And now for some news that falls in the “big” category: we’re in the market for a new Casa Petersik.
That’s right, after tons of thoughtful deliberation we’ve decided that it’s time to sell our current home after four and a half amazing years spent here. Why? Because we love a project and we’re can’t-sleep-excited about the prospect of taking on a new home makeover and sharing every moment with you guys. We know it’s a sickness, but we actually crave remodeling and painting projects, so instead of feeling overwhelmed at the idea of starting all over again we’re actually pretty psyched about it.
Of course it’s bittersweet to leave the place that we love so fiercely, but as John put it best “we’ve enjoyed transforming an old dated house way too much to stop at just one.” And there are definitely some old houses out there that could use some love. At first I was in denial, making statements like “I’m never leaving- this is our forever house!” but John knows me too well. One day I just woke up (a few months ago) and was like “maybe we should look around at some open houses, you know… just for fun.” That sentiment soon turned into “oh my gosh, if we got a new place we could do this… and that…” and my mind nearly short circuited from all the possibilities. It was like someone turned on a light or opened a door and I suddenly couldn’t wait to explore.
So we mulled it over for a while to be certain it was what we both wanted (there’s no sense in being rash about matters of the heart like leaving your first love, er, house). We also discussed the idea with both of our parents (who are all so wise beyond their 35 years, har har) and they were amazingly supportive and excited for us.
So it’s official. We’re about to put our house on the market and we’re actively looking at other homes for sale. For any interested locals (wanna buy our house?) we figured we’d share the news here before it hits MLS. So feel free to email us if you’re seriously interested and ready to move (we’re in Bon Air which has awesome schools and charm to spare, and well, you can essentially take a virtual house tour here).
As for where we’re going, we’re planning to stay in the Richmond area, and we’re definitely in the market for another older dated home that could use our help. So we’d welcome suggestions for areas with great schools and charming older neighborhoods beyond our beloved Bon Air (which we’re definitely still considering, but not limiting ourselves to).
Oh and it’s probably fairly obvious that this won’t happen overnight. Finding a house to love as hard as we’ve loved this one definitely isn’t something we expect to do in a day (plus the act of selling our current house could easily take a few months or even longer). But we’re already actively on the hunt, and we plan to keep you posted about all the projects that we’re tackling to get our house in prime selling condition. We’ll also take you guys along on our journey when it comes to touring other houses, considering other areas, and figuring out exactly what we’re looking for (and what we’re not) before signing on that dotted line and grabbing the keys to our new casa. Of course with the holidays coming up we’ll still be taking on a lot of seasonal decorating projects along with whipping up gift guides, and serving up the regular blog fare like mood boards, House Crashings, Reader Redesigns, and more. Can’t wait.
Katie @ Katie Beth Interiors says
Well although I just started following you guys a couple of months ago, I am very excited to see where this new adventure takes you guys….especially because it will mean we get to see and read all the new design fun!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks to everyone for the excitement and the kind words! We were so excited to spill the beans about our big decision and you guys blew us away with all the amazing responses. Love you all!
xo,
s (& j)
Sara says
This is such great news! Definitely bittersweet because you 2 have really made this house a HOME! But I think it will be a great adventure and will put your skills to good use!
I can’t wait to see all your future projects and get even more inspiration!
Congrats to the 4 of you :)
erica says
You made some forever memories in that house for sure! But I’m a firm believer that no THING is forever:) So enjoy, have fun on your next adventure and cheers to more forever memories!!! Congrats!
Mel says
I am sure you can sell it–my friends in Westover Hills sold their much smaller, but equally updated and cute house in ONE DAY. There is definitely a market in Richmond, especially for ones that don’t need a lot of work–I’m sure you’ve seen all the fug that is currently on RVA’s MLS. It’s like they don’t even try.
I hope you buy a beauty on northside somewhere! I would love to see you redo one of the little cape cods in Bryan Park or one of the craftsmans in Bellevue.
TJ says
Oh I’m so sorry! That would have been amazing… I am sure it will happen though or something even better… Karma is a wonderful thing and you guys should have loads of the good type cause you are so darn nice!
christa says
I frigging KNEW IT!!!! I knew this wouldn’t…just…just COULDN’T be your forever home. Even I, not nearly as ambitious or as epic of a renovator as you both, could settle with re-doing just one home…
AHHHHH! Congratulations! I feel like I’m celebrating with old friends! How exciting!
