I like old homes. I like old dogs. I like old stuff. Remember the old principal’s bench I have in our living room? Or the old window I turned into a memo board? Or the typewriter that my mother- and father-in-law were nice enough to give me?
So it may not come as a surprise that when we had a chance to buy an old house – one with character and exposed brick and chunky molding and stained glass – Dear Husband and I couldn’t pass it up.
I am in love. I actually swooned.
Let me answer some burning questions I’m guessing you have:
No, there is nothing wrong with our current house. In fact, we love our current house. It has served us well and we have meticulously and lovingly taken care of it over these last 11 years. We have awesome neighbors, an excellent elementary school right up the road, good friends nearby, big rooms, a big yard, and the BEST. PANTRY. EVER.
So now we hope that someone else will love the gambrel roof and mature trees and big yard and beautiful kitchen and huge pantry and take good care of it for many years to come.
I thought you said you were never moving again?
Many of my friends will recall that I did, in fact, say this. Several times. With emphasis. That said, we knew that this house – this charming 1929 Craftsman bungalow – was the right house for us now. Why?
First of all, it is in the City of Decatur. We have always loved Decatur, and felt like wanna-be residents in our old house, where we lived just outside the city limits. We love the charm and small-town feel of this area, and have often talked about moving here. We just felt, for a while, that it didn’t make sense or was out of our budget. Then we found this home (within our budget – yay!) and fell in love.
And moving now makes sense in terms of our kids, too. One of our kids will be starting 4th grade, and there’s a separate school for 4th and 5th grades in Decatur. So, yes, he’ll be new – but so will everyone else. That makes it a bit easier of a transition for a kid not fond of change.
Our daughter will be starting second grade this year. Her two best friends just moved away. One, whom she has known since they were three years old, moved out of state; the other, about 20 minutes away and to another school. Given that she’s going to be missing them and making new friends anyway, she can do that at a new school, too. Also, she’s very confident and independent and I don’t worry about her transitioning quite as much as our son.
All in all, it was just right. The house feels right. The neighborhood is beautiful and is right for us. The schools are right. The yard is right. The big honkin’ back porch from which I will write most of my blog posts in the future is so, so right.
Swoon.
As for the blog, this move brings all kinds of interesting topics about which to post. Moving, inspections, packing, getting organized…all without losing one’s mind (I have not achieved this yet. Still working on it.) And, after we move, I will be posting about all the decorating, organizing, and repairing we do to the new-to-us house as we make it our home.
In the meantime, if you know anyone in Atlanta or moving to Atlanta who wants to buy an awesome home that has been well-loved and cared-for for the last 11 years; near an elementary school that is being rebuilt so that its outside will be as amazing and beautiful as its amazing and beautiful people inside; with lovely, friendly neighbors; near Emory, CDC, the VA, and Decatur; with 4 big bedrooms and 3 full baths and a huge finished basement and a recently remodeled kitchen (and did I mention the BEST. PANTRY. EVER?), please let me know. It’s a beautiful house and I hope someone who will love it as much as we do buys it.
Stay tuned! Exciting things are in the works. Next? How I try not to freak out when my whole house is painted beige.
A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.
That is so exciting, my friend! Wow. I’m stunned! Somewhere in my heart of hearts I think I would like to undertake a new move but then the 23 years of memories in our home take over and sanity reigns again! It looks amazing!
LOL, Marty! We thought we’d stay here forever, but then this house was just perfect for us and we decided that it was a good time to make a move. I can’t wait to move in and decorate and organize and make new memories! xoxo
congrats on the new home purchase and best of luck with the move. it was so nice to catch up with you at Haven.
Thanks, Laura! It was great hanging out with you at Haven! Please come visit us when we move in!!
Wow!!! Congrats! I’m so excited for you and your family. We toy with the idea of moving every now and again but I’m just not ready to pull the trigger… and now I can live vicariously through you my friend!
Thanks, Holly! We anticipated this whole process taking up to two years. But we found a home we loved and knew was perfect for us. It’s a hard thing to leave one house you love for another house, but it’ll be so worth it. Thank you! xoxo, friend!
Yay! I’m so happy for you guys! I’ll send positive vibes that you will have a quick sale. Too bad I don’t live in GA. Your house is a definite winner!
Thanks, Elisha! I think you should move to GA, move into our house, and then we could hang out all the time! Just think what trouble we could get into! Thanks for the positive vibes and sweet comment. xoxo friend!
Congratulations!
Thanks, Sara! Come over and hang with us!
I know exactly what you mean with seeing the house painted beige! Our wonderful bright green in the kitchen, the deep red front hall and library, the glossy dark green lavatory….all were painted a neutral in order to sell our old house. Almost killed me! But then again, I got to totally redo this house and that was even more fun! Good luck and take it one step at a time…..
Thanks, Libby! Such good advice. It can be so overwhelming – so much to do, the house looking not like my house anymore, all that. But you are right – in the end, you have to take it one step at a time. Thanks, friend!
Karen . . . it doesn’t all have to be Beige. Leave a little (quite a bit) of interest. I used to sell, and now I’m a stager/stylist. At one time “they” thought everything should be taken out of the house, and then painted ALL WHITE. That didn’t work and neither will ALL BEIGE. At least go with a bit of monochromatic here and there, to play with the light in various rooms.
If you HAVE to paint all beige . . . take plenty of nice shots of your home as it is now, and LEAVE AN ALBUM available for open houses and showing appointments. Of course, declutter and pack, but don’t strip the home completely. Texture and warmth are very appealing for buyers.
How exciting. Best of luck. Can’t wait to see the next steps!
It’s not all beige (SW “Accessible Beige,” to be exact), but the main living spaces are. It’s fine – the kids rooms are the same and the master bedroom is the same and that gives it some character. There is plenty of texture and warmth, too. Thank you!!
Greetings! Very useful advice within this article! It is
the little changes that make the biggest changes. Many thanks for sharing!
Thanks!
Karen,
I feel like I have met a Kindred Spirit. I live in an older home that we have loved for 28 in my home town in IL. I met you through #hometalkeveryday & #pageofthedaysharefest. As I speak my Prince Charming and Father a placing a 1959 Boat in my MI. home. I am enchanted by your blog and will be following.
A new friend,
Karen Marie
Dragonfly & Lily Pads
Thanks, Karen! That’s awesome! I’m glad we found each other’s blogs!