I’m sick. Sick and tired.
Seriously. You probably thought a joke was coming. But it’s not. I’m literally blogging from Bedside Baptist Church. (Confession. Bedside Baptist is what we would write on our Wherdjagotochurch form in college when we played church hookie and vegged in bed all Sunday morning.) Sorry mom. I know. I would be ashamed of Will if he did that too.
Any(ahhc)hoo…I am sick and as someone who hardly ever gets sick…I have to tell ya, I am a baby. A big one. I am practically a man when it comes to getting a cold 🙂 So I thought that maybe it would make me feel better to draw the layout of our potentially-future-home. As you may remember, we are officially under contract for our dream house.
And no…there still isn’t any progress. Apparently the bank needs to get the electrical up and running before the due diligence period starts. Yeah. No electrical. A main power cable (the biggest honkin’ one I’ve ever seen) was cut. So we have to wait till the bank fixes it. Which is fine by me cause Christmas whipped my bootie good.
Okay – so like I said before, here is the layout. Let me explain something really really important….this is one HUGE house. WAY bigger than what we need. I’ve said that before and I’ll say it again. It’s like a whale compared to our current catfish. At least it feels that way. And you can see that I was all gung-ho about using floorplanner.com until I actually realized that I am somewhat computer deficient when it comes to using floorplanner.com. That being said, the first floor is decent…the second floor, not so much….and the basement? Well…we didn’t even measure it….and I eyeballed the layout. Don’t judge me…I’m sick, remember?
Here is the first floor:
The first floor is really really big and spacious…but in comparison to our current house, it really only has two more rooms on the main level than our current abode….an office and a laundry room. Plus it has a three car garage instead of two which fits only 1 with our massive workbenches. The other bonus is the closets…it has a coat closet AND a pantry 🙂
The second floor is where the real difference lies. First, let’s start in the master bedroom. Or should I call it the Master SUITE? It is enormous. Way big. And overlooks the backyard…which I didn’t know I’ve always wanted. And it has two walk-in closets with a ginormous bathroom…no more ‘crackerjackboxbathroom’!
The upstairs also boasts a Jack-n-Jill type bedroom layout for two bedrooms – and the Jill has a crazy little hallway to a back room that could be used for storage, as a small nursery or even a playroom. Right now we are leaning toward making the Jill Room the Will Room 🙂
Since we already have four bedrooms upstairs in our current house…there isn’t much difference here in the number of bedrooms…but the real game-changer is the number of bathrooms. Right now, we have FIVE total bedrooms sharing 2.5 bathrooms (1 being the master crackjackbox). In this house, the number of bedrooms is SIX (counting the two in the basement) and the number of bathrooms is 5.5. BIG difference. HUGE.
In the basement, there was quite a lot of potential. The previous owners had already planned things out and we think they went so far as to finish most of it…unfortunately when they left, they took those items with them. So the bathroom is plumbed but needs fixtures like a toilet and a vanity. The Kitchenette (we think it was previous a wetbar) was totally scalped too…they even took the counter top and cabinets.
But on the plus side, this area itself is where the true value of the house lies…it is a daylight basement which has ten foot ceilings! So it definitely doesn’t feel like your typical basement. And it has two additional bedrooms…which make it perfect for future family members to visit and have their own space. Granted, that won’t happen for a while…because right now we could put them in the upstairs bedrooms…but it’s always nice to know that it’s there if you need it.
The basement also has this weird walkway thing that wraps around the front of the house. We think it goes around under the front porch…and can be used for storage and for utilities…but we aren’t 100% sure what we will do with it just yet. We do know that we will probably seal off the basement (after cleaning it up a bunch) so that we can save on utilities. We figure that as long as we circulate the air every once in a while, we can just keep the door closed to the upstairs and pocket the extra cash that it would take to heat it and cool it constantly.
ok – so that is our potentially-future-floorplan. I’m off to hang my head over the humidifier with two Kleenex up my nose. Should make for a soggy sinus….I’ll let you know how it pans out 🙂
That sure is big, I think my entire house could fit in the garage!
The layout, especially the basement, looks quite flexible. I don’t envy you having to clean all those bathrooms, but apart from that it looks fab and can’t wait to see pics of the inside. Get well soon!