So glad I found your blog…I’d say two plus years ago since this isn’t my first blogiversary….
So happy to be included in celebrating your victories…and would even be honored to be included in comforting you in non-victories. Very uplifting! I hope you two get as much outta the blog as your readers do.
Jenny G. says
I think that this is GREAT!!!
It seems like you’ve thought this out well, and I think it will do wonders for your blog. I won’t lie, my favorite posts of yours were from earlier in your house-loving process. Like several others said, it has seemed lately that you’re running out of stuff to blog about. Having a clean slate will be fabulous!
I can’t wait to see what casa #2 is (my vote is for a farmhouse, awesome!)!
Carley says
We’ve been where you are with the exception of buying a home after living in a rented townhouse. After we had our first baby, who is just over a year, we just found that the current layout wasn’t working for us. We were renting at the time b/c we really didn’t know what we were looking for or where. We are so glad that we bought a house that worked for our family! Plus, we get to involve our son in the fun of remodeling! Well, kind of. ;)
Good luck to you and thank you for sharing with all of us your ideas and talent. I can’t wait to see what’s to come!
Jacqueline says
Woah, wasn’t expecting THAT! Congrats and best wishes!
Natasha says
Good Luck!
Sparrow says
Ahh I wish you guys were selling when we were looking!!! You seem like you would be the perfect sellers. Sending good vibes your way – cannot WAIT to see what you guys have up your sleeves. :-)
Molly says
Like others said, totally not surprised! I’m sure with your notoriety you all will have offers flowing in. Are you thinking of selling your house furnished? (Minus the ceramic animals, of course.) Looking forward to seeing your house hunting trips and how you tackle future projects.
Another nosy question, if your living space was too great and your bedroom space too small, did you ever consider making your den the office and turning your formal living room into your family room? I ask because we have a formal living room which is lovely, but never used! I wonder if we will keep it as a formal LR down the road when kids join the fray or turn it into a more functional play room. (My grandmother is rolling over in her grave at the mere suggestion!)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Molly,
We thought about a bunch of potential layouts but decided the best solution would be to keep doing what we love on another casa. As for selling with all of our furniture, there are definitely things that we’ll be leaving behind, but we have other pieces that we’re really attached to that will come with us. More to come on that (and other) subjects soon!
xo,
s
jo says
Yay! I can’t wait to see the how you transform the next house! You’ve done such an amazing job with this one, I know great things are coming. And … I can’t wait to follow the house shopping.
Kyley says
my fingers are crossed for an old barn turned home. I’d be sooooo jealous! :)
Kate says
Wow! What exciting news! We sold our first home last summer in an amazing 10 days…did not expect that, and were not quite emotionally ready for it! We brought our little girl home to that house, finished the basement with our own 4 hands, painted every square inch of the place, installed a huge stone patio, landscaped the entire yard, installed wood floors…in the end though, we realized that we were taking all of the important things with us. We weren’t tossing the memories with the house…Maren and Bo (the dog) came along, and we’re making wonderful new memories in our current house. We’ve also got plenty of new projects to keep us busy for a while! Enjoy the process…can’t wait to see what’s to come!
Sarah says
EEEK! I’m so excited for you guys!! I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with for your new house. My hubs and I also work from home and I always love reading posts about office organization/deco. Being at home all the time takes some getting used to! Anywho, keep up the great work!
Laura says
I am so excited for you guys! How exciting to start a new adventure, and I can’t wait to follow along in the process with you.
I am in awe of you two, how perfectly things come together for you, and how you manage to figure things out. I can’t wait to see what’s to come!
Catherine says
How exciting! I can’t wait to see all your new projects! Fingers crossed that you come to Carytown so we can be neighbors! (Maybe not the perfect location in terms of schools, but you’ve got a few years to figure that out…)
suzanne says
You two (and family) will do well where ever you go! What an exciting time and we all look forward to seeing all of your new adventures and projects! It’s funny because the other day (maybe it was yesterday) I was reading your post and someone asked you about moving to another place now that your house was almost finished and you said something like ” We’re go with the flow kind of people so we’ll just have to see how it goes in the future” At that moment, like a foreshadowing lightbulb going on, I thought ” Oh my gosh, they’re going to sell their house” Not that you’re not go with the flow types, but since I’ve been following your blog- for over a year now- I have learned that you two like to PLAN! I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us all next!
