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…
cassie says
AAAAAH!!!!!!!! so so so exciting! and maybe a new book in the works with it! ;)
Dee says
Awesome! We also became accidental house flippers. We never planned on doing it, but we built up equity in each house and fell in love with the process of loving houses. We are in our living in our 7th house in 12 years and we’ve had 5 other investment properties. My kids regularly say (in our next house….). Although we don’t want to move since we designed and built the one we live in now. Happy Home Making….maybe I’ll go and look in the real estate pages now :).
Jillian says
Okay, I am over the shock now. This is wonderful. I have this anxiety that you guys will “outgrow” me (silly I know. I love you that are both so down to earth and do things that are doable for everyone; never want that to change. So happy for you both :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jillian! You’re so sweet :)
xo
s
Melissa says
Ahhh! So pretty from the outside! So many ugly surfaces to makeover on the inside! lol
I knew the next big news bulletin had to be in development already and your readers would be surprised by it. You’re too famous now to take the entire internet house hunting with you!
Seriously, congratulations on your new (maybe forever) home and good luck with the moving process! I only wish I lived in Richmond so I could buy your already-fixed-up home. What a dream that would be! You could sell it for mega millions of dollars now that you are celebrities! The new owners would say “$herdog J-Boom used to live here!” Haha!
Ariana says
HOLY COW!!!!
Was NOT expecting that!! SUCH an awesome surprise!!!!!!! Congrats!!!!!
Justin says
I had a feeling this was coming. You guys are so much like my wife and I, it’s not even funny. We said we would be in our current house forever and it has been less than 2 years, and we are set to close on another house this Friday.
Once we get a house to a certain point, it just feels normal to move on. Most of our family probably thinks we are crazy, but oh well. We love houses.
By the way, we had 11 offers in four days on our house, and only two were below asking price. We ended up selling our house for $60,000 more than what we paid for it, and put less than 10k into it. All that to say, I’m sending house selling blessings your way!
Congrats on the new house!
YoungHouseLove says
Woah! That’s amazing!
xo
s
Ashley Rosenthal says
HOLY SHAMOLY! I love you’re enthusiasm and passion for change. Change is a beautiful thing and boy do you guys embrace it like champs! Very inspirational! I can’t wait to read about all of the new projects about to transpire. I hope the close/sale of current house goes smoothly. I’m sure this new venture will provide new material for a new book perhaps? Cheers!
– Ashley
Megan C says
AHHHHHHH Congratulations! I’m so happy for you, but so excited for myself as well! I can’t wait to see what y’all do with this place! WOOOHOOOO!!!!
Kate says
It’s funny, someone asked you (perhaps jokingly) in the comments a few weeks back if you were moving…and when you didn’t deny it, I thought, “Hmmm…”. And when it seemed like you were leaving so many areas of your current home untouched, it made me think perhaps something was in the works. Brushing my shoulders off for my intuition being correct!
Courtney says
Oh, wow! Congratulations! I can’t imagine putting all that work into a house and then leaving it. I wish I was close enough to buy your current house, haha. I’m so excited to see everything you do in your new house! I’m stuck renting for the time being, so I guess I’m living vicariously through you guys.
Hanna says
I couldn’t resist. I had to comment again. This is seriously the image of every house I ever drooled over while house hunting.
My parents and friends used to groan and say “Another ugly house???” whenever I sent them pics. They are not renovators so they couldn’t see past the wallpaper, weird colored trim, blackened caulk in the bedroom, etc. It got to be a theme where I would proudly call them ugly houses. I made pinterest boards for each one with the realtor picks and the inspiration pics I would use to turn it into something amazing.
And my ability to see all that — to actually get EXCITED when I see old wall paper and weird colonial-colored trim — is mostly due to your blog. You made me realize that I could have what I wanted without paying an impossible amount for it. I could make it/build it myself.
I finally found my very own ugly house in the right price range and the right neighborhood. It was last updated in the 70s. It has fake panelling, it has cracked horsehair plaster, it has trim that looks like Dr Seuss installed it, it has lead paint on the windows, it has Sears and Roebuck contoured carpeting in Harvest Gold, it has carpet EVERYWHERE (even in the kitchen and bathroom), it is 200 years old and has weird settling issues, it has potential. It is just perfect.
