I Bought A House
If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been, here it is: I can’t believe it—I bought a house in a beautiful place. I’m overwhelmed (and to be perfectly honest, a little emotionally battered by the entire experience) so I’ll keep this one short but I’m excited to settle in and share my story along with decor updates. I know I’ll be getting a lot of questions so I wanted to share some answers here:
Where is it?
Part of my reason for moving is due to an increased need and desire for privacy, so I’m not quite willing to share exactly where my new home is. I’ve been dropping hints, and I’m sure that if you’ve been following along, you at least know which state it’s in. Or at least the general region. I will say it’s not too far from Philly, and close enough to New York that I’ll be able to travel freely once I return to the office and things go back to normal. I’ll likely share eventually, especially as I imbibe everything this wonderful place has to offer. For now though, I’ll keep its exact whereabouts within my tight-knit circle. (Though Dan did let it slip on an episode of our podcast…)
Why did you do it?
I wanted space. I’ve always been a city girl but being in a city during the pandemic has been anxiety-inducing at best. I’ll be splitting my time between here and Philadelphia (though I’ll be spending most of my time here until at least the end of the year to minimize travel.) Being close to nature is essential to me. It’s an impulse that I ignored until somewhat recently. I noticed I was spending quite a bit of time here and I was privileged enough to save the money and have the means to buy a house here. I also LOVE hosting guests. I have a big, beautiful kitchen to make big delicious meals and four (!) guest rooms to accommodate my loved ones and anyone else who needs to get away. I’m excited about this.\
Can we see it?
Of course! I’m going to be spending the new few months and beyond making it my own so you’ll get to see it in various states. I’m excited for the projects to keep my busy, as I’ve gotten a little unmotivated during covid and I think new projects and a change of scenery will create the jolt I need to be creative again. I can’t wait to share. I’ve always dreamed of owning a craftsman home and got very lucky with this one. She’s a beaut
A craftsman, you say? Painting the trim?
ABSOLUTELY NOT! Any trim that’s currently in its natural wood state will remain in its natural wood state. I love older homes and I’m thrilled to be the proud owner of one. I’m excited to see how the home’s charm informs design decisions. Here’s a sneak peek of a piece of my living room moodboard. I’m planning on leaning more into a transitional but still very bohemian and a little French provincial.
What was the most difficult thing about buying this home?
There were a few small bumps and then one very large bottleneck in my home closing story, which I’ll absolutely be sharing soon. I’ll say, being super fresh off the whole mortgage process, the waiting and the uncertainty were killer. I had an Asana board and Google Drive folder to keep me organized but there were a few frustrating moments such as a rouge title attorney and some paperwork from my employer that proved difficult but also unavoidable. My advice: be flexible. Be attentive. Save everything.
How did you know this was the home for you?
I don’t want to attribute too much to “vibes” but I will say it: it just felt right. I had my negotiables and my non-negotiables. This one checked all of the boxes and beyond. So much so that I offered above list price—I knew I couldn’t lose it! In the end, buying a home is a personal decision. I’ll share more about my thought process but I will say that in the end, it felt right. And I did immediately fall in love with the porch and the view from the porch. They say you’re not supposed to fall in love with a house until you have the keys in-hand but hey—if you’re motivated, you can make it happen. That love will propel you through the inevitable hardships in the closing process.
I’m looking to buy a home, where do I start?
Okay, so I’m a planner. I like to plan. Having said that, this entire decision was about as impulsive as it could have been. I took a weekend trip to the area to spend some time in nature. It ended up raining the entire time. I wanted to look at this house but figured it’d be off the market by the time I arrived. (It’s a HOT market right now.) I saw it and immediately knew I had to put in an offer. There was one other offer. After much deliberating, I decided on a number and wrote a letter. Being pre-approved by this point was also very helpful while crafting my offer, as was being flexible with a closing date. Having said that, my advice is this: know what you want, stick to it, be flexible on timelines (I’ve said this already but it’s so, so true) and don’t be afraid to over-communicate. Start your search on an MLS to see what’s in the area and what you can expect to spend. Once you start seriously searching, start the loan process. After doing a quick search, I saw that I began my loan process on April 28th. It’s now October. Of course, I pivoted a few times (I was originally looking at homes much further away) and covid is further complicating things, but it does take time. From my offer to my closing date was 49 days, which is about average. Make sure you can devote time to it—there were some days where I’d put in 4-5 hours on the phone and filling out paperwork, and others where I’d complete a check-in and not need to do anything else. All this to say, if you’re looking for a home, also start your loan as well, and plan on spending a LOT of time on the phone and being very active to see that there are no delays.
This is an exciting time, and I want nothing more than to enjoy a Peach Bourbon Smash on the porch so that’s where I’ll be.