2019 When God Closes A Door, He Opens A Window (Part 2)

As any homeowner knows, there are always projects to do in a home. Even if the property is kept in the most pristine condition, things break, or wear out, or deteriorate, and there isn't a moment when the house is "done". Never is this more apparent than when you're thinking of putting your house on the market.

For the most part, our sweet Molly was a total and complete joy. She wasn't a destructive dog. She didn't chew up anything, not even her own toys. She stayed off the furniture because we told her to, and she knew what rooms she wasn't allowed in. The best dog in the world - but even the best dog isn't perfect. Molly was very protective of "her" backyard, and if any critters got in she meant to get them out. And she knew when they were out there! Our neighbor's cats would get in our yard, or the occasional squirrel would scamper in looking for something to eat. As soon as Molly saw them, she wanted out so she could run them out. In her excitement and enthusiasm, she would claw at the sliding glass door and the flooring right beside it, causing some pretty bad damage.

                                                 

Normally I try to fix things myself, but the laminate wood floor, baseboard and wall were beat up pretty bad. It had gotten wet too, from Molly coming in whenever it was raining. I had all the materials but I didn't have the expertise to fix the flooring, nor could I find anyone willing to do the project.

There was also the yard. Since Hurricane Irma there were trees and stumps in the backyard that I'd wanted removed but hadn't been able to get done. It wasn't that I hadn't tried; I asked several people if they knew a person or company that could do the work without my having to sell my firstborn to pay for it. My neighbor, bless his heart, told me he would do it. But he had plenty of projects of his own. I kept hearing, "Oh yes, I think I know someone," but names never materialized.  

Lastly, there was the fence. The door to the backyard had been put in by J 17 years earlier, and it had not been secured properly. Hurricane winds had done plenty of damage, and now the doors leaned and were difficult to open and close.

I spoke with my best friend, who also happens to be a realtor. I asked if she would be willing to help me sell my house. She was surprised and saddened; her house is just on the other side of the park that's across the street, and we often went there to exercise or would meet up for breakfast. Still, she was more than happy to help me when I explained the reasons why I'd come to this decision, but she also said all the pending projects would have to be finished if I was going to get top dollar. Incredibly, what hadn't been accomplished in 2 years was done in a matter of 2 months.

The flooring had to be repaired, and it was a trial finding someone willing to do it. My realtor called a couple of people, and finally found someone that said he believed it could be done. 

The gentleman pulled out the bad flooring, slid in replacement pieces, then put in a metal plate to secure and keep moisture off the floor. He also repaired the baseboard and the hole in the wall, and all that was left to do was paint.

While this was going on inside, outside my wonderful neighbor was repairing the fence door.

Much of the frame was so damaged and warped that it had to be replaced. Thankfully my neighbor got his hands on some material that's used on decks - not wood but a composite material that won't rot. Once the frame was built, the boards were put back on and, again, I got to painting.

The biggest and most time consuming project was going to be the backyard. Taking down trees that were already falling was not a simple, or inexpensive, job. I asked my neighbor if he had the number for a company that had taken out a very large palmyra palm from his front yard. He insisted it would be easy enough for him to do, and though I was hesitant I finally accepted his help. It took a whole weekend but it got done.

My neighbor, daughter, son, and myself got to work. The trees had to be chopped down, then cut into pieces to be taken to the city dump. The wood was heavy, and we had to contend with bugs and frogs, but when it was done the yard was cleared of two coconut palms that had been on the verge of falling, along with 3 stumps left over from the trees Irma took down.

All of this was going on while planning my daughter's wedding, working four days a week, and serving regularly at the church. I don't know how I did it y'all. I was exhausted, but I was on a mission. These projects would get finished because I wanted the house put on the market during the summer. Would the house be ready in time?