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…
Rachel G. says
So funny! I was just telling my sister about your blog and she asked what you all were going to do since you have completed so many big projects around your current house. I told her I wouldn’t be surprised if you bought a new house any day now. Congrats! She’s a looker :)
Melissa @ HOUSEography says
Wow! Congratulations!! Can’t wait to see what you do in this new chapter!! Good luck with selling and moving. You’re going to have to have a new page just for old house tours :)
Alex W. says
Congratulations! This just made my heart jump with joy!
I’m looking forward to seeing you all make this house into a home!
ashley @ sunnysideshlee.com says
I second, triple and quadruple the sentiments of AAHHHHHH! So exciting for you guys! It’s crazy because renovating your home and showing people how you did it IS your livelihood. I’ll be impressed if you stay in a home for 10 years+! It would be so hard to do when people check in to your blog to see what beautiful changes you make to your home which is mostly DIY. (People stop by for your winning personalities too – not gonna lie your roadtrip video to Dallas is like my favorite thing ever…in a non-creeper way).
Can’t wait to see the new home and learn all about your family’s next big adventure!!
mary says
This comes as no surprise. I noticed you were doing many “finishing touches” and no BIG projects. I had my feeling this was happening about a month ago.
Kudos! I couldn’t be happier. This new style of home matches my own and I am eager to watch the transformation!
Congratulations Petersiks!
Laura A says
Like so many others, I too checked the calendar to see if this was an April Fools joke. CONGRATULATIONS!!!! :) Thanks for showing that patience and a future vision does pay off. It’s refreshing to watch you two live the way you live. Can’t wait to see which outdated room you decide to tackle first!
nick says
cue breaking the internets in 5…4…3…
YoungHouseLove says
Ha! So happy we haven’t crashed. *knocks on wood*
-John
Kathryn says
Actually seriously impressed, John. I’ve gone through the comments on this post (40+ pages), much in real time (In my defence, New Media student here. Watching how news travels, gets parsed = my jam) and not once did the site not load like a beaut. Respect!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s good to hear! And bravo to you for making through all of the comments!
-John
Jennie says
Oh my gosh, you guys! I am so excited for you it’s practically unreasonable! My heart was pounding (in a good way) as I read your post … I knew this was coming soon (you were giving off lots of vibes!) but it was still a great surprise. The house is beautiful and I can’t wait to see what you do with it. We are getting ready to do a massive remodel on our 60-year-old house (we’ve been living there 5 years now) so I am already excited about house stuff. Can’t wait for more YHL adventures! :)
Erin K. says
Another fellow Richmonder always looking at houses on the market. I couldn’t help but notice recently, but is this your old house? If so, how funny that two of your houses are on the market!
http://homes.richmond.com/residential/1307488/
YoungHouseLove says
Yep – that’s the one! Too funny, right?
-John
Lindsay says
I just housecrashed it. Strange to see someone else’s stuff in there!
Kim says
The first two words cracked me up haha. I have heard yall describe that house in many ways but never as a “cream puff”!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha we laughed at that too!
xo
s
Tyra says
Looks so different with other stuff! Also love how they advertise it was your first house. Random!
Sara V says
Awww Clara’s first room is stil the same color!
Kathi says
no offense to the people who are selling your first home, but it looks weird seeing someone else’s furniture in that place…especially the really heavy office/master bedroom furniture.
Evan says
Wow, can’t believe they’re advertising it as “Former home of Richmond’s most famous DIY bloggers and was featured in several national decorating magazines and HGTV.” haha.
Devon @ Green House, Good Life says
Maybe they would be interested in buying your current house?
I LOVE the exterior of your new house! It reminds me of the faculty houses at my college (Sweet Briar, down near Lynchburg).
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! They’re actually moving out of state for a job transfer! It’s exciting to see who else might end up there though! I want to house crash the next people! Haha!
xo
s
Katie says
I feel so betrayed. I’m excited that the stories will be more interesting from now on, because it was getting really monotonous…but I just feel like you guys could’ve told us you were doing certain items to help it sell. Light fixtures, curb appeal…it makes sense…but I just feel betrayed. Like all the stuff you were doing was to just get advertising money off the hits– like Clara’s “big girl room” and everything else. I know it’s your livelihood. I just feel betrayed.
YoungHouseLove says
We just spilled the beans when we felt it was best for our family (posting some things as they happen can compromise your address). We’ve also mentioned things like resale & said we’re “open to a new house when we’re done with this one” so many of our readers guessed this was coming. It has nothing to do with ad money/hits. Sharing this news sooner & milking it would have earned more hits than holding it back :)
xo
s
Leeann says
Dramatic much? Geez. Kudos for Sherry for always having diplomatic and sweet reponses to Negative Nellies.
Bethany says
The comment is harsh and assumes a lot, but I know as a long time reader, I was amazed at the mix of emotions I had too. A credit to you all, we readers definitely get invested. I can totally see the perspective of “wait, they bought ithe new house 6 months ago, so all those projects were just for resale? I was so excited to see the evolution/ use of (fill in the blank).”
