Our Cottage Home and How We Got Here

Welcome to our Cottage Home – Spring Valley Cottage. We are located in the Ozark Mountains of southwestern Missouri.

Our Home’s History.

This 1929 cottage was purchased by my husband in 1990, six years before we met. We were married in 1996 and he moved into Springfield, Missouri. However, we kept the house and rented it out for many years. Long story short, we had some people that decided they did not want to pay rent so we had to go to court and get them out.

When we got the house back it was demolished, to say the least. The ceilings were coming down, there was so many junk cars and garbage in the yard, and they had even cut a hole in the floor and growing things in the basement that they should not have been.

So we set about taking everything out over the next few years. We began the long process of rebuilding it. It was gutted down to the studs and totally rebuilt. So begins the journey for Spring Valley Cottage.

I Don’t Want to Live Here!

I can not tell you the number of times I told my husband, “I will never live there”! The town is too small, I like living in the city near everything. You ever heard the phrase “You will eat those words”? Well I ate those words. Everyone of them. But I have to say now I love it. I love our simple Cottage life.

Our Cottage Home – Back to The Remodel.

So in 2010, we began the slow process of rebuilding the cottage. Because we lived in northern Indiana it took us 10 years to do so. Whenever, my husband had time off from the railroad we would make the trip to Missouri and work on the place. We did have some help with some of the remodel and we did the remodeling as we had extra money.

We had to put a new roof on to start. As that was happening everything inside had to go. That included the plaster, plumbing, electrical, windows, doors, kitchen cabinets, appliances and all bathroom items.

Replacement time.

Now to replace everything with new items. First, the electrical and plumbing, then the spray foam insulation, sheetrock, mudding, painting the walls, new windows were installed, bathroom fixtures and new flooring for the baths. The place was 80 plus years old, hey we all know old things begin to sag. The foundation had to have blocks put under it to get it level. As you can see in the photo the paint was peeling and the wood was bad.

But my husband really loved this place in the Ozark’s. It was his happy place, like I said earlier it was not my happy place. I thought we were fixing it up to sell or at least that was my thoughts. But that never happened. When my husband would want to sell it I decided that I did not and when I wanted to sell it he decided he did not. So we held on to it and kept moving ahead.

Peeling Paint and Sagging Walls!

Just a sample of how much this house had gone down hill. So much work, peeling paint and sagging walls. Rotten boards were everywhere. But you take it one step at a time. To be honest, at this time I could not see how it was going to improve. But as we took a step here and a step there things began to get a little better.

I was so distraught over this house and now we were getting close to time for us to relocate to Missouri. When I came down in July 2019, after we decided that my husband was going to retire. I cried! All the fresh paint had mold all over it and was chipping again.

Now when I called my husband back in Indiana and told him, “I can’t live here like this”. So we started to look for someone to paint and fix up the outside. But a miracle took place. We found a siding company that could come out and look at the house that very day. He came looked at it and gave us a great deal for new siding. Guess what, they could start the following Monday. So when I left town heading back to Indiana, the men started working on the siding. I was singing hallelujah all the way back home.

Moving Right Along.

Now things were starting to move really fast. We had just listed our home in Indiana for sale and it sold in less than a week. Now, what were we to do. We had six weeks to downsize, sell everything, move our furniture to Missouri and move into an apartment until my husband could retire. Oh my! What a task. Everything from 18 years of living in Indiana had to go. All my mom’s, my grandmother’s things, my things and some of Bennie’s had to go.

Back in Missouri at our Cottage.

Things were moving right along back at the cottage. The air conditioning was being installed and the back up propane heat was being installed. Floors were being redone and painting was getting finished and things were coming along.

Well they were still working on the siding, so the crew took the window unit out and walled up the outside and finished the siding. Now the wall has to be patched, no problems. Just a little sheetrock and paint, right?

Meanwhile, downstairs in the kitchen the electrical needed to be completed. And after the cabinets are installed I decided that I did not like the color of the wall. So now I must pick a paint color. I really like bright colors so I go with Behr Tibetan Teal. A bright blue! Now the kitchen is really small but really wanted a color that will pop.

Well I had to make some adjustments in the Kitchen, no dish washer for me. Really needed the cabinet space. This kitchen is so small and I needed my pots and pans, dishes, appliances and other things. Have you ever looked in your cabinets and thought I don’t need this? I have come to the conclusion that if I don’t use it then I really don’t need it. So off to other family members or charity.

Our house is beginning to come together. So glad to see the front porch finished and the rials installed. Now came the doors to the downstairs bedroom.

Furniture Delivery.

Oh I forgot to tell you that during all this construction, our furniture was delivered by the moving company in October. We are not moving until December but we need to put the things we are keeping somewhere. Our little one bedroom apartment in Indiana can not hold the things that we are keeping. So in the midst of everything our furniture arrives and the moving company only sends out one guy to unload all our stuff. What an ordeal. My niece is trying to help him and it was a nightmare. So now baseboards are being installed in all the rooms and the furniture is all in the middle of the floors with sheets over it. Will this nightmare be over? We will see.

The big red shipping container was delivered. This is to house all my husband’s toys. We had to bring the toys with us because there is no place for them at the apartment. Too funny! This was probably one of the most stressful times that we have ever been through. But we get done with what needed to be done and head back to Indiana to wait until retirement. We leave a crew of people doing things in the house for us while we are gone. Good bye Missouri see you in a couple of months.

So time for retirement.

After arriving back in Indiana we settle into our little apartment and wait until we can retire. During this time I have to have surgery to restore the hearing in my left ear. Thankfully, it was a successful operation.

The last week of December is now upon us and we are packing again to make the final move. After much discussion we decide that we are going to pack up our things and head out to Missouri on Christmas Day. So we call a friend and give the recliners and the bedroom suite that we can’t take to them. The Uhaul is now packed and it is Christmas Day. The dogs are loaded in the car and we head out to make the ten plus hour drive. What a long day that was. We made it to Springfield, Missouri. Arriving at my son’s home at 1:00 AM. Thankful for a bed to sleep in, tomorrow we will head south and arrive at our home.

Arrival at our Cottage and all is not well!

The next day we head out to our new home only to find that things are not finished. So we unload all that we can and plan on heading back to Springfield to stay with my son and daughter-in-law. We stay two weeks with them. Back and forth we go.

When we turn on the water, the shower from upstairs leaks all over the dining room table and the newly refinished floors. So no water for now. Note to self, ceiling has to be repaired. So slowly, things get set in place and all the jobs get almost completed. We can finally move in. There are still some jobs that need to be done but we will live in it and finish it.

All the unpacking begins and things are put away. Jobs are being finished and the chaos is stopping. Life becomes quiet for a change. Six months of moving is a long time. I am getting too old for this. This will be my forever home.

Big Red is no longer red, it is now green to match the siding on the house. We have settled into routines and some days pass slowly. Some not so slow. But life in the Ozark’s is peaceful. For that I am thankful.

The Finished French Cottage.

You can find us in the spring, summer, fall and warm days of winter sitting on the front porch. Usually our dogs are with us as we watch the birds feed at the bird feeder. We are still making improvements to the homestead but not as much now as before. Life is a little slower in retirement and especially in a small rural town. There are not any traffic lights here, we do have a school, but our town is pretty quiet. So I want to thank you for reading our story of how we came to live in the Ozark’s. Thanks for stopping by.

You are invited to follow along as I give more of the story of the remodel, moving, downsizing and much more. Go to the sidebar and join the Spring Valley Cottage Community so you will not miss one story.

Many Blessings,

Debbie