Glory in my pain - Brit rehabs a filthy trailer.

NCLivingBrit

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So, we got the 11.5 acres of land and the single wide on it. Alas, due to the hoarders tendencies of the previous owners we didn't realise how squalid the place was. Once their crap was removed the amount of mouse crap, ruined cabinetry and funk became crushingly clear.

This is day 2. Today we gutted half the kitchen (disgusting), cleaned/painted and did lots of rehabbing on the first bathroom, stripped horrifically mouse soiled carpets from closets and did other minor thing.

The bathroom after a mess of work

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Gross tub and cleaning demon in hallway

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Kitchen with a couple of cabinets already torn down. It's horrific close up.

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Yeah. No.

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The specks are either loose grain or mouse crap.

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More to follow tomorrow..... I gutted the hood to the centrally stationed stove and the entire unit with the oven but didn't get any pics due to being covered with filth.
 
How can people live that way? Did you get to meet the people who lived in this?

You're brave to work though this. I'd be tempted to refinish it with a book of matches.

They are as nasty as their home. Utter white trash in the worst ways possible. Mumbling. Incoherent. Liars about almost everything. Filthy. Lazy as hell, demanding a quick closing to let them leave asap but then demanded multiple extensions on time to get their foul crap out. Which they're still doing outside the house, we had to let them have until Friday after which they get billed $25 a day. The lawyer was super friendly with us and welcoming, but when they showed up nearly half an hour late to the closing, reeking like pigs and unable to concentrate for more than a minute before starting some meth head grade mush-mouthed and unintelligible story... He was frosty as hell.

And honestly if the house hadn't have been free and the land less lovely we wouldn't have. And we really didn't realize how awful it was, we could barely get into the rooms and everything was boxes, it wasn't until they were gone that we saw the true horror. My girl actually had a little breakdown for an hour then we got on with it. Just 2 days of work have led me to believe we can make this work for a couple of years while we gather funds for something better. But if anyone wants to mail me bricks of $100s I won't say no!

The good thing is we are just making it sanitary and safe while we police up the other half of what we need for a double wide. Kitchen remodel is going to be ultra simple: new sink cabinet, enough counter for prep and the rest is going to be free standing units and shelves we can take with us when we burn this crap hole down :)
 
Looks like you've got a good start on it already. I'd rent a cat fairly soon since you're getting it spiffed up.

That's a nice amount of land you're getting. I'd put up with a lot to get that too!

Congrats on the new property and your willingness to do hard work.
 
Kilz my man. Lots of Kilz. On every surface.
Our house's previous tenants had multiple ferrets they let run and poop to their hearts content, so we feel your pain.

Make sure you're wearing an N95 while you're cleaning that filth out. Your lungs will thank you.
 
Kilz my man. Lots of Kilz. On every surface.
Our house's previous tenants had multiple ferrets they let run and poop to their hearts content, so we feel your pain.

Make sure you're wearing an N95 while you're cleaning that filth out. Your lungs will thank you.

Yeah I had the little dust masks but with a beard it's not cutting it. Tomorrow is getting insurance and power and all the stuff we couldn't do on the weekend. I'm going to get a better mask since the demo is raising a lot of dust. And filth.

Oh yeah. Bleach and scrubbing then Kilz is the SOP so far.
 
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Congrats. It will all be worth it.

On Kills, also remember, if you use aerosol cans vs by the gallon, the fumes are flammable. Too much of that and the book of matches will be redundant.
 
Good start, lots of suck in many remodels, but you'll get through it!

Have you got a pest control company anywhere nearby? Might be a good idea to soak it with pisen once you get down to the parts you aim to keep. That'll slow down a reinfestation of bugs and (maybe) deter rodents until you can get the outside buttoned up better. Then go back over all the inside with new coverings and plenty of primer.

I use oil-based Kilz or Zinsser in spray cans for spot-priming resinous knots in wood and bad stains, then use water-based Kilz 2 in my airless sprayer to go over walls, ceilings, and floors as needed. Multiple coats!

Although they're pricey, positive-pressure respirators with a filter mounted on your belt are great for bearded Brits. They usually are a hard hat with a face sheield and have a loose "gasket" that goes around your face/beard. They work by supplying filtered air at a slight positive pressure around your face so dusts & other nasties are forced away from your face.

