I’ve not blogged as often as I’d thought I would have, so my apologies if you’ve been curious. Much has been happening at our house, often, much slower than I’d like – but still, it really is happening. Last weekend we did a day trip with Anna, Shiloh and the dogs all in tow and it was fun for the kids especially to see their future space. Both dogs are old and have their issues – Stitch is deaf and Gizmo is now fully blind, so a lot is planned around stressing them out as little as possible. They’re why I’ve not been going with Norbi each weekend. But we wanted to all be there, and the pooches do love Norbi’s mom and were mostly happy to stay with her while we showed off the house and neighborhood to the kids.
And then this weekend Norbi’s usual Saturday trip was pushed to a Sunday trip, with him staying overnight at his mom’s so as to be there bright and early Monday – to meet up for the internet getting connected! Yeah, we can now survive in the house if we needed to – even without the water hooked up.
We did learn last weekend that our move-in date (now April 26th) was pushed back one more week, after an earlier push – so we’re at only two weeks past the initial plan (today actually, April 12th), still amazingly on time for all that has been done. The windows and new front door were delayed ‘due to covid’, but they’re all set to arrive tomorrow! Norbi’s dream bathtub was MIA until today (was due to be ready ‘early April’??), and can be picked up from Thursday, so that’s a huge relief. We had some IKEA drama too, with a few items not in stock, then one big cabinet not arriving and them taking a couple weeks to solve the mystery and deliver it – but all IKEA items are now at the house! And there is still much, so much, that will be happening outside the house, but we’re wanting their focus on finishing up inside, the rest can happen once we’re moved in.
And now, without further ado – what you’re really here for – some recent pictures!
Kitchen and bathroom tiles are happening. Plus cabinets being built and configuration figured.
Painting has begun! I love the ‘almond cream’ color we chose for the bulk of the house. Our bedroom is a pale sage green with pale ‘glacier blue’ ceiling. The same blue also on the ceiling of my little craft/office room, with ‘málvarósza’ or hollyhock that is a pale mauve-y purple/pink color on the walls. My little room also has that wonderful indoor window, that has been fully restored and is waiting on its white paint. Possibly my favorite little feature of our house! I’m keeping my eyes open for an amazing stained-glass feature I can install inside it…
One big project that has been fascinating to witness the progression of has been the addition of a gable, or dormer window to the upstairs stair landing. Need to get a better picture from the outside. With the stairs coming up into a slanted ceiling space, it was very cramped and meant crouching over for any adults to get upstairs. We also closed off the only window into the space by enlarging the old half bath into a full bathroom – so this gives needed light into a great little space outside our two guest bedrooms. Though possibly our favorite detail of this particular process has been learning a new, and adorably fun, Hungarian word – their word for these types of little windows/ dormer pop ups on ceilings: kutyaól. Literal translation is ‘Dog House, or Dog’s Stable’. And it IS just like adding a little dog house onto the roof!
Before Norbi left this morning he got to see them remove the rolled blinds from the old original windows, you can see them at the top of the windows in the first picture, and then gone in the next two shots. They’ve also begun painting the repaired and renovated original windows, taking out the various parts to paint the frames and sashes.
As my countdown is in the low teens, our excitement and stress levels are rising. I’m tired, and ready for this to be done and for us to just be moved to Szeged already! Considering we once thought we’d be moving down there in October, it has been a long season of ‘in between’ and less connection, in the midst of covid. But then we begin renovations on our apartment here in Budapest in preparations for selling it – aiming to be all done with two mortgages and dealing with construction by the summer. And super excited to get to fully show off the ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots of this, our sliver of Alsóváros!
lakatosfamily 