Oh yes, our fireplace during first test.
https://durandinterstellar.com/photo...ace_Test-3.jpg
and our front wall in progress
https://durandinterstellar.com/photo...18_Wall-1.jpeg
Printable View
Oh yes, our fireplace during first test.
https://durandinterstellar.com/photo...ace_Test-3.jpg
and our front wall in progress
https://durandinterstellar.com/photo...18_Wall-1.jpeg
I think as things start to open up there are going to be a lot of people who have been renting apartments in high rise building will be looking for single family dwellings for a short window it is going to be a sellers market and all you might have to do is once a house in put on the market get a bidders war started between 2 or 3 interested buyers. So if there are any repairs you know that should be done and some that you think might need to be done now would be the time to get them done as soon as you can get the contractors lined up the quicker and the better shape the house is put in the better your chances of having it bid up to as much as 30 or possibly 40% over appraisedQuote:
Originally Posted by jdurand
About 07:00 I let the chickens out and suddenly heard water running from The Tar Pit. I looked over and a worker had just drilled a hole in the rain gutter to let the water out. I looked down the length of the house, sure enough there are no downspouts (roof drain) anywhere. Who installs rain gutters with no drain holes?
Hard to find good help these daysQuote:
Originally Posted by jdurand
Even medium help can be hard to find.Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank S
Very simple. This age of specialization divides contractors into ever smaller classifications "Oh, you also wanted downspouts?".Quote:
Originally Posted by jdurand
Or crew supervisor claims, "In this multi-step process, we gutter first. Our scientific quality test verifies no leaks".
He also might work 'our exclusive technology' into the phrase.
They've been slowly working on The Tar Pit, my wife pointed out today they're installing downlights under the eve, the type mounted above a ceiling. I commented I'll bet they're LED and that soffit area is going to get awfully hot in summer. I'd mount the lights below the soffit where they'd be cooler.
In other news...
Big milestone on our new house, we passed the major inspection and got our "technical passport". In about a week we'll get a certificate of occupancy. In Russia they issue this when the house passes minimum requirements for habitation...which we just did. MANY people move in at this point and finish their house later. We won't be there for a while yet, still have to finish cleaning here and sell this place, but it's getting closer.
Another result of this is the house outline just appeared on the public land map, like a plat book. The street address is now officially recognized.
One other detail is this gives us a valid legal reason to enter the country, even during closed border times. We are legally very close to "Returning Russians".
Pictures as always on our server with some new cross-links tying the different places we talk about the move together.
https://durandinterstellar.com/photos/Our_New_Home/
I will miss you as a resident of California, and I hope you can take your quadcopter with you, but you will always be with us as a grand member of Homemadetools...
I plan to take it with us, how else will I inspect our roof. It's WAY up there.
Quick update on the new house...
We received the official stamped "certificate of ownership" which means:
1. We own the house free and clear in addition to the land;
2. It can now be occupied at any time;
3. By order of the governor of our region, anyone who has documentation that he owns a residence in the region is allowed in at the border provided you self-isolate at your residence in the region.
So, pass go, collect $200.
Cook stove arrived. Combination microwave/convection/grill oven on order. Refrigerator goes on order in the next day or so.
Now "all" we have to do is finish cleaning up here and sell the house. The movers have to pack everything because they take an inventory for customs. By the time the ship gets there everything should already be cleared.
What voltage and frequency are used there?
50Hz. single phaseQuote:
Originally Posted by IntheGroove
Most things will run on 220V, the sauna and the milling machine run on 380V
The 220V does limit my welding some, I asked for a high current outlet like I have in the USA and he chuckled. Our land is zoned for "small country home", the mayor had to intervene just to get us a decent amount of power as it is.
So, I can pull up to 20A at 220V for the welder. Not the end of the world, I use mostly MIG and don't weld battleships.
OOPs I was about to post a Frankin work around, by telling you how you could get a 40 amp circuit but thought better of it for now.Let the newness settle and the ministry of power will eventually have other victims to harass.
something like this?
Attachment 35256
Wow, they even used the correct colored wire. They must be professionals.Quote:
Originally Posted by jdurand
It's not AC. It's not DC. It's AD...
I have a slightly safer idea in mind although it can mess with the GFIC/RCD breakers if not connected correctlyQuote:
Originally Posted by jdurand
The Tar Pit house:
Today they've had vans parked out front from Best Buy and Geek Squad. We heard them discussing the speakers that go up in the soffetts along with all the lights they have up there. I sure hope all that stuff can take the heat.
I hope whoever buys our house doesn't mind the UFO glow and music that will be coming from The Tar Pit. In any case, we should be gone long before they're done.
