Dated: February 14, 2017

Back in November 1990, as winter approached and we were expecting our second child, we were in a rush to add much-needed space to our tiny 868 square foot house. I hired help to get the exterior of the addition closed in, intending to finish the rest myself.

Notice all the items crammed into the small attic space of our original house. Our “Dream Home” desperately lacked storage (and still does).

1990

The next photo shows our house in 1993, three years after the addition. The exterior was still bare plywood—not a pretty sight.

During those years, I was struggling financially, working hard at my business, and lacking the time and resources to improve the house’s appearance.

1993

The following photo, taken around 1995 according to Marlene, shows the addition still covered in bare plywood even after five years. Our third child was born in 1994, and those years remain a blur.

1995

Our dog, Pilgrim, was ten years old in that picture and lived for two more years.

In 1998, I experienced a difficult period of depression, inactivity, and financial hardship. No progress was made on the house. The interior remained unfinished, and the exterior remained an eyesore for about fifteen years.

My wife, an incredibly patient and kind person, was understandably disappointed with the state of our home. It was embarrassing and shameful, and that’s all I’ll say about it.

Around 2005, after starting a job with the NY State prison system, I finally had the time and money to focus on the house. The job provided a good income and benefits like paid time off, something I never had as a self-employed contractor.

Additionally, my mail-order business, Planet Whizbang, was gaining momentum. After twenty years of struggle, the hard times were behind me. Earning a living was less of a concern.

While working at the prison, I added another small addition to the back of the house (visible below), providing some much-needed space downstairs. I finally began siding over that unsightly plywood.

The following three pictures show the house as it is now, in February 2017. The two sides facing the road need repainting, but at least they’re finished.

Clearly, I still have work to do on the back of the house. These days, time and energy are my biggest obstacles. Since 2010, the mail-order business has provided financial stability, but it demands a lot of my time. Also, my physical stamina for such projects diminishes yearly.

However, there’s a window of opportunity in early spring when the weather is pleasant and mail-order volume is low. Last year, I managed to replace the roof, and this year, I aim to finish the cedar siding.

Our current plan is to prepare the house for sale while saving as much as possible. We aim to build a retirement home in a few years (I’ll be 62 in three years).

A simple ranch with an attached garage and a small outbuilding for the mail-order business (our “Dream Home” is now partly a warehouse) would suffice.

We’re also seriously considering buying a place in the nearby village of Moravia, NY. It would be a significant change, but we’re trying to plan for the future, and living in town has advantages as we age.

We love our “Upland Dream Home,” but it has served its purpose. We’re ready to move on.

Whether we actually move remains to be seen; many factors need to align. However, we are prepared.

Even if we leave, we will maintain a presence in Upland. We own a separate 16-acre parcel of land here. I’ve discussed the personal and strategic reasons for holding onto rural property in previous writings.

Time will tell. Stay tuned.

This concludes my series on Building Our Upland Dream Home. If you haven’t read the entire series, CLICK HERE to start from the beginning.