Good Luck!!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s true! We were dying to tell people, especially those who were asking in the past week, but you know what happens to planners like us. We like to stick to the plan! And since John thought it would be a fun revelation in honor of our blogiversary week, we found ourselves awkwardly hemming and hawing until the post went up this morning. Let’s just say that it feels amazing to have it out in the open. Especially since everyone is saying such sweet and excited things about our news!
xo,
s
tanyad says
Like most others, I’m a little sad for you to be leaving your beautiful house behind but also SUPER excited to see what you end up with this time. Good luck with it all!
Oh and just about your big news that fell through,if it is the show I think you’re talking about it sounded like that particular show was a big bust if the other blogs I read are anything to go by. But I’m hoping that it is more the producer’s fault than the host’s…coz we love the host!
Congrats on your news again guys! Love your work!
Ashley says
VERY exciting news!….but is it weird that I’m also sad about the news?! Ha.
Can’t wait to watch you two work your magic on the next house in need of love.
Good luck with the sale!!
Ash
katie.kiNdess says
1st= shock
2nd= feeling selfish..because i am sooo excited for you to have a whole neW canvas to share with me!!
Weird question, but will you be selling the house with some of the decor or furniture to go with?
I seem to buy for the room at the time.. not for future rooms. I love my house but would not use the same color palette if i moved again. I enjoy change.
Agree? Disagree?
or am i no longer considered a frugal self-proclaimed decorator? :)
YoungHouseLove says
Some stuff will come with and some stuff will stay. And we’ll definitely bring new pieces, colors and materials into the new house mix. On the other hand, we definitely have that whole light and airy and natural aesthetic that we love, so that will probably stick around in Casa II, just with a new spin to keep things interesting. Can’t wait!
xo,
s
kita says
I WANT TO PURCHASE YOUR CURRENT HOME! :P -jaykay-
-Kita
Jen says
Smart decision, guys! Best of luck to you!
Mrs T says
How exciting! It will be so hard to leave your current home I’d imagine. I am terrible of letting go!
Best of luck on the hunt. Looking forward to hearing all about it.
Oh, and if I wasn’t all the way in Australia – I would KILL for your house. I bet it gets snapped up right away!
Virginia says
A play by play of my reactions:
” Wait, What? NO! It’s can’t be?! …but that house is so perfect now…wait, new projects! Yay! This will be spectacular!”
Congratulations!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah, that’s exactly how I warmed up to the idea.
I was like:
“No! I love it here. I’ll die here. You’ll have to pry this house out of my cold dead hands. Wait. More projects? More function and a better environment for my family? Done. I’m in. Let’s do this crazy thing!”
xo,
s
Katie says
Will you be doing a blogiversary video this year? I really LOVE your videos, and hearing your answers to all of our questions. Your past videos have cracked me up!
Fantastic news on the move – I am so excited to see what you will do with your new (well, old?) house. I am sure you will have a million more ideas and inspirational posts in the future.
Keep up the amazing work guys. You are part of my daily routine, and you make me smile every morning when I check in on the newest posts.
Sending lots of love from all the way over here in little ol’ New Zealand!
Katie
xx
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katie,
You’re so sweet to actually request a video! We always toss those together and figure nobody watches them anyway, haha. Tomorrow we’ll be answering a ton of random q & a’s in a post instead of on video, but we did whip up a video for next week so stay tuned for that!
xo,
s
Paula M. says
Wow! I must say I’m amazed! I figured that was your forever house. Or at least long-time house.
And you’re brave to sell in this economy. Or maybe you were smart and bought at a low price and now that you’ve fixed it up so much, you’ll sell at a price you like. I know I’ll be in my condo (East Bay, outside San Francisco) for quite a while, waiting for the market to recover.
In any case, prospective buyers sure have tons of photos to look at :) — and we know you’ll have fun making over a new place and inspiring us with a whole new raft of photos! :)
Mariah says
Oooh this is exciting news!! I discovered your blog a few weeks ago and now look forward to checking it every day. As a newlywed (my husband and I have been married for 9 months) and the owners of a 1963 Levitt and Sons cape cod in Maryland that we bought from the original owner, there is so much I have learned from your experience, and ideas that we plan to implement in our own home. Our house, like yours, has great bones and loads of natural charm, but had some dated 80’s ‘upgrades’ when we bought it. We undid most of those and are in the process of taking it back to a an ‘improved original state’. Absolutely can’t wait to see you guys go on the house hunt and tackle a ‘new’ old place and transform it into something wonderful. Good luck and happy hunting!
mribaro says
At first I was shocked. Then, having slept over it, I feel so invigorated by your decision.
