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…
Nicole says
Congrats!
Luke says
Jaw=floor. The grass grow naught under thine Petersik feet.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Giselle says
As a die hard fan for over 3 years now, i have to say….. This is so exciting!!!! and so frightening at the same time…. i read the blog as i religiously do every single day and felt as if it was my own adventure…. Gosh how i´ve come to love every single member of the petersilk family…. i cant wait to see the new house and the new projects, and feel so blessed that you guys have welcomed us into your life…. im with you every step of the journey and have to say you have made my life soooo much better…….
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much Giselle! That’s so sweet of you!
xo
s
Michelle says
SHUT UP.
I HAVE NO WORDS.
I thought this was a joke, and I’m so happy/sad it’s not! Why am I so emotional? Why am I so oddly attached to your current home?! I’ve never even met you guys but I forget we’re not best friends. Cheers for being financially wise and snagging your dream house!
Kate says
Gasp!
I’m so sad and so excited at the same time! I LOVE your current house sooooo much, but I knew this day would come soon… I’m very excited to see the new house, but it may take me some grieving time!
But seriously… CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Jessica @ The Desert Abode says
SO excited for you guys!!!
My blog reading has been pretty sporadic with a newborn, but yours is the one I always read every. single. day. Can’t wait to go on this new journey with you. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jessica!
xo
s
Elisa Simpson says
Guys CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! So exciting to hear you’re starting a new chapter in your dream area, hope you have many happy years together and can’t wait to read all about it. I hope this house has a double sided fireplace (was hanging out for that remodel). All the best x
Cassie says
I’m looking SOOOOOOO forward to watching you guys redo this place! Especially the stairs! I’m looking at my partially finished stairs right now, and I’m excited to finish them, so I’m doubly excited to see what you guys come up with!
Joanna says
Wow Congratulations!! Looking forward to seeing what you do with the place. Love living vicariously through your blog – we are currently in our first place and would love to upgrade, but not the right time in our neck of the woods….
Laughing Abi says
Cue The Gap Band cuz You Dropped A Bomb On Me. Congratulations!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahah!
xo
s
Susan C says
You mean to tell me that house number three isn’t move in ready? Please at least tell me you won’t get rid of the wallpaper and blue tile in that bathroom :)
Congrats on the purchase! I’m so excited that this will be the first house I follow from the beginning!! Love y’all!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
karen says
Congrats and all that, but I feel sad. This makes me feel like “it’s never enough.” People are always going to want something bigger, better, newer. What’s wrong with being happy with what you have? A nice home, nice land- when does it end? are you always going to be looking for new houses?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, well the new house isn’t bigger, it’s in worse condition, and it’s nice and old. Haha! I think this was a lot more about saving our pennies for seven years in the hopes of getting a sweet old home in a neighborhood that we’ve always loved than about nothing ever being enough. Even though the new house is full of bad tile, wallpaper, and laminate, we feel like the kings of the world :)
xo
s
Jessica says
What’s wrong with having a dream in life, realizing you can’t have your dream right away, but taking responsible steps in the meantime to live happily while settling for less and always working to keep that dream on the table? You make it sound like John and Sherry spend carelessly and live outside their means to showboat, when that’s exactly the opposite. They’re the Petersiks. . . not the Joneses. And they’re living their dream.
Heather says
When you sell this house, I’d love to see a post about how much you increased the value of your house and compare it to how much you saved by doing it all yourself. I’m trying to convince my husband a fixer-upper is a good idea and he’s all about the numbers :]
YoungHouseLove says
Totally! We’d love to do a comparison about how much we put in and how much we got out when we sold :)
xo
s
Heather C says
Congrats! Looks like everything is falling into place!
I’m waiting to hear back on an offer for a home right now. It is perfect for my budget and needs some love.
Wish me luck as I wait for a response on my hopeful first home. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Lots of luck Heather!
xo
s
Amy says
Congrats to you all:) Your new home is lucky to have you make it beautiful!
I am sure you’ll find more than one offer on your current fab-home!
Tarnya Cook says
Congratulations! Really happy for you guys.
This will be the third house I’ve been lucky enough to come on the journey with you for from afar downunder.
I so would love to bring my kids and hubby for a trip to the US and that would have to include a stop in Richmond. I’d even love an extended stay over there, maybe a house swap or something like that. Going to enter the green card lottery this year, you just never know. If you want some house guests, let me know…lol, my hubby’s a plumber! xx
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it’s a deal!
xo
s
Pip says
Congratulations Petersiks! You had ploughed through that to-do list, and knowing the pace and workload you guys sustain (and how good you are at keeping secrets), there had to be something B-I-G in the wings. Very excited to find out more about the new place and see your dreams come to life. Sending you a flock of ceramic animals as a housewarming gift and wishing you much happiness in your new home.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahha! Thanks Pip!
xo
s
Amanda says
John & Sherry I’m so torn. This is such an exciting step for you guys & for the blog & your life, but at the same time I’m not done with this house.
