De-carpeting the world, one house at a time

Alllllllllmost there... ALMOST!

God I cannot wait to be rid of the nasty stench from this filthy junk.

All that's left now is hauling out the bags and yanking a bit more tack strip and staples.

My hands are blistered.


And in other news, I'm closing on this house on Tuesday! Huzzah!

The Boiler

It looks a little scary... but I'm pleased to report that the hulk is working like a dream.

Greasy Kitchen Ceiling

I have a pretty tough eye when it comes to houses. I've seen a lot of disgusting stuff in my day, and I like to think that I'm able to look past it. Indeed, I can tour at a home with caved ceilings, dead animals, frozen puke and yanked pipes, and STILL squeal with glee at a buffet or stained-glass transom... you see, I am an optimist.

And I like to transform things.

However, I am here to tell you that new house 1.0 (aka the next-door house) was NASTY... even to me.

NASTY. NASTY. NASTY.

I'll spare you photographic documentation of the worst. It's really too gross for mass consumption. (Let's just say it involves excrement.)

However, I will show you the ceiling which I had to wash this afternoon, prior to painting:

(Unlike your average slumlord, I DO wash before I paint. That way my paint will actually stick!)

But never fear, this too shall be rectified.

And this house will become sweet even if I have to carry a barf bag along as I work on it.

Moving right along...

Carpet-ripping was the only task I could think of which didn't require water, so that's what I've been doing at the house next door.

But yesterday was dewinterization day! Huzzah! Brown water and spraying radiators aside, I think it all worked out quite well.

Now I just have to babysit the 10,000-year-old boiler to make sure it doesn't quit.

Time to start cleaning...

Even more ugly

This actually kinda makes me want to puke.

(But I will transform it, don't worry.)

Ugly Duckling

Okay, I'm back.

No pics yet, but for those of you who remember that this blog started out as a tale of my purchase/restoration of the cottage, I am pleased to announce that I am now also the proud owner of the dump next door!

(You can see a thin slice of its decrepitastic-ness in the picture linked above.)

And now for the surprising news: I am moving there - at least for a while.

By myself.

I am actually quite pleased to finally become a real Northsider!