Matt and I have been looking for a new home on and off for the last two years. We have been saving our pennies and checking real estate sites regularly and keeping each other in check to not settle for something we really don't want.
We have had our heart set on a specific few neighborhoods in Charlotte, most of which boast older brick homes - the ranches and split levels built in the 1960's and 70's. We wanted at least 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms with the option for an additional living space - either a basement or a fourth bedroom or a nice all weather room. We didn't want to purchase a home that was already "done" - we wanted to be able to put our stamp on it where we could.
We looked at over 30 houses since January and we even made an offer on a total fixer upper but lost out to an investor who came in with an all cash offer. Two weeks later, Matt found a house that had just been listed, right in the area we wanted, with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathroom and an all weather bonus room. Every single room required a aesthetic TLC, but the bones of the house were perfect. The street was quiet and tree lined. The neighborhood was kid-friendly. And it was listed for the right price.
We saw it the day after it was listed and as I walked through the house with Matt and Brighton and our agent, I felt this sense of peace. This was home. We made an offer that next morning and lo and behold they accepted. I was so happy I cried!
Although I love our current little 912 square foot house, I just could not live there anymore comfortably. We needed a little more space, a little more privacy (our current house is across the street from a major park and on a busy street), and a more kid friendly neighborhood. I have never lived in a home with 2 bathrooms during my entire marriage. I have never been able to really host out of town guests unless they were willing to sleep on an air mattress. I don't have a coat closet.
It's the little stuff y'all. And this house offers more space and storage without overwhelming us with too much space and storage. It's the perfect size for us.
So here are all the before photos:
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| Living and dining room |
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| Dining room |
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| Kitchen and view into the laundry |
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| Kitchen |
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| Den |
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| Hall bath |
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| Bedroom 3 |
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| Bedroom 2 |
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| Master bedroom |
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| Master bathroom |
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| Bonus/sun room |
As you can see it needs some updating! We have a lot of plans for this space, most of which will happen before we move in during mid-May. I'll take photos and do updates along the way of course. Who doesn't love a good before and after, right?
Looks like a really great house! 900 sq. ft. is very small so I don't blame you wanting something bigger with a little one. Our current house is 1400 on the main level and built in 1966 and this house reminds me of ours. I love our house except we only have 1 full bathroom and with 2 kids now, we need 2 baths. We are hoping to sell ours in a couple months and rent while we custom build. Glad you held out and found what you love!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the new house...CONGRATS!. So excited to follow you and your precious family on this journey. So glad you are back!
ReplyDeleteI'm in South Florida and I LOVE seeing real estate from other areas. It's so cool to me for some reason (yeah, nerd alert! LOL!). The homes just look so different, and I love that other places have older homes. Our home is one of the oldest in our area and it was built in 2001. My parents home was built in 1994 and is considered ancient! I think it's fun how much character homes that were built earlier have and I love the way your home is laid out! Ours is all open - living room, kitchen, dining room in the same space. Which is nice in the sense I can watch my kid while I'm cooking but annoying in the sense it makes our space seem smaller! We have a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom and it's great, but I wish we had an extra living room -- I love your sun room, something like that would be awesome! But we don't have those down here.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!!!!!!!!!!! The house is awesome!
Congrats! What a fun journey. Can't wait to see the whole thing in progress!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!!!! I can't wait to see the progress! I LOVE before and afters and this house looks like it is packed with potential!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see what you do!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats y'all! Our house was built in1959 and we love it so much. That era truly did produce houses with good bones!
ReplyDeleteIt does have great bones! Cannot wait to see what y'all do with it!
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