Category: Trailer Living

It Just Needs Assembly

This week our general contractor jumped in and really took control of what was going on at the house. He pulled laborers off other jobs and got everything finished up to pour the basement floor so that they can frame starting on Monday.

This included fixing some previous work. Most importantly of which was pouring a footing, the previous subcontractor had simply missed. Glad it got fixed, but seriously, ugh!

It was also discovered this week that the engineer thought the trusses in the basement ceiling ran the other direction so the contractor would have to get with the engineer again to figure that out.

The moral of today’s story though is that we have a basement floor and a huge order of lumber (it’s seriously EVERYWHERE).  Next week, we should start seeing the house really come together- it literally just needs to be assembled. Thank goodness!!

The contractor called me late Friday and wants to have a meeting next week to have a little bit of a project reset, review budgets, timelines, etc. I’m happy that’s going to happen because I feel a little paralyzed in making decisions right now because I don’t know where we are with the money. We’ve tried to put the emphasis on space, not finishes throughout the house, and been smart about the budget, but since we aren’t the ones writing the checks so it’s a bit of a black box right now. It’s all overseen by the lender, so it’s not out of control, it’s just not in our control which causes some anxiety. The lender also called this week and I asked if I could see all the details on the money that went out so far, but I haven’t heard back.

I’m hoping that between the contractor meeting and seeing actual walls next week it will be a turning point. Fingers crossed.

Trixie is getting much more mobile and interested in exploring.  If we can survive 4 more months in a trailer with her we will deserve a new house! I cannot wait for her and Darwin to start running up and down the halls. I will threaten them over and over that if they don’t behave we are moving back to the trailer.

A few other things have been happening around the house that I haven’t included in my updates. First, the neighbors across the street listed their house a few weeks ago. It’s been funny to watch people look at it and stare at our disaster across the street. I’m hoping a young family might move in over there as we haven’t had the best experience with the current neighbors. Sorry for living in the front yard in a trailer while you are trying to sell your house!

We also haven’t had a big power problem in a few weeks. Occasionally, the fan will kick on and off, but nothing like before, so that’s good. Other than that the biggest issue with the trailer is that Darwin found a big spider outside the window.

There was a huge rainstorm this week and it was the first time we really got to see how leaky the detached garage is when it pours for more than a short time. Our entire house is stored out there. We knew there were some leaks and everything is tarped and the water didn’t seem to be enough to cause an issue. There is a gap under the garage door that also lets a bunch of water in, but fortunately, we put everything in that area up on blocks and it stayed pretty dry. The rain also caved the dirt pile in on one side and now we can’t get into the chicken coop. Fortunately, Mike had thought it might happen and pulled one of their feeders out last week, but it’s not very convenient and the dirt doesn’t seem to be moving any time soon.

There have also been some house decisions we are working on making. Specifically granite, backsplash, lighting, cabinet knobs, and paint. These are really the only things left to pick and the hardest to coordinate. I’m excited though. We are going to have things like a patio fan and our master bedroom has a walk out to the patio. We will have a master bedroom. I will have a closet. Holy hell, this new house is going to be AMAZING!  Mike and I have put so much time and thought into it that it will be fun to see it when it’s real. The tides are turning.

 

Two Toddlers, Two Months In

I told my husband that we are now officially living in a trailer with two toddlers. He said that sounds like a horrible idea and he isn’t sure why we ever thought it was a good idea. A baby and a toddler seemed not so bad. Two toddlers sounds like a circus. It mostly is, but honestly it still really isn’t that bad.

Here’s the thing, we are somehow both pretty easy going about the situation. Those that know me (especially at work) are probably thinking (or even expressing out loud) BULLSHIT, but it’s true. I’ve never been afraid of dirt, camping, port-a-potties, bugs, etc. Having kids has taught me that I am never actually in control of any situation anymore so there’s no need to try so hard to be 100% in control. Those two combined have somehow translated into living in a trailer and not having once thought “what the hell were we thinking, we have got to get out of here!”

