So, funny story about the house below. We bought it and we’re moving in.
We know this news probably evokes a whole range of reactions. Excitement for new makeovers. Sadness for leaving our current house. Curiosity about all of the logistics. Confusion. Anger. The inexplicable urge to do The Carlton.
Starting this story requires rewinding seven years, back to our first house hunting experience in Richmond in the spring of 2006. We had just moved from New York City and Richmond real estate felt very spacious and very cheap by comparison. It made dreamers out of us. We checked out a bunch of neighborhoods, and fell for an awesome old area with nice big wooded lots, great schools, charming tree-lined streets, and kids on scooters.
But none of the sweet old character-filled houses in that neighborhood were in our price range, especially because the bank had no faith in us. The issue was not our savings, but the fact that I was less than 2 months into my new job and Sherry was just as deep into her career as a freelance copywriter. In the eyes of the bank, Sherry was unemployed since she was a newbie self employed person (even though she was earning more than me!) so I ended up being the only name on the loan – basically cutting our buying power in half. Goodbye dream neighborhood, hello this looker.
As deflating as that financial reality check was, it turned out to be one of the biggest blessings. Had we not been steered towards a fixer upper, we might not have ever started this blog or learned the advantage of buying a home that’s well within our means. By not stretching financially, we could stash away a lot more project money and build up our nest egg – because we hadn’t lost sight of that neighborhood we first fell for, we had just put that dream on hold.
Fast forward 4.5 years, past a new puppy, a wedding in the backyard, Clara’s birth, and me coming home to work full-time. Our beloved little 1,250 sq ft ranch (with only one full bathroom) was suddenly feeling cramped and we found ourselves house hunting again. Dream neighborhood here we come, right? Try again, compadre. This time I was the financial deadweight (having just left a salaried job six months earlier to come work at home – great timing, right?). So once again we found ourselves approved for something far below our actual mortgage-paying abilities thanks to the bank’s you-haven’t-done-this-self-employment-thing-long-enough-for-it-to-count doubt.
But it dropped another gem of a fixer upper in our laps. And this time we knew that an affordable needs-work home meant even more projects and more money squirreled away for our “maybe someday” neighborhood.
Now, I wouldn’t say we ever consciously thought of these homes as “stepping stones” or rungs on a property ladder that we were itching to climb. Even though we always loved that dream neighborhood from afar, Sherry was fully convinced our first house would be our “forever home” (we even have that statement on video). When we fall in love with a house, we fall hard. But the experience of outgrowing and leaving our first place made us realize that we enjoy the process of loving an old house back to life way too much to stop at just one.
So when we moved into this house, we went into things with a more open attitude. Knowing we’d soak up every second of living here (you know we’re nuts about the journey) but no longer making bold declarations like “we’ll stay here forever.” Admittedly, at halfway through year three of living here, the end came a bit sooner than we expected, but our time here since 2010 has been jam-packed. We’ve celebrated three Christmases in this house, created a book from start to finish here, and enjoyed countless Clara milestones (crawling, walking, talking, Gangnam Style-ing). So this place is by no means a blip on the timeline of our family history. It has been “home” through a heckova lot, which makes leaving it that much more bittersweet.
We just knew we didn’t want our current place to be our last fixer upper (it’s not only what we love to do, it’s our livelihood), so when we felt ourselves tackling the last few untouched rooms on our list we started casually keeping one eye open for a deal that could be a potential rental or even a future Casa Petersik. We’d occasionally flip through real estate listings and drop in on open houses. We always hoped that something would come up in our price range in that dream neighborhood so we could jump on it like a velociraptor, but after two house-hunting experiences that didn’t lead to us ending up there, we weren’t very confident.
And then it happened. Pretty much out of nowhere, we found the sweetest needs-lots-of-love home in that old charming neighborhood that we’ve driven through at least five times a year just to stare creepily since 2006. Yes, this is a seven-years-in-the-making house coup of ours. We would have loved to take you guys on the house hunting adventure with us like last time, but it all happened so fast and before we knew it we were closing on it.
And thanks to putting some of that saved-for-years cash down at closing, our new house’s mortgage amount is almost exactly the same as our current house’s – but our interest rate is even lower. We both spent closing day waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out and scream “you got punked!” but all went well and the house is officially ours. We’ve even had it long enough to fix some first-priority issues like a leaking roof, a broken furnace, and even hooked up the alarm system.
