It is about time to show you the before and after of our home. First today the 'before' pictures of how our home looked on March 24, and even a little longer than that, till early May. But with our vacation on the island of Curaçao from April 19 (when we flew to Miami) till April 30, we had lots of things to do. Also because of the fact that the trees were not yet loaded with lush leaves was another reason for this date. At the moment it is so green and so lush from the daily tropical thunderstorms. It feels like we're back in the wet monsoon of Indonesia...
You can see that the house needed to be pressure washed as it had mildew all over...
The roof looked really ugly and we decided to replace it with a 'GREEN' roof. NO, not green in color but meaning Eco Friendly! And saving us money on our monthly utility bill.
The shape of our home is like a T, with the bottom of its T ending at the driveway...
In November this home will be 23 years old...
This March 24-view even looks strange to me now, compared to the lush green view of today!
Our winter went away rather late this year. Not that it was bad but late frost did kill our Japanese magnolia blossoms and lots more that got browned.
Here you also can see the little roof area above the bay window in our kitchen.
Now walking towards the driveway where you also can see the balcony with its wooden balusters.
Two of our once 3 Italian cypress... We lost one to the heat and drought of last years.
Now we almost drown!
The balcony on the corner above that vine rack (the huge clematis also succumbed to the drought...) was literally rotting away. So much maintenance and husband Pieter did patch it up many times with the Wood Epox from Abatron. We no longer wanted to support that company...
Now we've come full circle.
It was a major decision for:
- Adding a new roof
- Taking down the rails and balusters
- Pressure washing the entire house
- Having the entire exterior repainted
- Taking off the loose tiles on the balcony and putting new ones
- Replacing the balcony's rails and balusters with polyurethane ones that never will rot again!
Quite a task did lie ahead of us... mainly for husband Pieter.
All the window boxes had to come off for thorough cleaning with pressure wash behind them.
Gutters needed to be updated... Because of the aging shingles on the roof, the sand that washed down did clog up our gutters when we had heavy rains. Roof water just spilling over, did cause some flooding in our basement area. Shingles are made of fiberglass-based asphalt and there are some sand-sized minerals in it. Over the years this wears off.
But after all has been done, it will look nice again!
The gazebo looked even worse... the roof almost black!
Ugly...
So we did take out lots of our saving money. Interest is not high nowadays; less than 1% so we guessed by going GREEN, we would have more return on investment by lowering our monthly utility bill for the rest of our life...
What do you think?
Related link:
{Our Home of almost 20 years} | previous post by me showing our home in 1994 still beautiful
hard work, a lot of mess, an investment, but hopefully will be worth it.
ReplyDeleteDearest Theresa,
DeleteYes, indeed but it will pay off!
Hugs,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeletewell, if you have a house, it always is an expensive thing to keep it in a good condition. Yes, it takes a lot of money, but your house is so wonderful, such a lovely place, I am sure it is worth doing all those things....
Start with the most important things, and then see, how you will go on.
A black roof from the gazebo is not as important than repair loose tiles ;O)
Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
Love and hugs
Claudia
Dearest Claudia,
DeleteIndeed, if you have your own home you need to take care of the upkeep of your home. Maintenance and even more important trying to do preventive maintenance.
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteOh you tease, I thought I was going to get a peek of all the new goodies on the house. I know you will be saving some money by going green and DIY projects.
Looking forward to the new reveal,
Love to you, Ginger
Dearest Ginger,
DeleteYou certainly will get to see the new reveal and if we had to have it all done by others, we would not have been able to afford it. Certain things you can do more meticulous yourself.
Hugs,
Mariette
I think it wotrh to spend money for a house like this !Mariette is a beautiful house and all these works make your life more easier and comfortable .About plants and trees you will plant another and soon will be pgow up !
ReplyDeleteHave a nice day !
Dearest Olympia,
DeleteUpkeep of your home and maintenance does take money but it also can lower your utility bills. Plants and trees are different; you can start all over but a home needs special attention.
Hugs,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeletedeine Texte und Bilder sprechen mich an.
Sonnige Grüße
Elisabeth
Liebe Elisabeth,
DeleteGut zu lesen das es bei dur anspruchsvoll rüber kommt.
Lieber Gruss,
Mariette
what a delightful and magical looking home. I think it is just beautiful! I love when I hear of people doing renovations themselves. I am addicted to "Property Brothers" on HGTV!
ReplyDeleteDearest Caren,
DeleteLong time ago already we loved to watch the PBS series of This Old House, hosted by Steve Thomas at the time. One was in 1996 about The Savannah House. But to afford that kind of craftsmanship is only for millionaires...
It is very rewarding to do things yourself!
