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.
Debbie says
WOW! Can’t wait to follow along :)
Jason says
Thanks as always for responding thoughtfully to your readers.
I’m venting in a way I guess to something that is None of my Beeswax – and as I said I know I’m not done yet, as you are, with my house. So I hate to mark myself by saying “oh I’d never.”
No you can’t make me stay tuned, but I’d be extra horrible if I acted like I wouldn’t. I’m sure I’ll do so under a mini- 1950s ranch protest of sorts….
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, love it. You never know, we might end up in another 50’s ranch…
xo,
s
Briel K. says
Wow, what a crazy morning surprise! I see a lot of people expected this to happen but I was definitely not in that frame of mind! haha I’m shocked but I’m also excited to see what you guys end up with and all the new projects that come with it! What an exciting time for you guys. Can’t wait to read about all the steps along the way!
I also love the time capsule idea that someone mentioned! :)
Ann says
Awesome! I can’t wait!!
Samantha says
I was a tad shocked when I read your announcement! But it makes sense and I’m very happy for the Petersik family. I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with and how you transform the next house. I just wish I lived in Richmond so that I could buy your house!
brieanne says
congratulations! if you ever need a young house reader (i would describe myself as ‘young [want a] house [to] love’) to, say, help with architectural side of things (house modeled in 3d? architectural drawings? renderings?) i’m your gal! architecture degree and 5 years of residential work under my belt =)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Brieanne,
Ooh that sounds like fun!
xo,
s
Molly says
I’m so excited for you two. A few of my coworkers read your blog as well and we were all chatty Kathys about the shock of seeing that for sale sign up! Just curious if you’d be willing to share the price you are listing your house for. Good luck with finding your other diamond in the rough.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Molly,
We plan to share some of those details when the sale of this house is complete (and after we purchase the new one). It all depends how that goes to see if we end up making or losing money- and we’ll share some of that info either way.
xo,
s
Colleen in MA says
Wow you guys!!! I’m so excited for you, and thank you for taking us along for the ride. This is gonna get wild.
And I LAUGHED at the writing on the boxes. Too funny!!
Betsy Baird says
Sounds like so much fun!
But I have to admit, since I live in a small 1953 ranch, there is a little selfish part of me that hopes your next house doesn’t have enormous sun filled windows, forever high ceilings, amazing architecture…. It has been so much fun to see another plain Jane ranch get “turned” beautiful. It’s been an inspiration. I’m feeling kind of… sniff sniff… left behind. ;-)
(But I’ll still be a big fan even if you DO get a cool, big windowed old house)
Susan says
To say I was surprised, would be an understatement. However, you must do what is best for your family. While I will miss this house, I will look forward to seeing what is in store with the new one. Good luck!
Alice says
I knew it! Burger must have snatched up every last bug in the yard and so you are moving to a new house with more bugs for Burger! Kidding.
I kinda wondered myself if perhaps you had or might run out of projects at the Casa P, so I am not surprised to hear about the news. Hmm, perhaps you need more room for a future sibling or two for Clara?
Carissa says
It’s days like this, when I feel not at all surprised and genuinely sad, that I think my YHL obsesssion has gotten to a dangerous level. :-) I should only feel this upset if a) I knew you in person or b) I lived in your house! :-)
Best of luck and can’t wait to read all about it!
Emily @ NewlyWife says
Excuse me while I pick up my jaw from the floor… You should check out California! It’s a great place to live.
Jody says
I am super excited for you guys! I love everything that you guys have done with your house, and it has inspired my husband and I to look at a house that does require some renos instead of one that is move-in ready (we are currently in the market to buy).
I know you guys probably have your own system for weighing th pros/cons, but what we have done, and seems to be working very well, is made a decision matrix. We broke everything that influences our buying decision down into wants/needs, and assigned a value weighting to each (including go-no-go criteria). For each house we look at, we evaluate them in a column on our matrix and can see how the total scores(how they rate on a scale of 1-10, multiplied by the weighting value, then adding up all the values to get the total score) for each house compare to each other. Its a way for us to help remember what properties we looked at, and why we did or did not like it. It’s really helped us be consistent and not let moods/staging affect our choice.
I’d love to hear about your house hunting/selling process, as well as how the actual buying of it is influenced by being self employed.
Congrats and best of luck!