The house hasn’t been updated since it was built around 35 years ago, and knowing that its interior might scare off others trying to buy in a mostly turn-key community, the sellers priced it way under assessment. It was over $100,000 less than another house of the same size that was for sale down the street. A low-priced fixer upper in a neighborhood that we’ve dreamed about for almost a decade? Yes please. 70’s wallpaper, blue trim, lumpy carpet and all…
Beyond the price, neighborhood, and glaring need to be rescued – this place is perfect for us in so many other ways. It’s nearly the exact same size as our current place (huzzah, no more extra square feet to clean). The street is beautiful and quiet (perfect for someday teaching Clara to ride a bike). It’s still just as close to our family (maybe they can watch Clara while we strip wallpaper). And it presents us with so many new design challenges and opportunities that our minds are spinning with ideas. I mean, hello, we have stairs for the first time in seven years of home-ownership!
Perhaps the funniest thing is that at our age, my parents were moving into their third house, which was where they stayed for over three decades. So apparently it’s in the Petersik blood.
We know that you guys probably have dozens of questions – When are we moving in? (Don’t know yet) When can you see more pictures? (Soon) What does Clara think? (She already picked out her room… based on the closet size. Is she 16?) But this post would be ten thousand words if we tried to cover everything, so we’ll get to those things in time. We also have a few things to finish around here to get our current house sold (anyone interested?) so in an effort to keep our own minds focused on those to-dos, it won’t be all new house posts all the time. We’ll just be moving at our usual real-time pace and sharing a little bit of everything that’s happening (selling, packing, planning, moving, and diving into our new house adventure).
Did I mention these two are the most excited of all? Okay, three if you count Ariel.
We can’t wait to continue sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly with you guys. Seriously, who wants to come paint some mauve trim with us? And if there were a moral to this story, it’s patience. This is not “the house the book bought” (we still haven’t hit our royalty point), it’s the house that seven years of saving up and living within our means bought. Had we strained our wallets and gone for a larger or more turn-key house back in 2006, we probably would’ve had a very different financial path, and most certainly would have had a different career path. So even though we had to wait a while, it just makes this new chapter in our lives that much sweeter. Who knows, we might just stay there forever…
Jeannette says
CONGRATULATIONS! The new house looks *gorgeous* and I’m so excited to read about all the new adventures!
It was also heartening to read that you saved up for seven years. The lesson of living within your means is a huge one and one I’ve been living in for several years in the hopes of buying my first place soon! Your post reminded me to keep on keepin’ on! Thanks!
Julie C. says
AAAHHH! Congratulations! It looks beautiful from the outside…and I’m sure the inside will look better once you get your hands on it. :)
Cristin says
Congratulations on the new house – it’s gorgeous! I can’t wait to see what you do to it, especially since that wallpaper is blinding. It’s a little “Little House on the Prairie” goes Southwest!
Ashleigh P says
WOW!!! Congratulations! I can’t WAIT to see what you do with the new house. That fabulous wallpaper will make for some pretty dramatic transformations. :) Now, could you please have the current house transported to Atlanta for me? Thanks, much love, & well wishes!!!
Alana @ Domestic Bliss Diaries says
Just the other day I was wondering what you and your family would do once your current house was almost done: buy other homes to flip/rent out, re-do some current rooms, or buy a new one… Looks like I’ve got my answer.
Congrats on your new home and like many other readers, I’m so excited to follow along as you work that Petersik magic on this one…
http://www.domesticblissdiaries.com
Allison says
Congratulations!! That is so so exciting! I can’t wait to see what you guys do! And I can’t wait to see the layout designs because it looks like my house and I’m totally planning to get ideas from you :) This is so fun!
Kierstin says
Makes sense. My husband asked the other day, “What are they going to do when they are done remodeling and decorating?” My response was, “Are you ever really ‘done'”? But it’s easier to stay in business with a new house to completely redo. Congrats and good luck. You must have a thing for brick houses, or is it just the most common style in your area? We have very few in Portland, OR.
YoungHouseLove says
They are pretty common here, but we do seem to gravitate to them nonetheless. Must be “our thing.” :)
-John
Jess says
Huzzah to new DIY adventures!!!! I can’t wait to see you work some magic on the new place! Congratulations!
Rebecca says
As an almost four-year reader of your blog, I’m so excited for you guys! As a “have several moves under my belt” home fixer-upper and DIYer, I understand how bittersweet it can be, and how rewarding it can be to keep saving for “the one” :) Congratulations, and here’s to a happy move!
Sayward says
As soon as I finished reading I grabbed my phone and was about to text “Holy cow! John and Sherry are moving!!!”
… and then I realized I had no one to text this information too, and even if I did it would only make me look weirder when I tried to explain.
But congratulations! I was so shocked at the announcement that I tried to text! (totally gonna miss your current house though)
YoungHouseLove says
LOL!
-John
Bethany says
Lol!! @Sayward, I think you should text it out just for fun.
I texted my bf the news! Only realizing later how glad I was that she totally knew what I meant.
Absolutely text worthy news!
Congrats!!! Awesome news!
