Remodeling the SolCasa de RanaQuemada

After enjoying a rented casita in Santiago for six months, Stan and I hunted down the ideal fixer-upper in the same neighborhood. In August, 2007, we bought the house at Calle 2, #11 and started work.

Originally two casitas around 25 years old, the houses were joined together under one roof at some point, making for a little quirkiness.

We've logged our works-in-progress organized under major headings. The dates indicate when the last update was logged. Our latest efforts have been concentrated in the front room.

Floorplan, including yards and additions through 2008

Wiring - Stan grounded the whole house. Not very photogenic, wires in the walls, so you won't see a log about the process. He broke into every fixture and box in the house and ran a ground wire, added three-prong plugs and GFCI's, then sank a copper rod out front and tied the whole house to that. As we work on each space, he's also hooking up ceiling fans and lights.

And still there's this list of things yet to accomplish...

• Ceilings and walls - chip out the bad concrete and repair the rebar, then do something clever to cover the ceilings
• Front entryway - remove the existing roll-up garage door that leads into the living room, and, um, we don't know yet exactly how we're going to work the entry, but it will entail moving the front door to the roll-up space, somehow
• Front patio, garden and carport - too many possibilities, which is why we can't figure out what to do with the entryway
• 2nd Master Bath - Extend and finish the back (camp) bathroom
• Back patio - Sink columns robust enough to support three stories (see mirador); lay a new slab and roof; and screen in a back porch
• Back doors - break out two big doors into the screened patio, one in each bedroom and fix the one in the great hall
• Floors - tile the whole shootin' match, right over the lovely blue antiques
• Mirador - two more floors above the back patio to catch a little view (at least of the stars and storms) and breezes
• The Dream - Somehow magically acquire the property on either side of us (yeh, right)

SolMate Santiago contact: mj(at)solmatesantiago(dot)com