Apartment is DONE!!!

First of all, I want to say thank you to all of you that have been so good about encouraging us. It may not seem like much to subscribe to our social media or blog, but it means the world. Sorry, I have been absent for a little bit. There has been a lot going on here, and I have been dealing with a bit of depression/exhaustion. We have officially been residents of Vermont for a year! With that year, Matt and I have been working nonstop and have been under a lot of stress. Unfortunately, it's finally started to catch up with me. I know that what we are doing will be worth it in the long-term, but it is still difficult to keep this pace up. I've also been dealing with some grief around the parents with Mothers and Fathers days being so close together. Ugh. Also, we've been dealing with an ongoing siding issue which has been super stressful. I'll talk more about that later. Anyway, on to the good stuff:)

We have finally completed the apartment! This is definitely exciting, but a little anxiety producing. It makes me a little nervous to find our tenants, but it is also very exciting to finally see some of our plans coming to fruition. I've reached out to our local Queer Connect to get some ideas of places to advertise. I want to find individuals that need a safe and welcoming environment which feels like home to them. Hopefully, we can find some great individuals who share in the vision of Woodford Rest. If you are local, let me know if you know anyone:)

Original kitchen

As many of you remember, the apartment was in need of a lot of love. It had not been cleaned or updated in a very long time. The appliances were trashed and there were dents/gouges everywhere. We also discovered rotten pillows, toys, and boxes that had been left to rot in the attic. It really felt like so many things were damaged to the point it was hard to see how we could get everything to look suitable. We definitely don't want to be the landlords that just slap paint on something that needs more care. Since it wasn't that long ago that we were renters, we want to make our rentals up to our standards. If I'm not willing to live there, I shouldn't be letting other people live there. Let's hope that we can find some tenants that appreciate our hard work!

Fixing some of the gouges

We did notice while renovating the apartment just how much rust and wear had started to accumulate on things in the apartment. What we thought would be a quick renovation, turned into a complete over hall of the apartment. Also, since this has been my first project mostly on my own, it has taken longer than our original projection. I've had to do a lot of learning as I go. Plus, learning when to ask for help and recognizing that Matt has a lot more experience than I do in some things. I'm catching up quickly though:)

Painting the bedroom off the living room

This apartment has reinforced my opinion that a new coat of paint gives so much new life to any room that you tackle. There have been so many times with our house and our other rooms that I would think, "How can I ever make this space feel pretty and updated again?". Even with all of the struggles, I truly love our property and can't wait to see the finished product that I envisioned during our first viewing. This summer is really making some of those changes come to life.

Bathroom before we did any work.

This apartment is also the first part of our income generating plans for the property. Next, we hope to finish the Big Cottage sometime next month. I've already had one showing with someone that may be interested for the Big Cottage. We will see if it works out, but it's nice to have some interest at least. Our hope is that these two long-term rentals will supplement our income during some of the slow times with the motel. We are trying to think ahead and make decisions that will mean we won't be reliant on only one form of income. I'm hoping this strategy will pay off with time. Time will tell!

Living room walls with patches

And without further adieu, I've posted a video below of a walkthrough of the finished apartment. I hope you love it as much as we do:)

While finishing the apartment, I’ve also been reclaiming our rock wall. We have been so focused on the buildings that we have done the bare minimum of maintenance on our yard. I’ve really loved spending time outside and getting to know our property a little more each day.

Rock wall transformation

One of my butterfly friends

During our completion of the apartment, Matt also surprised me with a trip to one of the places I wanted to visit the most in the world, FDR's Presidential Library and family home in Hyde Park, NY. FDR has been my favorite president for as long as I can remember. My other favorite historical figure is Eleanor Roosevelt. Her famous cottage was only a few minutes away so we managed to go to both locations. I was in awe of every room we visited and was even brought to tears a few times. It meant so much to see this inspirational couple tackle all that they had in life, and to be so successful at furthering the struggle for human rights. When we were discussing the possibility of the motel, I kept thinking about these two and how I could incorporate their values in our business. I was brought to tears when I read this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt at her cottage, "The greatest thing I have learned is how good it is to come home again." It felt as though she were talking directly to me and encouraging me with our vision for the property.

Me with Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt; FDR's personal library; FDR's presidential desk; Eleanor Roosevelt's Val Kill Cottage.

So many things are up in the air right now, but it feels amazing to have at least one big thing off the list. I'll keep all of you updated with our tenant search. Hopefully, we will find the perfect person soon. Take care of yourselves and don't forget to rest!