The day after the closing I scheduled to have electricity transferred to us and turned back on, internet installed, and a few contractor visits for the most immediate repairs. The electric is currently a fuse box and a very outdated electric meter, so that needs to be upgraded, the house needs a new septic system and a water purification system would also be required. Internet seems minor in the big picture, but cellular signals are quite spotty in the area, so a solid internet connection can make all the difference from the house.
I met one of the sons of the former owner at 8 AM after leaving NYC just after 5 AM and stopping at Home Depot for tools and supplies. After a short chat, I went into the house and was reminded why Tracy thought we were crazy! The house was pretty trashed with lots of debris left lying around, various holes in walls and many unfinished repair projects. However, this was the point – the house has good bones, so we’ll tear down the walls to the studs, rewire, update the plumbing and build out a fresh, new home.
Since the house had been unoccupied for many months, it was pretty musty inside, but worse was “the jungle” outside – so my first task was “weed whacking.” With my trusty new string trimmer I spent about three hours cutting through the growth all around the house – including a few vines that were reaching underneath the exterior shingles and into the house. I was fully covered in jeans, long sleeves and gloves, but I’d later learn that poison ivy still has a way of getting to me!
After the grounds had been tamed and I could navigate the perimeter of the house easily, it was time to head inside. I first changed the locks and then began gather the various junk from around the house for disposal. Several times I looked at the bathroom, really wanting to give it some attention so it would be at least temporarily functional, but I thought that it was a lost cause. Thankfully, our friends next door gave us a key and told us to use their place as needed.
When the Time Warner Cable installation guy arrived, I was well underway to getting things in (general) order. However, I hadn’t yet dared to put the fuses back in the box to enable the electricity since I really didn’t know what to expect. The electrician had already called to tell me he was running late and I was hoping he’d have helped before TWC arrived. So with the knowledge that Anthony from TWC could call 911 if anything went wrong, I inserted the fuses back into the fuse box. No problem! Electricity restored!
Anthony noted that the house was already wired, but the connection needed to be re-established at the nearest utility pole. He then noted that he had a 28-foot ladder and the pole connection looked much higher than that; but he was able to just reach and make the needed connection. A few keystrokes on each of our smartphones and my modem and router were enabled. Connection to the modern communications world was now established!
By 5 PM the house was “neat,” the jungle tamed, electricity restored and internet established. Not bad for Day One. But when my neighbor Bill saw that I was there he dropped by to ask how things were going. I was proud of what was done, but he suggested we try to get the water running and was very willing to help me.
The plumbing story is a post to itself that I’ll do later!
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