Don't get too comfortable in this mess

We've successfully moved in, and though two weeks have officially passed, we are still living amongst more boxes than I would like. It's a matter of not getting too set up knowing we will be taking it down again to paint/wallpaper/cut holes/refinish/etc/etc/etc. The baby's room is the least unpacked, since we are in the middle of refinishing the trim and baseboards for painting.

Yesterday a roofing contractor came by to examine our roof and quote on repairing it, replacing it, and refinishing our front with cedar shingles and trim. This is how the second storey with dormer currently looks:

What the roofer discovered after peeling away the vinyl siding is that there is still the original wood trim underneath a second wood trim treatment around the top edge. We won't know for sure until we remove the siding entirely, but perhaps we can refinish and restore it, which would be ideal. Also, behind the siding covering the entire front was a layer of asphalt shingles, and under that the original (I am guessing) cedar shingles painted a turquoise green. These are not salvageable, but it is nice to know that our idea for redoing the front is in line with how the house was originally finished in 1900. The roofer would remove all three layers and install the cedar over the entire front, estimated at $3400. To repair the roof itself would only cost us a few hundred, but to replace it, which we intend to do in the next couple of years, would cost an estimated $4500.

Also, we were looking at getting crown moulding and new heavier trim for the bedroom which currently has your simple trim. Instead, we discovered "backband", which most renovators and builders will already know about. Tomorrow we go to get a couple pieces to bring home and try out on our trim to get the desired look. I will post photos as soon as we give it a whirl.