So, yeah, this is what retired life is like

[Fermion]

I have tried to describe a house like this to my wife for a number of years. Now I can show her what I'm talking about. Hopefully, if your comfortable, it would be neat to see the inside of the look out area.

Sure, when we clean up a bit I will take some shots of the tower top room. it has a 12 foot ceiling due to the features of the mansard roof and each dormer looks out in a cardinal direction. From the west dormer we have view of the west part of our town and the mountains (even can see the tip top of a mountain pass that still has snow on it in June). From the south dormer we have a view of more mountains and the middle of town down below (house is on a hill). East side is a street view and North side is up the hill toward another mountain.

 

[Souschef]

I was only 13' off the ground when I fell off a ladder and broke both legs. Now I'm limited to 8' step ladders.

You are lucky! DW will not let me get on a 4 foot one.

 

[Montecfo]

I always wanted a house with that kind of viewing area (whatever that's called). So, now we're in a concrete egg-crate condo building - but it has a great view from the 15th floor. Enjoy!

Its funny. I find I do not love views from higher than say 6-8 floors.

But I am sure it is beautiful!

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[Sojourner]

To each their own but to me "retired life" would be paying someone else to do [-]that[/-] things I hate or cannot do myself while I watched from a recliner.

+1, with my edits in bold above

IMHO, one of the best aspects of early retirement is having the time to explore new and interesting DIY-type things that challenge me to learn and expand my range of knowledge and skills.

 

[street]

It is not your fault! We are so slow I had almost forgotten we were building a house myself.

LOL!!

 

[eytonxav]

Now the mystery question, is there an elevator inside to get to the top?

 

[mountainsoft]

sometimes I look up at it and think...we built this entirely ourselves.

We built our home back in 2004 and I STILL get that feeling. How on earth did we build this home ourselves. As I look around the house I can remember doing each step (having pics and video helps too), but as a whole it doesn't seem possible.

Your home is looking great. Love the tower, very unique. Although, it does look a little tight between the tower and the left dormer. Installing shingles, siding, and gutters in that little area must be fun. I'm glad our home is only one story. Working at heights just makes everything that much more difficult. We have a few steep roofs on the house and garage and just keeping tools in place is a pain. Let alone trying to work without sliding off.

Be safe!

 

[SecondAttempt]

I was only 13' off the ground when I fell off a ladder and broke both legs. Now I'm limited to 8' step ladders.

Indeed. I have a friend who lost her father to a fall off a ladder when he was 52. At 57, I have become averse to ladders. Not that I won't or don't use them but there there is a lot of anxiety over that transition to the roof from an extension ladder. Physically I don't have any issues and have done it routinely all my life for home maintenance. But my head gets the best of me a lot more these days!

 

[pjigar]

It is not your fault! We are so slow I had almost forgotten we were building a house myself.

Nice progress from the last picture I saw.



I hear you, it took us over two years to build our house. We moved-in once the inside was ready and finished the outside while living there.

 

[Fermion]

I guess an update is in order. We got the tower finished before the snow hit (now everything is under a couple inches of white). We are slowly working on the inside electrical (actually we have it all hooked up ready for electrical inspection to get power but the inspector doesn't come out this far very often and I am having a hard time getting a return call). I am unsure if Avista will be able to hook up power at all if it snows more, since we want it underground.

 

[Yoheadden]

Beautiful construction and kudos to you for doing the work. I go on our 2 story roof, but I have to admit it. It made me nervous looking at the scaffolding and definitely the ladder on the scaffolding. Lol

What are the plans for the tower room? Will it be a second living room, game room, observatory?

 

[pacergal]

looking good!

 

[lawman]

nope

 

[Fermion]

Beautiful construction and kudos to you for doing the work. I go on our 2 story roof, but I have to admit it. It made me nervous looking at the scaffolding and definitely the ladder on the scaffolding. Lol

What are the plans for the tower room? Will it be a second living room, game room, observatory?

The middle room in the tower is going to be a game room. The top floor (has 12 foot ceiling!) probably just a reading room, maybe with a telescope since we have windows in all 4 directions and can see the whole town below and the mountains.

But thanks for that, now I want to build an actual dome type observatory

 

[SJhawkins]

Look great, this one reason why I want to retire before 60, always like building/working on stuff.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Very cool house!! We raised our kids in an old house that had 3 floors plus the basement. All the bedrooms were on the second and third floors. I got plenty of exercise. That’s when phones were connected to the wall and no answering machines. I had a phone on the first and third floor so I could answer before it quit.

 

[Fermion]

2 feet of snow in the past week so instead of working on the house, we have been riding our snowmobiles in the mountains. Being retired means you can go play on weekdays...we didn't see one other person the whole day on 70 miles of riding.

I got over my fear (which may have been a good fear!) and actually rode all the way to the top of Calispell peak! I have always been chicken in past years lol, its a butt pucker. The view up there yesterday though....you could see for miles and miles.

 

[street]

Really, so many fun things to do in winter. House looks good and retirement is what you want to do each day. I actually like a good storm to sit home and watch the event and get caught up on reading or small projects.

 

[audreyh1]

2 feet of snow in the past week so instead of working on the house, we have been riding our snowmobiles in the mountains. Being retired means you can go play on weekdays...we didn't see one other person the whole day on 70 miles of riding.

I got over my fear (which may have been a good fear!) and actually rode all the way to the top of Calispell peak! I have always been chicken in past years lol, its a butt pucker. The view up there yesterday though....you could see for miles and miles.

Looks so beautiful!