I've never felt this way about a house before. I don't know exactly how to explain it. I went out looking at houses the other day just for fun. We can't afford to buy right now. The first house we looked at was a house I've always wanted. I have been eyeing it since I was a child and went to a babysitter there. I left there feeling like I could live there one day. It would take tons of work. TONS!! The house only cost 70,000, but you could easily put twice that amount into the house.. I could see the potential though. Its like a gift I have. I don't see what is physically standing there, I see what the house could be. This house could be something great.
When we were leaving the agent offered to show us another house. It was similar, but bigger. It needed less work though. It was another house I have had my eye own since I was little. I passed it every day and always thought it was gorgeous. I never pictured myself there like I had with the first house though. We went to see it though because its fun just looking at these big old houses.
We pulled up in the yard and I was in awe. I have never seen the back yard. I've passed the front thousands of times, how did I not know what was back here? A stable.. in the city. A big back yard with tons of trees and bushes. It is very private, in a not so private area. You stand back there and forget where you are. You feel like you are transported back in time to some secret garden.
Just looking at the house from the back yard is breathtaking. Its so much bigger up close. They don't build houses like this any more.
I know my photography skills didn't do much for this, but look at all of those windows.. Wouldn't you just love to sit on that sun porch while you kids play in the huge yard that it looks out on..
We walked in through that back red door. Straight through there was a small and outdated kitchen. Honestly though, I didn't even care. It can be fixed. There was a huge window over the sink that looked out into the side yard, which down near the road has a big stone fountain.
There were so many rooms I can't remember what all I saw. All I remember is that it was all beautiful. One room right after another of just gorgeous architecture. They just don't build houses like this anymore.
One thing that I would change from the get go was the paint. It was all so dark in a house that feels like it should be bright and full of life. All the trim was white though, which in my opinion is the only way it should be.
There was a room that I could tell was dedicated to be a library. It had built in book shelves and a door leading out onto a sun porch. The house actually two sun porches in the front. One leading out from the library, and one that led out from what I guess is the living room.
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| This is the study. It has a fireplace, and two big sets of built in bookshelves behind the camera man. |
Through out the whole house there were these dark hardwood floors. My grandma mentioned the cost of what it takes to redo hardwood floors, but honestly these look perfect. Maybe a good shine would help, but I love them as they are. The paint may be too dark, but not the floors.
My husband and I were talking a while back about what we want in a house. A decent sized master bedroom with its own bathroom and big closets, a room for Lorelei, another room for a future baby, a homeschooling room, at least one room dedicated for an office, a formal dining room, a living room, a play area, a back yard... Once we get everything we want in a house we would need a 5-6 bedroom house. This house just happens to be 6 bedrooms. It also has 6 bathrooms (who needs 6 bathrooms) but I think I would do a little rearranging and combine some to have more space and bigger closets.
Oh and the closets! They were everywhere. Most old houses don't have big ones because the people back then lived differently than we do today. Closets just weren't needed as they are now. But this house has them. And built ins! Old fashioned built ins! I can't decide if I would tear them out and build a bigger closet and bathroom, or just leave it as it is and enjoy the old charm. One thing I would definitely do though is figure out how to bring up a washer and dryer. It is down two flights of stairs in the basement at the moment!
This was the nicest of all the built-ins. It had a space for a woman to sit down and do her make-up. Behind it there was plenty of space to hang clothes. In every closet though there were the wooden doors that closed it all in. You never could just walk in and see the clothes, you always ad to open the doors (as you can see above with the big mirror on the outside). Below is a blurry picture I took that shows more detail inside.
So along with the tons of living space on the first floor, and the 6 bedrooms on the second floor, there is also a third floor that has a small space to look out the windows onto the backyard.
There is also a basement that is around 1330 sq ft. That is bigger than the house I live in now. Sadly it is just for storage because the ceiling is so low, but seriously there is enough space in the house I don't guess you would need much more.
