We love being able to look back at the empty photos of our first house, because while they’re definitely bittersweet, it’s so much fun to reminisce. They’re a great reminder that a house is only a house, and it’s the moments that you’ve shared with the people (and the chihuahuas) that you love that really make it a home. So we wasted no time snapping empty photos of our second house. And although I thought “without furniture all these rooms will pretty much look the same” the funny thing is that none of them do. So it’s nice to know that we left our mark on this sweet home of ours.
Here’s the dining room/office before:
And here’s the empty after.
Here’s the office all empty (wish I had a before picture from this angle).
Here’s the frame hallway all cleared out.
And we can’t forget what the kitchen looked like when we moved in.
A lot has changed in there for sure.
Here’s a before photo from the other side:
And a clean and empty after.
Here’s the laundry room before:
And the room as we left it.
A lot of people asked us what we sold with the house, so the short answer is “all the stuff you see in these pics.” Apparently it differs greatly by region, but in our area it’s typical for anything that’s “attached” (light fixtures, curtains, blinds, open shelving, bathroom mirrors) to stay with the house unless it’s otherwise outlined in your listing/contract from the start (for example, we indicated that we wanted to take the curtains in the playroom, guest room, and dining room with us in our flyer but everything else stays). We didn’t want to strip this house and leave it with a bunch of boob lights and naked windows, and every home has a different layout/number of windows anyway (so I’m sure if we took our blinds they wouldn’t fit our new windows anyway).
Even the light fixtures might not work as well since they were selected for the rooms/spaces in this house. For example, our new house’s laundry area doesn’t have an overhead light – so we’d much rather know that our clothespin chandelier lives on in this house’s laundry room. In our area it’s also typical for houses sold as “turn-key” or “move in ready” to come with all of the appliances. A fridge from one kitchen might not even fit into the nook in the next kitchen, so we don’t mind leaving them – especially because we love buying “fixer uppers” instead of “turn-key” homes for a lot less money (which means we can afford to upgrade the appliances there).
Anyway, back to the before and afters. Here’s the living room as it looked when we moved in.
And here’s how it looked when we left.
Here’s the sunroom before.
And the sunroom after.
Our bedroom changed a lot too. Wish I had a before photo from this angle.
We do have this before shot of the sink nook…
I wish we had a shot of the hallway as it looked on move-in day, but at least we snapped an after to remember it by.
Here’s Clara’s room as it looked when we got here.
And here it is as we left it (Clara came with us though).
And of course the guest room looked a little different…
… after the dark teal paint (and crown molding) came into play.
Our biggest regret was not refinishing all of that old orange oak and faded brown parquet in the same rich mocha color as the cork floors in the kitchen. Oh man, that would be delicious. I’d bet money that the new owners will do that… (fingers crossed for a house crash someday!).
Oh and here’s a closer shot of the frame hallway. Look ma, no holes.
All hail spackle, king of DIY!
We’re going to miss this house of ours. But we’ll never forget all of the amazing things that happened here (three Christmases, all three of Clara’s birthday parties, writing and shooting our entire book, watching Clara crawl and walk for the first time). Lots of memories to take with us for sure. Now somebody get me a tissue.
Psst- We have a pretty funny picture comparison on Young House Life today too. Holy cow, time flies.
Christine Somers says
You took a lot of great before and after pictures; I have the after…it is only later that I go oops and remember the before. The work you did on the house looks lovely.
Whitney says
Waaah, I need a box of tissues and I didn’t even live there- or maybe I am just sad because I am not the new person moving in! The place looks spotless, I hope the house we move into is spotless too- although it won’t be as nice as this! In our contract we had to say that appliances stayed, otherwise I guess she would have taken them (like she is taking the generator.) Strange how it differs area to area! I am one of those weird people where I wish they could take the toilet and shower- I am so weird about used bathrooms and I am not even a germaphobe normally!