Of course you make the choices that are right for your family first. But I totally was surprised at my confusion, shock, disappointment, etc. Ultimately the prevailing emotion is excitement and cheering you on as you embark on this next adventure.
Best of luck on a smooth move this weekend :)
Kristin says
Congratulations! The house looks gorgeous! It’s funny because as I was flipping through your book last night for some new ideas I thought to myself, “I wonder when they’re moving. It looks like their house is almost done.” Who knew I could read your minds?! I love that DIY is in your blood and that you’re breathing new life into an older home. So many people want something brank spankin’ new (cookie cutter IMO) and I just love seeing older homes refreshed. Congrats again!
Dave K says
Wow! This is amazing news! Congrats to you all!
Carmen says
Oh yay!! I am so excited for you guys!! Congratulations! And thanks so much for sharing your story of how you got into this new house! My husband and I will probably be following a similar path to get to our “dream home” and it’s wonderful to hear how well this worked out for your family! Can’t wait to see what you do with the new place!
Allison says
Shocker! I thought this was a joke at first. That’s so exciting, but I feel like you haven’t gotten to relax and enjoy all the stuff you’ve done to your current house (like use the deck for a full season). Do you ever feel like you need a break from all the major projects? I know little ones never stop, but we built our house ourselves and I SOOO needed a breather for a few months/a year before starting another major project. My husband, on the other hand, does not feel the same way and started another construction project behind the house (workshop).
YoungHouseLove says
It’s funny how there are phases of projects (small updates, big gut jobs, organizing chaos – like after you move, etc). So since those seem to rotate and we try to tackle big things and then small things and then inside things and outside things, somehow it’s all DIY but it feels different enough to be a nice pace for us :)
xo
s
Alisia says
Wow! I wasn’t expecting that when I tuned in this morning. Congratulations though! I can’t wait to see the place and read all the plans you have for it!
Maria says
I kid you not, I was JUST thinking about how I wondered if you guys were ever going to buy a house with stairs. And then bam! New house, with stairs! This is awesome!!!
Related, I was wondering if you guys have any tips about buying a house in a city you don’t live in? (Like when you moved from NYC to Richmond in the first place.)
Have fun! I am excited to see what you do with it!
YoungHouseLove says
We actually rented in Richmond for three months, just to make sure we moved, got jobs here, settled in, and found the right neighborhood. If you’d rather buy off the bat I’d make lots of trips there to see things in person, just because it’s hard to get a neighborhood vibe from pics :)
xo
s
Cayce says
Wow! Congratulations! After reading the first line I thought I had gone to sleep for an almost year and woke up on April Fool’s Day :) Can’t wait to see more pics and hear your plans for the place.
Liz says
Please tell John not to bury the lede next time. Ha ha. That was awesome. Congratulations :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah!
xo
s
Peggy says
Congratulations! Y’all are probably going to find that remodeling a house that’s never been updated is actually a lot easier than one might think. Nothing to un-do first!
The stairs might be a challenge, though.
Rebecca | the lil house that could says
Whoa…. speechless! Congrats guys, looks like there’s lots of love to be put into that place!
Malisa says
Wow, congrats! I totally didn’t see this coming!
Alyson says
As we were gathering this morning as a family before sending the high schoolers off and starting the younger ones on chores, one of my kids mentioned, “It’s the last day of April.”
“Yeah,” I said, “the anti-April-Fool’s-Day.” Wouldn’t it be funny, I thought, if the YHL people did a last-of-April Fools post? Ha ha.
So can you imagine where my mind automatically went, from the first sentence of this post?
I’m happy for you. Can’t wait to see what you do with the next place. And PLEASE let us know, when your current house sells, how much more it is worth because of your upgrades. I just refinanced for a banging interest rate, and my little 118YO house (yes, built in 1895) was, in the words of the appraiser, “in great shape” and all our little DIYs (adding a bathroom, remodeling both of the others, adding a window to make what was a huge closet into a bedroom, upgrading kitchen flooring, and all the paint/decorating etc.) had added over $15000 to the value of the house, in a rural area where prices are stagnant. So I’m dying to know what you two have accomplished in terms of value of the house. :)
And I’ll be super excited to see what you do with the next place!
Amanda K says
OMG! I totally thought this was another April Fool’s joke! So excited for you guys! Can’t wait to see what you do with the new house. Congrats!
P.S. So jealous of the family that snags your current house :)
Nicole E says
you both are such inspirations! congrats! can’t wait to follow along (I’m a new follower so this is pretty darn exciting for me!).
Monica says
Congratulations! My absolute favorite thing about your blog is that I feel as if I am taught a new skill every week and I am so excited for all the new things to come! I can not wait to see what you educate your readers on as you love this house to its full potential!
Katie says
OMG…My Husband and I purchased a home in KY a little over a year ago that looks sooooo very similar to the outside of your new house! Each room had (thank heavens I’m able to talk in past tense as we have been scraping, patching, skim coating, and painting our hearts out) it’s own 30-year-old matching wallpaper, carpet, and woodwork too! I can’t wait to see what you do with your new home as I know it will spark lots of ideas for ours!
torsti says
this is awesome!
