Home Inspection

We made it through the home inspection yesterday. It didn't find anything we didn't know about, which so far is a good sign, since our to do list is already pretty long. Most of it comes down to buying the basics like an HVAC system and caulking the windows.

The FHA appraiser also showed up while we were there and we're encouraged that his report isn't going to be as bad as we thought. Although to make FHA happy we need to install 3 sinks and some railings.

Our immedate to do list is shaping up to:

HVAC

Water Heater

3 sinks

kitchen faucet

cap or install electrical fixtures in 4 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, a laundry room and the living room

cap a weird electrical line in the kitchen

cap the gas line for a fireplace in the living room

a stove

Next steps: Get in touch with the City of Alexandria to see if they want us to do any other work before we can move in and meet with a bunch of contractors this week to get estimates.

Here's a couple pictures I was able to sneak in on Saturday:

Front of the house

back of the house

What's left of the tree in the backyard

Master bathroom, where the sink should be

View from the master bedroom of the lovely shed in the backyard

Under Contract!

Let the stress begin! Today we're finally under contract to purchase this lovely place: http://www.redfin.com/VA/Alexandria/419-N-West-St-22314/home/11839767

As you can tell from the few pictures it needs some work. What you can't tell is that it needs a lot of work. It's missing furnaces, a water heater, sinks, a window, and the kitchen appliances. There isn't any trim or thermostats or light switches.

What does it have you ask? Location, square footage, and the potential to be really awesome! The house is 3.5 blocks from a Metro station, it's about 2300 sq. ft and once we pretty it up a bit it'll be a great place to live. Who can beat 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, an attic and a dry basement in Old Town?

Why the Green Monster? That's what Henry's called it from Day #1, since the previous owners put a very large mint green addition on the back of a brick cube.

This week's to do's: get a home inspection and an FHA appraisal to find out exactly what we need to fix to move in.