I am so glad you found your perfect “ugly” house and I can’t wait to see you polish it into a diamond! It is going to be amazing!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, congrats Hanna! All the best with your ugly house!
xo
s
Gina says
I’m slightly a newbie to the site – and was surprised. What about the Pergola…and the refaced kitchen??
Wishing you all the best – looking forward to reading about all the new fun projects!!
Emma says
Weeee!!!!! Congratulations!! Your new house looks beautiful! Can’t wait to read about you kids working your magic on it. Cheers!
Emma says
Oh – super random but I have a tip for you. I purchased a home that had some wacko vintage wallpaper as well. I saved some pieces and framed them for posterity’s sake. Looks like you have a few wallpaper candidates to frame :)
YoungHouseLove says
Love that!
xo
s
Hanna says
Haha! I did the same thing! We had the “fuzzy” wall paper though, not stripes.
Ani says
Congrats!!!! That’s the BEST way to buy a house! I can totally see that front porch getting wider someday!!! Can’t wait to read about the new adventures!
Monica says
So, I’m very curious about the furniture and decorations…are you going to try to transfer them to your new house and build the color schemes and such to fit what you already own? Or, if you decided to things slightly differently for a different house, would you maybe sell the furniture you so nicely reclaimed?
YoungHouseLove says
Just like we moved all that we had in our first house to our current house (except for the light fixtures and curtains) we’ll do the same with our new house, but since our style seems to evolve, and the new house’s layout/room sizes/style is different we’re sure that the new house will look just as different from the current house as our current house looks from our first. It’s definitely an evolution that happens over the years :)
xo
s
Jillian says
So happy for your family – congrats! I can’t wait to see all your new projects, keep all the inspiration coming!
Mrs.Ronso says
Congrats! What a beautiful home and I am so looking forward to seeing what you guys to do this one. Love the brick and the black shutters — and look, it already has a yellow door! :)
Whitney Dupuis says
Wow!!! How exciting! I can’t wait to see what you do with it!!!
Elaine says
I’m shocked! But in a good way. I’m incredibly excited for you guys and also excited to follow your updates on a new house. The house looks gorgeous from the outside.
meg says
Congratulations, Petersik family! What a beautiful place. I’m so excited for you and looking forward to lots of new posts :o) Best of luck with the sale and the move!
Ashley S. says
Oh my goodness! Congrats guys! I am so excited to see what ya’ll will do with this one! It is so cute! I am madly in love with the railing on the front porch!
Erin says
Congrats! One thing I love about your site is that you keep it real. Hard work, frugality, and patience pay off. Gorgeous house, can’t wait to see what you do with it!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Erin!
xo
s
Melissa says
Such a beautiful house!!! Congratulations! So excited for you guys! Fixer uppers rock. :)
Joanna says
Wow! congratulations! What a beautiful house! I am so excited for you and at the same time am having wallpaper flashbacks to my previously wallpaper in every room own house (Dawn dish soap, water, garden sprayer, and A LOT of patience). I can’t wait to see more!
Phoebe says
Flabbergasted. Seriously. But so thrilled!
I was thinking, wait a second…they were just showing us the changes they made to their carport!
Jillian {Her Split Ends} says
So pumped for you guys! We are getting ready to move into our new house next week {aughghghgh…cue panicked packing} Can’t wait to see how this one changes and grows with your fabulous updates! Good luck and lots of love!!
Cheers
~ J
Tyra says
Thia post just blew my mind! Congrats! Can’t wait to see all the things you do!
Angela says
This is amazing! Congratulations on your new adventure!
Anna says
I thought John was joking too. WOW!
I didn’t even know “we” were house hunting! ;)
So I called my sister immediately and said,
“Guess what John and Sherry are doing??!!!”
“What?”
“They are MOVING!”
“WHAT?!!!” Definitely the exciting news of the day.
Can’t wait to see more pictures of the new house! Congrats!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love that!
xo
s
Tara Jane says
Wow, Congratulations! I really admire your energy and courage.
Jen@The Decor Scene says
WOW what awesome news!!! I’m still in shock. Didn’t see it coming. lol. So very happy for you guys!!! Can’t wait to see what your new adventure brings. Glad I’m here for the ride again. Congrats and lots of luck with selling, moving & redecorating!!! It’s funny because in the 6 years we own our house, we still aren’t finished and you are already onto your 3rd house. Can’t wait to see what decor & colors you bring into this home. :)
katie g. says
I think it’s amazing that you guys are able to do this. What an accomplishment – to take the risk on this crazy idea and have it pay off so well. Congratulations! I can’t wait to read about your new adventures!