Amy L. says
NO WAY!!!!!!! Is this an early April Fools joke?! Seriously, I’m super excited for you guys! What an awesome adventure, to do this all over again. Especially now that’s you’ve learned SO so much, you’re hardly just regular DIY-ers anymore, that just means that the new Casa P will be so much more AWESOME! It’s going to be bittersweet for us too, I think many of your regular readers have come to fall in love with your house, it’s going to be tough to say goodbye (sniffle sniffle). Where can we start shipping the empty cardboard boxes and packing tape?
jacqueline says
I’m SOOOO EXCITED to see the new projects in the new house once you get it!! I think you guys are moving on to newer and fresher things and it will be much better for everyone (including your readers!) Great decision :)
Anna says
Wow! Congratulations! How exciting … and kinda scary too! I’m never moving because I don’t think I could survive that again.
Happy (house) hunting!
meagan says
I’m really not liking how negative those two people are being about the decision to sell your home. I get that they are in a house like yours forever, and they felt connected to you because of that; but the blog details your life, and your life is changing, so you are doing what is best and adapting to that change. You are also doing what is best for your business now that the whole family counts on the income from the blog. I understand that those few people are feeling a little bit let down, but I don’t think that you pulled the wool over anyone’s eyes saying that you wanted to be in your forever, and now have made a different decision. Best of luck to you, and I’m looking forward to seeing how your decor tastes evolve when you tackle the new space!
Megan S. says
Good for you! How exciting to start all over! I would love to see you buy an OLDER (say 1900’s) home so I can get some ideas for my house! Now THAT would be a project!
Jennifer says
SO weird…Before I checked the site I was thinking “what if they moved? How cool would it be to buy their old house!” which wouldn’t work since we’re down in north Alabama.
I cant wait to see the start of another transformation!! I missed the beginning of the first one. Good Luck house hunting!!!
Krystle says
Are you really!? This house is the perfect little house EVER!! Good luck selling it! As much as I love reading about this house I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the new house! I wish I lived in the area, I’d totally buy it!
Alexandra says
You go girl! I am so proud of you for responding to those two negative comments with dignity! I’m starting to think your readers are more attached to your home than you are…
props for recognizing the change in needs and responding to them. I so look forward to seeing a transformation from day one since I found your site after you had settled in.
Jen says
Add me to the list of people who were surprised but your explanation does make sense. Good luck with the house hunting and I can’t wait to read more about your adventures!
Kelly says
I TOTALLY get it! We are the same way. We LOVE change. We just bought and completely gutted our home this year and are planning on moving in another couple of years because its just SO fun (and also hoping we’ll have more kids)! Everyone thinks we are crazy but his house has been great practice and learning SO much from pouring our own concrete countertops to choosing flooring and tiles to the decorating. Love it.
Just wanted to say congrats on the big decision. I’m one happy reader…excited to follow with you from the beginning of this new adventure. Happy hunting!
Erica says
How exciting! I think I am one of the few who is not surprised :). Perhaps it is because I share your same love of fixing up your home and decorating it to your tastes…and once everything is how you like it…it is time to start a new project. Good luck on this adventure! I cannot wait to see where you end up next!
Liz at Sunshine Sundays says
Hi Guys,
Congratulations on this oh so exciting news. I can hardly wait to see pictures of the “new” house and all the projects that go into it. I am a big fan of YHL and have been reading your blog for a while. I do not usually comment here however I had to after reading those negative comments that people made about your decision.
Why is it that your readers feel they can give you a hard time for such a personal decision? I have often marveled about how open the two of you are about all things personal sharing so many intimate details of your life however I don’t think that gives your readers a say in your personal business. But kudos to you for being so upbeat in your responses to some downright miserable comments today! I aspire that sort of positive attitude!
I admire your beautiful blog, your business sense and your design aesthetic. I recently on Sept. 12th started my own blog http://www.sunshinesundays.blogspot.com. Posts cover tips on style & design for the home and family. We are expecting baby no. 2 and have some great maternity posts coming up! Hope I can be just as classy as the two of you when comments get nasty.
Thanks,
Liz
Sarah says
Wow! This is big news! I kept waiting for the “just kidding” but I guess you guys are serious. I really hope you will leave up the house tour (along with a new one in your new home, of course) and can do a post about this new buying and selling process and maybe what projects ended up bringing in the most bang for their buck when it comes to increasing the value of an older home.
Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sarah,
Of course- all of our current before and after pics and archived content will stay! We’ll just add a new tab for photos of the new house. We’re dying to know what we’ll end up with!
xo,
s
Katherine says
Awww! It’s like sending a kid off to school for the first time — we all knew it was coming, the signs were there to see, but it’s still a little bittersweet. :)
I used to live in Bon Air and we bought a house near Courthouse/Lucks Lane recently. The schools are great, but you have to be picky about the neighborhood, as some are better than others. Have you checked out anything off Cherylann Rd? It’s an older, super cute community of brick ranchers and a lot of retirees or new families that bought the retirees’ homes. Best of luck with a buyer!