Hugs,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to believe that just a few short month ago the trees were bare. We too had a very haphazard spring, which had to try several times before truly arriving!
It's always good value to invest in your house, especially now when as you say interest is so low. A good tight roof is possibly the most important part.
I replaced the roof on my house a few years ago, just in time to avoid major repairs. I had hoped to buy some major studio equipment, but without a dry, comfortable place to have a studio equipment becomes rather pointless.
Enjoy this long week end..........*s*
Dearest Suzi,
DeleteIndeed, with this economy it probably is the best time for investing in your home; especially if it will be with lifetime warranty!
You also did well by securing all that is under the roof by replacing the top part first.
Hugs,
Mariette
Lieve Mariette,
ReplyDeleteHartelijk dank voor de aardige felicitatie ook namens Harry!!
Wat bijzonder attent dat jij er aan gedacht hebt in deze voor jullie heel drukke tijd, van werkzaamheden en al de verbeteringen in en rondom het huis.
Ben zó benieuwd om straks de vergelijkingen te zien van voorheen en nu.
Kan me helemaal voorstellen dat de wisselende seizoenen bij jullie met grote droogte en dan weer extreme regens hun invloed hebben op de bouwmaterialen van jullie huis.
Zag het met eigen ogen in de tropen,veel groene aanslag en schimmels.
Een groen dak......
dan is bij mij de eerste gedachte die in me opkomt:dak vol Sedum-soorten.....☺☺
Succes met alle onderhoud aan jullie prachtige huis,
fijn weekeind en lieve groet!!!
Ger
Lieve Ger,
DeleteNee hoor, een groen dak is niet letterlijk bedoeld! Maar millieu vriendelijk en energie bewust.
Ja natuurlijk denk ik aan de huwelijks jubileums van lieve vrienden!
Hoge luchtvochtigheid in de zomers doet inderdaad iets en vergt meer aan preventief onderhoud.
Liefs,
Mariette
Ja soms is het beter je geld in het onderhoud van het huis te steken. Ik ga eigenlijk liever op vakantie, maar vorig jaar hebben we het terras vernieuwd en het huis laten schilderen jaar een zonnescherm laten plaatsen en twee nieuwe banken gekocht voor de woonkamer. Maar we gaan toch ook nog op vakantie over een paar weken. Ach het geld moet maar rollen, wie weet hoe lang we er nog van kunnen genieten.
ReplyDeleteGroetjes, Marianne
Beste Marianne,
DeleteInderdaad is het onderhouden van je huis, en ook het preventieve onderhoud, erg belangrijk. Het is al lang geleden dat je iets kon doen van de rente, voor leuke extra dingen. Helaas is dat met de tegenwoodige economie niet meer mogelijk. Dus dit is mogelijk de beste oplossing. Natuurlijk is een mooie vakantie ook belangrijk; zolang dat nog kán. Wij genoten in april samen voor tien dagen op Curaçao met dochter en man.
Lieve groetjes,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteOh, 'GREEN' roof as in ech-friendly!!! With lots of DIY work for your husband.
I truly admire your wonderful, gorgeous house with lots of green. My husband bought pressure wash a year ago, never used p;)
So sorry my absence lately, kid of busy and hectic week I had. I really miss my friends posts.
I hope you are keeping well even if you work hard for you and us blog friends.
Night Night from Japan. Sending you lots of love and hugs to my American friend, xoxo Miyako*
Dearest Miyako,
DeleteThe GREEN, eco-friendly roof has not been done by my husband. We left that to the professionals. Pieter took care of our balcony himself.
Don't feel bad about not having much time with all the special care for your dear Father; that is far more important!
Hugs,
Mariette
oh liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeleteihr habt ein so wundervolles Heim - es sieht traumhaft schön aus -
innen wie außen - da muss man sich wohl fühlen -
liebe Grüße -
Ruth
Liebe Ruth,
DeleteVielen Dank für das Kompliment. Ja, traumhaft kommt zu stande nach viel Arbeit und immer noch zum unterhalt, besonders den Garten. Aber wohl fühlen tun wir uns und nach diesem Monat wird auch mehr Zeit für uns beide sein.
Lieber Gruss,
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeleteeuer Haus ist wunderschön und mit soviel Liebe gestaltet. Mir gefällt das Foto so gut, wo der Iengang und das Teehaus zu sehen sind. Ich denke, die Renovierung lohnt sich immer. Ihr habt dann eine lange Zeit Ruhe und könnt die Verbesserungen genießen.
Schöne Grüße
Johanna
Liebe Johanna,
DeleteJa, so sehen wir es auch das wir eine ganz lange Zeit Ruhe haben. Für das Dach güllt es lebenslang und das streichen auch fast genauso. Also lohnt es sich um zu investieren.