Evelyn says
Congrats! This is huge news! I’m excited to follow your journey with your new digs.
All the best!
Evelyn
XO
Shannon says
Whoa! I was not expecting that! Definitely waiting for the “Just kidding!” At the end! I was sad when you left the first house but ended up loving this one even more, and I’m sure I will feel the same about the next one but I almost feel as though its happening too quickly! How many bedrooms does this one have? I wish I could buy your current house lol. Not our area though.
YoungHouseLove says
It has four bedrooms :)
xo
s
Angie says
Contratulations John & Sherry!! I have to say I was a little sad when I saw this post, I think your house now is absolutely adorable and I love what you all have done to it. But now I am so excited to see what you can do to you new house, you guys give me tons of inspiration!! God Bless!
Kathy Benca says
Congratulations to you! I’m so jealous and totally wish I were your neighbor to help you paint and take wallpaper down…because I LOVE DIY projects, but am too scared to purchase a home that needs them done! LOL! :)
Jenna says
So excited for you guys, congratulations!! I was shocked like others – waiting for the just kidding. Can’t wait to see what adventures are in store at the new house.
Emily says
Oh my! I never thought I’d be the first commenter… but here goes: Congratulations and Best Wishes to your new adventure. Selfishly I just hope this means years and years of new DIY posts and updates for us readers to enjoy. Cheers!
Emily says
How exciting!! Congrats you guys, it’s a beaut!!
Amy D says
Wow…how great! I can’t wait to see what you do with it! (Especially those brown horizontal boards on the wall and brick (or vinyl??) looking floors in what appear to be a kitchen)
Stacey says
Good for you! Congratulations!! Can’t wait to see what you do to this house!
sara says
Wow! You guys are awesome secret keepers! Congratulations on your new home. Its a beauty!
JACKIE says
Holy amazeballs! I wasn’t mentally prepared for this kind of YHL announcement this morning! I’m so happy for you guys and so, so excited about the blog uodates to come! We bought our home a little over a year ago. Same situation… Cheapest house in the best neighborhood! Yippeee Petersiks!
Kala M. says
Holy surprise Batman. When I first started reading this post I was waiting for the psych, we’re just kidding. I’ll miss your current home, as I’m sure you all will too. But it is great that you will have a whole new home to fix up and keep this blog rolling. Good luck and can’t wait to see more pictures! I’m also really jealous and want to start house hunting, but we probably can’t buy for another 6 months since my husband just started a new job after be unemployed for 7 months.
Beth @ BandBBuildALife.com says
Was totally waiting for the psych too! haha.
Elizabeth says
I was hoping you guys would do this, especially since it looks like your new house is similar to mine (built in 1978, not really ever updated). So I am THRILLED to see your new renovating and decorating adventures! Whoever gets your old home will be very lucky!
Congrats!!!
hill says
Congrats!!!
Now all the curb appeal projects make sense.
Hope you all will post some moving/packing tips…I’m moving at the end of the summer and could use some inspiration.
Good Luck!
Alex says
Congrats! An exciting new challenge, and the exterior is just delicious-but I know you’ll dream up ways to make it more exciting! I’m 4 years into a complete rehab and everyone keeps telling me it’s addictive and that I will have to move when it’s done, so best wishes from a kindred-home-remodeling-spirit.
John @ Our Home from Scratch says
OH HOT D@MN!
Congrats!! Excited for you. Beautiful house! Sending you some Jersey fist pumps your way. :)
Janelle @ Two Cups of Happy says
Ahh! Congratulations. I am so thrilled for you guys. I wish you the most pleasant, stress-free, easy-going selling & moving experience. I’m sure your kitchen handi-work will be a big hit with buyers.
Also, how gorgeous are the wood boards on the wall in what looks like your new house’s kitchen? So pretty!
Richelle says
I can’t believe you all have been in your house that long already. I guess I can’t believe I’ve been reading your blog for that long :-). Can’t wait to see all the new projects!
Lisa says
Congratulations!! Just goes to show that smart spending and patience really does pay off. It’s a beautiful home with good bones and I can’t wait to see how you make it your own!
Lauren says
Hhaahah! Love how you guys announced this. I was so confused! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Going to be a new amazing adventure.
Molly says
Congratulations!! The new home looks beautiful and full of projects. I somehow feel like I am moving right along with you. I even had the moment of butterflies thinking about all of the boxes needed to be packed ;) Good luck!
Robin @ happilyhomeafter says
Being that April Fools was 30 days ago, I hope I’m not falling for a Youngster-trick … you sure do know how to do the shock-n-awe thing, lots of folks are in shock with this piece of news but I know we’ll all be in awe as you work you magic in this new home. As a fellow RVA’er who also owns a “classic Richmond” 2-story, used-to-be-a colonial-but-that’s-not-my-style home, can’t wait to see what you do this time round so I can borrow your ideas! Robin
karen says
That is fantastic news!!
And the new home looks like it will keep you guys reeeeealllly busy!!
Can’t wait to see more of the ‘bones’!!