I'm so wired right now!

OK, I'm not wired YET, but I soon will be. Marshall began dismantling the knob and tube wiring yesterday while I was up in Philadelphia for work. He called me after the first two hours of work. I was at Haverford getting ready to go out for breakfast. Here's how our conversation went:

"Hi Marshall, thanks for calling! Have you started?"

[Pause. Marshall's very serious generally so this was not unexpected.]

"Yes, we got started and, well, I'm really sorry to tell you this, but it's bad."

"What do you mean? What's the problem? [Images of explosions running through my head.]"

"Well...[pause] it's pretty much all knob and tube except the kitchen, and we're going to have to rewire pretty much the whole house. I'm really sorry to tell you this. It's pretty much the worst case scenario. I really hate to give you bad news."

"OK! No problem. Just let me know if there's anything you can do to make it cheaper but still safe."

"Yeah, I'll see if there's anything I can think of. I'm really sorry." [third time he's apologized.]

"Hey, nothing to worry about. It's an old house, and it's going to have fabulous new wiring when you're done."

"I'm so sorry to have to call and tell you this."

Etc, including various specifics, a couple of good cost-saving ideas, peppered with repeated apologies. I think I eventually convinced him that I am not, in fact, shocked by this news, and that I am not suicidal. After all, we dodged the oil tank bullet, so why on earth should we expect to dodge this bullet? What it comes down to is this picture. Here's why I'm so weirdly cheery:

 See all that horrid cloth-covered wire? This morning I got to the house early and wandered through, looking at all the outlets and switches that Marshall and his guys exposed yesterday.After this is all done, I'll be free of probably the single most important source of anxiety with an old house. And I'll have so many circuits. The house currently only has THREE. Not good.

So, the only thing I need to decide now is when to deliver these guys my first batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies, since they'll be working on the house for about two weeks. Talk to you later!

Knob and Tube Wiring

There has been a bit of excitement this week, since I learned that it's pretty much impossible to insure a home with knob and tube wiring. Apparently this is a very recent development in the homeowner's insurance market. But even though it is an unexpected cost, I know it's going to need to get done eventually anyway.

So, the owner is kindly allowing me to take early possession of the house in order to have the knob and tube replaced before we close.  My wonderful realtor has been scrambling to find me an electrician who can take on this project immediately. It looks like she is going to be able to secure her favorite electrician. We'll know tomorrow.

This means I have a house key, which is pretty exciting. It also means I need to hurry up and get new fans and light fixtures asap.

Today I met with two HVAC installers to get estimates for replacing the old heating system and adding air conditioning. I learned a ton and will look forward to getting their estimates back. It's going to be the biggest purchase I make by far, and very important since Virginia has equally hot summers and cold winters, and is generally pretty humid. It's a challenge to decide how much to spend for resale and my own comfort, without totally breaking the bank. Both installers were thrilled and surprised to see that I have a nice big cellar with plenty of space for ductwork.

OK, folks, that's it for now.