Now with over a year of residence in our great old house under our belts, we are getting closer to some significant decisions about what direction we want to go in for the future. We have been talking, measuring, doodling and "discussing" numerous projects and their relative priority. The top ten list includes the following:

Remove the added-on second floor porch and roof above the kitchen porch.

Remove the concrete slab/patio next to the kitchen and replace it with a wooden porch.

Repair or replace the waste lines between the house and septic system (another long story).

Move the first floor bathroom to within the family room area, thereby opening up the kitchen porch to full width.

Expand the single story family room addition to a full two story addition with a master bedroom and bathroom occupying the full second floor.

Convert the existing third bedroom (now an unheated storage room) into a master bedroom closet.

Build a stone or brick paver patio off the back of the family room.

Renovate the kitchen

Rebuild the garage roof and install slate

The order of priorities will generally start with house systems, house expansion, then outbuildings. We will be doing almost all of the work ourselves with help from friends and family.

Yes, we are certifiably insane. A little over a year ago we had a complete, perfectly good house. Now, we are into a project that will likely take 5-10 years to complete. Now where did I put my wine glass . . .

The other reality of the restoration process is that it costs money. We have some savings earmarked for the work, but we will also be financing a lot of it as well. With mortgage and home equity loan rates at record lows, we are going to avail ourselves of these resources. Proper planning on the funding of the restoration process is as or more important than the actual hard construction details.