Young House Love

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A Video Tour Of Our New House

Now that we’re wrapping things up at our current house and we’ve spilled the new house beans it’s like we’ve finally given ourselves permission to LOSE. OUR. MINDS. So yeah, this new house video tour is full of chirpy excitement that only a home in your dream neighborhood can produce. Forgive me. It’s not a good look. And watching it produces the same embarrassment that my way-too-enthusiastic mom elicited back in high school. Which confirms that I’m turning into her. Uh oh…

Woop, there it is. The first set of stairs we ever owned, and the house that’s attached to them.

A few notes:

  • I’m not awkward at all in the beginning.
  • We used John’s phone to “time stamp” this video thanks to Googling “today’s date” on Friday when we filmed it. We’re nothing if not high tech around here.
  • Drinking game: count how many times I say love.
  • Keep an eye out for John’s finger coming into frame to tell me which direction to walk (yes, he holds the camera and I walk next to him to chat since his description of the house would be three sentences mixed with long silences and if I held the camera you’d lose your lunch).
  • Sorry about the audio getting odd in a few areas (empty rooms have weird echoes and it turns out the bathroom fan upstairs is crazy loud on film).
  • I sing about stairs. My life is officially a musical.
  • Ahhhhhhh! I can’t think of any more. Did I mention we’re crazy excited?!

Todays Date

Oh and please bear with us when it comes to questions about our plans and the ol’ to do list that we’re compiling. We promise we’ll whip up a floor plan post and share our new masterlist with all of our To-Dos on it as soon as we have those laid out (we’re still in that changing-our-minds-every-second phase). It might be a little while before we’ve fully segued into the full new house mindset since we still live in our current house and definitely have a lot of stuff on our plates with selling it, getting packed up, and moving.

And now, I’ll end this with a completely understated “AHHHHHHHHHHH!” and another big wet kiss for you guys. So excited to share this next chapter with you. Also if you’re my mom and you’re reading this, I’m not that scared of turning into you. Except that none of my shoes will fit anymore…

Comments

  2. Elizabeth says

    Congrats on the new place! It reminds me a lot of the house I grew up in (lots of fond memories). I remember asking my mom about why they liked all the wood paneling. She said she had been unsure about it but then the builder told her that it makes the house a “country charmer.” My mom was a city girl romanticizing the country . . . she was sold. Years later, my parents made sure their new house had no paneling! Good luck! I’m sure you’ll make it great!

    Reply

  3. laura says

    Loooove the new house. So much potential it’s amazing!! I seriously can not wait to see what you guys do with this house. What a lucky home! It’s like you adopted the dirty puppy at the pound who will turn into best in show!

    Reply

  4. Lori says

    Amazing! This house has so much potential – it’s no wonder that you fell in love with it!! Can’t decide which room I’m excited to see transform first :-)

    Reply

  5. Danielle says

    Ohmygosh, that house is absolutely perfect! I am looking for a new family-friendlier house (don’t tell my husband, har har) and every time you guys turned into a new room or hallway, I could feel the excitement you felt – that house is incredible! The design possibilities are endless, and I cannot wait to see what you guys do with it! I’m practically giddy!!

    Reply

  6. Kelly O says

    oh how I would love to get my hands on that! It is just gorgeous! Wish we had more houses like that in Oz (Australia).

    Reply

  7. Katie says

    Had that same “brick” kitchen floor in my parents house growing up…brings back so many memories!
    Noticed a lot of things in this house are similar to your first house. The blue trim and wallpaper remind me of the dining room in your first house! Can’t wait to see what you do!

    Reply

  9. Linda Bernstein says

    Seriously, the giddiness in Sherry’s voice had me grinning at my computer like a crazy person. :) So happy for you guys!

    And wow…So. Much. Wallpaper.
    I think you need to do a collage of all the different kinds of wallpaper in the new place similar to the collage you made showcasing the different colors/patterns in Clara’s current big girl room. haha

    Reply

  10. Sara says

    I LOVE your new digs! Especially the kitchen “faux brick linoleum”….we have it in our kitchen too-except the previous owners decided to put in ‘faux brick backsplash’ like your very first home. Faux brick must have really made a splash back in the day! Congrats again!

