Posts
Kitchen, pre-cabinets
Here is the kitchen after finally getting all the appliances working, the electricity turned on, and all the wiring completed, but before moving all our stuff back in.
Amaryllis
Here’s a nice photo of our amaryllis in bloom.
Living room fireplace
What started as a small job to fix some grout between some decorative bricks on the fireplace turned into a job to remove them entirely and cement over it.
French drain
We had some water problems in the lower level. So we had Chuy put in a French drain around the TV room. He did one heck of a job! Indeed, we haven’t had any problems since.
New sofa and loveseat
Here’s a photo of our new sofa and loveseat.
Water main rework
Here’s where the main water comes toward the house, branches toward the fountain, and used to connect to the storage tank.
Leigh goes wild with color
The walls of our last house were cream and beige, with off-white colored carpets. Not this time!
Shelves in the bodega
Chuy’s team built some sturdy cement shelves in the bodega. Then painted it all white with some left-over paint.
Fountain - Part II
I got the pros to work on the fountain this time!
Cement everywhere
Here’s Ricardo cementing over one of the two powder-room doorways:
Terrace roof
I don’t have to worry about the terrace roof falling down any more. Chuy’s team dismantled it and used some of the tiles to replace broken ones on the main roof.
Constuction in Mexico
The classic construction site in Mexico - dirt being sifted, then mixed with cement and water, all out on the street.
Cobre’s prison break
I wasn’t real happy when Cobre broke through the back wall.
Propane conversion
After being on my to-do list for an eternity, this documents the gas dryer’s conversion to propane. Hooray! It’s finally off the list. We’re still using the clothesline but it’s nice to have this as a backup.
Kitchen tile
The old stove used to sit on a platform in an awkward location in the middle of the kitchen. We had the platform removed and the gas pipe relocated to one of the walls.
The guest room is ready!
We’re happy to soon be receiving our first visitor at the new house.
On-demand water heater
Here is the on-demand water heater that I managed to install myself.
Camp kitchen
Here are photos of the original “camp kitchen”.
Guest room carpentry
Here are some photos from our guest room rework.
Wishing well
I’ve started working, ever so slightly, on the landscaping. The main landscaping feature of the back yard is the wishing well.
Floors
The floors on the main level have been a real roller-coaster ride.
Toilets
I just had to take a picture to remind myself of the hours and hours I spent repairing and cleaning toilets.
Telephone wiring
We requested a new telephone line from Telmex in early February.
Tree cutting
Early in January my gardener Martin and I went back and forth to the municipal building in Chapala about five times to secure a permit to remove and prune some trees. (All trees are the property of the national goverment here.) Once obtained, he and some friends went to work on a ficus and a palm that were both threatening to uproot the wall near the entrance.
Scraping
Leigh spends hours and hours scraping drips of paint from a previous poor paint job that splattered over everything. Although it’s tedious, it reminds her of her work as an electrologist.
Fountain - Part I
Martin has a special interest in repairing the fountain near our front door.
Tearing up the kitchen
The kitchen counter tops, sink, and stove were in such bad condition that we tore them out as soon as possible.
Electrical wiring
Keith spends hours and hours tracing each wire from the electrical panel to see where it goes. Like most of the houses that haven’t been updated, the electrical wiring leaves a lot to be desired.
Front and back
These were taken two days after closing.
Our first walk-through
These are the photos from our first walk-through. I was attempting to take photos of both the good and the bad - a little of everything to help us remember.