First Weekend

I spent most of this weekend traveling back and forth between my current place and my new house. As I quickly found out there are a lot of things that need to happen in the next couple of weeks before I officially move in. Many hours were spent on my cell getting utilities setup, soliciting bids for landscaping services, fence repair, alarm monitoring, and the list goes on and on.

I did get a nice surprise from my Godfather, Craig, who came by with some rye seed and a spreader to hopefully get a nice lush green backyard started. The house has lots of glass overlooking the backyard and anything to get the yard looking in great shape is a plus. Below are some pictures of the yard on Saturday. In a week or so it there should be a big difference.

From 2009-12-13

From 2009-12-13

As I've put together my to do list of items that have to be completed before moving in, I realized there is one big purchase to be made. The house currently has no refrigerator and need to buy something before moving in full time. Over time the kitchen will receive some updates which will probably include, refaced cabinets, new pulls, and a different counter top. All of these items are not original to the house and I'm hoping to get pictures shortly of what was in originally in the kitchen.

For reference here is what the kitchen and the remaining appliances look like right now:

From 2009-12-13

From 2009-12-13

From 2009-12-13

With these pictures in mind, I'm not sure what to do about the immediate need for a refrigerator but at this point, I see three main options:

1. Buy a cheap used fridge on craigslist that will get me buy until I make long term plans for the kitchen. I hate to spend any significant amount of money on a short term fix like this.

2. Look for a deal on a stainless steel fridge that would be a long term solution. The stainless steel would match the stove nicely (which is original and will stay) and is not a bad match the oven, microwave, and dishwasher. I'm not sure if this other appliances are original and am checking with the former owner. The downside for the stainless steel, is that it's just like 98% of the other refrigerators you see in new construction. Part of the reason I liked this house is it's different, unique, and has some style to it... Not sure if a brand new stainless steel fridge is the right way to go.

3. The budget buster is to do something like this...

From Desktop

I've had my eye on these for months and love everything about them, great vintage look, cool color options, except the price tag... They do come in 8 different colors so I would not be locked into orange. Other possibilities are white or a cherry red. Doing a fridge like this would give some immediate visual interest, great retro styling, and a talking point in the kitchen. However, do I invest this kind of money in a fridge not knowing what the future plans are for the kitchen?

Any thoughts or comments?