I’ve received comment after comment asking (sometimes begging) for me to post photos of The Little Barn. I must apologize, lovely readers. For various reasons, I have been sorely dragging my feet. Let me explain why.
To begin, the move-in date for our new home was pushed back from October, to November, to mid-December, to the end of December, to the beginning of January. While technically we have moved in, our contractors are still putting the finishing touches on the exterior of our house. I didn’t want to show you The Little Barn while it was still under construction, during a time that it was supposed to be finished, all while not knowing when it would be completed. Too much was still up in the air for my liking, thus no photos.
Secondly, and to elaborate on that last point, I am a perfectionist. There, I said it. Our home is still not unpacked, given that neither Geoffrey nor I took any time off to move in. Thus, I have been left to unpack and arrange the entire house for a few hours a day between shifts, while my husband takes over at night for an hour or so, or on weekends. We’ve actually started taking boxes back to our storage unit just to get them out of the way in hopes of not feeling so overcome with stress. To summarize, there’s no way in hell that I will blog a messy house. Capish?
That being said, I am very appreciative for all of those who have been curious to see the final product of a project that’s been seven months in the making! You guys are what’s lighting a fire under my butt to get the house set up. While I may come across as annoyed, I am not in the slightest. I am just extremely overwhelmed. I also feel so emotionally drained, which I think is the opposite of what I should probably be feeling given that TLB is no longer in the construction phase.
Inevitably, I’ve so enjoyed sharing our house-building journey with all of you wonderful and encouraging souls! I promise that in February, the wait will be over. I will be posting at least once a week on TLB, with a final house tour at the end of the month. In the words of Gloria Walker, “Please don’t desert me baby!”
In the meantime, here is a look at the little bit of hell what we went through leading up to, and including, our moving day.
Two weeks prior to move-in, one week overdue on completion date.
We arrive to the house with my dad who is visiting us from out of province. After being told by our contractor that even though he was a week late, it would still be completed within the next day or two. This is what we saw. My dad said that they were weeks behind. We couldn’t even tell what was left to be done because of the mess. Christmas was days away, and we felt hopeless. I almost cried.
One week prior to move-in, two weeks overdue on completion date.
We returned to the home to drop off an armoire for our kitchen storage after not visiting it for a week. It was much cleaner, but was still missing soffit and fascia on one side of the house, stairs off of the back deck, a bathroom, plumbing, a hand railing for the interior staircase, exterior lights, and some trim and electrical. We were nearing January, and over two weeks late with our move-in date. Again, the feeling of hopelessness set in.
Move-in day, three weeks overdue on completion date.
By the grace of God, our contractors were somehow able to pull it together. On a Saturday morning, Geoffrey, Holly, Truman, and I finally move into TLB, being more than three weeks late. We still don’t have back stairs, exterior lights, soffit and fascia, a working bathroom, a kitchen sink that’s hooked up to plumbing, or a hand railing for our front, side, or back deck. The plumbers and our contractors meet us at our house around 11 am, after Geoffrey and I have already went to our storage unit and loaded up the U-Haul. It was -30°C that day, and we still froze our hands and feet even though I was wearing three pairs of socks and two pairs of mitts. However, the weather was not going to deter us. The plumbers stayed until 5 pm and finally got our bathroom in working order. Our kitchen sink would have to wait another week. We were finally in.
Second storey view.
Shopping for still-needed supplies.
Morning and afternoon walks on the lake.
As you can see, the last two months have been anything but smooth sailing. I felt like I needed to post this in order to be clear with you patient folks as to why you haven’t seen much of TLB yet. Whoever said that building a home would be easy?
Have a great weekend! See you on Monday!
<3
Emory
Hello, Scarlett Blog 
Pru Yeo
/ 01/31/2015Moving and renovation does take and feel like forever but when everything is done and the place looks like what you wanted, it is such a rewarding feeling! Really love the last few photos and wishing you all the best!
Prudence
http://www.prudencepetitestyle.wordpress.com
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Hello, Scarlett Blog
/ 02/02/2015Thanks Prudence!