Keri says
Wow! I sometimes feel like our house has changed a lot in the three years we’ve lived here, but painting every wall and cabinet, adding built-ins and new carpet is nothing compared to all that you did. Can’t wait to watch you transform the new place!
Doren says
Why it is soooooo hard too see these empty rooms, why?! And how’s the organizing party at the new place?! xo
YoungHouseLove says
It’s going good! We can’t wait to share “one week in” photos soon!
xo
s
Meg says
Hey guys,
I know you’ve mentioned a couple of times why you didn’t take the curtains from Clara’s nursery but you did from her ‘big girl room’.
But I was just wondering why you chose to also take the curtains from the guest room and the dining room? Any reason why those ones specifically but not the others?
x
YoungHouseLove says
They were just our favorites, so we thought taking just those and leaving the rest wouldn’t strip the house too much, but would helped us keep the ones we loved most of all.
xo
s
Jen @ Fresh Crush says
I’m crazy for the teal-blue paint in the guest room!! Any plans to repeat any of your favourites in the new digs?
YoungHouseLove says
We definitely learned that we love dark wall colors just as much as light ones thanks to that color, so you never know if it’ll pop up again! I think we’d have to find a room that we thought was great for it and then hold up swatches of other options and if it’s still our favorite option we’d go for it! It’s funny how things seem to evolve though, so you never know where we’ll end up!
xo
s
Bettina Deda says
Hi, just found your blog. Good luck with the house. I have written an DIY guide for homeowners to avoid waisting time and money because you don’t have a strategic plan for your renovation. What my ebook does is quickly develop a plan for you through a range of printout worksheets, checklists and practical tips so that you are very clear what you have spent, what to buy and when to buy it whilst renovating. Check it out here: http://www.bdcolourdesign.net.au/new-diy-interior-decorating-ebook/
Kasey Befeler says
I love the picture from your kitchen looking into the room with your fireplace. What a dramatic difference in that shot! In every shot, for sure, but that one struck me.
Sara says
Ceiling fan inquiry! I noticed that most of the ceiling fans disappeared for more chic lighting-how do you guys decide when to rip them down versus keep–I think we have a running total of 4 in our house right now!
I loved seeing the before/after pics-you are amazing!
Sara
YoungHouseLove says
We live with them for a while and see which ones we use. Turns out our guests loved having one in the guest room and we used the one in the sunroom, but we never turned on the ones in the living room since we could crack sliding doors for a cross breeze, so we did that instead. Then after a while of not using them we decided to nix them since they felt a little heavier, and eventually got recessed lights in their place, since that room didn’t have much ceiling light at all.
xo
s
Mary says
Oooooh. I miss the penny tile already!
Buuuuut….simply cannot wait until we all do more settling in to the new house. At least that’s kinda’ what it feels like. It’s going to be amazing!
Erin G. says
So sad you left the basket turned light shade in front of the fireplace. It had such a neat story and would make for a great conversation piece for you guys no matter what house you’re in.
YoungHouseLove says
That was the hardest one to leave, but it fit that space so perfectly (in a larger area we think it would have felt lost, but in front of that fireplace it was just right at home). We definitely thought about taking that one though, but in the end we felt like he belonged there (corny alert!).
xo
s
Alison@soiledrotten says
All these homes are awesome. Can’t wait to see all the new projects!
Liz says
Goodness, everyone is so upset about the light fixture, have we all forgotten about the PENNY TILE?!!! Seriously, no tears at all til the tile while. I may or may not have petted the computer screen one last time.
Seriously though, thanks for renovating and moving and not feeling guilty. Can’t wait to see more tile for the new house.
On a side note, did you guys leave anything behind (ie a bottle of wine, welcome to your new home, please don’t crack the penny tile notes) for the new homeowners?