BUT it’s YOUR LIVES (don’t let anyone ever tell you to do something you don’t want!) and I’m sure it’s going to be great!
So congratulations and all that jazz, can’t wait to see the updates.
… but I am still going to miss this house — that guest bathroom needs some guests, haha!
Chrissie says
I officially have house envy, your new place (squee!) is GORGEOUS! I am so excited to see what you do with it.
Your story definitely gives me hope, my hubby and I chose a teeny, affordable fixer-upper four years ago and definitely want to work our way up after Munchkin arrives.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh Chrissie! You can have the house of your dreams- and in the meantime that sweet fixer upper will be the best little haven for you! We were in our first house for 4.5 years and it was such an amazing time in our lives, especially because we brought Clara home to it! All the best with your little munchkin!
xo
s
Carly says
Congratulations! That home is gorgeous! I can only imagine how excited you must be! As soon-to-be college grads and newly weds (not to mention a couple of DIY geeks, too), my fiance and I find you guys to be such an inspiration and cannot wait for the next stage of our lives together. What a beautiful home for a beautiful family! Congrats again!!!
Linda D. says
Holy two stories, Batman! You guys are my heroes! Seriously, I think you blend the best of old fashioned financial values with really now design sense. Can’t wait to see what you do with the new place. Best wishes to you all!
And, just so you know, my husband is blaming you for the ‘new’ old front door. It’s getting an upgrade from evergreen with gold accents to a vibrant blue with (you guessed it) oil rubbed bronze hardware. It’s time. And, hey, if he doesn’t like it, it’s just paint, right? I’m only brave enough to try because of your great tutorials. Thanks again and enjoy your new home.:-)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, good luck with everything Linda! Hope your hubby doesn’t hate us too much ;)
xo
s
Amy says
You guys!!! I felt a twinge of heartbreak but I love love love the new house so I’m more excited than sad now! It is jaw-droppingly beautiful. Can’t wait to see the transformation. Hats off to you as well for making it “cool” to live below your means. My husband and I just paid off our 1st home after 3 years, it’s such an amazing feeling. We’re almost done renovating it but, as you know, the work never ends! Congrats!!
Emma P says
I figured this was coming since your house is becoming more and more finished! So, so, so excited for you and to see you do another house!! I may be moving to a new city in the next few weeks (if my husband gets the job) and want to buy a fixer upper because of you! This is coming from a couple who refused to look at anything that was not brand new last year and after living in a house for a year that didn’t need a thing done, I want to do some work!! Best of luck with the move and sale of the house!!!
Laura says
Congratulations! What a beautiful house! I can’t wait to see what you do with it! Happy packing!
Megan says
Congrats! I am so excited to see how you remodel this home. Love, Love, Love your first two homes. It made me want to go look at houses, lol, we have only been ours for about 3 months. I just love seeing the potential in old homes. You both will make this house wonderful, best of wishes on tring to decide we’re to start.
Lauren says
Oh my gosh I’m so excited for all the projects!!!!!!
Congratulations!
Johanna says
You guys!!! I feel like a proud little sister… Your hard work and pinching pennies paid off! :) Sending a big congratulations on your new house, I can’t see you guys work your magic and turn it into your home :)
Johanna says
Can’t wait to see you guys work your magic* :P
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Johanna!
xo
s
Charlotte says
WOW! Congrats! I too thought it was a joke and than scrolled back to the top to re read.
The house on the outside looks great! The inside, well I can see it needs some YHL affection.
I am still a bit shocked. Great for you to save up and wait until your dream neighborhood had a house that was affordable for you.
Good Luck.
Iforgotmyusername says
Can’t believe anyone is shocked by this! The writing has been on the wall for so long! I told you you had lost your mojo in this house. So glad you will have new stuff to work on. How is the floor space similar though when it’s two storey? It looks so much bigger than your current house. Each floor must be tiny if it really is similar.
YoungHouseLove says
Our current house has an 1000 square foot addition in the back that you can’t see at all from the front (that’s why it looks as small as our first house when it’s really twice the size). So instead of anything hiding behind the new house, it’s plopped on top in plain view as the second floor, so of course it looks bigger since there’s no hidden addition :)
xo
s
Laura James says
OMG … I had a dream last night that you guys bought a new house. Thats just freaky!
Congrats =)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, no way!
xo
s
Melissa says
Me too!
Emily says
The house looks so cute! I can’t wait to see all that y’all do to it. I look forward to many more inspiring posts. My husband and I hope to try out the front door painting after seeing your post awhile back about that. We are in our first home, an older home and are enjoying fixing it up and blogging our adventures along the way!
http://lovepastatoolbelt.com/?p=1121
James Malone says
Don’t forget, when driving a moving truck look out for the gutters AND the mailboxes.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, amen!
xo
s
Chelsea @ Riding Escalators says
Wow! I had an inkling – but I’m surprised how fast this happened! Congratulations!