Ganz lieber Gruss und vielem Dank für die Komplimente.
Mariette
Liebe Mariette,
ReplyDeleteEuer Heim ist wunderschön - gemütlich und ansprchend.
Aber ich kann gut verstehen, dass die kleinen Äußerlichkeiten
euch ungemein stören. Du bist so sehr auf Schönheit bedacht.
Es liegt unendlich viel Arbeit vor euch. Aber wenn alles in Ordnung
ist, habt ihr ein Schmuckkästchen. Und vor allen Dingen: Ihr habt
lange, lange Ruhe. Ich denke an Euch!
Ein schönes Wochenende und eine innige Umarmung
Irmi
Liebe Irmi,
DeleteEs waren nicht die kleinen Äusserlichkeiten die unsere Entscheidung getrieben haben. In den Grat vom Dach war eine kleine Stelle undicht, also müssten wir etwas mit dem Dach unternehmen. Die Fliessen waren falsch gelegt und durch Frost waren die Fugen offen geknackt weil ja Wasser sich gesammelt hatte. Auch den Stauraum unten war deswegen feucht. Eine riesen Arbeit aber es ist gemacht worden!
Es soll zuerst praktisch sein und funktionieren und auch Energiebewust!
Auch ein schönes Wochenende!
Lieber Gruss,
Mariette
Cara Mariette,la vostra casa è bellissima,complimenti!!
ReplyDeleteLa casa ha sempre bisogno di manutenzione e condivido i lavori per migliorarla sempre di più!!
Un bacio GRANDE GRANDE e buon weekend!!
Sabry!!
Cara Sabry,
DeleteHai ragione c'è sempre qualcosa da fare ma nel futuro vogliamo meno lavori!
Anche un bacio grande e buon fine settimana!
Mariette
Jullie hebben een leuk huis Mariette, lijkt me ook erg Amerilaans om te zien. Ja er is altijd wel wat te doen aan ene huis, alhoewel dat van jullie nog niet zo oud is. Die van ons is ruim 100 jaar oud.
ReplyDeleteHet prieeltje is enig!
Liefs Janny
Lieve Janny,
DeleteJa, een huis vergt veel werk en onderhoud. Wij kozen bewust voor een enigzins Victoriaans uiterlijk aan de buitenkant. De binnenkant is net zoveel nederlands als amerikaans. Pieter heeft het zelf ontworpen met onze nederlandse indeling in gedachten vanwege een praktisch en energiebesparend concept. De natte groep bij elkaar zodat weinig warmte verloren raakt. Nu hebben we nóg meer verbeterd om energie te besparen.
We hopen dat we ons prieeltje nog wat kunnen gebruiken deze zomer. Het heeft al weer flink geregend; elke dag onweer en zware regen in de namiddag en avond.
Liefs,
Mariette
Hello my dear friend Mariette:
ReplyDeleteI just got home 3 days ago, and I'm glad to be here, still lot of catch up here although very soon I will fly to Calgary to visit our daughters, little by little I will read all your posts. I just came to say hi and see this post a bout your beautiful home. Huge task but it worth every penny you spent on it, because the result is so gorgeous and you and Pieter will be happier to live in a beautiful house like this.
I'm happy you liked the pictures of Monterrey my hometown.
Saltillo is also a very nice city, just 1 hour away by car. Isn't funny that at certain point of our lives we were very close without even knowing to each other? Then after a few years we met through our blogs and realized that we have something in common.
Take care my dear friend, and enjoy your beautiful home, send you a big hug.
Love,
Laura :-)
Dearest Laura,
DeleteWelcome back home dear friend and you stay on the road with only a little break in-between. It is funny how one can come that close without knowing indeed. Would have loved to run into you! But this friendship is already very special with so many things in common.
Hope you have a great time visiting your daughters. We've done consulting work in Calgary as well; enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
Our home will be all set within a month and life will be easier from than on.
Hugs,
Mariette
When you list these things to do, it sounds really a lot! But I definitely think investing for going green is very smart idea and it will totally pay off.
ReplyDeleteAs these rains remind you of monsoon in Indonesia, they remind me of rainy season in Japan, which is June. I hope to see some sunshine soon!
Dearest Tamago,
DeleteIt almost did look overwhelming at first but we almost tackled this list! Going green is always paying off. Only wish that more people in this country would adopt to that mentality. We were raised differently in Western Europe and during my home stay in Japan I felt so much at home as Japan and The Netherlands are so much alike in that aspect.
