It's not easy being green

Or perhaps I should say it's not cheap. The church needs a completely new HVAC system (well no AC only H) and I wanted to get the most efficient unit possible with a tankless water heater. I also wanted prices on a conventional furnace and hot water tank. The prices have started to come in and while I am committed to reducing my carbon footprint but I have to say it comes at a cost. 

The Navien CH 210 runs at 98% efficiency. Honestly, I don't know what any of it really means but my friend Leif's dad is an HVAC guy and he says it's an excellent choice. One of the first things I have to do is deal with Central Hudson gas and electric and bring a natural gas line into the church. Right now the heating is oil and the appliances are propane. Two ugly big tanks and two deliveries to schedule sounded like a real drag. And the one thing New York state is full of is Natural Gas (both literally and figuratively) so it's plentiful and cheaper and all I have to deal with is one monthly bill for all utilities. With what's happening in the Gulf, I really want to try and stay away from oil as fuel.
We had a snag in the closing. The seller is not an American citizen and somehow that fucked things up and he has to get some sort or paperwork sorted out before we can close. It's really frustrating as I can't wait to get in there and get going on the renovation.
Next Installment: Tree Removal

Waiting

I'm waiting to hear from the lawyer that the title search is completed and we can set a closing date.
It's already mine in my head and I've spent all my free time this week poring over sketches, design mags and renovation websites. This waiting period is tough, I really want to get in there and begin PHASE 1!

Best Town Name Ever: Coxsackie

The Church is located in the town of Coxsackie, New York. I have neighbors to the north and across the street. When many people think of "country homes", many think of country and land. I had shared a house in Hillsdale, NY for a few years and here's what I know about land. It's one more thing you have to take care of... and it ate into my precious time on the weekends. The Church has approximately .10 acre of land and it's all garden. For me, it's much more fun and peaceful to weed than to mow. I also am not much of a country girl so being in town, able to walk to the library, the post office and the coffee shop and waving to other human beings while doing so comforts me. And the town has a bar, complete with pool table, dart board, jukebox and pickled eggs for all my friends who need a drink.
My best friend and realtor, Deb Parker, first showed me The Church in March. As we walked through the simple yet mighty 20' x 60' with 20' ceilings, I could see myself there. When we got to the back of the church and opened the sliding glass doors onto the 20' x 18' deck with a partial view of the Hudson River, I was pretty much sold. And that's how the process to buy it began.

The Coxsackie town park on the Hudson River

The Boat Launch

A view from my morning walk

The Library. A three minute walk.

Some of the town architecture

Deb Parker in front of Patrick Henry Bar

The Pool Table

And Jukebox!!

The Icing on the Cake: GUITAR STORE!!!

The East facing deck (where the bands will play, natch!)

And now for something completely different.

I am buying a church in a small town on the Hudson River. It has a view of the river from the deck facing east. My hope is to renovate the space and have it be a creative think tank between visual artists and musicians. I am going to report here, in Designasaurus Rex, the process with all its sturm and drang. I needed something new to obsess about anyway. I hope to close and begin renovations by the end of May/beginning of June.

Here's some photos of the church.

Looking down from the office to the wood stove. (More on that in another post)

My Office which faces west on Ely Street

The Hudson River and Town as seen from the deck facing east.