Good luck, post progress pics!
 
There’s nothing quite like rehabing a home. Complete pain in the ass but worth it.

This one is more like getting the house off meth but we're ok with a little weed and the booze lol

It's a temp fix until we replace it, but we've got to do enough to make it habitable.
 
Good start, lots of suck in many remodels, but you'll get through it!

Have you got a pest control company anywhere nearby? Might be a good idea to soak it with pisen once you get down to the parts you aim to keep. That'll slow down a reinfestation of bugs and (maybe) deter rodents until you can get the outside buttoned up better. Then go back over all the inside with new coverings and plenty of primer.

I use oil-based Kilz or Zinsser in spray cans for spot-priming resinous knots in wood and bad stains, then use water-based Kilz 2 in my airless sprayer to go over walls, ceilings, and floors as needed. Multiple coats!

Although they're pricey, positive-pressure respirators with a filter mounted on your belt are great for bearded Brits. They usually are a hard hat with a face sheield and have a loose "gasket" that goes around your face/beard. They work by supplying filtered air at a slight positive pressure around your face so dusts & other nasties are forced away from your face.

Good luck, post progress pics!

We bug.bombed the heck out of it, which killed a ton of stuff. We've got a guy coming to clean the ducts and glue traps. If we see more signs pest control professional is a definite.
 
I'd rent a cat fairly soon since you're getting it spiffed up.
Don’t rule this out. Even one or two outdoor ones will exterminate a lot of vermin. We’ve had cats ever since I lived in a mouse infested apartment back in college. Got a kitten. It cleared up the mouse problem and I haven’t had one again, even in the RV parked in a field.
 
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Being in the dumpster business I've seen some terrible stuff . One had used feminine pads stacked up all in the bathroom, I've had cans smell so badly of cat pee that you could smell it running 70mph down the highway.
 
What are you doing as far as getting the property itself under control? Does it need any mowing or debris removal?

I've got a used riding mower deal in progress but the land itself is pretty well kept, 8 or so of the acres are wooded and they kept the cleared area mowed. Later we plan to clear some more of it, once the pain of this wears off I want to build a little camp area and my girlfriend wants a dell.

We've borrowed a trailer for debris, so that's covered also. County dump isn't far from us. We are on a shoestring budget but we're actually doing quite well so far. Although I hurt like I decided to wrestle bears with anger issues this morning lol

A stipulation of the contract was that he hauls off all his yard crap or he owes us $25 a day starting Friday if he doesn't. He seems to be making progress, all the big stuff is already gone.
 
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Lets see pics of the property!
 
Don’t rule this out. Even one or two outdoor ones will exterminate a lot of vermin. We’ve had cats ever since I lived in a mouse infested apartment back in college. Got a kitten. It cleared up the mouse problem and I haven’t had one again, even in the RV parked in a field.

My girl is deathly allergic to cats alas.
 
We bug.bombed the heck out of it, which killed a ton of stuff. We've got a guy coming to clean the ducts and glue traps. If we see more signs pest control professional is a definite.
I shutter to think what's in the air ducts..... I'd be seriously tempted to go with window units and gas heaters until you strike the match.
 
I shutter to think what's in the air ducts..... I'd be seriously tempted to go with window units and gas heaters until you strike the match.

We found a local company that cleans them, including before and after snake can viewing by us.

We also have an AC guy buddy who's stripping down and servicing the units for us this week.
 
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Mice and other rodents have memories. They know where they poop and have babies. Make sure you have an aggressive pest control plan.

I am watching one contractor reno a single powder room in our house, and it is about enough to make me want to kick a puppy. God bless you (and anyone) who takes on these types of projects.
 
We found a local company that cleans them, including before and after snake can viewing by us.

We also have an AC guy buddy who's stripping down and servicing the units for us this week.
Good deal...... keep the pics coming. Nothing like sweat equity to make a place feel like home.
 
Mice and other rodents have memories. They know where they poop and have babies. Make sure you have an aggressive pest control plan.

