top of page
Rehabbing
Step one in living in the country is buying or building somewhere to live. We decided to buy an existing house. The second step is to make the house livable...
Ed
Nov 30, 20242 min read
Bathroom Progress
Among the gardening and other outdoor activities, we still have a house we are trying to update. We are slowly nearing the finish line,...
7 views0 comments
Maggie
Feb 5, 20242 min read
Main Bathroom Update - Before Pictures
We've had our "homestead property" since March, 2019 (nearly 5 years as of this writing) and our main bathroom is still in it's original...
13 views0 comments
Ed
Dec 25, 20222 min read
2022 in Review; and the 2023 Theme is...
As we near the end of the year, it is time to look back and assess how 2022 progressed. We try and give each year a theme, to help guide...
10 views0 comments
Ed
Oct 29, 20222 min read
Coop Windows and Doors
As we assessed our spare shed for conversion to a chicken coop, there were a few issues we noted: The windows were in tough shape and did...
11 views0 comments
Ed
Oct 27, 20223 min read
Chicken Coop Conversion
As we slowly convert our property to a self-sustaining enterprise, one of the next steps is to introduce animals into the mix. This year,...
7 views0 comments
Ed
Aug 6, 20222 min read
Year of the 'B' Midyear Update
Each year, I try to create a theme for the upcoming work on our farmstead. It provides direction and helps us tell our story. This year...
9 views0 comments
Maggie
Jul 28, 20222 min read
Refurbished Tiny Basement Bathroom - Maggie's Perspective
This is really Ed's story to tell; but, I'm most pleased with our newly refurbished basement bathroom. It's a tiny tiny space (as small...
44 views0 comments
Ed
Jul 10, 20223 min read
Shower Walls
After months of looking at concrete walls, wall studs, or concrete backer board-covered walls, we finally have final finish walls for our...
7 views0 comments
Maggie
Jul 7, 20221 min read
Wood Burning Stove Install Now Complete
The pad looks different than I remember it, but all is installed now and ready to go. The installers were nice enough to walk through...
11 views0 comments
Ed
Jul 2, 20222 min read
Shower Status
Once the rough plumbing was finally completed, the shower in the basement bathroom has finally started to take shape. Rather than...
5 views0 comments
Maggie
Jun 28, 20222 min read
New Wood Burning Stove Install - Not Quite Complete But...
I wish I would have noticed the time that the installers arrived this morning. It was early - maybe 8 or 9am. They left at about...
9 views0 comments
Ed
Apr 27, 20223 min read
Plumbing Progress
Some days, nothing seems to go right. That was the case on the day I tried to install the shower plumbing for our basement bathroom...
6 views0 comments
Ed
Dec 28, 20213 min read
2022 is the Year of the 'B'
Writing '2022 feels odd', but time marches on. Come March, we will be entering the fourth year of working on our property. It is hard to...
10 views0 comments
Ed
Dec 19, 20211 min read
Bathroom Update
We reached an important milestone - we re-installed a toilet in the basement bathroom. After stripping the old adhesive from the concrete...
12 views0 comments
Ed
Oct 11, 20211 min read
Basement Bathroom Update
As happens in Wisconsin, indoor projects take a backseat when summer rolls around. The brevity of the summer season combined with nice...
14 views0 comments
Ed
Jul 10, 20213 min read
New Project - Basement Bathroom
We are finally at the point in our farmhouse rehab where the end is in sight. Our next major project is the basement bathroom. Once we...
11 views0 comments
Ed
May 31, 20213 min read
Stairs Project / Rehab Completed
Our dog was happy that our stair rehab project was finally completed this weekend. Like most of our projects, it took longer than...
15 views0 comments
Ed
Apr 4, 20211 min read
Stairway Update
Much of our rehabbing was placed on pause last month for the 3-week maple syrup season. By the end of a day, I was usually too dirty with...
17 views0 comments
Ed
Jan 24, 20212 min read
Stairway Deconstruction
Roger Cook from This Old House used to say that before you start construction, you have to have some destruction. Our staircase project...
11 views0 comments
Ed
Dec 6, 20202 min read
Stairway Facelift
Once we finished our back hallway and laundry room project in September, we shifted to a couple of months of outdoor projects to enjoy...
25 views0 comments
Ed
Aug 9, 20203 min read
Deck the Hall
Our back hallway is the hardest working area of the house. It leads to our back door, which is our primary route in and out of the house....
21 views0 comments
Maggie
Jul 26, 20201 min read
Getting Ready for Hall Flooring and Washer/Dryer
In order to have our washer / dryer on the main level where it was previously, Ed needed to do a little updating of the valves for the...
18 views1 comment
Maggie
Jul 24, 20204 min read
New Stove Hooked Up - Kitchen 100% Completed
Almost to the day, the Richland Center Sears Hometown Appliance store closed right when we were ready to purchase a new stove for our...
26 views0 comments
Maggie
Jul 22, 20201 min read
Not Ignoring the Outside
We really don't want any lawn ornament clutter; however, we did bring the metal sunflower from our Milwaukee property to the "farm". As...
17 views0 comments
Maggie
Jul 22, 20202 min read
Windows and Doors
All of the main floor and second story windows / window trim have been painted white on the inside. There were 11 windows in all (some...
24 views0 comments
Ed
Jul 12, 20202 min read
Kitchen Tile, Part 2
After letting the thinset cure, we moved on to grouting our kitchen backsplash tile. Based on her research, Maggie sent me to the store...
18 views1 comment
Ed
Jul 4, 20204 min read
Kitchen Backsplash, Week #1
Our kitchen backsplash project actually started several months ago. We identified, explored, and discussed numerous options for...
17 views0 comments
Ed
Jun 28, 20202 min read
Smallest Rooms of the House
I knew that it would take several weeks to rehab the hall closet and pantry. However, when you stand there and look at them, it is hard...
9 views0 comments
Ed
Jun 21, 20202 min read
Ode to Clothes
Another pair of shorts ruined. One of the hazards of rehabbing a house is the wear and tear on clothing. I have old tee shirts that I...
13 views0 comments
Maggie
Jun 17, 20201 min read
Ready to Assemble Cabinets for Bedroom and Office
When I ordered three of the 7 drawer cabinets from Amazon, little did I realize how much assembly would be required. (I should have...
15 views0 comments
bottom of page