OH Wow congratulations! I know how much you wanted this home and that you fell in Love the very first time you stepped into it. So, today reality set in after the closing and it is time to begin!

So where do you begin? I am assuming you will be doing renovations/construction before you move in? Do you have a rough time line and goal for occupancy?

I think it was Moccasinlanding that suggested keeping "tabs" on the progress - which is a wonderful idea. Perhaps you could start a blog which would be a great way to document, keep records, share, as well as educate!

Remember, you LOVE this home, and you researched, investigated, and then made an educated decision! I think the home is just letting you know where to start!!!

The location and the view are an amazing part of this property - it'll all be worth it!

Thanks Tracy! Yes, the reality of it all is facing us! LOL.. We don't plan to move in for a few months, need to address the un-fun things first.. roof and electric!

I have found out a whole lot of history on the house.... it was built in 1937 by a prominent business man. It was his winter residence, and he paid $10,000 at the time.

Call the realtor and invite her over during a downpour. Make sure you position her right under one of the leaks!!!!!

Then get a tarp up quick. That will buy you some time and keep down the damage.

You'll still love the house despite it's problems.

Spent the day there yesterday, I do love the old house! It's been a while since anything has been done on the house, we certainly have our work cut out for us!

tinker, I am sorry about the roof problem but I still think you have one beautiful house!!!

it is amazing how no house being sold ever has any problems of any type, yet almost every person who owns a house has problems of some sort. one of the great mysteries of the universe i guess.

"...yet almost every person who owns a house has problems of some sort. one of the great mysteries of the universe i guess."

Once a repair is made the problem is gone, and in many places no longer has to be disclosed.

Oh, I would be disappointed to find that! But if you planned for a new roof, then at least it isn't a total shock.

Congratulations on your new home. Hopefully, there will be a minimum of unpleasant surprises and lots of fun discoveries.
Diane

Check the flashing around the openings on the roof. The fireplace vents and the other vents on the roof. From the picture, I can't see any flashing where the brick meets the roof

"From the picture, I can't see any flashing where the brick meets the roof"

The flashing is either painted or missing.

Flashing sea;ed t eh brick wth tar or other mastics or caulking compound WILL fail.

The correct installation is flashing and then counter flashing above the lower flashing st into slots cut into the mortar joints of the brick and bent down over the top if the lower flashing.

Yes, flashing is MISSING! We have had 3 roofers come and inspect.. long story short, the "new" roof that was installed in October, never had a final inspection. So many areas are poor and incorrect!

We hired a new company, they have a temp fix on it until it can be permitted and fixed. The tin roof point peak.. has to come off too, leaking under it.

Good eye Brickeyee & bill!

Pictures

Here is one area of water damage they hid under the bed

Oh wow. What a bummer to come away from the signing to discover a leaking roof. Reminds me of our first house, we drove to it after signing, and found termites swarming on the wood framing around the patio sliding doors.

However, your house is a lovely place, and I'm sure that this too shall pass....after diligent work and some reprioritizing of your projects.

For sure, I do recommend that you keep a record of it all. Take digital pictures now until you think you've covered every square inch of the place. Even do a video of each room. The digital record always includes the date taken/created, which will be useful as time goes by.

And by golly, starting your blog with a big bang, like a downpour on the actual day you sign the papers, and you come home to a seriously leaking roof? My goodness, that sounds like the movie MONEY PIT with Tom Hanks and Shelly Long! Quite dramatic.

Well, Brickeyee and billl have opened my eyes about what to look for in a good metal roofing job. Which is what we want for our house in a couple of years. All roofers are not created equal apparently.

moccasinlanding, yes.. my exact thoughts on closing day.. the MONEY PIT! LOL, great idea about the blog, I need to start one. This is our 3 major reno house over the last 20 years, and I don't many photo's of those houses at all!

There is so much that needs to be done, my head is spinning a bit, so I need to try and focus and prioritize my list to do now, and what I will tackle after we move in.

I think that must be some kind of a record. Sixty minutes!

I bet that damaged floor is salvageable.

um, I walked downstairs after taking possession to find out there was a crack where the main waste line meets the foundation wall that the PEE OH had covered up with some junk (some but not all of which he cleaned up after the inspection but before possession). Took me literally 10 minutes to find, because I was looking at how much junk the guy left behind. Called the realtor and said, "THERE'S JUNK AND TOILET WATER ALL OVER THE BASEMENT!!! I THOUGHT YOU SAID IT WAS CLEAN!!!"

I will never ever allow a seller to retain the home for 2 weeks (or any length of time) after the sale. what a zany tradition.

He also kept promising to install the springs on the garage door, never did that either. The realtor paid for (or billed him or something) the waste pipe and the problem with the A/C but did not pay for the garage door springs.

(when we had the inspection the heat pump was in heat mode and the seller vowed it worked. The inspector couldn't get to the broken part of the pipe b/c of the junk but the rest of the pipe looked great--either it rusted through after the inspection or it was covered up (either intentionally or otherwise--inspector had quite a good list of other things...)

"ong story short, the "new" roof that was installed in October, never had a final inspection. "

Despite requiring a permit for roofing, many jurisdictions never seem to actually get around to inspecting them.

The inspector is not there to catch problems, he is there to increase the tax base.