Deerfield Wood: The Before pics

April 2008

I get accepted for a job within my company that I put in for, which means relocating from Seattle to San Antonio, TX. I go on a househunting trip, looking for a place that's solid on the inside (nice layout, foundation, wiring, ...) but that's "cosmetically challenged."

I come up with a top two choices:

House A

20 years old, but so is the roof (decking looks shot in one area too), two a/c units, two water heaters, and pool in the back yard with a cosmetic crack to be fixed by seller. There are 4 other cracks that are filled, so something tells me it'll crack again later at $750 to repair each time. Fireplaces in the living room and master bedroom, cathedral ceilings downstairs. Nice trees in the front and back yard.

House B

16 years old. Original roof and (one) water heater. Two 4-year old a/c units. No pool, but no worries about a pool requiring expensive maintenance soon either. Wood fireplace converted to gas. 12-foot ceilings and loads of windows so it's a really bright place. Trees in the back yard are not as big, and the trees in the front yard are these giant bushy things called Vitex.

Long story short, I go with option B. I really liked the first one, but the pool has issues and too many expensive things are getting a little too old for comfort. I also have no idea how to pull off a modern contemporary look with a house with the cathedral ceilings.

Nothing's shocking about the inspection... except the hot water comes out of the tap red because the place has been vacant for a year and algae has built up in the water heater (yuck!) so the water comes out red. The inspector also writes up a few scary words about the roof being at the end of its life which is true. I negotiate more off the purchase price and close on the place a couple of days before Elle and I start the drive from Renton to Texas in late May.

So here are the 'before' pics...

First a view from the street.