Bonita says
Wow! You guys totally caught me off guard. . .I so didn’t see this coming. I am excited for you and can’t wait to see what all you do!
Emily says
Your blog is depressing in the most unusual way…
Julianne says
WoW….you could’ve blown me over with a feather!!! I was actually thinking about this very scenario not too long ago because your current house was becoming a vision of perfection. :0). Congratulations!!! Can’t wait so see your all new projects and decorating! What fun!!!
Sydnie F. says
Congratulations! That is such an exciting step and I can’t wait to see the amazing transformations ahead!
On a more personal note: my husband and I put in an offer on a 1960’s rancher in need of updating in Baltimore (we have some competition though). It was a big confidence boost to us knowing that you’ve already updated a rancher, twice!, and posted every detail of it on your great little blog. Thanks for the inspiration and guidance!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, good luck with everything Sydnie!
xo
s
Mary says
What a great house! I’m so happy for you. I can’t wait to see what you do with all those rooms with wallpaper. Who knows you might even do some more wallpapering of your own!
Brandi says
Congrats Petersik family!!! As popular as your blog is I’m sure your current home will sell in a heartbeat. You guys have done great things with that place. I’m so excited to see what magic you guys pull off in the new place! Many blessings to you all.
Shaina says
Is that little sink in the second row of photos part of a wet bar?
My parents totally have a wet bar in their family room. Their house was also built in the 70’s. They are not big drinkers so we pretty much stored our movie collection in the bar cabinets as kids. I also liked to pretend it was my own personal kitchen. My sisters and I would store snacks in that little nook and get ourselves glasses of water from the tiny sink.
Excited to see what you do with the new home!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! It’s the funniest old little wet bar!
xo
s
Jaileigh says
Congratulations!
That may be a collection of the worst wallpaper I have ever seen. You absolutely need to frame a collage of some of that atrocity..for posterity…or something…
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a plan!
xo
s
Ginger says
Oh my goodness! I was so surprised, but can’t wait to see what you do with it. Really like the outside. Hope your house sells quickly!
Alisa says
Congratulations!
I love the look of the new place! (2-storey homes aren’t as common here in Australia as they are in other parts of the world – it looks like something that belongs on the front of a Christmas card to me.)
My fixed interest rate expired last month meaning a nmassive drop in repayments for me; we’re renting my sil’s house in a new town, but considering buying soon… It’s a bit inspiring to see you guys starting again, too (but add me to the list of people disappointed about Clara’s big girl room!).
I’ll be especially keen to see what you do with all your art in the new place.
SunshineGal85 says
Mind blown! Looking back, I can see the signs now with so many big projects back to back, but it was easy to dismiss the porch columns, vine in tree and carporgola as you simply being eager to get outdoors and enjoy spring. What should have gave it away was the guest bathroom makeover.
Seriously, you guys, congratulations! And what good financial role models you are. I have always admired that you guys analyze your spending so thoroughly and spend your money so wisely. Clearly it has paid off in the form of your dream home in (most importantly) your dream neighborhood. The house is so stately and so . . . Richmond, too. As a newer reader, I’m excited to get to experience your blog in real time as you take on this new two-story project.
The best part of this post for me, was you looking ahead to teaching Clara to ride her bike. After all, it doesn’t matter how wonderful a house is if you can’t feel safe teaching your child how to ride her bike in the neighborhood, right? Best wishes, Petersiks!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much! That’s so sweet of you to say :)
xo
s
Kai says
My jaw just about hit the ground!
I’m not surprised that you bought a new place (seemed like it was coming soon), but you’ve got to admit that was a bombshell announcement. Obviously, the home is like the 5th Petersik, so even though it felt inevitable, it is still a little sad to see it go. Can’t wait to see more pics of the new house!
Renee says
Holy Smokes Batman!!! Y’all just threw me a curve ball! Can’t wait for more projects. Congrats!
Karen White says
Wow! I was shocked to see this! Good thing you didn’t post this info on April 1st.
Congratulations, it looks beautiful! You guys will make it awesome as always.
Jan says
WOW! I did not see this coming. You two are just full of surprises, I seriously thought it was another one of your little jokes when I first started reading. Congratulations, I can’t wait to see what you do with this house.
Amy L. says
Congrats, Petersiks!
I am excited to see what you will do with a two story home! Was starting to wonder if a change was on the horizon because you didn’t seem to have enough left at your current home to blog about for the long haul.
Have been reading since the “This Young House” days and can’t wait to see what’s next!
SunshineGal85 says
Holy Macklemore! I just noticed the number of comments. I remember a post where you listed the posts with the most comments, but now I can’t find it. This one has to be up there. Has this one broken the record?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, this guy wins! Haha!
xo
s