Liz says
Tile Wall vs Tile While HAHAHAHA
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha! You bet I gave it an extremely thorough pet-down and whispered “I’ll be back to visit you, my pretty” – and as for what we leave, we hid a note (although we hope it’s not found for a few decades) and we like to leave a little note with details (paint colors, what we use to wipe down the cork and the counters, etc) along with a bottle of wine to welcome them :)
xo
s
Stephanie says
Can I ask what color paint you used in your kitchen? I love it! I am wanting to start a kitchen renovation and am thinking of blue walls and painting our oak cabinets white. Your color is exactly what I have been imagining!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s Colorado Gray by BM (which is in fact very blue and not as gray, haha!).
xo
s
Maura says
That picture of Clara in her empty room… I think I have something in my eye…{sniffle}
Katie says
Are we going to hear the story about the opposum in the crawl space??!! Dying to know the details on that :) Also, I know you said you closed on your new house in the fall so was there a reason you didn’t start painting, redoing flooring and slowing moving things over before you moved in so you wouldn’t be so rushed after you sold your house? I think you said your book tour and stuff was during that time too, but just curious :) We are in the process of looking for our second home (we think we found The One!) and I will definitely have tears when we close the door for the last time on our current house. This is our first house, the house we brought both our baby girls home to, and where we became a family…I’m already tearing up at the thought of leaving…someone get me a tissue! Can’t wait to share in all your new adventures in with the new house!
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah, we had the book tour and then the holidays and throughout that time we were still doing projects and finishing rooms at our current house, so we decided that finishing one house before starting on another one was the best “mental health choice” to keep us from feeling totally overwhelmed. Of course there were some more urgent things we had to take care of (like the opossum, which we’ll tell you about soon) so we squeezed those in, but when it came to painting and flooring we just opted to wait since we’ve done all of that in a house after we moved, so it was actually a bonus to get to lay the flooring beforehand for us :)
xo
s
Elizabeth says
OK, this is kinda freaking me out, because it seems like you guys just moved in!! I can’t believe that it has been three years.
You guys did some great work in it, and I’m sure the new owners are delighted with it, I know I would be.
I look forward to all the new work to be done on the new house! I have a feeling it is going to be a stunner when you guys are done with it!!!
Samantha says
I am super excited about your new house! I started following you two (well, four) mid-way through the work on house #2. I am excited to get to be here from the beginning of one of your home adventures! I am also quite fascinated(as I see many others are) with the regional/cultural norms for what you leave behind in a “move in ready” home. I live in rural mid-Missouri (Cabool, MO to be specific) and where I live something like a washer/dryer might be included, but more often it would be personal property that is taken–as would curtains. Sometimes, even refrigerators are not included with a house. I suppose it is the little details like this that interest people (like me :) ) the most! Congrats and good luck!
Suzanne says
It’s amazing how much you guys transformed the place! I can’t wait to see what kind of projects you’re planning for your next house. :)
On a side note (I’m not sure if anyone’s pointed this out already), but should “And although I though” be “And although I thought”?
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Suzanne! All fixed :)
xo
s
Deborah says
Speaking of spackle: did you actually fill all the holes in the walls that you had made by hanging various things? If so, was that required in your contract or did you do it gratis?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, we did that at our first house too. We figure if people buy a move in ready house it shouldn’t have a bunch of holes everywhere (we hang a LOT of frames!) and it doesn’t take as long as you think :)
xo
s
Katie says
After you spackle all the holes do you paint over them as well? That seems like it would be very time consuming to get out all the paint for the entire house…just wondering what the proper etiquette is for that :)
YoungHouseLove says
We keep the paint in the basement and many rooms are the same color (ex: the sunroom and master are the same, the dining room and living room and office and hallway are the same, etc). In total the painting touch ups for all rooms took us less than 2 hours (we did them all while Clara was at school for the morning!). It definitely sounds a lot harder than it is (in our first house I dreaded it but it was surprisingly easy).
xo
s
alisha says
I’m excited for the “FILLED TO THE BRIM” post of all the boxes in the new house!