Aubrey says
i totally told my husband the news when he got home last night! haha
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, husbands everywhere are like “wait, who?”
xo,
s
Tara says
wow!! I honestly thought you guys were kidding!! but SO excited to follow you on another journey!! congratulations guys!! can’t wait to see the new place…it looks pretty swanky ;)
Amy says
Congrats! At first I was a tad surprised (however, I did notice that the projects have been more cosmetic lately) but the more I think about it, the more I get that you need to move on just to protect your livelihood. I look forward to all the future projects and I hope that this house can become your home.
ebichan says
YAAAY congratulations! Seriously, I dreamt about you guys selling your now-old house last night. I did, I really did.
I just bought a tiny, ancient, under-loved house in a Northeast city — totes jealous of your cheapness and largeness (and relative new-ness) down in VA!
Good luck with the sale!
KathyL says
Gotta be honest, I’ve got mixed feelings. I LOVE your current house, but don’t worry, I’ll adjust. There’s always room for the heart to love more. Congratulations on living your dream.
gia says
This makes me so HAPPY! I was starting to get nervous as you guys were making so much progress on your current home.
Good Luck!
Sarah says
OMG! I hate to sound like a Valley Girl, but that’s the only thing running through my mind. So exciting and such a surprise! I’m super excited to continue to watch you make that house into a home as lovely as your others! Congrats!! :)
Christen says
So exciting! Two things: What schools are you now zoned for? What area is this located in? It looks beautiful!! (And we’re house hunting…)
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve decided just to share that we’re in “the Richmond area” to the internet at large. Sorry not to be more specific :)
xo
s
celia says
OMG! I wondered if you would be moving again when you reached the “end” of this house…just didn’t expect it quite this soon. This sounds like an amazing deal and the outside is so charming! Can’t wait to see and read more about it :-)
Nicole @ Liberty Belles says
oh I KNEW it (I’m sure everyone’s saying that)! congratulations guys…so so so exciting!
Sam @ The Junk House says
Wow! I was not expecting that!
Congrats! I can’t wait to see more of the new house!
jenn aka the picky girl says
Oh my gosh! Congratulations! I halfway thought this might be an April Fool’s post, but realized tomorrow is MAY 1, not April.
Anyway, this is so exciting. The house is beautiful, even if the inside needs some work. Can’t wait to see more!
Yadira Batres says
Congratulations you guys!!!!!!!!!!!
It looks beautiful (from the outside) hah
But, soon enough it will be beautiful inside and out.
When I first saw the picture and ya saying that ya bought it, I seriously thought it was going to be a joke at first.
I completely love it.
Great job
Marie says
Wow that is not what I was expecting to read today!!! Great news guys, I can’t wait to watch you guys put your talents to use on this one.
Katherine says
Wow!!! Congrats!!
I must say I’ve grown to love your current house and will be sad to see it go, but that only means I will surely fall in love with your new house as you make it a home! Congrats again on all your hard work and saving of pennies.
P.S. Pretty sure the wallpaper in the third picture of the forth row is the exact same as wallpaper that covers one of the bedrooms of my grandmother’s house! Lol
Bree says
Did NOT see that coming. You guys are sneaky!!!
I can’t wait to see what you do with the new place. (a little sad to not see all your listy mclisterton things come to fruition though) I think the sadness of that will be replaced by the excitement of seeing what you guys do mixing the modern with the traditional of the home. So fun the possibilities!
Lisa says
Congrats!!! And you guys so have a ‘type’ ha. Third house with red brick and black shutters :)
Sunnie says
Wow!!! I’m sooo shocked/excited! I don’t know you personally but your little blog is a tiny chunk of my Mon-Fri (a chunk that I very much look forward to.) I’m so excited for you guys! I got so sucked in to this post that I almost forgot about my orthodonist appointment which I have to go to rightnow. Can’t wait to hear more and see pics! Congrats!!
Liana says
Huge, huge congrats to you :) Surprising news, but also very happy. One reason I’ve loved reading your blog for so many years is the fact that you are so smart with your money. This is an excellent example of why patience and living within your means can pay off in a huge way! I’m excited to read more about your new home!
Jennie says
Sorry if this is a repeat question, or a silly one at that, but I noticed that you mentioned that you are having a showing today for your current casa. How were you able to set all that up without worry that someone would “scoop” you and tell the internet at large that you were moving, before you had a chance? (Also, don’t feel compelled to answer that if it’s too invasive – I’m just really impressed at your skills!) Good work, Petersiks.
YoungHouseLove says
The realtor who helped us purchase the new house had a buyer who might be interested in our current place, so we lined that up for this afternoon knowing the news would be out this morning.
