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…
misa says
just this weekend, i was telling my husband that i thought you might be moving soon–your house was getting so close to being “finished.” so excited and happy for you, and i can’t wait to see it!
Gerry says
I was getting an x ray this morning and all I could think of was “everything matches Sue the napkin. What will happen to Sue the napkin? Is she in or out?”
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah! I think Sue will come along for the fun and meet some new friends :)
xo
s
Carissa Chong says
Holy cow, my day is officially rocked! Congrats, we are about to close on our first home in a few weeks!!!!
Stacia Reagan says
First CONGRATULATIONS on the new adventure! I am sending you LOTS of speedy home selling vibes. Second, THANK YOU for showing reader’s how living below your means and being a “saver” vs. a spender who has to have the newest car/ATV/boat/tool/T.V. can really pay off in the best way possible – a gorgeous place to call home, and more important, the ability to jump at the opportunity when it presents itself. YEAH! I love reading your blog, and I love that this post really shows how personal financial responsibilty can make dreams come true.
Thanks for letting all us reader’s in on the adventure guys!
Lauren Pack says
SO excited! I can’t wait to see all the new design ideas put into action.. Congratulations!
Donna says
Congratulations on finding a new house! Although I personally cringe at the idea of moving again :-) I’ll enjoy watching you tackle this new challenge.
Jennifer says
What a shock guys! Congratulations on the dream house though, and I can’t wait to see you guys tackle a whole new world of projects!
N Shirley says
Having just come to the finish of watching my son and his wife pay two mortgages for the past 9 months, I TRULY wish you the best and a fast sale! And I just want to state: 1. I knew you were thinking about selling 2. I never liked the current house, although I read your blog faithfully, I always preferred your first house! OK to admit that now? I love your blog though and your book and love the work you do and the process you go through with each project. Congratulations and BEST WISHES!
Hilary says
I saw some comments asking if your new house is “north of the river” – what’s the deal? Is there some big divide between Richmond north of the river and south? One side better or nicer than the other? (this is not to ask which side you are on!)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! It’s a cute littel RVA rivalry! There’s a river that literally runs through the town, so some people are north, some are west, and some are south of the river!
xo
s
mp says
Oh yeah, there’s a big north/south of-the-rivah rivalry in Richmond. For years, north was considered more prestigious, but Chesterfield and even parts of south Richmond have really perked up in the last decade.
Tanya says
Little ole Perth, Western Australia has that ongoing debate as well. North versus South. Very few people actually move across the river. Where you start is where you stay.
South is better of course!
xx
Kate says
I was just thinking the other day that your house was seeming more and more ‘done’ and I was wondering what you guys would do next! I started following your blog a few months before you moved last time. I am so excited to see what you do with the new place! Do you have a new napkin as your starting inspiration for your house colors?
YoungHouseLove says
We have no idea! We like every color these days so it’ll be fun to see where we end up…
xo,
s
Dee Dee says
Thats awesome!
I love open houses, and its nothing for me to take a quick detour when I see a sign. Frequent passengers in my car expect it. Its wonderful that this opportunity presented itself to you. Congrats on the new casa!I can’t wait to read about it
Morgan says
Yay yay yay!!!! Can’t wait to see what you do!
Jenna says
So happy for you guys! The new place looks awesome! I can definitely understand why it will be bittersweet; so many memories and hard work put into your current house. I was just wondering the other day if you guys ever get tired of rooms or design choices you made when you first moved in. Like the guest room for example? (I love it, btw.) The first room we worked on at our house was the nursery, and now I would do it completely different. Maybe when you get that feeling that means it’s time to buy a new house! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Actually I think we love the guest room a lot! And the hallway frame wall! And the new fireplace. And the pergola. And the penny tile. Those are the things we’ll miss most. I think our giant living room is the one we’ll miss the least. It’s just so giant, it has been hard to adjust to after our cozy little den in the first house :)
xo
s
Jenna says
I was thinking the hallway frames would be so hard to take down and pack up! I hope I didn’t offend you, I just meant that I know my style and taste have changed in the last few years, so I wondered if that ever happens to you guys. I love your house and can’t wait to see what you do with the new one!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that’ll be hard to leave the frame wall too, but I’m so glad the frames all get to come with us! I’m sure the new house will be just as different as our first and second house are, we seem to just evolve as we go, so we can’t wait to see where we end up! :)
xo
s
Darlene says
Good grief! I’m glad the bulk of what I’ve read have been positive supportive comments. But after reading one of the comments that stated you were dishonest….I had to respond. I’m surprised that you disclose where you live at all, but unfortunately in this world of information overload it’s hard not to be discovered in a search. Having said that, you are accorded the right to disclose what you want when you want! Don’t feel compelled to respond to questions in poor taste. Your business is just that, your business. Best wishes in moving to the new home.
Darcy says
I wonder how you will decorate this new amazing house! Do you see yourself going in a completely different direction as you did between house 1 and 2?
YoungHouseLove says
I think it’ll definitely evolve to be different than the first or second since it’s a different style of house and our style is always evolving too :)
xo
s
kristen says
I’ve been following your journey for the last 3+ years, and though I’m going to miss the updates from your current home, I am very excited for the next part of your journey and everything you are going to do with your new home.