Knowing that there are so many people who are (like me) totally hooked to your site and style, and are drooling over anything you did in your house, I bet there might be several readers (with enough money) who would bid for your house. It would be like an auction – the house goes to the highest bidder. There might be people who would want your house not only because it’s so nicely done, but because the two of you (sorry, the FOUR of you) are already like celebrities.
Also, I wanted to add, I totally understand your need to always renovate something. I’m a total ugly-before-beautifuly-improved-after addict, and I was raised in a family where constant DIY improvements were not only necessary, because we didn’t have much money, but it was also a way of bonding between my parents. Therefore I cherish that my hubby is (like me) a handy one. We now live in a relatively new apartment (10 years old), and most of the furniture is new, and although I love our place, and would love to stay here for a long, long time, I still must admit that I got a bigger kick from living in old, uglyish places, because they would constantly run my mind on how to improve and beautify them, and doing improvements had this huge DIFFERENCE between before and after. In this new place, there’s not much contrast between before and after, if you know what I mean.
All my love to you and I’ll be enjoying reading about the new adventure as much as I was reading ALL of your pages so far.
Misty says
Im confused! I saw a post one time about friending you guys on FB for updates, etc. So, I friended both of you, but cannot see any wall postings at all? Your profiles dont even have a “wall” tab on my screen??
:-( Im feeling left out…
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Misty,
Maybe you friended our personal accounts on Facebook (which have limited info on them)? If you “like” our Young House Love facebook page, that’s where all the action is. Here’s that link! http://www.facebook.com/YoungHouseLove
xo,
s
Nicole says
Wow! What a surprise. Good luck on the sale and can’t wait to see your next project!
tarynkay says
I really admire the grace with which you respond to comments, even negative ones! This is not a negative comment, and I am really excited to see what you do with the next house. And I’m sorry to add another question to the 7 million you’ve already received on this- but I was just wondering, had you known when you bought the house that you would only live there for a few years, is there anything you would have done differently in terms of renovations? For instance, would you have gone with a less expensive kitchen remodel, or not widened the doorways or anything like that? Will this effect the way you do the next remodel, now that you know that you may well want to move on once you “finish” a house? I apologize if you’ve already answered this!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Tarynkay,
Great question! We honestly don’t think we would have done a thing differently, because our house is worth more (even in this bum economy) thanks to our changes. Plus we got to live here and enjoy them while having a ton of fun adventures along the way (and learning lots about home improvement in general). Even if we ended up losing a bit of money on this house we still think we would do it all again in exactly the same way since those choices just felt better than choosing “shortcuts” and making other compromises in quality as we went. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
beth says
i love it – after restoring one old farmhouse and doing some work on a second – the thrill of renovating always has my heart pumping. of course, you realize (as with another post this week about working with Clara) it will be different this time!! best!
Indira.S says
Hi Sherry and John,
I havent commented before though i had been a 2 to 3 month visitor to your blog. I love your blog and all the wonderful things you do.
But this post really made me sad(shocked rather ?!!!!)… what they are leaving the house ?, because after seeing all the makeovers you have done to your house, it has now become like my friends place.It is like a place I know very well and so sad that i wont be able to see it any more.
Anyways all the best for your new home hunting and hence expecting new makeovers, DIY stuff and projects for us to see.
You guys rock !!!!
Love
Indira.
Wesley says
What exciting news! I am so excited for you guys, house hunting sounds like it will be so much fun, and how great to have a brand new canvas to get creative with! Can’t wait to see what new things you teach us with your next house.
Don’t listen to any negative comments, of course as you grow as a family and as a blog you want a new living and working space. And how great for us readers that we get to follow a whole new blog chapter. Yay!
Tina says
Hey! I just sold my house in less than 3 weeks & I’m doing a series on how I did it, if you want to check it out: http://www.detailgalblog.com/2010/09/how-i-sold-my-house-in-3-wks-so-you-can.html
Excited to see what you do with the next place.