Katie, I will be your very best friend in the whole world if you just show me a picture. I promise I won’t tell a soul. I’ll even delete it after you send it. I just need to see this place, it sounds amazing. I can’t wait until the day I check your blog and there is a picture of this dream house staring back at me. 🙂
Looks great! It’ll take time to decorate, but the best rooms come together over time anyway.
The layout reminds me of my aunt’s house. She has a basement like that and kept it closed off for a long time, but friends and relatives started asking to store their extra stuff down there which was fine until one day she looked around and realized she had 15 (15!) couches in her basement and none of them were hers.
Excited to read what you write about the whole process.
That is A LOT of house! Since you’ve had so much practice building and decorating, I hope the enormity doesn’t intimidate you as much as it would me. I’m also excited to see the whole thing. It looks so grand, it reminds me of that house in The Notebook. I hope you feel better soon!
Holy crap that thing is big. I mean like, big big! All those bathrooms to clean!
You did a great job with the floor layout. I mean, we can’t tell if it’s all funky, can we? 😉
This is so exciting!!! The best part, it sounds like you really get to make it a home, since it was a foreclosure. When we bought our house 3 years ago, it was a foreclosure, and the people that lived there before gutted the place pretty good. ALL the kitchen cabinets were GONE, as well as all the closet shelving in every single closet, the bathroom mirrors, the thermostat and the mailbox! (Who even thinks to take a thermostat or a mailbox?) But, we got a great deal ($100K less than it appraised for), and I got to design my own kitchen, so it worked perfectly.
I hope you guys get the green light soon. I’m sure you’ll make some great transformations!
Wow, looks like an amazing space and looks at all that SPACE!! I’m crossing my fingers for you 🙂
Hope you’re feeling better soon!!
OK, probably a dumb question, but is a “Wherdjagotochurch form” a real thing?
Does it come with a maid to clean all that space ;-).
Another “Bedside Baptist” type option is “St. Mattresses.” When we want to be extra holy slackers we attend both.
Awesome! That much house + potential must be like crack for an experienced DIYer! Thanks for keeping us posted and feel better. 🙂
If the basement has it’s own separate entrance, you could totally rent it out and make some extra cash to help with the mortgage payments until you need the space.
thanks for the layout! I am so excited to read what you do with the house over time. I hope you feel better soon, those weird little pots that you fill with hot water & use to drain out your nose really work by the way 🙂 (do you know what I am talking about or does that just sound strange??!?)
I feel like 5.5 bathrooms is slightly excessive! Looks like an enormous house!
Oh yeah – you are right Vicki!
Granted, one of them is not nearly functional…but even 4.5 bathrooms is a lot. I might eat my words one day when I have four kids…but right now it feels like a mansion.
xo – kb
Umm…yeah.
Small christian college.
nuff said 😉
xo – kb
One word: HUGE. WOW. (ok, that’s two words).
Way to go! Thumbs are crossed!
Heather
twentysomethingtransue.blogspot.com
Irina,
Yeah it is intimidating! That’s probably one of the unspoken reasons we want to close off the basement…to tone it down a bit. Take the edge off the hugeness, if you will.
xo – kb
Yup, we did that too. 🙂 My college church PMC (Pioneer Memorial Church) also meant Pillow, Mattress & Comforter. Man Katie, that house looks like a wonderful place to raise your children. 5 bathrooms may seem excessive NOW, but later on down the road it’ll be much more practical with the large family you’re planning. Good luck with everything, you’re still on my prayer list! Oh, and feel better soon! If it’s anything like the grossness that’s still trying to hold me down, it’s not fun.
wow!! it may be huge.. but i think it’s best its this big.. that way you and your family can grow into it, instead of growing out of it a few years down the road.
i am sensing so many DIY projects with this enormous space.. can’t wait! hope you hear some news soon.
oh wow, what a HUGE house!! But if you’re planning on having several kids then it’s well worth it… especially if you’re planning on staying long-term too. I hope everything goes well for you guys with the house, and I hope you get to feeling better soon!
Wow! That looks like a wonderful place! You’ll have so much room to expand your family! Can’t wait to see how you decorate it all! 🙂
Totally unrelated to this post….
I have two links in my reader (feedburner and wordpress) which one will continue to be valid? I hate to delete one and then lose track of Bower Power blog…..
Number 2… I’m not talking bathroom.. but rather I am interested in your must have/ not needed baby products.
