Wandering with the Whitehursts: December 2021

There is so much to catch up on. I guess you could say that while we aren't actually travelling in the RV no one would be interested in reading our blog. But just because the RV has been stationary for the most part of the past year, doesn't mean that the Wandering Whitehursts haven't been wandering.

I'll try to catch you up to the present so we can move forward with our adventures.

You could say that COVID didn't slow us down, but in reality it did a bit. Our original plans were to hit the road for 6 months this past January. But because we thought it would be challenging to really experience everything with the way the world was, we stayed put and maximized work. Stayed put...haha..

Aug 2020: Trip to Florida, me and the kids.

December 2020: Pennsylvania ski trip with the RV. A month in the best winter PA had seen for a while joined with my brother for a few days around New Years.

February 2021: Another trip to FL, this time we included Dad.

March 2021: This is where things get weird and exciting. A trip to Vermont leading to the purchase of a house in Vermont. I use the term house loosely here. But let's keep moving.

May 2021: Quick trip to see the in-laws in Texas followed by a move to said house in Vermont.

June-August 2021: Life in Vermont....we thought we would live in the RV in the driveway and get right to work. In a lot of ways, we did. But with the new influx of city folk moving to the country contractors, plumbers, electricians, and any other remodeling tradesman you can think of was booked out months or even a year. So what did we do?? We set about doing it ourselves. Let me preface this with an explanation of our lack of experience. I may have dabbled a bit in electrical and tile work in our home in Omaha, but that was about it. Jon has built a bookshelf and a spice rack and been our primary mechanic on the RV and trucks over the past 5 years. Enter>>>> YouTube. Hours of videos, research and trial and error led us to successfully demo the house, or what remained of it and begin rebuilding. I optimistically and not at all realistically thought we would be beautifying by July. But we were still demoing in August. Every time we too another sheet of drywall down, we found something else that led to more drywall being removed.

Here is a list of things we found in our walls (not for the squeemish)

Dog food (approximately 20lbs)

Meal Worms

Birds Nests

Countless wasp nests

Mice Skeletons

Carpenter Ants

Very little intact insulation

So you can imagine what a tremendous discouragement and surprise each of these were when we started taking things down we never intended to take down. After going through an over priced plumber, what we think was a scam artist carpenter, and what seemed to be a politically motivated painter we found a great electrician, plumber (who fixed some of the things the first plumber did wrong at a premium), and some leads on who to use and not to use. They don't show you that part on HGTV folks.

Progress on the house:

New windows and doors (everything glass had been smashed when we bought it)

French drain installed, probably incorrectly but fingers crossed

Basement wall water-proofed, cracks sealed

50amp installed for RV hookup

Removed the deck and front door, moved the front door to the....front

All new electrical to include lighting through the house

All new plumbing roughed in(pipes were frozen and busted at purchase, plus we added a 3rd toilet and sink)

Almost completely reinsulated with spray insulation

Heated floors installed (thank you Jon and my brother Jonathan)

Heat pumps/AC units installed

Boiler installed (no existing hot water to the house at purchase)

Siding replaced, sealed, painted, and trimmed

Reconfigured hallway to create a true master bed/bath

Reconfigured floorplan of kids bathroom from a teeny tiny bathroom with shower to a large bathroom with double vanity (yet to be installed) and bathtub

Drywall is going in to the kids closets that we expanded and carpet coming soon!!

Goodness, when I write it all down it seems like a lot of progress....but when I look at the unfinished floors and walls it feels like "done" is still forever away.

I promise I will be a bit more consistent in blogging the progress, especially as we continue renovations and hopefully one day move towards homesteading here.