile is easier to clean and easier for my Mom to walk on with her walker. Especially since I would probably open that room to the kitchen to make the kitchen larger (down the road of course). Oh, I wish I had a scanner so I could scan in the floor plans! There isn't a good door into the back yard right now, but if I open that third bedroom to the kitchen, then I could put french doors in where the window is and that would open right to where I am going to have a back patio poured. Oh the plans I have.
Here are pics of the ceiling and the mold in the 3rd bedroom. | |
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October 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| the new pond sounds awesome!!!
i agree, citrus trees do really well. When you're driving by Mckellips Road ( not nsure if youve droven around mesa) they have HUGE citrus tree ( i think theyre oranges...) plantations.. They do really well there! your house will be awesome gremlin! | |
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October 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Citrus does very well here. It is one of the "C's" of Arizona. I hope the house turns out awesome. It will take a while though. There used to be citrus groves all over the Valley. There are still some places that have large areas that still have oranges. | |
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October 9th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| Great things take time, but in the end it will be soooO worth it! Do you know what those citrus trees are? im not sure if theyre oranges or grapefruits....
man i miss arizona weather.. haha
im not used to living in "non desert areas" | |
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October 10th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Along McKellips? Probably orange. Most of the Valley was orange groves. I like the tarter tangerines and tangelos. Oranges are good too though. We have an Arizona Sweet right now. It shades my birds. | |
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October 10th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| Congrats Gremlin! I think you'll have a wonderful time making that place your own!  I think it's wonderful. Our house was a "fixer upper" and I've loved every minute of it. It's taken a while to get it where it is now, and there is still a little bit more to do, but so worth the extra effort.
Best wishes for you and yours!
Keep us posted. (oh, keep your before and after photos!)
Ken | |
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October 10th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| Congratulations, Gremlin! It looks like a great house and you definitely have the creativity to fix it up the way you want it.
We're keeping our fins crossed for you | |
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October 10th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Definitely doing before, after, and during photos all over the place. I took measurements when I was at the house and drew up a basic floor plan. Not the best, but it works. I've already modified it the way I would like it to be. It was listed as a 4 bedroom 2 bath, but I think the original house was a 2 bedroom 1 bath. The back part of the kitchen and the 2 beds and 1 bath at the back part of the house look added on. The only way out to the back yard is through an arcadia door in the 4th bedroom. The laundry room is only accessible from outside. That is going to change. By the time I'm done, it will be a 2 bedroom 2 bath with a bonus den that can be used as a 3rd bedroom, the laundry room will be accessible through that back room, the bedroom off the kitchen will be opened up and be the 'dining area' as part of the kitchen/living area and the window in that room will be replaced with french(?) doors going out to the patio and the back yard. The main living room is about 16' x 18', the kitchen is L shaped, and the longer leg is 25' front to back while the dining area is roughly 9' x 11'. The bedroom off the kitchen is about 9' x 11', so opening that up will double the size of that part of the kitchen/dining area as well as opening it up to the back yard/patio. The back room will be set up as the play room/puzzle room for the nieces and nephews. They all love coming to Grandma's and Auntie's house to play "cuz Aunt Gremlin has so much fun stuff to play with!" I will probably set up my 40 gallon tank in there. Not sure what I would put in it, since I need it for the plecos and the CAE during the winter. Oh well, something else to plan...Maybe a terrarium during the summer.....or hatch caterpillars... | |
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October 10th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| 40g.... you could do a school of danios or tetras and just add the plecos and CAe in the winter 
this is exciting! | |
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October 10th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony G. 40g.... you could do a school of danios or tetras and just add the plecos and CAe in the winter
this is exciting! | The only problem with that is the two plecos and the cae already are overstocked on the 40 gallon. The cae is a good 6-7 inches and the two plecos (sailfin) are at least 9-10 inches (or longer by now). I also had three cories that my younger sister gave me. Last time I saw them was about a week ago - all three were still swimming around. She got tired of keeping them in her little 5 gallon - the other fish she had died. I've told her that tank is too small for the fish she wants, so she has to do daily water changes to try to keep them alive. She is giving up on fish for a while. She is keeping the tank up and running with the animated ornament and the plastic plant and the gravel because her two girls like to look at it. | |
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October 10th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| Tell her to check out bettas. They would LOVe it in there
I see your point about the stocked 40g.... hmmm maybe you could plant it or decorate it so it looks like its occupied with something..  | |
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October 10th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Since I don't use substrate, it is fairly easy to empty it when I put the fish back outside. I keep a couple of filter pads in one of the waterfalls in the pond so I always have a "cycled" filter pad. Then when I bring them in, I use the pond water and slowly change it out with fresh. | |
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October 10th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| thats effective haha!
your house looks very roomy | |
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October 10th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| I think Arizona would be a good place to live, you could have a huge ponds with tropical fish in them couldnt you? | |
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October 10th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| haha i wish...
hey gremlin, my house is for sale and has 27 000 galllon pool that you could use as a pond 
its in mesa in the Alta Mesa area | |
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October 10th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Nope my research claims the nights get too cold to keep tropical fish | |
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October 10th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| It is too cold and the temps change too much for tropicals.
I actually looked at a couple of houses with pools thinking what a great pond it would make - divide it and have goldies in the shallow end and tilapia in the deep end. Then I could watch my fishies while I was fishing for my dinner. 
And, (I have the best sister), I now have a PDF writer so I can show you all the floor plan I drew up! Bear in mind, I took the measurements of the rooms all by myself so they are not the most accurate in the world, but at least I could get an idea of how the house was put together... Also, the placement on the lot is not necessarily accurate since I did not get measurements outside at all.
I found a web site that lets you do floor plans and such for free. It gives me something to play with anyway.
This is basically the way the house is now.
I'll have to figure out how to compress the "later" file since it is too big...
Nope, can't get it small enough. Oh well.
Last edited by gremlin; October 10th, 2009 at 08:02 PM.
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October 12th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| Oh that looks like an awesome place Gremlin 
Congrats on everything.
Sounds like you've got big plans for that and it's going to be awesome!
Hehehe on that 40 gal you could set it up as a sump (wrong word the filter part could be a trickle down into it before getting pumped back up) for another tank (tropicals or whatever you wanted) then come winter you'd just add the plec's into it.
lol just an idea.
So excited for you! | |
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October 13th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| Hello Gremlin. Your house plan sounds great!
Ken | |
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