Congratulations!!!
Helene says
First time commenting here. Started reading your blog a couple weeks ago. Just wanted to add to your already overflowing cup. Congratulations! This one looks like a keeper, I think. What a wonderful place to raise your sweet baby girl!
Jenn says
Like a few others mentioned i kept waiting for the joke or punchline. I swear it feels like you just moved into this place!!! Wish I lived in Richmond because i sooo would buy the house!!!
man you guys are great at secrets!!!! CONGRATS
Alexandria says
Congratulations! You know….I kind of had this gut feeling that we would be reading this kind of post! About 3 years ago I googled “how to paint kitchen cabinets” and I have been inspired by your awesome ideas ever since. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for your new house! This is exciting :)
Crystal says
Say WHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA????
LOL. You guys are better at secret keeping than you give yourselves credit for! I can’t wait to see what you do with the new house!! Very exciting!
mp says
Ummmm … I like that flowered wallpaper, third on the right, first row.
Michelle says
We’re closing on our new house in three weeks, so I’m glad you’ll be starting another remodel so I can steal new ideas! Congrats! :)
Maria says
I knew you guys were up to something!
Ever since last year I’ve felt like you’ve somehow… tuned down. There was the book tour to deal with, of course – but still. I knew you had enough skills and vision to tackle big, awesome projects, maybe a bunkbed/castle for Clara or built-in storage somewhere – SOMETHING – but instead you kept on doing little fiddly updates here and there, but nothing exciting. And several times I thought to myself, “I wonder what they’re up to…” I could see why many people thought Sherry was pregnant again – it just looked like there was something going on that you weren’t sharing!
Earlier this year I deleted your link from my own blog. I used to read your stuff daily, but now I’ve been checking you out maybe once a week or fortnightly, sort of scroll through, see if there’s anything cool going on and close it down. It just wasn’t exciting anymore.
And when the words “resale value” cropped up for the second time at least under your carport update, it really did look like you’re either selling it to tackle another house or you’re selling it and moving out of this blogging business altogether.
And to see this blog post here, I am, pardon my english, just f*cking relieved to see that you haven’t become boring – you were just hiding this thing instead.
I know it’s such a girly thing to do, to follow a blog with such passion (and my husband has made several comments to that account), but I’ve just enjoyed you so much over the years and I was so bummed when I didn’t like coming back here anymore! It was like losing a friend almost – like you used to be fun and surf and listen to reggae music and then you suddenly put on a suit and went to work in a office. That sort of stuff.
So to finish this ramble off, thank god you’re back. I’m glad you’ve got this house. Congratulations!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Maria! It was definitely hard to keep the secret for so long. I did feel like I was slowly dying sometimes. I think that’s the mark of a true over-sharer! Wait, but you didn’t like our pergola?! I’m going to cry leaving that thing. Haha!
xo
s
Maria says
Did I like the pergola? Mm… no, not really. I would’ve probably liked it had it been my own house, but when other people show their plants and gardens and fencing it’s like, yeah, whatever. It’s gonna take years before that thing is green and without plants it really does not look like much. On photos anyway.
Inside stuff’s much cooler =)
Julia says
This is what happens when I go have surgery for a day. I missed this post and am shocked, but equally excited for you all. I “found” YHL in the middle of your kitchen remodel of your second house, so now I feel like I get to start on the “ground floor” so-to-speak. :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Hope your surgery went well!
-John
Marianne says
Congratulations on you new home! I think it is great!!!!
Nikki H says
Congratulations! I can’t wait to see what y’all do to this gem.
Brandan WH says
Such wonderful, crazy exciting news!
We had twins a year ago and are stalking neighborhoods as well to fit the babes, our 3 year old, ourselves AND a room for the grandparents for when they come to visit.
I’m inspired to keep looking and saving!
Sassafras says
Doing the Carleton with you!!! HOW ‘citing!!!!!!! Wooo-hooo, beautiful exterior! Can’t wait to see what you guys do with it! I’ll be waiting with baited breath.
Jamie says
I love reading your blog everyday & started thinking last week…these guys need to move! What else can they do to their house! Can’t wait to follow you on your new adventure.
Kate says
I hope you find less snakes in this new yard ! My “richmond area” home is also 37 years old with a lot of similiar items. I can’t wait to see what you do.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! Lets all do a less snakes dance!
xo
s
Guylaine Côté says
It’s a good news!!! Good luck and have fun!!! I dont know if I am telling it right : I am looking forward to discover your futur transfomations ( j’ai vraiment hâte de voir vos futures transformations )
Guylaine :)
YoungHouseLove says
Merci beaucoup Guylaine! La maison est mon petit choux :)
xo
s
Guylaine Côté says
You are a very nice person, thank you!
Kaylin Lydia says
HEY! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU GUYS!! CONGRATULATIONS! I CAN NOT WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU DO WITH THE NEW HOUSE! YAY!!!
Diane says
I’m so excited for you guys! we are moving into our fixer-uper the first week of June!
