So in case you aren’t yet sufficiently frightened by this project we’ve decided to take on, let’s discuss the exterior.  First of all–and this is only aesthetics, but in my world, that’s first of all–the ENTIRE outside of the house needs to be stripped and painted.  Paint is in various stages of peeling off all around the house (see back porches for the worst).  We are still up in the air about paint colors, but that’s another post altogether.  Just take a look at this monstrosity:

Ok, now on to the “crucial” stuff.  First, the roof.  There is a metal roof on the house, which I absolutely love!  I can’t wait for it to rain when we live there!  Woops, yes I can.  PLEASE don’t let it rain!  Because if it rains, we have problems.  The main part of the roof that covers the house is fine.  Yes, it needs to be replaced because it’s old, but there are no gaping holes.  The eaves and gutters are another story entirely.  Houses of this era often had a “hidden gutter” system.  Basically, these are exactly what they sound like–hidden gutters.  Aesthetically, they look great and hide those ugly, overhanging gutters.  But when someone neglects them for 10 years and allows leaves to clog every inch of them, they begin to fill up with water and all sorts of other gunk and eventually rot the wood beneath them.  Rotten wood = very bad.

Fixing these gutters means finding someone who is experienced with these archaic, ahem, historic systems.  And I’m learning that expert often means dollar signs.  $$$!  But it is a necessity and something we definitely can’t compromise on.  So bring on the dollar signs!

Next are the back porches.  The house has what used to be (and what will be!) a beautiful two-story Charleston-style porch on the back.  It’s just too bad it’s literally falling apart and detaching from the house.

Luckily, NC has pretty mild winters.  But we are one good ice or snow storm away from those babies falling right off.  And if they fall, there’s a good chance they’re taking the back corner of the house with them.  We are hoping we will be able to just prop them up and use the original infrastructure to rebuild them.  I’d like to screen in the top porch and make it a retreat off of the master bathroom.  I’m thinking dreaming of something like this:

I love love love the painted ceilings too!