I keep getting asked how many times I have just burst into tears and there was really only one time on my way to work this week that I was so frustrated about the situation that I cried. Then I got to work and there was enough other issues popping up that I just compartmentalized it and focused on those issues. Work has been a good distraction to chaos at home.

My husband told me that this blog is sad. I asked him if he thought it wasn’t sad or if I was making it more sad than it was and he said no, it’s just clear how frustrated we are, which is true.

We are two months in and they finished pouring the foundation yesterday. This is exciting, but the sloppiness of some of the work just pissed me off. It’s not like this is a small project and a few thousand dollars, it’s a huge investment and it’s a home for our family that I hope to stay in and make memories in until the kids move out.

On Monday, I got a call from the contractor that they officially put the subcontractor on notice that he needed to be done by Wednesday or would get charged a daily penalty. This naturally lead to some nasty phone calls between the two and my contractor called me just to make sure I was aware and to ease some frustration about the pace of work.

They sped up their work and they did some things that were down-right sloppy and they continue to damage all sort of things on our property in the process including caving in the street at the water meter, running over and knocking loose some curbing around flower beds, and my personal favorite, damaging our walnut tree to badly with the excavator that a huge branch came down in last night’s storm. This is sarcasm for those wondering.

I’d post pictures of the foundation, but I will be honest that I don’t want to because I don’t need anyone else’s opinion that it’s not good work. We already know.

The result of this work was a very frank and forward email to our contractor basically saying we expected more and are overall disappointed. Our contractor responded well to this and sent us a very reassuring email that they will work to make it right and address any issues.

So here we stand with a foundation that is almost finished and a laundry list of issues that need to be addressed and a long list of repairs to make as a result. It’s sad and frustrating, but I am hoping this is the bottom of the barrel and it’s only up from here.

I initially hesitated in starting this blog for this exact reason which is that I expected there to be super crappy parts of this project and sharing them all isn’t exactly fun, but it’s honest. I’m pretty sure this process will be like pregnancy and childbirth where you forget just how shitty it was later and when people ask you about it you tell them it wasn’t that bad even though it was awful. At least I have this blog to show them and it’s not as graphic as a child birth video!

 

 

 

 

How are you surviving without a kitchen?

This photo pretty much sums it up right now- a grill and a fridge. If you recall from my posts in June, the fridge went out the week we moved out of the house so Mike and his dad picked up this old gem at the used appliance store for $75 to get us by. It’s in the detached garage just outside the trailer and we keep most of our food in there. It’s not a hassle most of the time, but it does require going outside and opening the garage a few times a day.

As far as cooking, it is WAY too hot to cook in the trailer and the kitchen is super tiny. These things are designed with the assumption that you will be doing some or all of your cooking outside most of the time. On top of that, we only keep the A/C on in the trailer when we are around and it takes a while to cool off in the evening, so there is no way this time of year we will turn anything on inside that involves more heat. We use the grill as a grill and also as a makeshift oven. And let’s be honest, by “we” I mean Mike. Sometimes I microwave things and call it cooking, but Mike is an amazing cook and likes doing it so over the course of our relationship I have become completely useless in the kitchen. I used to feed myself and be a decent cook when I was single, now I can barely make a quesadilla. When I do, I end up with 3rd degree burns. Seriously. I burnt my knee taking pre-made cinnamon rolls out of the oven at the lake house a few weeks ago. My knee.

Anyway, the grill as an oven works decently well. It really means that Mike isn’t cooking we are basically warming things up at this point. We have virtually no countertop inside and outside is hella dusty and hot and smoky so if it comes prepackaged it is right up our alley. We’ve had a few failures like the night he tried to make Pasta Roni in a pan on the grill, but overall it isn’t so bad. I am definitely looking forward to him having an amazing kitchen when we are done. Him and I went an entire year without repeating a single meal once and I would LOVE to do that again. It was a fun challenge and right now it’s a challenge, but not much fun at all.

 

 

Concrete Cutting, Inspections, Loan Draws, Footings, and Power Woes

It’s been a few weeks since I updated and it was, frankly, because work was happening at a snail’s pace and it was super frustrating to stare at the same house with the same progress day after day.

