Getting ready for retirement, and we just bought...

14 years ago

six acres on a small pond, a little further north in NH. If you're interested, check out MLS # 2761016. No, we're not paying that price! That was wishful thinking on behalf of the owners.

So now I get to become intimate with the NH Shoreland Protection Act of 2008, plan a nice little bungalow-type home, and get this five-bedroom monster ready for sale!

This we have already decided: it's going to have two (maybe three) ornamental ponds, different levels, linked together, peacefully overflowing into each other. For the time being, I'm going to park our excess waterlilies in the natural pond - freshly replanted, so it'll be two or three years before they outgrow the pots. By which time we're either ready for them or we'll repot them again.

So many fun things to plan! But first, strip wallpaper, spackle, paint, get new carpet, reduce the house content by at least half, throw away, give away, put in storage...

:) Mary

Here is a link that might be useful: MLS 2761016

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Comments (9)

jeanner
14 years ago
Mary - what a beautiful piece of property! I can't wait to see the house plans .... this is going to be so much fun .... I love your projects !!!
sleeplessinftwayne
14 years ago
Sounds so nice. Wish we could do that.
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It looks like you have more paneling in the adjacent rooms? You're going to remove the carpet -- good. If your budget allows, a good wood floor will last a lot longer than another carpet. I see the purpose of those hanging lights for reading by the fire. If you want to update those, it makes sense for reading. If you won't be reading by the fire, then replace with cans. An inexpensive fix. I agree with others on painting the paneling. That's hundreds, versus thousands, by replacing it with drywall. You never know what you'll find behind the paneling that could create issues. Ceiling moulding to go with what's above the fireplace, would be beneficial to the walls. That said, don't paint the trim above the fireplace. Leave the fireplace alone for now. Trim around the door will also give the room more character. That said, that is the one element that makes me wonder if the paneling is added on top of drywall. Can you tell what sort of nails were used on the paneling? If you knock on the paneling does it sound hollow/does it move, or is it hard and solid wood? I also agree on removing that valance. Looks like the room has great possibilities.
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annedickinson
14 years ago
OMG.. HOW DELIGHTFUL!!! That will be so much fun to design, build, enjoy!!!
maryo_nh
Original Author
14 years ago
I will most certainly keep you updated on the project! It's a three year plan. For now, I won't, because it's all repetitive home improvement stuff. Paint walls, paint trim. Paint staircase. Etc.

:) Mary
sheepco
14 years ago
Congrats!! Absolutely lovely!

And I my sympathy on the upcoming improvements on the current house - I HATE painting.....

Try to take it easy (but it's sooo exciting)!

S
maryo_nh
Original Author
14 years ago
Hello fans!
Well, the long haul of the painting is almost over. One more bedroom, one basement play room, and two stairwells to go.
Oh yes, and the front door. And the garage doors. The garage floor.
Anyway, the painting almost done. I love painting, so it hasn't been a hardship.We're slowly working our way through every room and we're throwing half of everything away... one garage has sell/donate items, one has storage items, one has the kid's stuff. This weekend was for filling the dumpster, next weekend is for filling a storage unit, then the next weekend is for a yard sale, then the next weekend is for setting up the house nice.

The next three weeks are a bit intimidating...

But tomorrow: the closing on the piece of heaven! And after the official part of the day, we're going over to drop off a trailer of firewood and we're planting a few lilies at the edge of the path to the pond.

I think we might need to go once a week with a few plants, what do you think? There are, for example, lots of bleeding hearts wanting to be transplanted. And the blue flag irises. I'm wondering if I can "store" excess waterlilies in the pond, if they're freshly repotted in extra large container? So they won't escape anytime soon.

Next trip we're taking the camper along so we can make some tea or coffee to sit at the water's edge with... once it's May and the house is up for sale. Won't have time before that.

Life is so exciting lately - which is a good thing, that way I don't stop and think about how much I'll miss my house and yard and pond...

:) Mary
sheepco
14 years ago
With all the excitement and possibilities at the new place I hope it will ease the sorrow of moving from the old.

Love hearing about the beginnings of the heaven you'll be creating!

Best wishes! S
maryo_nh
Original Author
13 years ago
I think we sold the house. We're holding our breath. Not sure if I'm happy... This went really weird. After four months we took the house off the market, planning for April to put it back on sale. Apparently this family, the second family that came to see it last June, checked on the internet every few days to see that it was still available, and they panicked when it disappeared off the listings. So, even though they haven't sold their own house yet, they want to rent it until they sell their other house.
DH and the realtor are cooking up a legal document to make this work. But, said the realtor, you don't have a place to go?

As it happens, a week and a half ago we got a big RV. So we do have a place we can move into. Not big, but comfy. And, did anyone ever hear of an RV with 1 1/2 bath? *giggle*

The permits for septic, driveway and dock are in the application process and it can take another 5 to 7 weeks. We COULD still get the septic system going before the ground freezes. Otherwise we'll go to a year-around campground until after Christmas. Which is when we'll take of for our two-month trip to sunny California.
We'd go longer, but the DD in Boston is expecting #2 in early December! Can't be away from the new baby too long!

To do list for now: go through everything in storage to sort for RV/not RV; bring half of the lilypots up, drive them to South Newbury, and sink them in large plastic tubs into Gillingham Pond; and make sure everybody knows the mobile email and phone #s. Find a year-round campground, just in case. Read the RV info.

All this after the current batch of relatives leaves and the bone spur is removed from my elbow . It seemed like just the right moment for that - until the realtor called...

Sigh. Excitement! Sigh. Excitement! etc.
maryo_nh
Original Author
13 years ago
WOOOOOHOOOOO! Sold!
Well, I should say, rented until, and then sold. Moving day mid December! So excited!
Hold on a sec, I must go to the window and pine over my (eh, their) pond.
---
All right, I'm OK now.

No permits yet, so I've booked us a spot (the only spot) on a year-round RV campground, until December 27th, when we leave for our cross-country trip to California! This campground is not too far from youngest DD and the almost-born new baby, so I can visit a lot.
DD thought it would be fun to fly one-way for Christmas and then she and the three darlin's ride along back home. This will be the experience of a lifetime, especially since these are fun-, noise- and movement-loving children... The RV is 39 by 10 feet, albeit with a few slide-outs, and it will have six people in it for two weeks...

I'll post our adventures. Hopefully that will force me to stay sane.

:) Mary

Getting ready for retirement, and we just bought...

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