Maggie says
Hey guys! i have a question! How far do you live from the rest of your family and close friends? My husband and I are looking into making a big move…from Northern Virginia to Jersey Shore (not like the tv show!) He grew up there and has a potential job offer, Its not a dream job but its the start with good pay and the cost of living is cheaper there and its beautiful! We basically just want to move by the beach now while we have nothing holding us down (i hate my job here, no morgage, no kids) I have never been away from my parents and rest of my family and close friends so im really scared to move 5 hours away. Any advice or help would be great!!
Thanks guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Maggie,
Nearly all of my family lives in NY and NJ, so I’m actually quite far from home! I love the where we live though, and since we love a road trip we make it up to see family a few times a year and they make their way down here pretty often as well. It’s definitely a set up that works for me. John’s family is spread out a bit more (some in California, some in DC, some right here in Richmond, and some in NY) so we see the DC and Richmond part of his family all the time and the rest of his relatives a bit less frequently if they live in NY and CA. Thanks to Skype and emailing and even sending along the occasional Clara video it really doesn’t feel that bad though!
xo,
s
YouCanCallMePeaches says
I’m sad to see you guys leave but I’m SO excited about the prospect of reading about an entire new house full of projects.
Best of luck house searching! And I swear I would buy your house in a heart beat if my purse strings allowed.
wanderluster says
I’m packed and ready to follow you on your next adventure!
Do you think you guys will be looking at the same type of house (ranch style, brick)? Or are you going to change it up… maybe a two-story? More bedrooms? More bathrooms?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Wanderluster,
We’re open to everything and anything as long as it’s old, in need of some serious love, and not too big!
xo,
s
heather j. says
I can’t believe the haters out there…you guys are troopers for answering so many of those comments!
Sian says
I was wondering when this might happen as there is only so much remodelling one can do before seeking out a new challenge! Very exciting news.
One question – PLEASE tell me you’re going to keep a page on your site for all those gorgeous images of Casa 1???
YoungHouseLove says
Of course! Nothing will leave the site, we’ll only be adding a new tab for the new casa!
xo,
s
richard says
How did I miss this post?! Congrats on your monumental decision, Youngsters!
You mentioned in a comment about the “to-do” list being almost finished. What is left on it? Are these things you’ll still do, or projects to save for the next place?
It has been such a joy sharing your journey to date with you both. Can’t wait for the new chapter!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Richard,
Yes! Some of the things on our to-do list will still be done to get this baby sold. And some other projects that we’ve always wanted to tackle will finally be possible in our next house (since this one didn’t lend itself to all the crazy ideas that we had bouncing around in our heads). Should be fun!
xo,
s
shanna says
Oh my gosh! What amazing news! This is so exciting. I’m also going through the house selling process myself, so I can’t wait to see your tips. It’s a tough market, of course, but there’s a house for every buyer and a buyer for every house. Cheers!
As for these few negative comments, I’m sorry to see them. Frankly it is no one’s business. And buying a new home with tons more projects and opportunities can only benefit your blog here. Your lovely little Casa is about maxed out in terms of what you guys can do there. I can see why you would crave a new space with new challenges.
And most of all … your home will be wherever you go! I look forward to sharing your new adventures with you. Thanks for including us, your readers, on the ride.
:)
Lori says
Congrats! I loooove looking at new/old houses. Good luck with your search!
Jenny says
How exciting! What BIG news! I wondered if it might be coming soon…
Thanks for taking us along on the adventure! Love you blog!
Shunta says
I am pretty much beyond excited about this!!! I had so much fun looking at houses at the beginning of the year when we were house hunting and now I get to watch you guys go through that fun!! So happy you all share your funnings with us!
Jessica says
I can’t wait for the new adventure!! I’m so excited for you guys! My vote is for Westover Hills! There is a charter school that is up and coming not far away, and also 2 excellent elementary schools–Fox, and Munford. Any one of these choices are great! This neighborhood has your names written all over it!!
Josh G. says
Congrats you guys….. Good luck!
NewlyLS says
Congratulations! I am new to your blog but loved it immediately and looking foward to following your new adventure. My best friend lives near Short Pump in a great old house (I’ve never seen so much wallpaper before!) – you have wonderful options in the area. Best of luck with your search!