Young House Love

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We Bought A New House!

So, funny story about the house below. We bought it and we’re moving in.

New House

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.

Final Exterior Before

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.

Final Exterior After

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.

Current House Before

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.

Pergola After Full House

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.

Closing Shot

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…

House Peeks

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!

Clara Burger2

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.

Rebuild End Of 4th

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.

Clara Burger1

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…

Comments

  3. Meredith says

    Congrats guys! I can’t say I’m surprised since you’ve been speeding through Listy McListerson recently, however I’m super excited for new projects in the new house! I actually thought you’d go for something more contemporary (I know there are houses like that in your area b/c my friend’s parents used to live in one), but I’m loving the classic brick Colonial! (LOVE the Chippendale railings on the porch!) I’m a little sad you’re moving out of Bon Air though, my great aunt and uncle live in that neighborhood and it was fun to imagine you living down the street from them :-) I hope the new neighborhood suits you well and Clara will have lots of playmates there! Congrats again :-)

    Reply

  4. Emily B says

    Congrats!

    I can’t wait to read your posts about removing wallpaper! You always manage to find the best time-saving secrets! I bought a house in the fall that is covered from top to bottom with wallpaper and could use all the tips I can get. Especially when trying to remove painted over wallpaper! Ugghh!

    Reply

  6. Kristin says

    AHH! Congrats!! cant wait to see what you do in this house! so excited its a 2 story, we have a 2 story and love it.

    Reply

  7. Laura says

    So excited for you guys!! I’m super excited the house has a lot of blue trim and outdated wallpaper because the transformations are going to be AMAZING! Congrats!

    Reply

  9. Jamie Howe says

    crazy, after the guest bath I thought ‘geez are they gonna run out of projects in that house?’

    Congrats, so excited to see all the fun projects!!!!!

    Reply

  10. Jihane says

    It’s weird for me to admit it, but first I was just surprised and sad to know you’re leaving your current (beautiful)house. But now I’m happy for you guys, you deserve the best. Also, I read many comments and it’s beautiful to see how much your readers love you :) this site is definitely a happy place…

    Reply

  11. Jane says

    Congrats to both of you, along with Clara and Burger. The first thing I do each morning is to check out your web page. I really look forward to it! Well, today I about fell off my chair when I saw you bought a new home! I didn’t see that coming! I really love your home and I’m sure it will sell in a heartbeat! It’s just too cute! Your new house looks lovely and I’m sure you will have many years of happiness there! Can’t wait to see the new projects you’ll tackle!

    Best of luck,
    Janie

    Reply

  12. chez says

    Thrilled for you guys!! Way to seize the opportunity and prepare in advance so it could happen. As Oprah says, “luck is preparation meeting opportunity.” We are also about to move, so I’m excited to watch your process and get some pointers/tips/commiseration/ideas. Best to you guys always!

    Reply

  13. Cati says

    I am so excited for y’all!!! Congratulations!!! I would not wish wallpaper removal on my worst enemy, but I cannot wait until you dig into those bathrooms! :D

    Reply

  14. Travis says

    Congratulations guys! Very exciting! And your patience and sound judgement in purchasing homes is inspiring. If the rest of America would follow your lead, I think we would all be better off.

    Reply

  15. Amy @ Paint Wine Repeat says

    Wow wow wow!! Great news!! Congrats :)
    I had a feeling this day was approaching as you were putting finishing touches on rooms and building that pergola!
    I would def but if I lived in Richmond!! You’ll have a bidding war I’m sure!
    Good luck :)

    Reply

  17. Nichole K says

    Congratulations! So may things to say, but that’s most important in my book. Can’t wait to see all of the new projects. I’m sure you’re all ecstatic, because I’m pretty ecstatic for you!

    PS: I may have said holy @#$& out loud when I read that first graph :) ha!

    Reply

  22. Annelise in Edmonds says

    Oh wow! You took me through an emotional loop of sadness for leaving your current house and then huge excitement towards the future in following you in your new home! (I had begun to wonder what more could you possibly find to do in house #2 :)) Congratulations to all of you and the future posts to come! Cheers!

    Reply

  23. Ashley says

    Thrilling!! Can’t wait to come along for the virtual ride and be inspired all over again. You guys are living-in-chaos pros after all the book shoot stuff, I know, but hope this time goes smoothly and quickly for you nonetheless! YAY!

    Reply

  24. CALI says

    is it weird that this new overwhelms me? haha Im excited for you guys but so sad bc i love your house!! If I were in the market and in the area it would be mine! good luck guys!!!

    Reply

  26. Joie says

    Congratulations! I’m looking forward to seeing how the progression. I’m sure it’ll be totally you – Awesome :)

    Reply

  27. angel says

    Congratulations! My heart was racing while reading, waiting for that “just kidding” moment to happen.
    This is so exciting – for your family, your family’s future AND for your readers!
    Congrats on working so hard to live below your means…as Dave Ramsey says, “If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.”
    I hope you’re feeling very proud of yourselves…you should be!