There seemed to be some confusion or communication issues that resulted in the concrete cutter being delayed which basically kept everything else from progressing. The concrete cutter was needed to remove the existing foundation walls. Fortunately, when it finally happened my in-laws were at the house checking in on things and caught a video of the last wall coming out. The 2x6s that you see are a temporary wall that is literally holding up the house since they cut out the foundation wall. There is also a closet wall that they left in place for now to bear some of the load. I am now afraid to walk into the house for fear the entire thing will come down. It’s a little freaky to look at the house in this condition.

Once the walls were out, they worked on getting the footings in place and the city came out to do an inspection yesterday. Mike got a call from the contractor asking if we were ever in contact with the engineer or if the engineer worked with the architect. After answering some of the questions Mike asked why they needed to know and it turns out we failed inspection because of the size of rebar used.

If this had happened a few weeks ago, I would have been on the phone tracking everything and everyone down, but I’ve almost become desensitized to “today’s issue” already and finally last night just asked Mike to text the contractor to see if he got it resolved or not. He said they did, but we didn’t even ask what the resolution was exactly. I’ve also started to become desensitized to seeing things I didn’t expect to get ruined to be ruined. There are parts of the fence I didn’t expect to see ripped out and also fence posts the crews have backed into that would have been upsetting at first, but now it’s just adding to the list of things that we’ll just figure out as we go.

We had another inspection scheduled for today at 12:30 and we must have passed because when I got home today we had footings in place.

When I got home there was also an inspector at the from the construction loan company. The way our construction loan works is that there are several loan draws and the inspector comes out at each draw to make sure the work that the contractor says has been done is actually done and acceptable. He seemed very nice and asked me some questions about the temporary power and work being done. I’m anxious to see the details of the first draw because it will be the first time I start seeing how the bid compares to actual amounts spent.

We also started having some power issues this week on the trailer. We noticed that our phones were suddenly losing power when charging at night, like the power is almost cycling high and low. It was noticeable because my phone vibrates each time it gets plugged in and it was vibrating every few seconds. We also noticed that the fans run at high speed then for a second seem to run at a lower speed before picking back up. This has happened a few times that we’ve noticed and then last night the power went completely out for a few seconds. I remember Mike getting up and walking around, but I was so exhausted I remember nothing other than that. It came back on and seemed fine for the rest of the night.

A coworker of mine recommended a mobile RV repair guy when he found out we were embarking on this journey and I called him this morning. The soonest he can come out is next week. I had no idea there were mobile RV repair men until just a few months ago, but I’m thankful for them right now because the thought of having to take the trailer to the “shop” for a few days is daunting. I would have to pack it up so that stuff wasn’t flying everywhere when we moved it and then also get us moved out for a few days- instead, he’ll come to us!

In the middle of all of this, the baby turned 1 yesterday! I am not sure how it’s been a year. She is teething like crazy and super grouchy at night when she is sleeping. As a result, so she often ends up in our little trailer queen size bed with us. I don’t mind the extra snuggles during this period of total chaos. Except when she open hand slaps me in the face to see if I am awake.

When Inside Becomes Outside

I know you are all losing sleep over this like I am, so here are your updates!

First, the insurance saga continues. I think we are close to figuring out a solution, but it’s a few more hundred dollars out of pocket to make sure we have the appropriate insurance to protect the entire property and our belongings. The long and short of it is that there never should have been a change requested to our policy, but since there was the insurance company rejected the new coverage which resulted in the cancellation of our homeowners insurance.  It’s extra complicated by the fact that we have out buildings (barn and detached garage), not just the property under construction. Lesson for those at home that ever take on a project like this is that you should talk to your insurance provider, figure our if it makes the most sense for you to carry the policy or your contractor, have them document everything, and never close on a loan when your insurance guy is on vacation.

Also, the labeling didn’t really work on everything in the house, I almost cried when I discovered this cabinet had been junked. Not because I was sad about the cabinet, but mainly because Mike was right when he told me the week before that we should just take the time to remove it so nothing happened to it. I kid. We saved all the upstairs cabinets to potentially be reused downstairs if we put in a mother-in-law apartment and this was the last one to the set. Heartbreaking.