BTW, I just love your name. My last St. Bernard was named Prudence. Hearing it brings such warm feelings back to me.
xx
https://helloscarlettblog.com/2014/05/10/good-bye-dear-prudence/
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Laissez Faire
/ 01/30/2015It’s beautiful. Moving is always hard. We’ve been in our house a year and a half and I still have boxes that are unopened, and things that I put in a safe place and haven’t remembered where that is. I still have the “old house” map in my head, and I sometimes forget that the thing I want isn’t where it used to be in my head.
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Hello, Scarlett Blog
/ 02/02/2015Haha. Why do we keep doing this to ourselves, I wonder?
Thank you for the comment! xx
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John
/ 01/30/2015How very difficult for you, such stress, and the waiting. Great photos though, I thought I saw an Arizona license plate on that U Haul truck. Hoping for a quick finish for you!
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Hello, Scarlett Blog
/ 02/02/2015For some reason, all of our U-Haul trucks have Arizona plates. Do you guys have that too in America?
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laurenpickens
/ 01/30/2015Wow building a house from the ground up is a serious undertaking. I hope things start to go more smoothly!
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Hello, Scarlett Blog
/ 02/02/2015It was, but I knew my contractors for many years beforehand, so I completely trusted them. Plus, I had never done it before, and I like to try things at least once. ;-)))
All in all, it was a good experience. The moving in part has been the hardest. I wouldn’t hesitate to build again!
<3<3
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Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser
/ 01/30/2015Soon you’ll be settled and happy-be patient, in time! Your Florida, USA Bud. Cheryl
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Hello, Scarlett Blog
/ 02/02/2015Thank you so much Cheryl, I need to hear comments like yours!
Your Saskatchewan, Canada Bud. Emory ;-)))
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west517
/ 01/30/2015Congratulations and SUCH a beautiful home! <3
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Hello, Scarlett Blog
/ 01/30/2015Thank you! And thanks for the comment!!
<3<3
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Chris
/ 01/30/2015What a beautiful home. The woodwork is wonderful.
As for unpacking I pray you are better at it or have less stuff than we do. Three years into our house and we’re still not unpacked. Life has a way of taking over and boxes sit packed for eternity here and elsewhere (there are still a dozen boxes of treasures at my parents house).
Enjoy the new place. It’s great.
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Hello, Scarlett Blog
/ 01/30/2015Chris your comment both made me laugh and feel so much better. Normally, unpacking our home has never taken more than 3 days. I’m going on more than 3 weeks, and have been beating myself up about it ever since. I honestly feel a little like a failure, and not like myself at all. For purely selfish reasons, it makes me feel better to hear that you still have boxes that aren’t unpacked.
Thank you for the many compliments. I agree, our contractors even surprised us with their craftsmanship.
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Chris
/ 01/30/2015You know, I think kids have a lot to do with it on our end – I’ve given up ever hoping our house will be “done” and unpacked until they’re like 18 years old. Plus we simply have way too much stuff.
Take your time – just the way you arranged your couch with the pelt and other stuff shows that you’re well on your way. I love the rebar railings too.
You guys will be enjoying the place in all its glory soon enough – spring flowers in the kitchen, breezed flowing through open windows. Will be a dream come true.
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lindaglovinghome
/ 01/30/2015Don’t feel the need to explain… You are building a dream to reality. Takes time and patience it’s a journey…enjoy it. I think, as do many…it’s OMG Awesome! Love it. :-)
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Hello, Scarlett Blog
/ 01/30/2015Thank you so much!
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Holly
/ 01/30/2015I don’t think new houses or moving is ever plain sailing but I am so excited to see your photos. It is going to be beautiful. The picture of the house almost finished, in the snow, made my grin like a loon. Congrats on your almost finished, beautiful home.
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Hello, Scarlett Blog
/ 01/30/2015Haha oh Holly, you’re so cute!
We were told that the exterior should be finished today. We’ll see …
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Jennifer Oke
/ 01/30/2015Moving is always a project…
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Hello, Scarlett Blog
/ 01/30/2015Oh I know! But I suspect that it’s like many hardships. You take it on, think ‘I’m never going to get through this nor do this again’, then time passes, you forget about the pain, and then end up doing it again.
While I find it incredibly difficult, I really have no one to blame except myself!
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Jennifer Oke
/ 01/30/2015:) all the best
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