The Work Begins

Friday we closed on the house, Saturday was our first “work” day.  Since the property had been vacant for quite some time, all utilities had been turned off and the house was winterized.  No electricity, no heat, and no working bathrooms makes for a challenging work day.  First on my list for next week is to get the electricity flowing again - that way we can at least plug in a heater and turn on lights.  Rob turned the breakers off in preparation for the grand illumination coming soon.
 
We weren’t going to let a cold house stop us from accomplishing something, though.  We layered up, donned our dust masks, and decided to tackle the attic.  Although the house is empty of furnishings, the attic, basement, and shed did not fare so well (that is, they are jammed with stuff).  First on Rob’s list for next week is to line up a dumpster.  Rob crawled around the dark attic with a flashlight for several hours, handing down to me everything from mattresses and bowling balls to shoes and screens - all sorts of interesting items, most of which are dumpster bound.  
 
A few items that will be incorporated into the house include some old draperies (see below) that I will be able to use in a twined rug, some outdoor chairs that need a bit of re-furbishing and new cushions, and a few old mirrors. 

Once the attic was largely cleared, Rob poked and prodded throughout the house, at one point pulling up a piece of linoleum to see what was underneath (another layer of interesting floor covering).

He explored the roof, electrical, insulation, flooring, and wisely spent his time seeing what we were up against throughout the house.  

I spent the rest of the day sorting through piles and piles of paper in the upstairs bedroom (a project that still isn’t complete).  My careful sorting paid off - the find of the day was a copy of a drawing of the original Glenlochan the 1780’s.  All that remains today of that original structure is the side “kitchen”, 

and the outdoor shed that we are told served both as a slave quarters and then a school house.  

We plan to do our best to restore both of those original structures in this renovation.  Additionally, there were wonderful pieces of art in the piles that we’ll be able to incorporate into the home - interesting prints, some original artwork, magazines from the early 1900’s and a variety of historic information.