K
Fernanda says
I can’t wait!!! I’m crazy to see how you will transform your new home!!!
Katherine says
Me again, just wanted to add a postscript. The house we bought was actually a foreclosure in need of serious attention… and we have had a blast remodeling, and I swear I’ve done a thousand searches on your site to get tips before tackling a project. I’m excited to see what your remodels will look like with a few years of redesign experience under your belts!
Abby says
Am I the only regular who didn’t see this coming? I can’t believe everyone is saying they knew this was going to happen!
The two of you are amazing couple as well as “company” and you always make the right decision. I know this is the beginning of amazing new things to come. I will personally enjoy living in a house that is- at least for a month- in better shape than yours. Please post all of the ugly before pictures often to boost my morale :)
My husband and I started out in a 2 bed 1 bath house. We moved out when our son was 3 months old. It just didn’t suit our needs anymore. I understand how a growing family can press the issue!
I can’t wait to see the next house you buy and I know that your house will sell really fast!
jean says
The shock! I’m all the way in Nairobi, Kenya and when I read this I felt like it’s my best friend who is moving.All the best house hunting, lookin forward to new adventures.
luckyjayne says
Sherry,
You handled those two negative comments with quite a bit of class and grace. Nice job.
This is going to be so exciting for everyone!
Thank you for all of your hard work. Your readers definitely reap the rewards of your labors.
Good luck!
Rachel says
You know those houses they advertise on the last page of This Old House? You know “save this historic $40,000 house!”? You should buy one of those.
Dana @ House*Tweaking says
What a step! 2010 must be the year of change for the Petersiks…new baby, new full-time blogging job (for John)…and now…new house! So happy for you guys.
Do you plan on listing your home with a realtor or selling by owner? We took the plunge (and once you take it, you have to be committed) and sold our first home by owner in November 2007 when the market wasn’t great. We put every last unnecessary item in storage to empty out the house as much as possible, held Open Houses every Sat & Sun (complete with homemade brownies) and did all the advertising ourselves. We did a lot of research before hand and it paid off. We sold our home only 4 weeks after putting it on the market! And got $1000 less than the original asking price. Plus, we avoided all those realtor fees. We used all the money we made off the house (the selling price was way higher than what we actually owed on it) to put a hefty down payment on our 2nd home. It’s definitely worth considering…
Can’t wait to follow your new adventure!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Dana,
Thanks for the words of wisdom! We’re actually selling it by owner for now (but we’ll reevaluate things if it doesn’t sell for a while and our efforts don’t seem to be working). So far we have some interest though- fingers crossed!
xo,
s
Melissa says
Congrats! To be honest i’m not all that surprised. Even though you said you would love to stay in your house kids add on ALOT of stuff. Our house is a bit bigger than your ranch and I still feel smothered by toys at times with our one daughter. If we decided to have another kiddo we would really be out of space. We already have plans to put our house on the market but not because of a growing family (because my hubby is changing jobs that is going to take us likely in another city/out of state). Hopefully we both have luck selling our houses super fast.
Amy says
Congratulations! What exciting news, and I am so happy for you guys and this new adventure that awaits you. My husband and I just moved into a new house in August, and it still needs a lot of work (especially decorating), so I’m looking forward to reading about your new home projects and renovating/designing along with you!
Melissa S says
HAHA!! I KNEW IT!!!
The crazy thing is, I was just thinking about this the past few days. Like “wow, they’re not going to have any left to renovate soon, I bet they’ll need to move to really keep the blog humming”. And here you are!
So excited for you guys and to “start from scratch” with you on a new house! Yippy!!
jessica james says
How exciting! I echo everyone’s sentiments – although I would have loved to see you guys stick it out in your little house, sometimes you just can’t make it work and have to do what is best for you and your family.
One thought – do you think the person who purchases the house may be uncomfortable having so many pictures of it on a public site? I know that once homes are sold the virtual tours and pics are taken off listing sites to protect the buyer’s privacy. I don’t know that I’d necessarily want thousands of people to continue to view my house, it’s layout, it’s features, etc.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to still have access to all the archives, I’m just worried they’ll disappear as a caveat of the sale.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jessica,
Good question! Everything currently on the blog will remain on the blog! Sharing photos of a house that we made over (the befores and the afters) is totally our content, whether we own the house or not (it’s not like we’d be sharing pics of the new homeowner’s furniture and belongings). Plus we’ve always been very careful to mention that we have an alarm and to never share our address. So while MLS listings are removed (so the address isn’t available along with photos of what the current interior looks like) our address will never be made public so the privacy of the buyer (and ourselves) will always be guarded.