I am watching one contractor reno a single powder room in our house, and it is about enough to make me want to kick a puppy. God bless you (and anyone) who takes on these types of projects.

Oh yeah, I won't stand for mice. There's already bait and glue boards out to see if they're any left alive and if there are we're going full chemical warfare. I am also about to Dcon the hell out of under the house etc, just couldn't find any at Wal Mart last night.

Well, we took on a bit more than we thought, but I just keep reminding myself that the house is FREE and we paid not much at all given the amount of lovely land.
 
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I am jeals about that amount of land....

Only until you have to mow it :)

Once we're done with the house and immediate area, I'm going down the hill to pick a spot for a shooting range. Nothing fancy at first, just 100 yards or so with a berm (probably going to fell some tress out of the many acres of timber and use the logs to build a berm box with a dirt fill).

I don't want it too close to the house but also don't want to hike a mile to get to it either!

Land has been a dream of mine since I came to the US. It's a bucket of work to have gotten here, but finally we're making that dream come true. On a shoestring budget no less.
 
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Rat Terrier, Jack Russell, or a Dachshund? My pack of German short legged hounds do a bang up job of keeping the vermin population down.

We're planning on getting a pal for my Shadow to frolic with now we have the space, so maybe a little ratter would be a good choice. I'm going to rely on a LOT of chemicals and vigilance right now but a good feisty critter hunter might be a good fit.
 
Land has been a dream of mine since I came to the US. It's a bucket of work to have gotten here, but finally we're making that dream come true. On a shoestring budget no less.

Yes, land ownership--real land ownership, not just a measly .25 acre--really is part of the American Dream, and I mean that in full sincerity, and for which I truly am jealous.

Years ago, maybe 25, there was an abundance of land in south-central Texas that was crazy cheap (comparatively). I thought hard about buying 100 acres (people were buying thousand-acre tracts for ranching) but just couldn't do it then.
 
Given the allergy to cats, maybe build a small shed, get a few cats and feed them out there, never let them in the house. Think of them like a barrier from the woods to the house.
 
My girl is deathly allergic to cats alas.
Pay attention to whether she reacts to grey nosed cats, pink nosed cats, or both. The allergy is from a protein in their saliva and the two (nose colors) have different proteins. It's possible to be allergic to one and not the other.

If it is both, get some outdoor ones. They'll still hunt a lot of undesirable visitors.
 
This is awesomeness brother. Reminds me of what is to come with our new property. I will try to leave less of a mess for the next owners of our current home, just out of guilt over this thread.

Sometimes Agent Smith was right........some people are a virus or plague that infects and consumes everything in it's sight. I would seriously looking for illegal dumping or worse on that property.

BTW I dig the fake brick wood paneling, definitely a retro 80s feel ;)
 
Reminds me of what is to come with our new property.
You will likely find some surprising things. Old pieces of trash that look like they belong in a Cracker Barrel exhibit for starters.

On our property, there is a chimney and what looks to be the remnants of a building that was once there near a pond. Of course there is no "legal" record of it.

One thing that I think is pretty neat is that we're only the 3rd owners following the initial land grant to the Goldston family (it obviously passed down in the family, but were the third listed at the ROD).
 
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This is awesomeness brother. Reminds me of what is to come with our new property. I will try to leave less of a mess for the next owners of our current home, just out of guilt over this thread.

Sometimes Agent Smith was right........some people are a virus or plague that infects and consumes everything in it's sight. I would seriously looking for illegal dumping or worse on that property.

BTW I dig the fake brick wood paneling, definitely a retro 80s feel ;)

The stuff on the stove hood? It's already gone lol

I personally don't object to the faux wood paneling but my girl loathes it so paint is happening lol

As for Smith, let's just say if I had the Infinity Gauntlet there'd be a LOT more room for the right people and a lot less traffic on the roads.

I'm glad today is a paperwork and offices day, my damaged rotator cuff is screaming where I did demo the last 2 days. Back to it tomorrow!
 
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Land has been a dream of mine since I came to the US. It's a bucket of work to have gotten here, but finally we're making that dream come true. On a shoestring budget no less.
All here are happy for you Pard. You and Ik have solved the secret to happiness.
 
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