Last week they got the east foundation dug out. See the house plans here if you aren’t familiar. It’s a crazy big hole even though the house is only coming out about 5 feet on that side.  The gas company hadn’t come out to move the gas yet, so they couldn’t finish that side out completely.

A few more photos from that stage that I never got around to posting last week are below.

Darwin took one look at the hole and wagged his finger at the excavator and said, “No, no, no.” He told me that the tractor made a huge mess and it was in trouble. He still tells me that the tractors stole the house, but they are going to put a new one in the hole so it’s okay. Poor little guy, it’s a lot to take in!

We have to pay to have all this dirt trucked out of here, so I am working on finding people on Facebook that want it all. Who knew that dirt brokering was such a lucrative business? Tomorrow we hopefully have a couple coming to get it all for their back yard and that will save us some money.

Fast forward to today and now all the sudden inside is outside and outside is inside because windows and walls are coming out!

A lot of demo has been done, but there is still a lot to do. Both the bathrooms still need to come out, the exterior of the entire house is coming off, and there are exterior walls that need to be removed, including large sections of the existing foundation. We are on our second dumpster already and there is so much more that needs to go.

We don’t have internet again. When they took the utility panel off the back of the house, the cable apparently ran through it. Darwin is devastated that Netflix is not working. We do have a port-a-potty though, so that’s a pretty good trade-off, right? I am hoping Darwin never discovers what it actually is or I will be taking 11pm trips to the port-a-potty, I guarantee it!

We met with the contractors and are finishing up most of the color selections and finishes. We have all the flooring, all the tile, the exterior finishes, and the cabinets picked. We just need to finish up by selecting countertops, backsplash tile, and a paint color. It’s a lot of work and it’s hard to visualize it all coming together so it will be exciting when it does. I feel like every time we meet we think of something that we didn’t specifically include in the bid like window well covers, an outside railing around the new basement stairs, egress ladders, etc. I really like our contractors though. They are very on top of things and pretty calm and collected which makes me feel better.

Trailer living is trailer living. I think the only part I really hate is dishes. Our sink is so small and the kitchen really has no space to dry everything. I need bottles for Trixie so it’s a bit of a never-ending process. Showers are similar, the shower has hot water and works just fine, but it’s just so small and I love a good bath so it’s hard to get used to really fast and cramped showers. Laundry is sometimes a problem, but not too bad. Mike had to run to his parents and do an emergency load of kid bedding on Monday for the first time, but at least we have options. We accidentally unplugged the trailer this weekend when we went to the lake house and lost all the food in the trailer fridge- we just weren’t thinking about it and were so used to closing everything up like we did before when we were hooked up to a converter. It’s been hot in Utah this week, a few days in the triple digits, but we’re decently comfortable all things considered. It just takes a while to cool the trailer off when we get home at night. It has pretty good storage everywhere except the kitchen and in our room, but having so much space in the garage and that being so close means thats not too big of an issue.

I’ll try to update again this weekend as I suspect there will be lots of big noticeable changes around here the rest of the week!

 

Internet, Laundromats, and the Electric Company

I’m at the laundromat, someplace I haven’t been in years! Mike is off getting coffee and breakfast with the kids. Tons of people have offered to let us come use their washer and dryer, but I’ll be honest with two little kids we have a TON of laundry and it’s nice to use the super enormous and fast washers and do 6 loads at once. Plus, I’m here alone and that’s always nice.

Last weekend we took a little break from trailer living and headed up to Mike’s parents lake house. It was nice to have some space and do some laundry there. Plus, I didn’t have to pack much since I took all the laundry.

Late last week and this week, they’ve only worked on the house a couple of days, but it’s coming along. Below are some pictures. You probably aren’t sure what you are looking at, but all that matters is that it’s progress. And I have no idea why we have a dumpster if it’s apparently too far away to bother putting anything in it.

The delay has really been caused by what is pictured below. Most of you don’t know what you are even looking at, but that’s a temporary power pedestal without power. Somehow the work orders to get it power and get the meter pulled from the house so they can finish demo and dig haven’t been linked together and it’s led to some inefficiency that is holding up the project. Good news is that late Friday afternoon they finally pulled the meter, so a hole should appear in the yard on Tuesday.

