My husband and I have bought 2 homes before finding our forever home. The house pictured above was the very first home we purchased. This home was a forelosure that needed a ton of work before we were able to move in. It had been abandoned for several years, had a mouse infestation and when you walked in you had to cover your face and hold your breath because the smell was rancid. Water had been flooding the basement which left mold and a horrific smell that no one should ever encounter. Even with all of these flaws I was in love with this home. You could tell that at some point the previous owner really took great care of the home.
The kitchen was filled floor to ceiling with beautiful wood custom cabinets. It had a double oven, custom pantry, and double door refrigerator. Though it was dated with wallpaper and pink tiled countertops I could see the potential this hidden gem possessed.
The living room was long and narrow with floors stained in dog urine. It featured a large bay window which let in a lot of light. The lighting fixtures were old and dated but as I stood in the living room for the first time covering my nose with the sleeve of my shirt I knew this was home and was already picturing the house filled with furniture, painted walls and dark colored floors which would hide the stains that were left by the pets that once lived there.
The dining room had a beautiful chair rail and French doors that led to a deck overgrown with weeds and vines. The wallpaper that was in the kitchen carried over into the dining along with the dated window curtains and Tiffany chandelier. As I stood there I already pictured my dining room table with food on the table and friends and family gathered around ready to enjoy a home cooked meal.
The master bedroom located on the second floor was enormous. It had 3 window seats in front of each of the windows. The floors were covered with stained carpet and it smelled like a dead animal died in one of the walls but once I saw the size of the room I knew this would become our home. Behind our house stood a large park filled with playground equipment, a walking path, basketball and tennis courts which wad perfect for my 5 year old daughter at the time. So we made and offer and within a few days we received a call from our realtor Michelle letting us know that we got the house. When we got the call Freddy, my daughter and I were having a water gun fight inside our rental apartment. Once I got off of the phone I screamed we got the house. A loud outburst of excited screams eminated from the kitchen of our small apartment. We were over the moon that we would finally be homeowners.
So then the real work began. From painting, to floors, to staining wood to tired endless nights peeling dated wallpaper from the walls. We worked and we sweat but it was soooooo worth it in the end. In a matter of 2 weeks we took this dalapitated place and turned it into our home. I whole heartedly believe nothing good comes from nothing but everything good comes from something. The work that you put in speaks volumes about the person you are and the home that you build.
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