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…
Julia @ Chris Loves Julia says
oh. my. goodness. I’m ecstatic!
Kim @ Yellow Brick Home says
me. too!
Suzanne says
No way, I didn’t see that one coming!
Ginger says
I seriously thought you were joking, haha! Congrats on the new place, looks awesome!!!!
Jamie says
Ahh!!!! Congratulations! Totally shocked but totally excited to see you transform another house :)
Rhhonda says
Ahhhh I’m so excited for you guys!! Can’t wait to see more!
Brandy says
AHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Congratulations!!! I was hoping today would be a juicy post and boy did you guys deliver! :)
Debi says
“WOW” I think this post requires another “WOW”. I am surprise and not at the same time I could see that you were coming to the end of project with this house and was wondering what is next. Now we no!!! this is exciting. Congrads guys. Looking forward to all the GREAT Projects to come!!!!! Love those Petersik!!!!
Kelly M says
Wow! Congratulations! Ironically, we are in a similar situation! We put our house (which we LOVE and have poured blood, sweat, tears, and money into – not to mention bringing home both of our children to) up for sale last Tuesday, accepted an offer on Thursday, put in an offer to our dream house we’ve been drooling over for almost a year on Friday, and had that offer accepted on Saturday. Home inspections are today! We are floored that it all happened so fast and that the pieces fell into place. Fingers crossed that inspections and closings go as planned. It’s exciting for us but bittersweet becuase like you, we love our current house. We are looking forward to building new memories and DIY projects in our new house, though. Congrats again! Can’t wait to see what you do with the new digs!
Meg says
Holy curve ball, Batman!
Very exciting, can’t wait to see what you do with the place!
Shreya says
OMIGOSH. This is huge! So so excited to see what you do to make it home!
Tish says
This is one of my favorite posts ever. I can’t believe I’m so excited for people I don’t know. I wish I could hug you! CONGRATS!!
Beverley says
WOW! You’re right – I can think of a gazillion questions for you guys right now, but I’ll just stick with congratulations! I can’t wait to see how you guys will transform this new house :)
Lettie says
Exciting!!! Can’t wait to see inside!
Hannah says
AHHHHH!!! SO EXCITED!!! I can’t wait for more years of full kitchen remodels, and bathroom gutting! I’m looking for my first place now (a duplex near downtown), so I’ll soon have a full to-do list on my plate, and I can’t wait to see what you guys do!
Wow, that’s a lot of exclamation points for this early in the morning, but I’m probably just as excited as you! :)
Becky says
Wow, my first reaction was that this was April Fool’s also! I must say, over the past few weeks things seemed to pick up on your current house and I wondered to myself if that might mean you would be moving on soon…congratulations on your next chapter!!
Jeanna says
I had exactly the same thought! Things really did seem to pick up lately, and in the back of my mind I was wondering if this was in the works, but I thought, no, they would say a little SOMETHING, wouldn’t they? Complete shock, but I am so happy for them, and looking forward to all the nifty DIY projects in the future :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks guys!
xo
s
Danielle says
Wow! Congrats you guys! I can’t wait to follow your new adventures as you take on the challenges of your latest (and maybe forever?)home! :)
Ashleigh says
WOW Congratulations, it’s gorgeous!!
I was starting to wonder what you would do when you had finished all the rooms in your current house. We have just renovated our flat and although we have only lived there 2 years I’m itching to find another project!!
Good luck with the move, looking forward to reading about it xox
Emily says
Selling it furnished?! That’s so exciting for me as a reader because y’all truly wil be starting from scratch in the new place. The house is gorgeous and I cannot wait to see what you do with it! I had a feeling you’d be selling soon since your recent projects were more cosmetic “sale-fixers”, so this is super exciting for me!
Congratulations!!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, sorry to be unclear! We’re selling it with furniture in it (empty unfurnished homes take longer to sell). Then we’ll pack up the truck with all of our stuff and it’ll come with us (except for light fixtures, curtains, etc). The new house is so different that many things will be shifted though, so we’re sure it’ll be just as different as our first and second houses were :)
xo
s
Emily says
Ohhhh I see. Still exciting! Can’t wait to see you tackle new challenges! And good on Clara for picking the room based on the closet… my kinda girl! :)
Erika says
Oh my goodness! The house (on the outside at least) looks to have EXACTLY the same layout as the house we’re in right now! Same window layout and front porch. In NJ!
On a funny note, we’re leaving this house for a much smaller house in our dream neighborhood. It’s Mr. Roger’s neighborhood mixed in with Sesame Street with stores and cafes for adults and a train to NYC. I love our new neighbors already (and we haven’t even moved in yet). You can change a house but you can’t change a location. Enjoy! Congrats!!
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds so sweet! Congrats!
xo
s
Jodi says
Erika, that sounds amazing! Where in NJ??? (I’m currently in Brooklyn.)
