How to Fix Damaged Interior Window Trim

Oh the joy of dog ownership!
We let our dogs on the couch.  They like to lay with us when we are on the couch, one also sleeps on the couch.  Besides the major downside of the couch getting worn and stained over time, the dogs also like to perch on the back of the couch like cats and watch cars and people/other dogs walking by.  When they are particularly excited, like when they see Daddy walking home from the train, they paw at the window frame.

This is what the interior of our front window looked like:

Chewy

We left the windows un-repaired for some time for a couple of reasons.  We were waiting for Lucky to get old enough to not have accidents before we got a new couch; one that wouldn't allow them to perch by the window.  The other reason was that we couldn't locate the matching trim.  We brought pictures to Home Depot who said to call Andersen Windows but they couldn't help.  We did have a referral of someone who said they'd either find it or custom make it, and fix the window, all for $100, but we thought it'd just get destroyed again and be another $100 out the window (ha).

The big break was finding it on HomeDepot.com.  It wasn't carried in our local store but at another one not too far.

The process was pretty simple:

First, trim around the old apron with a box cutter.  There's likely tape around the edges and if you pry off the old apron it'll rip off a nice chunk of paint and maybe dry-wall.

Note that when you pry off the drywall with a hammer, use a thin board so that you don't damage the drywall.

Second, remove the old stool.  I again delicately trimmed around the edges with a box cutter.  Then I banged the shit out of the stool with a hammer to separate it from the other pieces of the window frame.

Third, remove any remaining nails and sand around the edges to remove old built up paint.

Fourth, cut the new stool and attach.  We bought a 7' piece of 1x2 select pine and cut it down in both dimensions to match the old piece.  I used a few 2 1/2" 8D brads to attach and counter-sunk them.

Fifth, cut the new apron and attach.  You'll need to cut at a 45 degree angle.  I also used even smaller finishing nails to attach.  Since our trim patter was pretty curvy, it was hard to find good spots to hammer in a nail.

Lastly, fill in nail holes, dings with wood filler, sand and paint.

Final final step, hope you don't have to do this all again in a few months!

Don't even think about it!

On the 31st Day

This is a picture I took back in April and a quick blog I wrote but never posted.

The grass has come in, although it isn't exactly what I'd hoped for.

The picture is a decent indication.  The brown areas do have grass, but it's much more sparse.  Various weeds have popped up too, which I then pulled but that killed some grass too.  Mint plants that were part of the garden from the past fall also started to sprout.  I probably should have done a better job of sifting through the old dirt to remove old plants.  I continue to water the newly planted areas twice a day and hope for better results in the near future. 

That was April.  Today, that grass is full and lush.  In fact, I've come to learn that once temperatures rise, the sun comes out, and we get some rain, the darn grass won't stop growing!  I mow every weekend but I still feel that isn't enough.

I may post later on lawn care tips, but new rule #1 when planting new grass:
Wait until it is decently warm (above 70) with plenty of sunshine.  Newly planted grass will take root and start growing with little effort in no time.  If you do like I did and plant when it is still cool, you'll be out there watering twice a day for weeks, only seeing minimal results and probably second-guessing yourself the whole way.

8 Step Home Buying Guide

The links below will provide you with a detailed 8 step guide to purchasing your first home.  The guide is interlaced with stories about our home buying process as well as tips we've picked up along the way.

• Step #1 - Buy or Rent
• Step #2 - How Much Can You Afford
• Step #3 - Searching Online
• Step #4 - Getting Pre-Qualified
• Step #5 - See Some Houses (Pt. 1)
• Step #5 - See Some Houses (Pt. 2)
• Step #6 - Make an Offer
• Step #7 - Offer Accepted, What's Next
• Step #8 - Onto Closing!

Tips to Avoid Real Estate Scams

While we hopefully all know to avoid e-mails asking for money to release funds held in Nigerian, scam artists are trying new routes, both on and offline.

Avoid Anything Overseas
I ran into this one myself and actually followed along for an e-mail or two.  We were looking for a new rental; both apartments and houses for rent.  A seemingly normal Craigslist posting offered to rent a nice house for a low rate, but not astonishingly low rate.

I thought to myself, "well, this is possible, perhaps someone is downsizing or moving and looking for help with the mortgage payment for a few months".  I looked up the address on Zillow and saw that the house was also for sale.

I e-mailed the poster and got a response asking for more information about myself including when I'd like to move in and other basic questions.  To this point, the only red flag in my mind was that the asking rental price was low.

The next e-mail I received was a dead give-away.  Poorly written, several woe is me stories about the missionary work this person was currently doing overseas in Africa, and then a request to submit a full application.  The e-mail also said that upon receipt of my deposit, we'd be sent the keys.  I didn't respond.

Flash forward to a few months ago.  I mentioned this to our Realtor.  He said this was a growing scam.  Anyone can see which houses are for sale and possibly vacant.  They can copy the pictures from the listing to make it seem like they do live there.

Another Realtor in his office had driven past a home he was selling and saw moving trucks.  He stopped the people and asked what was going on.  They explained how they were renting the house and so forth.  He had the unfortunate task of informing these people they had been scammed and that the house was not for rent.  They had to put their belongings back in the moving truck.

Go Straight to the Source
This might not apply to many people, but this was a frustration I ran into when I was renting in NYC.  I found a post about an apartment on Craigslist.  It sounded nice and the broker said there would be no fees.  I actually knew the housing complex.

While it wasn't really a "scam", I met the broker on the street corner and he walked 25 yards with me to the leasing office.  The leasing agent for the complex handled the rest of the process.  I found out at the end that new renters either got $500 off, or $250 off and $250 to whomever referred them.  Apparently this broker (and others) were making $250 a pop for the 25 yard walk.

Tips for Checking Out New Neighborhoods Online

If you are moving from out of town or out of state, it can be a challenge to get a feel for a place you may be moving to.  While nothing compares to visiting and talking to locals to get a feel, there are some good online resources you can use if that is not an option.

Virtual Stroll
Pamela and I used Google Maps and its StreetView functionality to actually see what "Main Street" looked like and whether it was inviting.  You can do this by zooming all the way in on a map.  Once you hit the final zoom, the map converts to a view of the street, which Google takes by driving cars equipped with cameras and GPS devices around town.

Forums
I found that the forums on City-Data were very useful.  A lot of the questions you would like to ask have probably already been asked - "how are the schools?  what is the nightlife like?  what is there to do?  pros/cons?".  There is also a vibrant community of forum users who provide helpful responses very quickly.

Local News
Finding the local newspaper isn't always the easiest, but with a few good Google searches, you can probably be successful.  Through the local news, I found out about local events and attractions and you can also learn about the key local issues such as upcoming tax hikes, crime, new developments, etc.

Search
"Where to live in ____".