Thanks!!!
it’s a netty pot! i think that’s how you spell it. in one nostril and out the other! but it really works.
when you say “seal off” what does that mean exactly? like, keep the door shut? or… ?
Well, we have been brainstorming ways to keep it airtight…we would shut the door obviously…but we also might add a couple things to make it safe to be vacant…like adding a high efficiency dehumidifier and boxes of baking soda in the rooms and even considering using those window insulator kits that have the film and shrink to fit your space. We might do that to the doors as well. But that is so far off in our minds right now…we are taking babysteps when it comes to this thing…and right now we are just focused on getting through inspection.
xo – kb
oh yeah…I made one of my old coworkers do that in front of me…just to prove that it works. I’m a little too nervous to do it myself though. And do you know if it helps sinus headaches? That’s the worse part of this thing…
xo – kb
Hi Carly,
hmmm…I don’t rightly know. I’m assuming the feedburner is right…but I could be wrong. Is feedburner the most recent? If so, then go with that one 🙂
Hmmm….must haves/not needed baby products….that sounds like a post 🙂
xo – kb
Hi Katie-
I’ve been a blog-follower of yours for quite some time now and I just wanted to (finally) leave you a note telling you what great graphics skills I think you have. I’m always getting new ideas from you – love what I see here.
Hope you feel better soon!
-Kate
First, I feel for you – I am too in bed. I’ve got a high fever the night before Christmas Eve, and instead of cajoling with my kids, I’ve spent the last 6 days just lying on the couch/in bed. My doctor says is viral pneumonia and with antibiotics I’m not supposed to breastfeed my almost 8 month old boy <:( Luckily my mom was here to help with the kids and cooking, otherwise I don't know how we would manage. I hope your cold goes away soon!
Second, boy that is LOADS of windows to wash and floors to vacuum and bathrooms to clean! With four little kids (in the future) to watch after and cooking to do, I guess you'll definitely need another woman to help you with cleaning or/and all of the above. Have you thought of hiring someone or would your mom come to help?
P.S. I forgot to add – children add humongous amounts of clothes to be washed and ironed on daily basis! With two kids and a husband, my washer works at least once per day, and I have to iron every day too if I want to stay on top.
Good for you, Katie! It looks absolutely beautiful! Take your time and you’ll be fine- you are certainly not the first person to buy a big house and probably one of the more visionary and talented ones, so I would think this is a wonderful project for you.
Plus, you certainly seem organized enough that you will hold the kiddo(s) accountable when they are old enough to vaccuum a rug or clean their own bathroom. Just divide and conquer. We had 5 kids, 6 bedrooms and usually an extra kid in the form of an exchange student in our house growing up and everySaturday we had lists. Mine usually said: Dust LR and DR, iron the clothes and hankies, empty and clean bathroom trash cans, clean bathroom mirrors, etc. And every kid who was old enough had their tasks to do that were age appropriate. One word of warning: mix it up! I can’t stand ironing and dusting to this day. :~)
One last note- have you looked into zoned heating? I don’t know what it costs to make that happen, but if you did that you could just turn off the heat/air to the basement while still maintaining things on the main and second floor. Then you wouldn’t have to go to the trouble of “sealing” everything up! And when you want to use the basement, just open the heating/cooling to those areas again. It would be helpful if you were having a party in the warmer weather and then people could go in and out for the bathroom and so on. Plus the basement is an awesome place for kids to play all winter long and on cold days with their little ride-on toys and the best place to put those humongous gifts grandmas like to give like full sized Disney character tents and play houses!
Anyway, can’t wait to see what you do with this. I.am.wicked.jealous. (In a good way!)
Feel better soon, Katie Bower.
First of all, feel better!!
And second, holy ginormous house, Batman! Crossing my fingers for you on that!
Your “new ” house looks great!! I love the size of it especially since I have 4 kids and I know you will fill it up rather quickly!! Your house will become the hub of entertaining and activities all of which will create the most memorable memories for you and your family. Plus more house to decorate!!!!! Yay!!!
Ha ha – I love Bedside Baptist. I’m totally using that!
I hope you feel better soon!
Your new house looks amazing. I think that is my dream home too!:) Thanks for letting us follow all your adventures. I am excited to see how you turn your new house into your home.