Now for the fun part–finding everything’s new place to call home!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! We actually only used like 7 boxes this time thanks to going back and forth with a lot of stuff in the car! It’s so nice not to have a room full of boxes this time :)
xo
s
Claire says
Loved watching you over the last 3 months (when I discovered YHL – so addicted!). So glad I can watch you start a new house from scratch which will help me with ideas. I’m finally started to learn DIY for a house I’ve been in for 7 years. Soo much to do.. but I have an oak floor just like the one in your old house that you wish you’d refinished. Any ideas how you would have gone about that? I’m scared at the thought … !!
Thanks again for your blog. Inspiration, motivation and love aplenty!!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Claire! We actually got that done in our first house, so here’s that post for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/01/floor-refinishing-101/
xo
s
Vicki Cornelius says
Just wanted to say that I have followed your blog for couple of months (including reading about your first home) and what I find most striking/endearing/valuable is the sense of comraderie and teamwork and genuine friendship between the two of you…
I guess that sounds pretty strange comment on a decorating/remodel blog, but life changes people and (for most people) includes a variety of housing arrangements…So to me it is normal/expected to move from one situation to another. Your transition from one house to another to a third doesn’t leave me as teary-eyed as others because I get the idea that you two could live anywhere–even in a storage shed–and be happy together…
Take it from someone married 40 years and counting who has seen many marriages/relationships come and go–that is NOT a common attribute…
So while others celebrate your decorating sense and handiness with tools and materials, and Clara’s sweet self, I respect the fact that you live what I regard as a very creative, demanding, give-and-take relationship 24/7 and thrive in it. Plus from all evidence you have created a wonderful nurturing environment for your daughter…
THAT is your great accomplishment to me…so kudos for building a relationship/marriage that (IMO) will outlive any decorating disaster or success…
Where you live is just a reflection of how you live…
Great marriages build great lives…not just lovely homes…
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much Vicki, that’s so sweet of you to say!
xo
s
Bake And Sew says
In Australia we leave the cooker and dishwasher but take the washing machine and tumble dryer. Is that the same in the US?
YoungHouseLove says
In our area you leave all of the appliances, but from the comments it’s so interesting to hear how it varies!
xo
s
katie says
i’ve never been here and yet i’m very sad. love this house. love what you’ve done with it. loved the journey. looking forward to the next one!
gail says
What a tearjerker. You almost had me grabbing for a tissue. I, too, am sentimental about our 200+ year old house that we’ve been in since 1976. Both of our kids were born and raised here, and are now gone.
You did a beautiful job with your home, and you were very thoughtful to consider the new owners and leave a clean, fixed up house for them to make a home in. I can’t wait to see what you do with the new one. Best wishes! PS–I’m glad you took Clara with you. What a sweetie. She and our granddaughter are almost exactly one year apart. Clara reminds me of what to expect.
Liz says
It’s interesting to hear about what y’all left and took. I think it depends not only on region, but on why the previous owners are leaving. My now husband and I were looking at houses in 2008, almost all the houses we saw came with standard appliances- washer/dryer seems to be the only thing people generally take with them. However, one of the foreclosures we looked at the previous owners had taken EVERYTHING (I mean down to the shower heads). They had also let their kids go a bit crazy with paint and markers on some of the walls- I honestly don’t blame them I would’ve been pretty bitter too if I had found myself in a similar situation.
MM3 says
Amazing you two. Truly. The speed at which you did massive projects is, well amazing. You truly upgraded that house and left if for the better. And while it’s sniffly to move away from it, you should be really proud you improved it for the next occupants. Beautiful work to be very proud of.
mingshu says
everything looks so much nicer! The new owners are so lucky to have that dreamy kitchen and all those cute light fixtures!
Alison says
Geez could you move into my house and make it all cute and wonderful like that and then move out so I don’t have to do all the work myself? Cuuuuuz that would be awesome. Your buyers are luuuuucky!!!
