bedfordlandings

I am still toiling over exterior colors for the house.  There are so many choices (siding, trim, accents) but the standard colors don’t match what I have imagined.  So the easiest thing is put that task aside and do something I can make progress with.

We arrived at our property this weekend in the dark of the night.  Why at night? It was time to move the bees.  Honeybees come into their hives after the sun goes down.  So, we blocked up their little bee entrance and loaded them on the truck.  I was so afraid one of the little girls would be left behind and be following the truck the whole way.  They are settled now and thirsty.  They found the water hose and the plants to quench their thirst. Little do they know there is a huge lake just over the hill.  Soon enough they will discover their new surroundings!

Today we reserved storage space; one space for most of our belongings and one climate controlled space for the RV-10 airplane engine, the piano, and a few select furniture items.  We will put our belongings into storage for a year while the house is built.  We applied for the building permit for the hangar porch and storage shed.  This shed will be a place to store outdoor lawn items as well as implements used to build the house.  But…the event Jack thinks is monumental is mounting a mailbox (See photo). 

We are hosting a fly-in this weekend and will be happy to show the spot where the house will be built. This shows the angle from the road looking toward the runway.  That’s the hangar in the background (see photo).

Anyone who can stop by between 11 am and 1 pm Saturday for the Fly-in and mentions this blog will get a FREE BBQ! Just coming looking for that girl in the photo (above)!

There is a component in the North Carolina real estate contracting process called Due Diligence. Once a contract is signed, the seller can walk away from the deal for any reason up until the due diligence date.  Our date is May 7th.  During this time, multiple inspections are made. This week, we have had Termite, Well and Septic inspections, as well as the Mechanicals inspections.

We have made it through the inspections with minimal things to repair but there are a few things the buyers want, like us to pump out the septic system.  Why do a number of things come to mind I could comment about on that?  At any rate, the pumpers are due today as is the exterminator for extra assurance.  An itemized quote will come in tonight for small repair items.  

I have 3 quotes thus far from movers and one left to come in.  Did you know that storing our furniture and boxes with a Moving and Storage Company for a year is estimated to cost $13,500?  Geez…so we will check out other avenues.  I want to be very careful about movers as my brother had a recent bad experience with a rolled truck with their belongings resulting in much breakage and heart break.  The company apparently brokered the work to another (less competent) company.  The contracted insurance coverage amount was not worth the paper it was printed on and no settlement has been reached yet…so I have quotes from lesser known as well as major companies (United and Mayflower.)

This week will be busy as we search for storage in Moneta for Jack’s airplane parts for the RV-10, locate local storage for our belongings, finalize the due diligence period requests, and plan a fly-in at the Smith Mountain Lake Airport for Saturday May 5th.

Until later…

What do you think?  Sweet Tea, White Sage, & Deep Forest Pine OR Cedar Grove, Cactus Hill and Nature Trail?  These either sound like names of sub-divisions, beverages on a menu or…PAINT colors!  Who thinks these names up?  

We want the exterior of our house to look unique and inviting as well as vacation-isk since it will be a Bed & Breakfast.  We want want it not to clash with the neighbor’s house, we want it to match the hangar, and we want it to feel a bit like nature…so I am thinking of the deep chestnut color with deep green accents and of white trim.  That is the Sweet Tea, White Sage and Deep Forest Green group.  

On pinterest,com I have been trying to find something in just the colors I have in my mind and only am getting close.  Here is one color (the sweet tea shade but not this green). http://pinterest.com/pin/229683649716091239/. And here is the inspiration for the shed which is why I am having to choose exterior colors now…we will build the shed first to store tools, etc. while we build.  http://pinterest.com/pin/229683649715948090/

Still working on it.

Being married to a pilot, I have had to learn some things.  So in the spirit of enlightening you, today, let me make something clear about the front and back of the house and the front and back of the hangar.  

The front of the hangar is the side that opens to the airport.  The back is the side that faces the road and actually faces our best view of the lake.  The front of the house will face the airport runway and the back of the house will face Buccaneer Road.  RIght now we spend a great deal of time looking out our hydraulic hangar door toward the runway.  If there is an airplane that revs its engine, Jack runs to see what kind it is or who it is.  On a nice, sunny and warm day, the first thing Jack wants to do is open the hangar door.  This invites EVERYONE into our lives.  People walk down the runway for exercise.  Planes land and often think we are the FBO (main office for the airport).  So getting a shower, dressing, lounging around in PJs, or even drying my hair are open for the world to enjoy.  

For the next year, our hangar will be a hang-out for our airport neighbors and we love people stopping by.  We will have extra hammers, nail aprons, and tasks to keep people busy when they stop since we must keep moving ahead.  

In the coming months, while we await our building permit approval, we will add a covered patio and storage shed to the back of the hangar.  Today Jack tells me to pick the outside of the colors for the BIG house so we can match the shed and patio to the ultimate house.  IN the next post, I will share some color concepts I am considering…I am a new fan to pinterest.com and to the app HOUZZ.

Until then, don’t get those front and back doors mixed up!

I called two local (local to Moneta, VA) banks yesterday to start the process of getting a construction loan.  Our house is providing no where near what we had hoped 3 years ago in equity!  Jack will be our general contractor and there is a financial bank penalty for what they call a “self-build.”  The rate is about 4.25% right now but I am still sending them all of the documentation they need before we actually talk with them in person.  They want paper copies.  Really?  I don’t do paper statements nor paper tax forms.  I pdf’d the files.

Today is the mechanicals inspection on the house; next week termite and septic inspection.  More hurdles towards closing!  

I went online Saturday to get competitive moving bids.  I have been getting calls and emails all day from moving companies.  So far the prices to move a 4BR house ranges from $4500 to $8500.  But, we need to have storage for our furniture and boxes for up to a year!  The storage units at Smith Mountain Lake are $240 per month and will need at least 2, maybe three!  United and Mayflower provide storage so they will give us an estimate next week.

Yesterday, Jack and I packed, labeled and taped 58 boxes.  That’s a pretty good start.  After a trip this week to Tennessee to do home repairs for Jack’s 87 year old mama, we will really get busy!

We are hosting a fly-in at Smith Mountain Lake Airport May 5th.  Pilots, walkers, drivers, all welcome!  We can show you our site for the house!

We are more than excited that our house is under contract but cautiously optimistic that the Due Diligence date of May 7th will find us equally as happy. Please stay tuned to our quest to have a new beginning.  Karen & Jack