Our House (In the Middle of the Street)

I always did love that song. And, I love our house. I've loved the house from the minute we walked in the door with Frances S., the real estate agent. "I have this house," she said. "You will love it. It is a bit out of your price range, but I think it will be worth it."

I still remember driving up to the house, looking at the lovely (and small at the time) lilac tree in the front. The green bushes and the semi-mature trees in the front were enticing. When we walked into the front door, I was sold. Literally.

I remember having a feeling of peace, serenity, and a "this is it" moment. And I had only taken a glimpse of the dining and living rooms, and the kitchen. I told Tim that I didn't even need to see the upstairs. This was the house I'd like to buy.

Was it something in the dining room itself? Probably not. JM's decoration scheme varies far from what I like. The way she had her house is probably considered much more traditional. See what I mean? Striped drapes? The yellow walls didn't bother me too much, but the color really was too bright for my tastes. And the chandelier? It got ditched last May for something more contemporary.

The kitchen and attached 1/2 bath were a powder blue, which looked okay against the light grain of the cabinets. The kitchen was somewhat updated, but not nearly enough for anyone that was looking for stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. However, it was good enough for me.

We did eventually go upstairs to see everything. The home was originally built with only 3 bedrooms, but a master bedroom and bath had been added over the garage a while back. That bedroom was huge! I think it is bigger than the entire living room/dining room we had back in our old apartment. I also think it is sometimes too big, as we tend to pile things in it until we can take of them (especially clean clothes -- ahem, Tim). I don't have a good picture of the master bedroom. I felt a little funny photographing the owner's private space.

The other bedrooms were equally pleasing. Each one had enough space for a double bed and other furniture. The one that we planned to put the girls in had 3 closets and was considered the old master bedroom. Three closets! Woo-hoo! Somehow, those 3 closets still can't seem to house Zoe and Talia's clothes, books, and toys.

I think maybe the little rocking chairs just added to my euphoria. The room just exuded a sense of warmth and innocence, at least to me.

The kids bath had two sinks and plenty of cabinet space, there was one bedroom with hardwood floors, and the rest of the upstairs (and most of the downstairs) still had gleaming hardwood floors, there was a large linen closet in the upstairs hallway, and a family room and basement. The house had everything I was looking for inside. When I got to the back yard, that was when Tim realized it had what he wanted.

Yes, the backyard looked much better at that time. The owner's had grown kids and a lawn service. And no vegetable garden. Need I say more?

In the end, we made an offer that night, and went through the process of negotiating just a bit. When it came time to go to the inspection, I took my father-in-law with me (that is where I got the pictures) and waited anxiously for the report.

And the report? Not so great. We looked at the things that needed to be fixed, and foolishly perhaps, still forged ahead. Since then we've done the following:

New windows (39 of them)
New back door
New siding on the family room
New furnace
New gutters and downspouts
New carpet in the family room and up the stairs
Installed a basement drying system and sump pump
New plumbing in many areas
Painted most rooms
New light fixtures in dining room and foyer
New electrical box
The list could go on, I think.

I might need to remind you that this is our first house. We came here because Tim took his first job. And, it was a little out of our price range.

Would I do it over again? Yes, I would. The fenced in back yard, the neighborhood, the neighbors directly next to us, and proximity to things cannot be replaced. We have decided to take special care of this house, considering that very few people before us did. So far, we seem to be treating it right.

This whole topic came up because this old house needs some curb appeal. The outside of it no longer looks neat and tidy. The arbor vitae are dead, as is the lilac tree. The taxus need replacing and ivy needs to be clipped. I had a landscape architect come out today to give us an estimate, and I fear that (while it should be done) the budget might not allow for it. So I question myself. We have taken very good care of the inside of this house. Shouldn't that care extend to the outside of the house?