Friday, December 31, 2010

Out With the Old, In With the...

The day after Christmas we picked up the keys to our new house. Well, new. Not new exactly; it was built in 1914 or thereabouts.

My husband and I have been looking around for a few years, not in any organized way, but checking out houses we've seen for sale and doing drive-by appraisals. It would go something like this:

Me: Did you see that house on the corner by the high school was for sale?

Husband: You mean the one with the swing on the front porch?

Me: It might need some work, but it could be really cute.

We would jump in the car and take a look. And it would be easy to talk ourselves out of it. Too big, too small. In need of a major overhaul. Too near the highway. Not close enough to work.

A couple of times we were interested enough to call the real estate agent and actually take a look inside. But, there was always something. A wet basement. Shoddy home improvements which would have to be torn out and redone. Or no improvements at all in the past 50 years, meaning that we would be renovating for the next ten years.

This fall we got a little more serious. We made a list of what we wanted. It was simple, really. All that time looking at different houses had given us a pretty good perspective on what we wanted, what we didn't want, and what we were willing to compromise on.

And then we found it. Not too big, not too small. Some renovations done, but done well, and in keeping with the age of the house. A big space for my husband to have his workshop. A nice light room for my sewing. On a quiet side street, but close to work.

This week I've been scrubbing down walls in preparation for painting this weekend. (Not that they needed scrubbing, really. The owners left it in immaculate condition. But, still.) And once we get it painted we'll be moving in.

Now I promise that this won't turn into a home renovation blog, because I think home improvements are really only interesting to the people who are doing them. But, blog posts are going to be a little more sparse than usual over the next month, as we disassemble this household and move it all over to the new house.

Wish us luck, please!

8 comments:

Mary Lou Casada said...

How cool is that!! I love old houses -- and finding one in great condition? Fun, fun! A great opportunity to "re-do" your sewing space, too!! It's like a "big bucks, no whammy!" Look forward to more pictures and wouldn't mind a few home-improvements post, either! :-)
Blessings,
Mary Lou

Laurie said...

Good luck with your new home... a new year and new home how neat is that... glad to hear the sewing room is on the must list.

Happy New Year

Anne Heidi said...

Congratulations! A new home is a great start on a new year!

Filled with quilty goodness said...

Best of luck with your new big project! You sound ready to really make the house a very personal reflection of your personality. Congrts.

Marla said...

The best part is you now have a whole new place to create quilted wonders! Wishing you all the best in your new home

Jennifer said...

Oh, I hope you've been immersed in the best kinds of prepping and settling in kinds of projects, and that you have some juicy updates to share soon. Congratulations!!

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

Maybe others don't care for home improvement posts ... but I do! I love seeing the befores/afters especially! ;-)

bingo~bonnie said...

Diana, I just found your blog - and we too are looking for a home to buy. When we moved here last August we had to wait for our TX home to sell first and it did in December - so we have until our lease is up in August. I'm so happy you found something that suits your needs just right... hope we do too soon!

The home you mentioned on the corner by the High School - is that in New. A??? That one caught my eye too!! ;) but I'm not too sure about living "IN" town.

~bonnie