I thought that I would share with you the story of how an ordinary jog led us to our house on Sunnidale. When looking back at that time, I am baffled by how much can change in a year. My first impression of the house was one of admiration but immediate dismissal, as real-estate that I could never afford. Now, a year later, I look at it with love and pride and all of the dreams of what it will be for Kyle and I.
Here's the beginning of our house story, back before we purchased, back before we placed an offer, back before we had even taken a tour of it. Here is 212's "once upon a time": The day that the house came into our lives was last June. I was out for a run on my long route, which cuts across town and loops down a couple of country dirt roads before circling back into civilization via an older neighbourhood with mature maples edging the sidewalk and red brick Victorian style houses with the deep porches and pretty white trim. Nearing the end of the run, I swiped to a slower song on my I-Pod and allowed myself to change to a more relaxed pace. In my cool downs, I sometimes do some ‘house watching.' House watching is kind of like people watching, but involves observing houses and imagining the lives of the people who inhabit them. There are always clues to help guide the imaginings, like a brand-new car in the driveway, or creepy gnome figurines in the gardens. As I was nearing the end of the street, I happened to glance over at one of the Victorians that had a "For Sale" sign posted on the lawn. It had the red brick exterior, the porch, white pillars, and a peaked roof. I admired it as I passed, but thought little more about it. From our brief search for a starter home over the last few months, Kyle and I had determined that any house with even a hint of charm would be out of our price range. That house was far too quaint. Later that night, Kyle and I scrolled through the house listings, which had become almost like a nightly ritual for us. I mentioned off-hand about the Victorian on Sunnidale and Kyle suggested looking it up to see its asking price, just for fun. He typed in the address in the search space and the pretty little house appeared on the screen. “We’d never be able to afford that,” I brushed it aside, as Kyle read the details. The price was lower than we’d expected, but I still didn’t think it was worth our time. A few days went by and Kyle called me on my way home from tutoring. He told me to come over to 212. Feeling reluctant about even entertaining the idea of the house, I kept a neutral mind and drove over to meet him. The real-estate agent was there with Kyle and his dad. We went through the house room by room, and I fought with my imagination, which went into Barbie Dream House auto-mode and started dressing each with furniture and paint and all of my belongings. While my run sparked the pursuit of 212, Kyle and his persistence and drive were what got us the house in the end. Thinking that the house was out of our reach and that it was unrealistic to even consider, I brushed that dream aside before it even had a chance to bloom in my mind. Kyle, on the other hand, saw the dream, wanted it, and went for it. I admire this in him, and am so grateful that he fought for and got our home.
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I am excited to announce that 212 is finally getting an exterior makeover. The first mini project was to spruce up the house numbers, which were tarnished and tired looking.
Tools Needed: -sand paper -black spray paint -gloves -cat optional :) After sanding down the number surfaces, I placed them on newspaper and gave them a generous spray. I did two coats and made sure to cover the screws too. This touch-up on the house seems like the tiniest tweak, but it makes a big difference when people approach the front door. I figure it's kind of like a good eyebrow job; you wouldn't think that a little tinting and shaping would do a lot, but it really does wonders for the face :). My next project for this week is the back tool shed and the side wood paneling on the porch. I am also looking for a new wreath or decoration to hang on the door. Any suggestions?! Oh-- and for those of you who cringe at the overgrown shrub beasts that are taking over the front garden, you will be happy to hear that those are coming down this week too! Welcome back everyone! I know that it has been a LONG time since my last post, and I apologize for my blog silence. My excuse is report card season and the general frenzy that comes with the end of the school year. Now that summer is officially here, I promise more regular posts and updates :). Before diving back into the thick of things, I should start with a quick update. Since my last post, we have made great progress on the first storey, and are working on the second floor. We know where our ductwork is going, we've looked at bathroom fixtures and decided that, while we loved the idea of the jacuzzi tub (and the fact that it was free!), such a large tub does not make sense in the limited space of our bathroom. Kyle wants to do concrete countertops in the kitchen, and I am going to make a head board from some of the salvaged wood from the house. The current topic of house discussion that we've been having is about designing the house for optimal resale value, or making it how we personally would like it right now. Specifically, we are looking at the room directly across from the master bedroom. Originally, the room had bright sunflower wallpaper and was presumably a young girl's bedroom. On purchasing the house, we decided that it would be a great room for Kyle to use as an office, where he can do his editing and store his camera gear. However, now we are wondering if it would be smarter if we made it into a bathroom. Then, the current bathroom, which is much smaller and located on the other side of the house, could become more space for the small spare bedroom beside it. Here are some pros and cons of both: I know that bigger bedrooms may be helpful down the road, but I also believe that we need to make our house functional and perfect for who we are now. It is so easy to always think ahead and predict what will make the most sense for our needs in the future, but I am honestly just wanting to fully enjoy the house and everything it will offer us, as the individuals we are at this moment. We don't have kids, so we have the luxury of time and space to indulge in our work and interests. That is what we should be doing, guilt free. When the time comes to sell, we can think about making the house more generically fitting, but in the meantime, I want to make it ours. What team are you on? "Team Give Kyle an Office," or "Team Bigger Bathroom"? |
About MeKyle and I just became new homeowners. The house we purchased is not what one would classify as "move in ready"; in fact, it is quite the opposite. Built at the turn of the 20th century, our Victorian style house is both beautiful and terrifying in its ancient status and will be a project in renovation. This is a documentation of our triumphs and lessons learned, as we deconstruct and reconstruct this house. The end result? A space that we can proudly say we created. Archives
December 2016
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