House Update

I guess this post has been a long time coming but that's sort of how this adventure has been. This summer was full of lots of change and projects. In June we decided to venture into the explosion that was happening in the local real estate market. We worked with a realtor to try and find a home we would first like to move to before listing our house but the more we looked the more we failed to find a house we really felt was worth leaving our first house that we had loved for the last seven years.

Then surprisingly the Lord brought a For Sale by Owner house to our attention as it was directly across the street from our friend's new house. We slowly approached the owners about the property and were mostly denied even the opportunity to look at the house as the owners were still working on updating the house before actually wanting to sale. After some convincing and many many phone calls we were begrudgingly allowed a tour with the high disclaimer that we would have to have "vision".  Little did they know "vision" is the only way I look at a house. After touring the house we felt that it seemed like an option we should consider and after some negotiations and a little bit of finagling to get it appraised we were able to buy it from a wonderfully sweet couple that had raised their family in it. Luckily, our house sold within a week of listing it on the market as predicted by our realtor and we were full steam ahead to move.

Did I mention "vision".... ah yes... well the house we bought needed some updating and some critical wall moving that Phil had agreed we would make happen because otherwise I knew I didn't want to buy the house.

So at 23 weeks pregnant we had bought a new house and immediately started demo.

Luckily for us we have an awesome friend who we were able to hire to be our general contractor for all the renovations and who we are so grateful for his expertise and willingness to help us out.

Three weeks later (and only three days after Phil returning from being out of the County) with demo in full mode we had to move in since we had to be out of the house we sold.  With only our master bedroom and bathroom in decent living shape we stored most all of our furniture in a storage unit and moved into the construction zone.

This was my kitchen (or lack there of) for the first 45 days we lived in the house.  We were so blessed to have our awesome firend's across the street who willingly allowed us to use their kitchen and eat with them often as were quite displaced.

Now for the most part we are done.  Of course there are always more project and more "vision" to be had but some of those projects will happen down the road.  As for now, at 39 weeks pregnant, we are officially settled in... until the next project.  So for now I will leave you with some before and after shots.

View from the front door.

We closed up the dining room door to the kitchen.

View from the back door.

Opened up the stairs and removed odd picture wall.

All opened up.

The kitchen - now open to the living room and completely NEW!