01.10.10

Living in the Smallest House on the Street

Posted in Daily Musings at 11:37 pm by Kim Joy

Living in the Smallest House on the Street

When we first came to see this house it looked so small and lost among the mc mansions beside it.  It is nothing to write home about until you live in it. It has three bedrooms, all good sizes, a large living room, galley kitchen, dining room, 3 season room and one bathroom.

Yes sometimes it is a challenge with two teenagers having only one bathroom but there have not been too many fights. The light switch is on the outside so you will be “told” when someone needs in!  The heater works very well in the bathroom so you are warm while in there.

The 3 season room is my studio. It is fine during the 3 seasons it was meant for, winter gets a little chilly so I need to use a space heater. Everyone has to come through there to get in the house. We do not use the front door, the parking is around back and we are backdoor people anyway. I do wish there were ductwork in this room then I would be in it all the time.

Back to being the smallest house on the street, we also have the longest driveway so people don’t bother coming up that are just driving around. I think it is wonderful living here. It is like the house that time forgot or a secret cottage. No door to door salesmen venture up the driveway. We sit back off the road far enough that we can’t hear cars unless they bottom out when the county took out the hump, now it is a dip. The school buses have to go super slow since they are so long bodied.

It is a ranch built in 1951 with an addition added in the 60’s. The bathroom has a new sink and toilet but the tub and floor tiles are original. The kitchen was recently remodeled but the linoleum is scary, white with green squares on the diagonal. 3 season room has original flooring. The rest is carpeted with beige, not good with teenagers and a muddy driveway.

Nanook loves the backyard which is huge. The lot is one acre and sits in front of a creek bed and woods that back the high school ball fields.  There are four oaks down on the back of the property that have been burning in the wood stove to help keep electric bill down a little. He just loves walking around and hiding behind the shrub row by the shed.  There is a garden bed along front of house, driveway side of house which is our herb garden. There is also a large garden bed off the patio which is growing weeds so well, there are azaleas and some other flowers planted there as well. Next spring more will be going in all around.

There is a slab way back in yard that had a partial wall around it at one time, now it is back by the creek bed. That will be an outdoor sitting area this spring. I have hanging lanterns to put around it and furniture that is closer to house now but will move back. Our neighbors to the north rebuilt their house that burned last March and they will be moving back in soon. It is not a mc mansion but it is a two story. The gazebo will have to move as it is right by their patio. There is a hedgerow between the two houses but still too close.

If this place were for sale we would buy it. I love the feel of it and the kids love it too and don’t want to move. When you find a place that feels good you want to stay. It does need work like insulation… there is none. We found that out with the December electric bill. We would also change the kitchen flooring and the carpet (low grade and worn). I would bump out studio and put in duct work, enlarge patio and add a garage. Dreaming of additions to a rental is not realistic at all!

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