Adrienne says
Are you selling your current house yourselves like you did the last one?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, that’s the plan! We have our first showing this afternoon. AHHHHHHHHHH!
xo
s
Amanda T. says
OMG! I’m so excited for you guys! And I can’t wait to see what amazing things you do with this new house to love! You are such an inspiration! Congrats!
Lisa says
Wow. I want to say I didn’t see that coming, but then again, why would anyone be surprised you two would want a “new” fixer-upper when you’ve finished fixing up the one you have now. Congratulations! It looks beautiful from the outside, and I can’t wait to see what do to the inside.
Barb says
How exciting! Can’t wait to hear more!
Amy J says
Woo Hoo! I am so exctied for you guys (and for the readers). Looking forward to seeing what you do with the place.
Ginny @ Goofy Monkeys says
Oh my! Congratulations – this is so exciting! I can’t wait to see a tour of the new place and all the future posts of what will change. It looks gorgeous and promising from the outside.
Jesse says
Good. Y’all need a fresh start!
Melissa says
Congratulations! Very excited for you all, and like Katie am very excited to see you all with a center hall colonial since that’s what we’ve got!
And this was JUST the post I needed to read this morning, as we’re making the decision to punt an expensive kitchen reno down the road for a number of reasons, including financial. Feels like nice confirmation that we’re making the smart decision.
Shellie Laird says
I’ll be honest, I gasped when I started reading, and I too thought this was a late April Fool’s joke! LOL But this awesome, I cannot wait to see what you guys do to this place.
My husband and I have been bouncing around the idea of selling our current 888 sq ft place – the interest rates right now are awesome!
Congrats guys!
Angie @ The Country Chic Cottage says
What a shocker! But I am so excited for you all! We experienced that dream house feeling a few years ago and it is all worth it. Yes we were the stalkers that drove by occasionally… ;) I get it!
Sara T. says
I feel like I was expecting to see an “April Fools!” at the end of this post, albeit a little late :). It’s a beautiful house and I can’t wait to see what you do with it!
Ali B. says
Ok, so I’m been watching Annie all morning…..
LEAPING LIZARDS!
Congratulations, you guys! This is such big happy news! So glad you’re finally able to move into the fixer upper of your dreams! :-)
Can’t wait to see what you guys do with it.
James Malone says
Congratulations!!! I can’t wait for all the new home adventures!
Jamie says
LOL – I, too, totally looked at my calendar to see if it was April 1st!!! Super exciting – I had wondered what would happen when you finished your current house!
Tanya says
Congrats- SO exciting- look fwd to seeing it all :) – will hold thumbs for a quick sale!
Katie says
Wow! Congrats! I can’t wait to see more about your new house!
Hannah says
Congratulations, but I have to say that I seriously thought this was a belated April Fool’s post haha.
Melissa says
This is HUGE news and so exciting! I cannot wait to see what you do to the new place. Congrats!
Martha says
MIND BLOWN. I checked my calendar at first to make sure it wasn’t April Fools Day . . .
CONGRATS! Can’t wait to see how this one develops. The wallpaper is the best. Pause. Not.
Kate says
HOLY SHOCKER, BATMAN! Wow! I never would have saw this one coming. Congratulations on the new house! I can’t wait to see the magic you all put into it!
Susanne says
Congratulations!!!! I wish you happy times and good health in your new home…….
This house is pretty new for you guys, huh?
YoungHouseLove says
Compared to the first two, it’s definitely not as old. We seem to be moving forward about a decade with each purchase.
-John
Courtney says
At first I thought this was a delayed April Fool’s Day post! Congratulations on the new house. I’m so excited to read about all the changes you’ll be making! But it’s making me even more antsy for a new home myself…
Alison says
Goo for you guys! It’s awesome
Shannon says
Congratulations on your new home! Cannot wait to see what you do with your place, and look forward to watching the progress!
Katie says
Mind blown! I kept waiting for you to say just kidding. Or April Fools. So very happy for your family!
annette says
Congratulations! That’s a LOT of work it looks like. Hmm, I wonder what will be the first project? Can’t wait to see!
Stephanie, Sandpaper and Glue says
YAY! Congrats to you all! Can’t wait to keep following along :)
Elaissa says
OMG! Congratulations!! Can’t wait to see all the new fun projects!
Katie R says
Congratulations! Buying a house is no easy decision so I’m glad that your dream neighborhood house came into your lives. I’m dying to see photos of the interior! It looks like the same age of house my relatives haven’t updated in 30 years so I can’t wait to see what you do.
Megan says
Such exciting news! I can’t wait to follow you guys on this new adventure. When I found you, you were already established in the second house so I’m excited to see how you get ideas and how they change and come to life over time. Congrats!
Megan says
Also, when I read the first line I checked the date of the post to make sure it wasn’t an April fools joke I had somehow floated to.
Karen S says
I, too, came onto YHL after they did most of their transformations in their current house. I’m really excited to see everything from start to finish this time around.
Micha says
*blink-blinkblink-blink* Whoa! You just managed to render your entire readership speechless!
Congratulations! How exciting! It’s a beautiful house!