-John
Allie - This Yellow House says
WHOA!! You guys completely just shocked me! I can’t believe that. Well congrats!!! I can’t wait to see more of it all! This is exciting!
Shannon says
Holy Moly!! Soo excited about the never-ending blog posts you guys will have!! You both are super sneaky, and I love it!! How in the world do you guys keep so quiet and just keep plugging away on projects and posts without a peep?!? I’m pretty sure the people here at Starbucks might have seen me do a little dance of joy for you guys. ;) Congrats!!
YoungHouseLove says
Ahhh, it was so hard! We couldn’t wait to tell you guys! SOOO excited to spill these beans :)
xo
s
James Malone says
Congratulations, but we won’t be able to see the pergola full of flowery vines.. Sad face. The consolation prize is the new space, and that Chippendale railingo on the porch.
Casey says
WHAT!! Congrats. This makes me want to cry a little… but excited for you and a new project. :)
Sara says
WOW! If we could sell our house and had money to buy yours–we’d totally buy your current house because it is BEAUTIFUL! Can’t wait to see what you do with the new house :-) Congrats! (At first I thought this was an April Fool’s joke, but April 1 is long gone.)
Emily S. says
Crazytown! So happy for you guys! Surprised, but I was starting to think: “how much more blog content are they going to get out of this beautiful house”. Congratulations! Can’t wait to see what you do with it:)
Kimberly says
Wowzah! Was not expecting this on a Tuesday morning. Congrats Petersik family!
Ashley Guttuso says
Congratulations! Very excited for you. We have that same blue trim paint color I see on some of the doors in our foyer. Must have been popular when both our houses were last painted. I can’t wait for the day we paint over it.
Also, whenever you guys get ready to sell, you might consider an auction with a starting bid. I bet people would love to buy “The Young House Love House.” I know it sounds like I’m trying to pitch our business but really I just think it’s a good idea. Good luck with your move. I’m increasingly jealous at the pace at which you are able to make home improvements. My laundry area is STILL in my kitchen. :)
Marci-Rae says
WOW! I’m so happy for you, but I’m kind of freaked out! I love the current house so much that I’m bummed to not see it continue to evolve in your hands! I’m sure I’ll get over that as you start sharing projects on the new house. Congratulations!
Steph B. says
Congrats on the new digs! The exterior is beautiful (I love the symmetry of a colonial…) The interior looks like you will have some stellar before and afters. I can’t wait to see what you do with your staircase – I am uninspired by mine. Hope your move goes smoothly!
Ana says
My 1st thought: WTH???
My 2nd thought: YES! :)
Congrats, this is very exciting! For us, readers, just as exciting as for you guys, I’d say. I’ll be following your new adventures, and maybe use an idea or two for remodeling my own house. Greetings from Europe! :)
Britt says
I HAD A DREAM ABOUT THIS HAPPENING! First of all, I’m not a total creep and I don’t normally dream about bloggers that I read but SERIOUSLY, I had a dream that you had bought a new house and everyone on your blog was suuuuuper mad. I then bought a pair of goats, which has nothing to do with your blog, I just really like goats. Isn’t that weird?! Maybe I’m psychic?
Anyways, congratulations! I’m sure that your readers will not be mad like my imaginary “dream readers”. I’m so excited to see what you’ll do with this new home!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah! I think you might be getting a new pair of goats!
xo
s
robyns says
yay! Can’t wait to see what happens in the new place!
Rebecca says
OMG! I can’t believe you guys bought another house! So not waiting for this, hahaha. I have been reading your blog from start to finish.. starting at the very first post and progressing.. I am currently on page 188.. when you got your counters installed. I have loved reading all about your posts and ideas and can’t wait to get to know the new house!
Maggie says
Awww, congrats! I love a story where you realize that all the decisions you made up to this point were exactly the RIGHT choices and you’ve ended up where you were meant to be.
Can’t wait to keep reading about the journey. Yay, yay, yay!
Stephanie B. says
Oh my gosh… I am so excited for you!! I just love the “hasn’t been touched in 35 years” type of house… there’s just potential everywhere you look!
Shirley says
Did not see that coming at all. Congratulations on your new home! Can’t wait to see what you do with it.
Karen C. says
Congratulations Petersiks! I can’t wait to see future posts as you make this new home yours! Very very excited for all of you!!!
Melissa C. says
Mind.Blown.
AP says
I am a born and raised Richmonder. I’m from New Kent (where my parents still live) and my husband is from Midlothian (where his parents still live). Because of my husbands job we are currently living in WA. My favorite part of reading about you guys’ journey is that y’all are back home. I’m so excited for your new adventure… And also a little jealous because I’m not house hunting in RVA too ;)
Aimee T. says
congratulations guys!!! what an exciting new chapter…can’t wait to come along for the ride:)