We again got the full load this afternoon. I still keep my orchid cactus on the storage box that is on top of the table in the gazebo. Loved to shoot some photos from the gazebo with the complete setting after the painting job but no way I get to do it with this weather.
One day we will see sunshine...
Hugs,
Mariette
Dear Mariette,
ReplyDeleteIt's lovely that you chose to replace your roof and other materials with 'green' products to conserve energy. Wonderful savings for you, and good for the environment by using less. We recently upgraded our roof, too. It is not something you want to live through often! I am looking forward to seeing your beautiful home with all of the hard work put into it. Hugs xoxo
Dearest Karen,
DeleteHome sweet home; that's the goal of all our efforts, sweat and money. But in the end it will pay off and give us peace of mind for a lifelong warranty and saving us on air conditioning costs!
Hugs to you,
Mariette
Dear Mariette,
ReplyDeleteYour house is beautiful. I like the white color and all the trees around it.
I wish you a nice weekend.
Astrid
Dearest Astrid,
DeleteThank you and also a happy weekend to you!
Hugs,
Mariette
Dear Mariette,
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful your home is with so much character with the all the lovely features. All worth it with all the maintenance and upkeep and will be so good to have an Eco green roof in the long run.
Wishing you a happy weekend
hugs
Carolyn
Dearest Carolyn,
DeleteThank you, we shaped that character over the years and for sure the trees create it. The Eco green roof is our best decision so far.
Happy weekend to you.
Hugs from across the oceans,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteI just thinking about both of yours lovely home are lots effots with life long of conditioning costs for your beautiful home with comfortiable idea.
I wish you has lovely weekend!
Michiko
Dearest Michiko,
DeleteLiving in our home almost 23 years we have been constantly shaping it and above all, maintaining it as best we could. What we did now will pay off.
Happy weekend to you dear friend!
Hugs,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful home, and I can understand you wanted it back to its original splendour... It looked really beautiful even before the renovating work, I can imagine it must be a jewel now!!! :) I LOVE the gazebo!!!!! It is dreamy... I'd love to sit there and read a good book, or sit there with my supplies and create a ring... or just daydream sitting in the shade.
Thank you for your comment about the it's vs its question! Your guess is right, I think :) As non-natives we get taught the grammar in our English classes and sometimes know it better than native speakers. I had noticed this mistake getting more and more widespread and I found it so annoying! It went so far that I started thinking that maybe the rule had changed? Of course it hadn't :)
Thank you very much for the useful links, I'm going to check them out!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Hugs!
Dearest Anna,
DeleteThank you and yes, we are very happy with the way it turned out now. You will get to see it soon.
We would love to use our gazebo but so far the wet monsoon made that impossible. It looks like we are back living in the tropics in Indonesia with heavy rain each afternoon...
Glad you can use these links and sadly it is so TRUE!
Enjoy your weekend in the Italian Alps!
Baci,
Mariette
Dearest Mariette
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tour!
There is always plenty to do if you're going to take good care of a house.
Have a nice weekend!
Kajsa
Dearest Kajsa,
DeleteYes indeed there is plenty to do with owning a home!
The Saturday so far has been lovely and sunny...
Hugs and wishing you a nice weekend too.
Mariette
Mamma mia che BELLA CASA Mariette! La trovo stupenda, con un giardino fantastico. E hai pure i cipressi, tipici della nostra Italia e più precisamente della magnifica regione Toscana. Immagino quanto sia faticoso accudirla e i lavori per tenerla sempre al meglio sono numerosi, ma per i nostri "nidi" bisogna farlo, altrimenti si rovinano e con tutto quello che si fa per averne una è necessario. Complimenti Mariette, hai una casa da SOGNO!!! Paola
ReplyDeleteCara Paola,
DeleteGrazie per le tue parole di elogio! Sì, quei cipressi italiani erano sicuramente un 'deve avere' e siamo tristi, abbiamo perso uno dei tre, ma questi due ci danno una sensazione di completa. Italia sempre vive nei nostri cuori. Aspettai fino a vedere il nuovo look della casa con le nuove mattonelle italiane sul nostro balcone, da Pieter lo stesso...
Baci,
Mariette
Your house is so charming, Mariette - so much character that I didn't even notice its "flaws." If I didn't live in a brown house, I would want a white house, complete with a gazebo and little gingerbread corner decorations, and a nice big porch with a bay window in the kitchen. Did I just describe your house? I believe I did! <3
ReplyDeleteDearest Stacy,
DeleteOh, you will notice the difference soon when I post the 'new look'...
Living in the south in such moist environment does make us treat a home different. Guess we did manage so far to preserve it for the rest of our life.
Hugs,
Mariette