Slowly but surely, we’re making real progress on the beach house. Over the next few weeks we expect major advances: a complete electrical rewire, upgraded plumbing, and a fully functioning HVAC system—perfect timing for hot summer days. We’re relieved to finally say goodbye to knob-and-tube wiring, to a furnace “accessorized” with cardboard and bedsheets, and to the long stretch without running water. The old sewer line was damaged by tree roots, so we’ll need to open the road to run a new line out front.
Since our last big update, we’ve checked off several major exterior items: a new roof to stop leaks and new pink HardiePlank siding. The color choice has been such a delight—yes, I’m currently having a bit of a love affair with pink. The one remaining exterior item is the creamy yellow trim. Weather and the painter’s schedule delayed it, but we expect those porch columns to be finished soon.
We were able to save all five original stained glass windows, which we’re thrilled about—there’s one in the front, one on the right side, and three on the left. Some needed new panes or sills and all will require reglazing, but with the fresh white trim on the rebuilt side of the house they already look much better.
Many other windows had deteriorated beyond repair or had been replaced with poor-quality vinyl units, so installing consistent, energy-rated windows across the house has been an important upgrade.
There’s still work to do. Brick repairs are needed around the perimeter, the porch will get a new metal roof since the old one couldn’t be saved, and we need stairs at all three entrances—the existing front concrete block steps were damaged, the side door never had stairs, and the back concrete steps had to be removed to install siding behind them. We plan to build brick steps out front, which will be a major improvement over the concrete blocks.
Yes, you might wonder how I manage those steps with my short legs—don’t worry, I can make the leap (often while chewing gum).
On the front porch, we originally thought we’d paint the ceiling white so the pink siding would stand out, but the existing blue hue grew on us. The blue complements neighboring houses and gives the porch a classic feel, so we sampled paint chips and chose a lighter variant called Breaktime by Sherwin-Williams. Note: the peeling paint we matched was old exterior paint; we’ve had professionals handle any lead, asbestos, or mold concerns.
Despite the long list of upcoming tasks, I can’t help smiling every time we arrive and see the new siding. It genuinely makes me giddy.
All interior framing and reinforcement are finished, so our floor plan is finally beginning to read in 3D. Bedrooms and closets are taking shape, and the new upstairs hallway we added means people won’t have to pass through a bedroom to reach another room—a change we love.
One clever detail our contractor solved involved a sagging portion of the upstairs landing near the stairs. Instead of an unsightly post, we commissioned a local blacksmith to craft a sturdy iron support bracket. It connects in two places to shore up the floor, eliminates the bounce, and should read as a thoughtful original detail once finished—plus it cost only about $100.
We’ve also mapped every electrical and plumbing location—fixture boxes, outlets, switches, sinks, toilets, showers, laundry hookups, and kitchen appliances. That meant walking every room to mark outlets and planning door swings so switches sit in the right places. We carefully positioned ceiling fixtures to be centered over islands, dining tables, or beds as needed.
We determined shower widths to size vanities properly and chose compact or regular toilets based on space. We also planned shower valve locations to avoid back-wall placements that risk freezing. This planning took many hours onsite and more time back home creating to-scale renderings, but locking these decisions in felt like a real milestone.
Next came ordering nearly everything needed for the finish work: light fixtures, faucets, vanities, tile, and cabinets—basically everything except furniture and appliances. The ordering process is both exhilarating and a bit overwhelming, but we’ve made final choices for many items and will share bathroom, kitchen, and laundry plans soon. Meanwhile, I had to call the credit card company after a fraud alert on our recent flurry of purchases.
P.S. If you want to follow the whole beach house journey from the start, previous posts cover how we bought the house, initial floor plan ideas and a video tour, our design inspirations and color choices, progress on walls and the new floor plan, and a memorable moment when the rotting side of the house briefly appeared on HGTV.