Monday, August 29, 2011

Our First Home

Well, eventually we found our first house. It was actually probably good that the first offer fell though, because this is a house we can see ourselves growing into.

Here are some photos from the listing (translation: that is not our stuff in the pictures):

The front yard had those trees that bloom in the spring and smell so nice. Early on when we were dating, my husband and I used to talk about how when we "grew up" (yikes) and got a house we wanted those trees in our yard...so it was almost fate. We had to buy it.
It also had a great backyard space that would be perfect for having people over...or drinking wine on the patio (it's amazing how much it helps to visualize yourself with a glass of wine when looking at houses...).
One of the things we loved about the house right away was how bright it was. There are tons of windows! We (I) also loved how there were windows right above the sink. (Not that I usually do the dishes, but when I imagine having to do the dishes...the window makes it better).
The husband loved how open it was...he seems to think we could host great football, hockey, or other sports parties. Especially with a t.v. over the fireplace.
It was also great that the paint colors were fairly neutral throughout the house...well, except in the master bedroom...in the master bedroom it was a little too green for my taste.
So, that became one of the first items on the "Things To Do To Make The House Feel More Like Home" list (which is different than the regular "To Do - Short Term" and "To Do - Future" lists that I made...oh, and then of course the "To Buy - Now" list, which included things like lawn mower and other fun necessities and the "To Buy - Future" list. I sure do love a good list (or several).

So there you have it. Our very own, first home. Searching for it was a roller coaster of emotions, but in the end, we found exactly what we were looking for.

We moved in the beginning of July, but didn't have internet for over a month (we pretty much just sat and stared at each other all day). Hopefully now there can be more frequent updates.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Follow the Yellowbrick Road

It was surprisingly hard to leave our last apartment (which was on Yellowbrick Road...cute at first until you try to order a pizza...). While I was so ready to leave in some ways, and very excited to be buying our own home...there is always something about leaving a place you called home. We got married while living in this apartment...had our gift opening downstairs...there were lots of memories. (Plus a lot of late nights when packing, moving, and cleaning had me feeling a little emotional).

The living room got a lot of great light, and looked out into a wooded area behind the apartment building. It felt very private, which is always nice! (Especially after having spent 2 years living in the hustle and bustle of Uptown...we actually heard nature here!)

We did have a rather small kitchen though...something I knew was going to be on our list of things we wanted in a new house.
I am super glad we won't be having to check out of an apartment anytime soon. That is quite the process...but it was scary to know we were actually buying something...and what a huge commitment that is. We haven't stayed in one place for more than two years in...almost 10 years (yikes I'm old). Knowing you have to stay in a house for at least 5 years seemed intimidating, but we knew it was the right step. Now we just needed to find the right house...