Emily says
I really enjoy reading your blog! One random thing I’ve wondered about is how your compost pile turned out. Do you think you’ll start one at your new house?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! We loved it and left it with the house of course, so we hope to build in another one since it’s definitely something we like having around.
xo
s
Bailey says
These are such inspiring before and afters – you guys have amazing taste!!
xox
Bailey
http://akabailey.blogspot.com
Mike says
That’s a pretty nice empty home, despite being empty. Just use your imagination and fill it up!.
Caitlin says
I’ve only been reading your blog for a few months but it gives me the most wonderful nostalgia. My parents are major DIYers so I grew up with drywall, power tools and weekly trips to Home Depot. That experience has taught me to be resourceful and creative in my own home. Clara’s a lucky girl!
Jessica says
I love this post! It’s so nice to see very succinctly how some of the changes (Kitchen/Dining) are so exceptional in comparison. Plus it’s nice to see how built-ins and paint can really change a space!
NYer says
Congratulations on the move! Just wondering what that is you’re leaving behind on the desk in the office. I’m thinking it has something to do with your alarm system, but I could be totally off base.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh that’s our cable box and stuff. We were just leaving it there for pickup but it’s gone now :)
xo
s
Kristine says
I don’t know if anyone asked this already, but what happened to the basement workshop? Did you leave anything there for the new owners?
YoungHouseLove says
That was all built in already (pegboards were there, counters and shelves were there) so we left them for the next folks (some things were a but nicer since we framed out the pegboards and painted them, etc). We took all of our tools with us though! Haha!
xo
s
House Crazy Sarah says
Indeed, the new owners are VERY lucky to be getting a house that has been kept with such care and love! Kudos to you guys for fixing the nail holes in the walls! The last house I sold we closed and moved on the SAME DAY (insane) so we didn’t even have time to sweep the floors!
Lindsay says
Boob lights! HA! That’s what I call ’em too!
Shelley says
Here in Texas washer/dryer and refriderators are not expected to stay. Would be nice though! If they were fairly new that is!
Lenina says
So sad to see it empty like this… but at the same time you all look so happy at the new house! :) Wanted to say that young house love inspired me to enter the DIY world and today I posted (at my one-week old blog :P) my first DIY project! Hope one day to have a before/after of a whole room, but for now just a small cabinet! :) xxx from a fan, Lenina.
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Congrays Lenina! Happy DIYing and happy blogging!
xo
s
John Davis says
Amazing job. Love the white space! Too many homes are renovated that are simply over done to the point where it’s just “too much”.
Denise says
Congratulations guys on the big move to your third home! I bet Clara (& Burger) are having lots of fun discovering all the nooks and crannies of your new house, as well as making new friends! I really admire the way you love a house to pieces and when it’s time to move on~you leave the house in tiptop shape for the new owners. Oh, if only everyone would be so kind. All the best as you settle into your new home and neighborhood. Let the DIY fun begin, again!
Jess says
It’s sad to leave a beloved home when you know that you didn’t get to do everything you dreamed of doing in that space… but I hope my house always feels like that kind of work in progress, that I never just sit down, look around and think, “phew, all done!” I think that’s the essence of your blog and it’s what we all love about following your DIY adventures; there’s always another project, another tweak, (even another home!) right around the corner. Thanks for all the sharing and I think we’re all dying to see the new digs as they come along!!
Marie says
I moved into my current house around the same time you guys moved into this place and it’s so inspiring to see how much you got done! I feel like a lazybones.
Will says
Absolutely love the before and afters, empty rooms…great idea.
Marija says
Sherry,
I was reading an old post (Second Time’s The Charm?) and came upon a before photo (third from the bottom) of your bedroom from the same angle you’ve said you wish you had. Sorry, I just remembered that you were saying that and I thought I should share…
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Marija!
xo
s