Wouldn't You Like to be Our Neighbor?

Courtesy of Jen :)

The Back Blah Yard

Spring is Here!
70 degrees in Chicago today! Woot!

We can't wait to see what things will be sprouting around our new house. We've already noticed some tulip bulbs sprouting right next to the garage, and we think we have two lilac bushes screening us from our neighbors to the north. Can't wait till those bloom.

Unfortunately, we don't have much of a back yard right now. Apparently the PO's had dogs that liked to dig holes. Lots of holes. In fact, our yard could probably shame the suspension systems of several SUVs! In between feeding the Cellulose Blower, Jen took a stab at leveling this into a less dramatic landscape, pruning the bushes and trees, and figuring out what we had to work with.

We're thinking for this year we'll just rototill the yard and throw down some grass seed and hope for the best. As for next year though, we're not quite sure. The yard is almost the same length and slightly wider than the garage.. 24x33. We're toying with the idea of turning this space into a grass-less backyard with a nice patio, trellis, etc. next year, but we're not sure. Here's some more pix.. (the hose is for the blower). If you have any ideas or suggestions, let us know!

Blowing up the walls

In preparation for the massive work we can finally begin, Jay went and opened a new credit card at Menards, which was having a 0% until 2006 deal going on anything over $300. So it was the perfect time to buy lumber, house jacks, electrical conduit, and cellulose insulation (which is treated, recycled paper).

It looked like STUFFING!!




Menards has a program where if you buy the loose fill cellulose from them, they give you the blower free for one day. This blower is basically a large shop-vac that operates in reverse with a large hopper to feed the cellulose, and a really long tube. We actually kept the blower in the back yard and fed the tube through a second floor window, and then throughout the top floor to fill in our uninsulated walls.


Mark came over and did a lot of prep work to make sure the stuff didn't blow straight through to the basement, while Jay worked up in the attic blowing the cellulose down through each wall cavity. Later, we fished the hose into the basement and filled up any cavities that we missed, or were below windows. We had to drill 1-inch holes in the wall to do this, but they will patch (or be covered) nicely.

It took a full weekend to work all the away around the house. We decided not to do most of the north wall of our house, since that is where we plan to do our dormer addition (still pending zoning board appeal). But since we did it, we've already noticed benefits:
- house is warmer
- basement is much warmer
- furnace goes on less
- VERY big soundproofing improvement


In all, we used 15 bags, but at $5 bag (total $75.00) it was a great deal. And Mark's favorite part about using cellulose was that it didn't leave you itching and scratching for the next few days, unlike normal insulation! :)

Condo for Sale

Vintage Oak Park Condo

Oak Park, IL 60302
MLS: 05044585
This 2BR / 1 BA condo unit is on the top floor with a sunny southern exposure.
Vintage Oak Park building was remodeled in 2000 featuring new fixtures, cabinets, appliances, in-unit washer/dryer, custom painting, beautiful light fixtures and more!
The 1300+ sq ft condo features a spacious (20x17) living room with striking fireplace flanked on each side with built in bookcases, and an enormous octagon bay window that catches the sunsets. The bedrooms are very quite large as well (12.5 x 13 and 10 x 2).
Other features include:

• Vintage craftsmanship evident on mouldings, built-in book cases, etc.


• Functional vent-free gas fireplace


• One BR has tandem heated sun porch with view of Sears Tower
  
  (from one corner of the room, on a clear day, after the trees lose their leaves :-)


• Refinished oak floors (maple in kitchen), ceramic tile in bathroom, and Berber carpet in sun porch.


• Ceiling fans in bedrooms


• Private balcony overlooking lush backyard with mature trees


• Seller to pay 1 year's on-street parking permits


• Assigned storage space in basement


• Two Window air conditioning units included


• Small self-managed condo association with strong reserves.


• Located near Eisenhower, halfway between Green and Blue lines, police station is across the street.
  [view map]

Asking $229,900

Contact: Barbara Kohut, Prudential Premier Realty 708-386-4000
View Virtual Tour!

• Oak Park named among 20 Best North American Districts, Downtowns, and Neighborhoods


• How much do you need to earn to afford this?

Permit Day

Last week was kind of a turning point. We had hired the structural engineer, whose gibberish meant precisely jack to me but I figured would answer all of our Plan Reviewer's questions, and had the completed report and the revised drawings (which jay did beautifully) in hand. On Tuesday, I headed over the VOP on my lunch break to hand-deliver the package and get a turnaround estimate. After waiting 20 minutes for our reviewer to be available, he informed me that it should take him about a day to review the plans - apparently, he needed someone else's help with it (his words, not mine) - and if I hadn't heard from him by Thursday morning, to give him a call.

So, that's just what I did. I called at 12:30 Thursday and left a message with the receptionist.

Then I called again at 3.

Once more at 4:30.

Then, it was Friday.

I called at 11:00. At 12:30. At 2:15. At 3:30. He was in a meeting, on the phone, away from his desk, washing his hair.

At four I decided to become a stalker.

Headed back to the village. Waited in line 10 minutes. Told the receptionist I was there to pick up my permits as I hadn't heard any information to the contrary. She spoke with our reviewer, who said he hadn't gotten them done yet. (I might mention that the way this office is set up, the office walls are only 4 feet high, and I witnessed this entire conversation). When she came back to relay the message (it was like when a girl at school gets mad at you and won't talk to you unless you have a go-between). I had decided that wasn't good enough, and told her I wouldn't bore her with the details, but I would sit and wait for our reviewer to become available.

4:15. 4:27. 4:40.

4:46 - He's finally available. And since I had forty minutes to plan out my complaint, I managed not to get too excited. He apologized over and over - "you're right, eight weeks is unacceptable" - "I do apologize for avoiding you" - and promised we'd have our permit Monday no matter what.

What do you think happened?


Yeah, that's what I thought too. But then, miracle of miracles ...

Well, here it is, at long last. Our work permit. And it only took two months and three days to receive - quite contrary to the VOP's stated "two to four weeks" for review.

I suppose now we'll have no excuse for not busting our assess every weekend. SIGH. At least maybe mine will get smaller with all the work - two birds with one hammer and all that. :)

- Jen