    Reply

  11. Laura says

    My family lived in Hampton, VA from 1989-1993. You just bought our house!!! Well, obviously not the same one since you are in a differed part of Virginia, but pretty much the same layout. I gasped when the tour started – and my hubby was watching with me, and I kept jumping over your voice to tell what we’d see next. SO weird/neat!! Can’t WAIT to see what you do with the place (my mom was fond of ripping out wallpaper and replacing it with stencils of baskets and geese, crossing fingers that won’t be in the cards). :)

    Reply

  12. Liz S. says

    I saw the announcement of this filming on Facebook, and hoped that we wouldn’t have to wait to see it, thanks for not making us wait!

    Reply

  13. Elizabeth says

    Looks awesome! Do you guys have a bonus room over the garage? I ask b/c down in Raleigh where I am, we have similar houses (mine!) and most have bonus rooms…

    And I am so glad you have wood trim. Because I assume you will paint it or replace it, and I want to see that. I have ALL WOOD TRIM (including dark rustic chair rail in my family room) and have no idea what to do with it. We have been living with it so far, it’s just so much to paint!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes, there’s an unfinished storage space there, sort of like an attic (so we think it’ll be good for storage when things are in tupperware, etc).

      xo
      s

  14. Erin says

    Sooo excited for you guys! Thanks for the tour! Is it really the same square footage as your ranch? The rooms in your new house seem so much smaller. Can’t wait to see what wonderfully creative things you have in store. xoxo

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes, same square footage! It has more space in the bedrooms but not as giant living and dining areas, which we think will be a nice cozy change :)

      xo
      s

  15. Rachael says

    Whoa! Your house has almost the same floor plan as the home I grew up in…in suburban Georgia. Gotta love those late 70s/early 80s two-story homes!

    Reply

  16. Sarah says

    Love the house! Ours is similar in size and layout. Like you we love having more seaparted rooms and we find the layout works really well for our young family (kids are 2 and 3). Ours apparently had a very similar original decorating scheme – the living room had blue trim, but with blue walls AND blue carpet! What were they thinking back then!?! The people we bought the house from painted ALL the trim and windows white. Bless their souls!!!

    Reply

  18. Susan says

    How exciting for you all!!! I know Clara is making plans. It will be interesting to watch the transformation. Good luck.

    Reply

  20. Steph says

    WOW, it’s awesome! It seems cozier than your current house, which I was surprised because I normally would think two stories wouldn’t be. I also love seeing that little desk in the kitchen. It will be nice for Clara to come home from school and do homework while you guys are in there cooking.
    So happy for you guys that you saw all that potential!

    Reply

  22. Petra says

    So much potential, and looking forward to the transformation! I hope you don’t get rid of the doorbell, it’s so cute!

    Reply

  23. Jodee B says

    This house is truly phenomenal! Definitely a “dream house”. Lots of luck with it! I can already tell you guys are going to make this house the most beautiful it could ever be. Can’t wait to see what you do!

    Reply

  24. Mallory says

    I was really sad to see you leave the current house at first, but now I’m just beyond excited to see what you do with this fantastic house! I’m already trying to imagine if you’re going to knock out any walls & that kitchen is going to be gorgeous when you’re finished with it!

    Reply

  26. Jennifer says

    I see a lot of trim painting in your future? Haha. There are a ton of crazy patterns, textures, and colors going on too! :) I absolutely love the blue honeycomb pattern on the floor of the master shower area! Is it linoleum or tile? Fingers crossed its tile!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It’s tile! We love it too but sadly it’s in bad shape. But it inspires us to find some just like it and knock down that wall and redo it with the same tile!

      xo
      s

  27. Ashly says

    Oh Lord. The wallpaper in your first floor hall is the same wallpaper we had in our kitchen and one of the first things I began clawing at when we closed on our house. The new home has great bone and I can totally feel your excitement. This house is going to be a gem when you’re done. Best of luck you guys!

    Reply

  28. Maria @ Sift & Whisk says

    I love it!!! I can’t wait to see what you guys do with the house. Seems like a great layout. I always find it inspirational to see what you guys do with spaces that are not “move-in ready.” My husband and I are in our first house, which was built in 1910, so there is quite a bit to do. I know when we grow our family and need to upgrade, we’ll have to start all over on renovations. Tough to find a turn-key house in a good neighborhood in our price range. It sounds overwhelming, but you guys have made me a believer!

    Reply

  29. Jeania says

    That house needed you guys. It’s beautiful on the outside, but oh what a hot mess it is inside! I’m sure you guys will do great things with it.

    Reply

  31. Kathleen says

    Looks like a ton of great projects in store for you two! So very happy that you found a house your so excited about. Love that back porch area.

