ok so I had to pause to do a bunch of property signing things. the only details I can give right now is that its a huge shop on a huge property with a house as a bonus.
we have a large lot here at our current house, but the house is off the road more than others so there really isnt room for a backyard building. well there IS, but with utility setbacks and a good slope to the back yard it would have to go smack dab in the middle of the yard, and only about 25 feet from our back deck, which would end up as a driveway to the shop. my wife was ok with it, but I saw the long term implications. we could put it in the front, but that would need a drive to the backyard storage area and again, the utility setback plus the required property line setback meant we would lose our entire parking area in the front. and the third strike, we have fixed this property up a lot since buying, walls floors windows siding added a basement and 1000 sq ft, and have brought it in line with the property values in the area. so a new building, while convenient, would be a "sunk" cost, meaning it would not add anything significant to the current value, we would be building at a loss.
so when I found this place, only 2 miles away, same type of quiet street and large lots, only the neighborhood has a LOT of car guys with backyard shops. It was a distressed property, even more so after suffering a break in during the time we have been watching it, but all I really cared about was a) it had a BIG shop and a BIG parking area way off the road, and b) the total cost was a little more than building a shop at our current house. sign me up.
we made several offers (7 in fact) and when negotiations broke down (I wanted updated pictures after the break in, there were no inspections or walk through allowed) I told them to be happy with whatever they got and withdrew. They tried two more auctions, and didnt get within even 20% of our final offer, so I tried again and they accepted. well FIRST they attempted to get me to bid against the other bidders, and I said I would, at 80% of my last offer. meaning, if the other bidders stayed in the same price range, my bid would be a huge savings to me. They "got the jist", thought about it, and put me under contract the same day.
so the first three days of the week were a whirlwind, signing contracts, sending earnest money, lining up a title service and getting a closing date. They are looking at end of april, but since we dont need financing or inspections or appraisals or a hundred other things, I figure it might be done in two weeks. If they call monday and want to close I am ready. and excited.
Best thing, I saved almost enough to still buy the CNC table, almost. but not enough for a new plasma cutter to match, my current hypertherm is still more than enough for what I need, but the new ones interface with the CNC better. so maybe later this year.
Back to truck stuff!
I wanted seat belts and broke my T47 taking the floor bolts out. so I chopped the door jambs out so I could work on them again later. today was later. I chopped the bottom of the bolts off and tried again, and the bolts spun out.
but then I went after a seat and found a real honey, already reupholstered with leather and cloth, no real damage. $75 if I pulled it including the retracting belts that match. I put my T47 to good use again and yanked it.
found an oldie stuck on a tree in the same yard.
got my pedal mount finished up to check the fit and no surprise, it fits.
went by the new shop just to keep tabs on it and one of the neighbors has a funny looking dog.
so back to regular updates! I will need to take a break after closing to install a security system and cameras at the property, and some little fixes to get the house ready for power and water again.