Yucky, Unexpected Issues-Cottage Progress

One of the reasons we finally landed on converting the addition to our house into the cottage/kitchen is because we discovered a few problems recently. The most serious is mold in the roof and ceiling due to poor ventilation when the addition was built. Andy refers to the addition as the project where he learned everything "not to do." The mold issue must be addressed regardless of what we choose to do with that part of the house (originally, we were going to convert it to an apartment for Andy's mother.) 

Another issue that came up, is the floor. When the foundation for the addition was put in, the sand underneath was not compacted enough so the floor has sunk and will need to be leveled. These are not necessarily minor concerns. 

After more consideration, using the addition for the cottage/kitchen space made the most sense and seems to be the most cost-effective. We will have to mitigate these problems, but we won't really know the extent of the issues until we get in there. It could be very costly. However, because this part of the house will be used exclusively for business purposes, we may be able to reap some tax benefits from the repairs. Cost-savings will come from the existing building with insulated walls, windows, doors, drywall, HVAC and relatively new plumbing and electric to help offset the cost of the needed repairs. 

This has turned from "build" to a "remodel with issues" overnight. 

I am going to lose room to expand and a little square footage, but we get to start right away. We are already moving out of that part of the house and getting ready for when the contractors start in June. There will be a lot of things Andy and I can do on our own so that will keep us moving forward until then. 

Andy said last night, "I'm going to be really hands-on with this project. I can really see it now."

Music to my ears. No one gets my vision like he does. 

Overall, I'm still getting most of what I hoped for.

I can live joyfully with that. 

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