    Reply

  28. Sally says

    I am shrieking with joy. No, really, this means YEARS of projects. To tell the truth, I was worried that you two would run out of things to do. So, great news! But I really want a video of John doing the Carlton. That would be sweet.

    Reply

  30. Lindsay says

    Congratulations!

    I had a funny feeling this was coming soon. Ya’ll have been kicking butt in your current house & I felt like you were running out of stuff to do! Best wishes to you all in your new home and adventure. Of course I’ll be creeping…er, stalking…I mean, happily joining you on the journey!

    Reply

  33. Heather P says

    I love your reveal and Carlton reference! I can’t wait to see more photos of the new house! Best of luck on selling the current one.

    Reply

  36. Roxanne M says

    WOW! Congratulations Petersiks! The house is gorgeous and I can’t wait to see what you do on the inside. Looking forward to more pictures :)

    Reply

  38. Noele says

    I teared up a bit reading this. I may be a tad too emotionally invested in you total strangers. ;) Congratulations!!!

    Reply

  39. Season says

    I was just thinking that you guys seemed about out of major projects and it was time for an upgrade again. =) But I can’t say that I wasn’t with everyone else in thinking it was a joke!

    Reply

  40. Kiera says

    Wow! Congratulations—- so fun to find such a bombshell on the blog today! L
    ove the creepy neighborhood stalking image- can totally relate… loved our museum district home- but I used to go on windy long runs to dream about the places off Cary & Grove and then on the other direction off Hanover and Stuart…. alas our Richmond dreams were not to be- at least I have a dreamy “mary munford” cape home in Florida now. Focused on the journey!

    Reply

  41. Angie says

    Well, y’all certainly have a type, don’t cha. This house looks so much bigger even though it’s the same square footage. I guess ranches can hide a lot of space. So excited for you but more excited for us to follow along with all the new projects.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes, our current house has a 1000K addition on the back, which is why it looks like our first house even though it’s twice the size. Meanwhile the new house just has the rooms on top instead of hiding, so it looks really different!

      xo
      s

  42. Corinne says

    The people who buy your house will be so lucky! I know you will sell it in no time. Your new house looks lovely.

    Reply

  43. Christine says

    This is going to sounds silly, and I’m so happy for you guys, but for some reason I’m also really sad. I loved that house. I’m sure I’ll love this one just as much but I’m still so shocked.

    Reply

  45. ann marie says

    Congratulations!!!! The new house is so beautiful. I love that brickwork! You will have it spiffed up in no time.

    Reply

  46. Shauna says

    Well Im shocked! Im pretty sure this is my favorite blog. Its the one I look at first in my reader to see if there is anything new! I love the big living room in your house, the new deck yall just built and several other rooms you have going on. Im sure the new house will be just as fun to keep up with progress but I sorta feel tired for you already having to start from scratch! You just got all the major stuff done in this house and now you dont get to enjoy it!! One thing Id really like to see is an updated list of what you are going to finish before you move and also I am really curious to know how much the improvements you guys have made to your current house affect its value. Not trying to know exact numbers but Id love to know at the end that everything you did added X amount of value to the selling price.

    Reply

  47. Tia says

    Hi,
    Congratulations! I can’t wait to see your next house and how your creativity will unleash and love that space.

    If I was living in Richmond, your house would be perfect for my family and I would buy it in snap – but i live in South Africa :)

    What I have often hoped for, after seeing the run-ups and downs to and after the book, was to see what your rooms would look like if you reconfigured and reassigned them.

    Remember when you brought in a couch to the dining room and placed it against the one wall? I really wanted to see how you would change that space if you were going to use it as a living room.

    Before you move, it would be awesome to see how you would change your current dining room into a living room using furniture you currently have, perhaps including some entry hall furniture too – hooks for jackets perhaps? Boot trays?

    And your currently living room – if that were our house, I would have a dining area close to the kitchen where we would also do our homeschooling – would need a lot of bookshelves :D though, a lot more than you currently have in your house – and will have a sit-down area with couches for reading at the back, a play area etc. Kind of an all purpose big room where the family would dine, learn, play and do crafts. But I would love to see this designed in Casa Petersik style. Its a huge room and its just PERFECT for a homeschooling-multipurpose room.

    If you have the time and are up for a last challenge before you leave, using what you have, could you reconfigure those two rooms? Your blog is already an amazing ad for would-be buyers but to have these rooms reconfigured would show how adaptable this house could be.

    Sharing your excitement,
    xo,

    Reply

  48. Caroline says

    Maybe it’s strange, but i can’t wait to see what you will do to the stairs…
    Anyway. Great news and congratulation.
    Caroline

    Reply

  50. KiTX says

    OK, can’t lie- my immediate reaction was all shock: “what. no, seriously, WHAT. WHAT!” But your story makes total sense, and then you showed up thumbnails of spaces to be renovated and I literally just said “eeee!” and CLAPPED at my desk. Hurray for Casa Petersik v3, and congrats on realizing your seven-years-in-the-making dream!

    Reply

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