Happy new year!
Xo
Kelly
Did you check Dr. Hale as a reference? He has great info on what is safe to take while BFing (whereas many docs will tell moms they can’t BF on many meds that are most likely safe).
They even have a hotline now:
The organization is the “Infant Risk Center” at Texas Tech.
http://infantrisk.org/
from the website:
Each year, more than 4.3 million women give birth in the U.S. Virtually all of these women will use at least one medication during pregnancy or during breastfeeding.
The InfantRisk Center will be dedicated to providing up-to-date evidence-based information on the use of medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Our goal is to provide accurate information regarding the risks of exposure to mothers and their babies. By educating healthcare professionals and the general public alike, we aim to reduce the number of birth defects as well as create healthy breastfeeding relationships.
We are now open to answer calls Monday-Friday 8am-5pm central time. Please contact us at (806)-352-2519
I should have figured you did . . . I went to a small Christian college too and though we didn’t have to fill out the church form, Bedside Baptist was thrown around as a term quite a bit. 🙂
Hope you feel better soon. Everyone in my house was sick for the 2 weeks before Christmas and it was absolutely miserable around here. I am not one to ever get sick either so I was the biggest baby about it as well.
KT – I hope you feel better soon. I must admit I liked the dig at sick husbands. They can be such babies.
WOW – I hope y’all get your house. So much potential there. Good Luck!
hmm i don’t think it would help your sinus headache but it does really clear out your nose and it’s not as scary as it seems. maybe if you sinuses were clear that would help your headache?? maybe worth a try if you are still miserable 🙂
Dear Beth thank you for your concern and the info. I live in Croatia though so we have different brands of medicine. Still, it’s ok. It’s only for a week, and I’m breast pumping regularly so the milk supplies stay equal, and I guess my little boy will still remember and be glad to breastfeed once this week is over. Thanks again!
Love it! You are going to have so much fun decorating and taking on all that space. We have only been homeowners for a year but our next house (which we hope is our forever house) we want a basement/third-floor with lots of room should we need an in-law suite. Heck, should we want a place to store the kids and their stuff!
And I sware by Advil Cold and Sinus… nothing gets rid of a sinus headache better 🙂
Feeling weird to jump into this post just to comment about the neti pot, but yes, it helps sinus headache. i used to make fun of my mom for using it, but now i swear by it. get the one that is a plastic bottle, not an acutal tea pot looking thing. feel better soon!
Wow that is a big house! But I am totally with you in buying a ‘forever’ home early. So many people tell me my house is huge (which it totally isn’t), but I’m not a buy a home as a financial investment type of person. I’m a buy a home to keep me happy person 🙂 and I told my husband when we had a 2 bedroom condo that I would stay there for 5 years if I had to until I found my dream house. When you first wrote your post about picturing your kids in this backyard, I completely understood your mentality! I actually worry that my house someday won’t be large enough!! Can you ever really have enough space? 😉
What year was your house built?
Our current house? I think it was 1973. Why do you ask?
xo – kb
Wow, that is one huge house! How many square feet is it compared to your current home? (sorry if you shared this already, but I didn’t see it in the comments)
I think you’re definitely doing the right thing to “grow into” this home. My cousin has a home of similar size and she has 3 girls. Believe it or not, the house feels full now. I know that I don’t need that kind of home (I can hardly keep our 1300 sf townhome clean), but I can absolutely see how other people could utilize that space.
I do agree with one of the commenters that you could rent out your basement. Have you ever watched Income Property on HGTV? You two seem so resourceful anyway… maybe you don’t need to exercise that option, but it’s a thought.
Hi Keeley,
Our current place is about 3000 if you count the basement…and the dream home has (we think) about 3800. The difference we think lies mostly in the basement…it is overwhelmingly big. To us though, the deal maker is the land…we would be trading our 2/3rds of an acre for 5 acres. And that is nearly impossible to find in a neighborhood here in GA.
xo – kb
I was wondering about your new house…when my husband and I were looking to buy our first house last March, I realized that I kept gravitating to ones built after 1990- I guess I’m a sucker for the high ceilings and open layouts! Looking forward to hearing about your new house! A lot of the things on your must have list were things I want in my ‘forever home’ too. I have a 3 bedroom house right now (built in 1994), but next time around I think we’ll get more space and a basement.