Our internet company came out and moved our router so we have wi-fi. The solution involved duct tape and running the line through a hole that the previous owners left in the detached garage. It’s the perfect solution for anyone living in a trailer. The problem is that the garage is metal, so you have to open the garage door to get internet.

Some people have asked me about our animals. The cats are all living in the tack room and they sit at the house door trying to get it sometimes. They are starving for attention, but we try to pet them in the evenings when we’re outside. Lola desperately wants in the trailer and Darwin doesn’t understand why they can’t come in. They are doing as well as can be expected.

Luna spends her nights outside just the way she likes it and then we kennel her in the barn so she doesn’t bark at the workers all day. We put her in the backyard still because she seems to stay away from all the piles of tile and boards for the most part.

The electrician is coming out today to finally run the proper power for the trailer. Mike and I think this will be a game changer for us because we can finally run the fridge, water heater and microwave without turning the AC off first. We will also finally have a place to plug in a fridge that won’t be occasionally losing power which means we can grocery shop again. I am so sick of fast food and take out!

 

The Kids Don’t Care

The first lesson I’ve learned from this adventure is that the kids don’t care that we live in a trailer. It turns out they really like their family and it doesn’t matter where we live. Darwin tried to talk me out of taking him to school today because he needed to stay home in his trailer. Trixie’s hobby of finding things she shouldn’t be playing with also does not require a specific venue- she is just happy all. the. time.

Yesterday morning we went through the house and marked up all the walls to show which stay, which get removed, and what happens to all the doors and fixtures that are left. Since then, nothing has happened as far as demolition or excavation. There has been a lot of coordination happening around moving and disconnecting utilities.

I’m a little terrified for when we can start to SEE the progress. I feel like some day this week I am going to come home and the house will literally be half gone. Hopefully it’s the right half that is gone.

First Trailer Night

We all slept in the trailer and the kids did amazingly well! Trixie was up her usual two times and even fell back asleep after the sun was up. Darwin slept until a little after 7 and didn’t wake up at all. He seems to really like his room. I got a call at 2am that my mom was in the hospital (she is doing better now, but will be there for a few days) and I really must be exhausted because I still managed to get some sleep. Mike seemed to also be in the absolutely exhausted camp.

Today is the final day we could be in the house so now everything is moved out. Our detached garage and house garage are packed to the brim! It just became chaotic at the end and stuff is everywhere, but we are out and that is all that matters.

Turns out the easiest way to get a bigger house is to just move out all your stuff. Our house feels huge when empty!

The excavators and demolition crews are supposed to be here tomorrow. One of two things will happen. They won’t do anything tomorrow and we could have stayed in the house longer. Or I will come home to a house that is missing all sorts of walls (and hopefully a TON of mismatched tile).

I really can’t believe we are going through with this. My inner control freak (that finds math errors at closings) is having a hard time, but Mike just keeps telling me this will all be worth it.

So It Begins

We closed on Friday. I’m writing this on my phone so sorry about the lack of details and real sentences.

I found a math error at closing so it took more than 2 hours to close. I really should have take my TI-83  calculator not just my iPhone.

My mom asked if the neighbors knew work was starting. I’m guessing they do now that there is a dumpster in my yard. This is the view from my (old) living room.

Today we busted ass finishing up the packing and moving out. We’re also taking out the current kitchen because we want to keep the cabinets for the basement. Darwin wanted to know why the water wasn’t working- he suggested Mike try changing the batteries. That’s the toddler solution to everything!  Krystal saved the day by taking the kids for a few hours.

We moved into the trailer and had our first picnic dinner outside under the awning. The stair rail isn’t done, but having real stairs instead of RV stairs is so nice.

We are staying in the trailer tonight even though we don’t have to be out of the house until 8am Monday because if something goes horribly wrong I’d rather it not be on a work night. We only have some A/C, we can’t run it all the time because of the way it’s all set-up right now with the wiring. Wish us luck!