The House We Hoped For
We began the hunt as winter came to close. Every weekend our family of four piled in our auction-find Hyundai and cruised neighborhoods. Our eyes roved for red arrows pointing to abandoned houses. Pulling up driveways and surveying the possibilities became a routine that lasted for months.
Reality hit hard. The loan we were approved for was more than we could afford. As the loan officer plugged information into her computer, she laughed and said,
Oh, I can get you into a lot of trouble. Remember you are the ones who have to make the payments.
Yes, we knew that well. When Dylan and I married, we decided to base all of our financial decisions on Dylan’s income alone. We wanted to keep our options open, so our plans reflected the desire for me to stay home.
There wasn’t much in our price range. Even the $90,000 houses needed a lot of work, and for that payment the space needed to be move in ready. If we did find something that would work, it was under contract. So we gathered our hope and kept driving.
A For Sale by Owner sign compelled us to stop in front of an ugly house on a corner lot. It was a drab brick red with a lattice-wrapped porch hanging off the front. A ceiling fan with large globe lights was the focal point. I mentally noted that could be easily replaced with something less obtrusive. Because the place was obviously empty, we peeked in the front window. The entry was a long narrow room with doorways on both sides. The walls were cheap wood paneling. The floor was mostly covered with stained, white vinyl squares. Very drab, very uninviting.
Meanwhile, our son gazed at a hastily-painted, yellow plywood tree house in the backyard. He wanted to live here. He prayed that we would move to this house. I was not even interested. Then I found out the price: $65,000.
Our first tour was hard to stomach. The kitchen floor was three layers of dirty ripped linoleum. Cupboards were white with blue shreds of latex paint trying to cling to the oil underneath. The garage was full of junk, and there was nothing to heat or cool the house except an assortment of ceiling fans.
As we listened to the owner tell us about the toilet backing up when it rained, the true issues surfaced. I concluded he had a buyer at one time, but the house wouldn’t pass inspection. Then I heard,
If you take it as is, I’ll sell it to you for $40,000.
Dylan said he’d be in touch, and we walked quietly to the car.
As soon as the door shut, I blurted out,
We need to jump on this!
I was scared. We knew nothing about fixing houses. I could clean and paint, but this house needed more than a brush of color. It needed a furnace to keep our kids warm in the winter and an air conditioner for the blazing Texas summers. The septic had issues. Did that mean the plumbing was suspect, too? What about the cracks in the mortar? And the bathroom where the toilet had fallen through the floor? Was that really fixed?
A few friends with rental property assured us it was fine. Other friends wondered what we were getting ourselves into. I later heard,
When you said it would be nice I believed you, but I sure couldn’t see it.
And it was nice, eventually. That is why I took so many pictures. I knew I would need to be reminded that the sore muscles, sheer frustration, and inconvenience was worth it. Dylan had sent me pictures of our new house in Idaho…(to be continued)
Well my friend, you must have written this for me today. You have a beautiful gift. I hope that when the time comes I can learn from you. Even your pictures display grace and beauty. I am sure that with time your new place will become the home you were looking for as well. Peace and contentment to you today.
Nicole Wetzel´s last blog ..Chasing Garbage Trucks (a Marathon Story)
Nicole,
I hesitated to write this story so freely, but I was inspired by a book I read over the weekend: All the Way Home: Building a Family in a Falling-Down House. Our house renovations were not even close to the scale of those described in the book, but I could relate.
We make sacrifices in this two-income society to stay home with our kids. I don’t acknowledge that much, because, honestly, I don’t think about it. Dylan and I made that commitment 16 years ago, so I’ve had awhile to practice creative living.
While writing this, I was thinking of you and another friend who just found a new home. I hope it brought you encouragement for that was my heart. What God has done for us he will do for you, albeit in a different way. Hang in there! I’m still praying…
The house we bought 2 1/2 years ago was ‘ugly’ too, with drainage issues etc. but the price was right. We are in a constant state of renovation and with a baby coming in June, we are planning more. I am learning to be very, very patient. It’s especially hard not to compare to friends who have ‘perfect’ houses. I know that one day we will have everything how we want it(as the finances allow!). I too, am taking pictures of all the work that we’re putting into it. Thanks for posting before & after pictures. Thanks for giving me hope!
In the meantime, I know that it’s the family memories & the atmosphere we give it, that make it a home.
Can’t wait to see pictures of your new place!
Sandpiper´s last blog ..
Sandpiper,
Our house still had things left to do when we sold it. I’m sure our new house will be the same way, but you are right. It is our family that makes home, not the sticks and bricks we live in.
Perfect costs too much. Hang in there!
This post is a beautiful testimony to God’s goodness. I hope that you are encouraged, too, at what you see in the before and after photos. I believe that God is going to bless you again through this new house and by letting the old one go. I am excited to see how He uses the new houses in both of our lives! Mine is not going to get the much needed face lift it needs, but it is going to be a comfortable, loving home.
Blessings,
Jenn
Jenn´s last blog ..Treasure Found
Jenn,
I am so excited for you! I can’t wait to see the home you create now and in the future. I know it’s going to be great!
wow, just from the outside pics, you can tell you did a lot of work on the house! Our first home was a former rental, it was pretty icky. The house we have now was move in ready- what a blessing! But is an older 50’s house, so it still needs work and updating, it’s a never ending project.
can’t wait to see your new house!
much grace and peace to you,
Jenny