Lindsay says
Congrats! I love the architectural style of your new house. And I can’t wait for the “how to fix your lumpy carpet” post…we have some of that around here unfortunately.
Nichole K says
Lindsay, unfortunately the only way to fix creased or lumpy carpet is to get it re-stretched or replace it. It’s a pain (literally) because the most simple way is using a tool called a Knee Kick down on your hands an knees that you sort of “plant” into the carpet (it has teeth) then reverse donkey kick the tool toward the wall with you knee. Not as complicated as it sounds.
It probably wouldn’t hurt to try it yourself, but you do have to go all the way around the room all the way to the walls to get the stretched carpet to reattach to the tack strips that run around the room perimeter.
Here’s a cheap-o one: http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/100376312?productId=100376312&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=100376312&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googleads-_-pla-_-100376312&ci_gpa=pla
They also have really long carpet stretchers that sort of telescope outward when you crank them with teeth pads on each end, but those are spendy.
Best way to avoid creases is to not over clean carpets. The water/chemicals weaken the carpet and backing and reduce the tension.
(Sorry this got long! My dad owned a carpet business when I was growing up and I seem to be full of random carpet factoids!)
YoungHouseLove says
Love the tips Nichole! Thanks for sharing!
xo
s
chris says
Good for you! Just started reading all these great blogs, yours being one of them, and clearly you have worked very hard to get the home you were always dreaming of, while enjoying the ones you made home along the way. Have fun, enjoy!
Ann says
Cool! I’m really happy for you and it looks like an amazing house!
Ada (new york) says
Congrats!!!! I thought it was an April fools joke, then remembered that we are in May ;) Congrats again … wohoo, new home, new beginning, new adventures, new DIYs.
Pat C says
Congratulations guys!
I am so excited for you all.
As usual, we’ll be waiting with bated breath to see how all this unfold, May God bless you through this transition and beyond.
Joseph says
Hi, fellow Richmonder here. The wife and I would love to help you guys paint your mauve trim! We’re scheduled to close on our first house on May 10th and my wife has been bookmarking all of the ideas we want to borrow for the place. There are like fifty bookmarks in there. Your new house is gorgeous and I’m glad you finally got it in your dream neighborhood. Congratulations!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks Joseph! Come on over! We’ll supply the pizza!
xo
s
Meghan says
I’ve been sitting on a comment for this since you posted yesterday AM but alas, I have nothing to say but congratulations 1000 times over. So very excited to see what ya’ll have up your sleeves.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Meghan!
xo
s
Lauren says
That is awesome, Congrats! Love that you mention sharing the good, bad, and ugly. Life isn’t just about the big reveal, its the messes and and road blocks too. I need to remind myself this as I grudgingly paint our nasty popcorn ceilings this weekend. You guys sound like you are doing a great job of living in the present :)
Mary says
Congrats guys! It’s great when things fall into place and you’re in a place you can see your family grow! Best wishes for a happy journey!
Sarah says
I had a massive grin on my face the whole time I was reading this. Congratulations guys! You totally deserve it and I can’t wait to read about your forthcoming adventures!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Sarah!
xo
s
Kathy says
Congratulations! Good call. I always think buying a “needs love” home in a great neighborhood is the way to go. And I had been thinking that you would have to move to have more projects! Clara looks delighted…steps will be fun! Looking forward to the adventure and delighted for you all.
JJ says
Just wondering, it seems that you ran out of projects on the last house and that this purchase is partly to help continue the blog. It is kind of obvious that you have run out of writing material based on the fact that the old house is done. Just an honest opinion, but I think that is why you had to sell and move on.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, check out this sentence in this post: “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 definitely like to be transparent about this being our love & our job! So just like someone might have to relocate for work, this move was definitely partially driven by the fact that this blog puts food on the table and money in Clara’s college fund. But the fact that our new house was in our dream neighborhood after 7 years of trying to get in there was definitely the icing on the cake!
xo
s
Amanda L. says
No lie, my sister and her husband are looking for a house to buy in Richmond. They just had a contract fall through, so are back on the hunt again.
I don’t know what part of town you’re in but would you mind emailing me the details? Sq ft, # bedrooms and bathrooms, you know, the quick and dirty? I’m assuming you can see my email address above. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Amanda! We’ll email you details :)
xo
s
Lauren Nicole says
I can’t believe it! I take one vacation in the past three years and you guys drop this bomb while I’m gone! So happy and excited for you, Petersiks!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Lauren!
xo
s
Sue says
So is move really because you guys need more fuel for the blog?
YoungHouseLove says
As we said in this post, “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 definitely like to be transparent about this being our love & our job! So just like someone might have to relocate for work, this move was definitely partially driven by the fact that this blog puts food on the table and money in Clara’s college fund. The fact that our new house was in our dream neighborhood after 7 years of trying to get in there was definitely the icing on the cake – and in the end we just LOVE THIS STUFF (we did it for years without making a cent)!
xo
s
Marissa says
I have been following your blog for a long long while and I have to say, I LOVE your blog!!! It’s the only one that I follow regularly and I am SO excited for you guys!!!! Congrats! I really look forward to what you will do next.
Cindy_FearlessDIY says
So exciting! Congratulations, you guys!