Today we settled on our house. We say good-bye to the place we almost completely rebuilt. The house where all my babies came home.
We pass it on to a new family who will soon make it their own, bringing their newborn home to it in just a few months.
Pardon my sentimental mood today.
We bought our little home in 2005 and were so happy to have a little piece of land to make our own. I’m not sure what attracted us to it other than we could do the work ourselves and it was on a quiet street. We weren’t into townhouses and developments and couldn’t afford much anyway. It’s size has been a joy and an aggravation. I’ve loved the fact that I don’t horde because there is no room to do so. I throw things away or simplify. I love that it’s easy and quick to clean. I love to sit on the back deck and listen to the birds sing. To pick hydrangeas by the armful and decorate the house. I’ve loved that it’s been just what I needed and nothing more.
I’ve not loved the fact that I haven’t been able to entertain large groups, especially in the winter. That there’s no room to put up over-night guests except on the couch.
Over the winter we felt the time had come. It was time to sell.
Our house was on the market for 20 days. Then we received the offer that we accepted.
On Easter Sunday.
After our house went on the market, Josh felt like we should pray that we’d have a contract by the end of March. We had our eye on another house that had been on the market for a while and didn’t want it to slip away. To even contend for it, we needed a contract in our hands. (More on that in another post.)
We prayed. Easter approached and with it, the end of March. We prayed, but I resigned myself for a flop of a weekend. I was sure we’d have little to no showings. Who’d be looking at houses Easter weekend?
But we ended up having three showings that weekend.
While sitting in church we got the email: an offer was being made that very day.
Easter Sunday, March 31st. The last day of March.
God didn’t have to grant our request. It really wouldn’t have mattered if we’d gotten the offer on April 1st, you know? But God is really awesome like that sometimes. He just puts a gift in your lap you don’t even have to have and says: “I love to surprise you with good gifts.”
This house has been one of God’s good gifts to us. It’s insignificant and small by American Dream standards, but much more than so many in the world have. I can honestly say I’ve never forgotten that.
Good-bye little house.
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Our house has been through many stages of transformation. I thought it would be fun to look back at all the sweat and labor we’ve put into it to finally make this house complete.
When we purchased the house, it looked like this:
Before and in-between pictures of the kitchen:
Kitchen expansion and renovation:
Dining Room:
Office space off of kitchen:
Living room was first painted a chocolate, but it felt too dark, so then we went with a cream, which we’ve loved:
Bedroom, and no, there can never be too many books:
Deck, shed rehab, and exterior:
These pictures aren’t even completely up-to-date. The most updates images of our work are those our realtors commissioned.
But this just gives you a little taste of our little house’s journey from abandoned and ugly to lived in and loved.
um, to call the after pictures “lived in and loved” is hardly an adequate description!! gorgeous, gorgeous. I can totally see why leaving is bittersweet. you accomplished SO much with that house–and clearly I could use your decorating help 🙂
our little house is not our forever home either…I feel like I could be happy in it forever, probably, if we could pick it up and move it to a new location…but since Steve says that’s not an option, we’ll move eventually. I know that will be so hard (not to mention a pain in the neck…we have enough space that I do get buried in clutter, unlike you!). when we ripped up the hardwood floor in the office closet before we expanded the downstairs bathroom, we saved all the boards. the plan is that someday Steve can make a piece of furniture out of the boards, so a part of this house will go with us even when we leave it.
can’t wait to see your new place!
Aw, thanks Amy. And what a cool idea to make furniture out of the saved lumber!
This post made me cry. We got very attached to our little first house where the first three babies came home. our second house, We had such a similar experience as you in selling but not in 20 days! Ours, after it was on the market 365, i asked God to bring us a contract by June 7 th. he brought 3 …june 5, 6, 7. And the reason he had us there through that date, i am convinced, was so that we would hold a five day Bible club , and in that club a mother and son received . I also remember the mixed emotions about selling that place. But trust me, it will aways be special but yu will not want to go back. In fact, i have been sad to drive by and see the changes made to our old places. Improvements in one since, but not the way my heart wants to remember them. That is why pictures are good!
congratulations to you and your family! i can imagine how tender your heart must feel about this transition but oh! a new house to make home…what an adventure.
What a beautiful story of a house… reminds me of “The Little House” by Virginia Lee Burton! I wish you blessings on your new home… praise God for His faithful hand on this continuing journey!