Jessica says
Like everyone else, I scrolled all the way down on super speed to see if this was some kind of joke. Way to hit us with the element of surprise (and total disbelief/ shock)!!! This house is PERFECT. It is unbelievably charming and I can only imagine the awesomeness you guys are going to add to it!! Ahhhh….. I’m like a kid on Christmas and can’t friggin’ wait for all of the projects. :) Seriously though – it’s beautiful. I would buy it without even seeing the inside it’s so darn charming. Congratulations guys!
Jessica says
I am so shocked!! And super excited! :D
Lauren says
Holy bombshell blog post!! I think I audibly gasped at my work desk. Unexpected (but don’t those tend to always be the best experiences?), but SO excited for you guys! Can’t wait to see all of the wonderful new projects to learn from that will undoubtedly come from this new house. It’s a BEAUTIFUL home! Best of luck!
melrose says
This is gonna be one fun ride! Thanks for taking the WWW along with you.
Congrats!
Liz says
OMG, congrats! I felt excited, confused, angry (kidding!), sad, and then excited again! Haha, no but seriously I am extremely happy for you guys! What a surprise. Bring on the new adventures.
Now I’m thinking back to some of the past posts looking for clues… :)
Kelli@LittleCottageofMine says
Yay!! Exciting times!! I’m über happy for you! Can’t wait to see more! I wish we could upgrade too but Long Island is 99% over our budget lol…someday!! I’m due with our second in November so we’ll have four of us, a dog, a cat and a fish in 850 square feet! But we wouldn’t have it any other way :)
The country blue doors remind me of the house I grew up in my mom decorated with ducks or were they geese?
Congrats!!
Teresa says
Your current house will likely sell quick! It’s an amazing home that you’ve put so much love into, any buyer in your area would be smart and uber lucky to jump on it! :)
Congrats on your new home!! It’s stunning and I can’t wait to follow you on your new journey! Cheers Petersik’s!:)
Melissa says
Ohmygosh!! I love the fact that you guys are diving into another home, head first!! The bones of the house are beautiful– the molding, doors, cute windowsils, and wooden staircase.. geez I cannot wait to see you two get started. I’ve been following your blog for years and I love watching your style change with you. Cannot wait to see what you do with this place!
Stacey says
CONGRATS! Very happy for you and looking forward to all the projects!
Melissa says
How exciting!! It looks just like our house that we are currently fixing up. Just like our brick colonial, it had not been updated in 30 years.. original carpet and all!! So it will be fun to watch how you transform yours and hopefully it will be give me ideas!! Of course I painted my door bright yellow!! People love it!
Lauren says
And to clarify…I didn’t mean bombshell in a bad way! Just the unanticipated part of it!
Ashby says
OMG! So excited for your new adventure! I can’t wait to see what new projects will unfold in your new home. Congrats!
Sarah K says
I feel completely blind-sighted, but oh what a wonderful surprise! Congrats to you all!!!
Phoebe Koehler says
Gorgeous house! Can’t wait to see the tour.
Linda says
Congratulations!!! And just think of the posts about wallpaper removal – that alone will bring a zillion new hits to your blog! :-)
Dawn says
I’ve totally wanted you guys to move for a long time, just for the renovation opportunities. Once the kitchen is done it’s time to move on! LOL, just kidding. Mostly.
Congratulations!
Liz says
CONGRATS! I cannot wait to see what you do with this next home! And for some reason I feel like over-sharing: this post came at just the right time for me personally. My husband & I are preparing to move from Indianapolis to Seattle and I don’t have a job there yet, so our budget is thin. We’ve been super-stressed about it lately, but reading how you’ve gone from point A to B to C is SUPER encouraging! So, thanks. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, good luck with everything Liz!
xo
s
Amber says
So exciting!! From the looks of it, this house will keep you busy for quite some time :) Ahhh, red “brick” linoleum- we’ve got it under carpet and looking forward to ripping it up soon. Good luck in your new adventure- can’t wait to see more of it and what you can do to it!