    Reply

  32. Ali B. says

    I love that this house is such a complete paint/wallpaper/carpet disaster. It’s going to be sooo satisfying to watch all that blue and mauve trim disappear. Can you make all blue and mauve trim everywhere disappear? I totally believe you guys have superpowers like that.

    Reply

  33. Mary says

    Very Williamsburg outside and in–all that blue paint! Can’t wait to see how you mold such a traditional style house into a “younghouse”!

    Reply

  36. Terresa says

    This is sooo EXCITING!!! ACK!!! I think the big looming task of all that trim painting would make me more than a little stressed, but I know that’s no biggie for you guys. And I would want to pull up every inch of that carpet pronto and just live with whatever is underneath. And, Oh, a smelly room!!! BONUS!:) but those are all the things (and more) that let you get the house for a steal!! Yay for you:)

    Reply

  37. Elaine K says

    Your house looks a lot like mine, especially the entry and steps. I have slate floors and blue trim, too, So I am anxious to see what you do with it.

    Reply

  38. Jenn says

    Even in all of its 70’s original glory your new home is truly beautiful!! Congratulations and I simply can’t wait to watch as you turn this house into your own.

    Reply

  39. Kathleen says

    By the way, our house was also covered with wallpaper. We tried just about everything, but the thing that worked the best was boiling hot water in a garden sprayer. Let it sit for a min or 2 and then it peels right off.

    Reply

  42. Amy @ Croquet & Cocktails says

    Love it! You’ll be able to do so much with it. I’m excited to see where you take it!

    In other news, my 11 month old danced when you did your sing-song we have stairs bit. (He’s used to crazy-mom songs, so he just busted a move!)

    Reply

  43. heather @ likeacupoftea says

    I so like this house, and colonials happen to be one of my very favorite styles next to New England farmhouses with L’s and big barns (the older the better for either style). I think it’s because of this love of these types of houses, and the character they inherently have, that I’ll be crossing my fingers the changes will honor the colonial nature of it (I mean that in a loving way, not a slam to your more modern preferences). Then again, I am all about bright, airy houses that showcase the beauty of wood, and I loved exposed unpainted brick (I think it’s part of the reason these two styles of homes are my favorite). So cheers to whatever you do, as you’re the ones living there! It’s a beautiful home with a nice layout and I look forward to seeing how it evolves in your care.

    Reply

  44. Lura says

    Congratulations! Favorite quote “It smells like an animal!” :) Awesome space. Rich and I can’t wait to see what you guys do.

    Lura
    x

    Reply

  45. Brittany says

    I love a good fixer-upper and this house seriously doesn’t disappoint! Hubby and I bought one a few years back and have been chipping away at it ourselves, but baby #1 in December is going to put renovating on the back burner for a while. Thank you for letting us live vicariously through you!

    There is SO much potential (not that you don’t already know that!) I discovered your blog about halfway through your second house and I’m ridiculously excited to watch it transform from the beginning!

    Reply

  46. Elvira says

    I’m suuuuuuper excited for you guys, what a lovely house, so much potential!!! Can’t wait to see how you make this house your home! :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      No basement, but it has a walk-up attic (stairs not a pull down ladder) and a two car garage (since we only have one car, we’ll use the other side as a workshop). As for the yard, we’ll have to do an outside tour soon :)

      xo
      s

  48. Renee says

    Love the new house! It has so much potential and I can’t wait to see what you do with it. What’s around the corner from the laundry area? A window? Seems like it could lead into the space above the garage. Are you thinking about connecting it for another room upstairs? The new house is such a departure from the other ranch homes and it will be really interesting to see how your style evolves. Have fun!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It’s a door that leads to the walk up attic (there are stairs, not a pull down thing in the ceiling) and an unfinished area sort of like an attic (so it works for the storage of bins of Christmas stuff, etc).

      xo
      s

    • lindsey says

      I’m surprised the area above the garage is unfinished since in some of the exterior pics it looked like it was fully dormered. It seems like you have plenty of square footage but do you plan to finish it ever?

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It’s 100% unfinished (studs, exposed wires and vents, plywood floor, etc) but it could be a really cool waaay-down-the-line project for us to finish it (for example, if we have older kiddos and want to give them a bunk-room slash movie room). It definitely is awesome to have that as an option down the line!

      xo
      s

  49. Christine says

    The backyard looks luscious and green. The deck is fantastic. I hope you name that tree that’s “growing through” the deck! And am I weird for placing internal bets on which wall you knock through first?

    Reply

  50. Melanie says

    OMG! I am so very excited for you guys and can’t wait to see what you do to the place! Congrats again!!

    Reply

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