Exterior, The Walk-Thru

I know I said I wasn't going to start until Spring (which starts officially this weekend, YAY) but it's been so spring-like out recently I decided to get a drop on the whole outside project. I've been combing the yard (raking is a bad word, do you remember when they 'combed' the desert in Spaceballs? Yeah, like that)trying to get up any loose weeds and trash. Over the course of last weekend and this week I've got the front yard done. I would have started earlier if not for the unusual amount of snow we got this winter.

So today I manned up and taken a real look to see what the outside needs.

1) Clean up all the trash

I don't know whether we have our dirty-ass neighbors to thank for this or the former residents, but there is trash, trash, trash everywhere in the back yard. Pictures cannot convey the amount of trash. It's like someone replaced confetti with trash and had a New Years Party and then threw some trash on top of it. I think a good step one would just be to clean the shit up.

2) Fix cracks in basement wall

Yeah, that sounds worse then it actually is. We had a guy look at it last fall. We just need patch it up with some caulk. Which will help immensely with the leaky basement. But, really, we'll get to the basement in The Fix This House Project Three: Basement... something or other.

3) Get rid of the rusty shed
4) Replace pieces of siding that have fallen off

The goal eventually will be to get new siding, but we're broke. The Outside Bugaloo won't be as well funded as the interior. While we're at it we need to clean that shit too.

5) Replace windows

Ideally, this will be done the same time as the siding, but we have those wonderful neighbors to thank again for the BB gun holes in them. At least we can say the windows were old and busted anyway.

6) Replace the fence

You know at first glance the chain-link fence looks like it could be saved with maybe some TCL and some new chain-link stuff, but when you really look at it (especially in back) it'll probably be less of a headache and a much better finished product to scrap it and start anew.

7) Fix the retaining wall

BTW the retaining wall holding up the driveway is getting worse. *sigh* I'm pretty sure all we'll get to this year is killing off the damn stumps. And that bringns us to...

8) Re-pave driveway

And finally (my personal favorite)

9) PLANT SOME PRETTY FLOWERS

The yard desperately needs some landscaping. And as superficial as pretty flowers are, it is the cheapest thing to do and the nicest looking. All of these things aren't going to get done this year (unless some kind soul wants to send us money), but it's something to work towards.

View the entire March 16th album here