The house Next Door is now getting a metal roof. Just flat metal with no patterns. I haven't gotten a picture but it's also not that exciting. :)
That's on the sloped part, remember the flat part is tar.
On our new house the walls are being hard plastered (stucco) over the wires. When set a second layer will be put on and smoothed, to be ready for paint.
The plumbing will be run along the floor and then a few inches of concrete will be poured, leveled, and ready for final dressing. We're planning epoxy for the workshop, tile for the kitchen and other wet areas, and some sort of wood laminate for the other rooms.
Building materials are getting hard to find, many supply companies closed either for now or permanently. This isn't good when orders have been placed and partially pre-paid. There's a LOT of people trying to get the stuff they paid for and/or find alternative suppliers. I joked that our fence may wind up being used shipping pallets, the contractor said that might not be too far off...
We have a backup buyer for our house here, so if our friends can't buy it we can still sell it. For considerably less than we would have sold for 6 months ago, but such is life.
We don't have a definite move date yet, the Russian border is supposed to open in August for Americans. We have all the papers we need so that once we set foot in the country the rest of the path is clear. Our sponsor and lawyer are working overtime to make sure we don't have any more problems than necessary. We now have backup sponsors beyond the minimum needed, just in case of need.
We posted a Summer Solstice update and sent the link out to our friends and relatives. It's here for anyone interested
https://durandinterstellar.com/photo...020_Letter.pdf
We had a small adventure with the guy wiring the network and gate income, he ad-libbed a bit. We caught it and can work with what he installed. The plumber and heating guy will now be watched constantly to make sure they clear all 'good ideas" with us before actually implementing them. We're not at all opposed to suggestions, just don't go off-script without permission. There may be a good reason I wanted that funny thing in a specific location.
Updates:
The part of the house above ground next to here is looking like overall it's not bad (other than that flat roof). My wife and I think the builder got in over his head with the deep basement, probably never did one before and the rocky ground here certainly didn't help.
Anyway, we've talked to him some lately, he's been interested in us selling this house. Originally he just wanted to buy the land here, flatten the house and build a quick house for sale.
Then he started thinking this is a really nice neighborhood, we even had a block party in the middle of the STAY AT HOME AND PANIC period.
He's also been looking at our yard and house from the roof of the one next door.
So in talking with us we showed him around a bit and he said this would be a nice place for HIM to live. THAT's a change. But, we had friends already buying the house.
Until yesterday. The friends told us due to the virus panic there's been a major job upset and there's no way they could afford it now. Riches to rags as it were...
I told the builder and he came over today, looked around inside. We mentioned having trouble donating stuff, the centers are often closed. He said no problem, he now supports a couple of non-profit groups. Any construction related materials he doesn't need go to a reuse-resell group that will try to use every spare bit to build low cost housing for people. Any household items he doesn't need will go to a non-profit that takes those items. He would definitely keep all the fruit trees (a lot), fish pond, and the chicken run.
Also, he knows we are uncertain when we can actually get into Russia due to the border closure. He said no problem, he doesn't need to be in here before January so we could stay as long as 31 December. We have to leave the USA before then anyway for tax reasons, we HAVE to sell the house and be gone between 3 July and 31 December, so even if we're renting a room from out sponsor's daughter in Sweden we'll be out of here.
Given all that, he made an offer and we agreed. He'll bring the family by shortly to see their new home.
Lucky breaks on your sell in these days!Quote:
Originally Posted by jdurand
Feel free to giva me a hoot if your times get really rough, and you find yourselves in a temporary Swedish exile (-Heaven forbid!). :)
All the savage natives over here can be pretty harsh on any re-settlers, so a local scout/ sniper might come in handy...
ATB
Johan
Opportunity is when it happens; whether you plan for it or not. The time in-between tells you it's time to jump or not.
Our sponsor said if we do have to use Plan C, she has friends in Barcelona who will take care of us. Speak fluent English, Spanish, and Russian.
Well, that's warmer than spending the winter in Sweden! :)
But, hopefully the border really is open in August so we can get to our house.
Better beaches near Barcelona as wellQuote:
Originally Posted by jdurand
Just an update as they're wrapping up The Pit house. They're taping the windows ready to paint, the owners move in next month.
Here's their wall finish:
Attachment 37463
And since that house is costing $$$$$$$$$ compared to our new house, here our interior wall finish, inside and out... No character at all! All the inside walls and ceilings were done this way.
Attachment 37464
Outside finish, still some salt on the bricks they haven't cleaned off yet.
Attachment 37465