Ideally someone with an appreciation for our blog and what we do will buy our house so they’ll keep us posted on this casa forever. But even if someone who hates our blog buys our home we’ll definitely still have the rights to our before and after pics along with all the archived info about our house on the blog since those projects and tutorials and photos aren’t something that belong to the new buyer just because they’re purchasing the house. Hope that makes sense!
xo,
s
Danielle says
I just want to say first that I am so happy for you…I think it’s fantastic that you are going to take this place you have made into a home and bless another family with it…plus I can’t wait to see what your next place will be and what amazing things you will do to it…On a side note…I am disappointed in the few people that feel the need to judge or criticize you…I adore you for allowing us all the opportunity to enter your home and your world and let us learn wih you…as a single woman you inspire me to try things I would normally shy away from…I hope others can put aside their own fear of change and remember that at the end of the day…this is your family and your life…your home and your decision…and that we should feel lucky to be included in it…
Brigid says
Personally, I’m grateful that you have welcomed us into your home and allowed us to see how both your home and family have grown and progressed over the years. Unfortunately, it seems that some of us commenting have forgotten that fact and are passing judgement on something that is a very personal decision – one that you didn’t even need to tell us about! You’ve given us all a little more confidence to take on home projects and activities and teaching us what to do what makes us happy and works for our families… besides, it is a woman’s (or family’s) perogative to change her mind!
Also, I’m not sure if you have blueprints from your current house, but those are always neat items to take with you and frame at your next house…even side by side with the blueprints of the next house. Similar to the key shadowbox, just on a larger scale.
YoungHouseLove says
We actually have a framed illustration of our house’s lot (complete with a notation at the top that says “house is old” – thanks for the reminder! That will be so much more fun to display in our next house because it’ll be more of a memory and less like a this-is-the-lot-where-we-live-now thing. Love it!
xo,
s
Charlotte says
Sooooo excited for you guys! This is awesome news. I can’t wait for all the fabulous posts you’ll come up with in the new place.
As for areas in Richmond, I’m from there originally and actually moved to NYC. I’ve always loved the area between Cary St and Patterson Avenue near St. Christopher’s, the Country Club, and Three Chopt Road. Westhamption is one of the neighborhoods, I think. A lot of houses in that area can be really expensive, but I think there are also some older ones that could use some TLC and might be available for a bargain. Not 100% sure on where the county/school district lines fall though…
Lonely Wife Project says
My heart is broken just a litte, but congrats to you guys.
Angelica L. says
I can’t believe it!
I’m so excited for you guys, and I can’t wait for all the new adventures! Maybe I’ll have my first house by the time you have your second! Then I can follow you around for inspiration. Right, now I just kind of mentally gather it.
Good luck on the search and sale!
Lisa says
When I saw the picture, I seriously thought this was a joke or some creative play on words. I am in disbelief. I can’t beleive you are selling your home. Best of luck.
Kellie says
Very happy for you….. What an adventure! If I lived anywhere close to Richmond I would most certainly consider taking over your casa.
I love what ya’ll have done with your home . I am currently in the process of making my house a home that reflects both my new husband and I….. It is truly an amazing experience and I have gained so much inspiration from your blog!
Beth says
I was reading through the archives on here the other day and you said, “This is our forever home — we’ll always make it work.” And I thought — there’s no way! They’ll want to tackle new projects, for sure! And here you are. Enjoy the new adventure!
Among. Naga says
I must be the dumbest person around :( I DID NOT see this coming! In fact when you guys finished remodeling the roof I thought “Now John and Sherry can have some peace” sigh…I think am a little sad right now but excited as well for all the lovely things that coming up our way. All the best. I love you guys :)
Maky says
Wow, you guys, I’m so excited for you!!! Though I’ll be honest and say that I almost (just almost) shed a tear at the thought of not seeing your lovely place again, being changed and changed and changed yet again…
Still, the memories remain and I can’t wait to see what you’ve got up your sleeves for the new place!!! :-)
Katie says
Big news! Even though I (mostly) love our house, I am kind of wising we lived in Richmond so I could buy yours! I hear the market is getting better by the day, so hopefully your place will sell and you’ll still get a great deal on a new casa Petersik. Good luck! (P.S. I can’t wait to follow your journey with a whole new house! Love to see the work y’all do.)