Home Sweet Home
July 10, 2012 * * * * * Posted by: Carola 
At the end of April we bought a home. After 11 years in the States we finally dared to share the American Dream. We are first-time homeowners and we are quite excited about it.
Purchasing the house turned out to be a process of many ups and downs – excitement and utter frustration. When we started looking for a new home last November, we found OUR house at the very first outing with our realtor (who is the best realtor in the world, if I may say so). However, the listing price was beyond our planned budget. Only a week later that price was considerably lowered and we made an offer. This was right before Thanksgiving, so we spent the long holiday weekend hoping and wishing – and then the house was pulled off the market. Speak about disappointment.
Although we knew that the house would eventually come back on the market, we had no idea when that would be – anything was possible in the range of two months up to two years. With heavy hearts we tried to say a silent goodbye to our dream home and continued our house hunt. 58 houses and almost six months later, the house came back on the market – we still hadn’t bought anything (although we had been close) – we still had our secret hopes for OUR house. And there it was – we made our offer, and several counter offers and sleepless nights later we were chosen as the future owners of this beautiful home. A dream had come true in a miraculous way.
Since the home is an older house it needed a lot of work, but we didn’t move in before the end of May. The downstairs bathroom was renovated; we ripped out the carpet downstairs to discover some beautiful honey colored hardwood floors in some of the rooms and restored them. My daughter and I painted the walls and got crazy with the colors – we chose bright and happy colors with names like “Carolina Parakeet”, “Bird of Paradise” and “Seafoam Pearl”. Now that we’ve almost conquered the chaos of moving, it looks so much more like our home.
We have an office now and I got the blissful luxury of my very own studio. From there I can enter the garden – it is another dream come true. The garden has a lot of lawn that I will eventually rip out, but it also has beautiful trees and a lovely shape with a well-sized patio. First, I planted the existing raised beds with all kinds of vegetables, and they’re coming along well. I set a few other plants in the ground and put out the bird feeders and bird baths, and already there are so many more feathered visitors than when we first moved in. There is a beautiful big Japanese maple in front of our home and it bursts into the most beautiful colors in fall.
I still feel like in a dream. I love this house with all its many oddities and this neighborhood with its older homes and lots of trees and wildlife. It’s our little piece of heaven and I hope that this home will be blessed with joy, laughter and happiness.
home life moving
Reader Comments (13)
It really is a fairy tale kind of a story. Love how you've embraced the 'American dream'...and congratulations on becoming a home-owner. Wishing you many many years of happiness and joy-filled memories in your new nest!!!
Congratulations on finding your 'dream home.' I'm sure all of your happy and creative touches will make the house a warm and inviting home. Wishing you much happiness!
After all your blood, sweat and tears, Carola, and the emotional roller-coaster ride...now comes the SWEETNESS! I know we're all ecstatic for you. It's been a long-time coming. CONGRATULATIONS! May your creative genius now bloom more than ever!
i am very attached to my house. often teased for being so rooted to a structure. i read your post with and ear-to-ear grin and a knowing nod. welcome home, carola!
Carola, I love that you and your family have this lovely space ~ I love that you have a Japanese maple and birds visiting the feeders ~ I love all the names of the paint that you and your girl chose and I love that you appreciate all this so much ~ It is such a beautiful home!
I love it when dreams come true! Congrats! Will be eager to see more as you put your own personal touches on the inside and outside!
What a lovely and inviting looking home. Your description of the office that opens to a patio sounds idyllic. Congratulations. By the circuitous way it came together, sounds like it was meant to be.
Congratulations on this wonderful new home. It looks and sounds gorgeous.
Oh, how wonderful for you! It does indeed sound like a dream house, with all the things that are important to you. And I love the names of the colors you chose, it sounds beautiful! Enjoy!
I'm so glad you got the house you wanted. Having recently been through the house hunting and buying experience I know how waiting with fingers crossed goes on and on. It sounds like you are truly making the house your own and a real home.
P.S I'll be interested how that lawn removal goes as I'd like to get rid of mine in the back. My dogs are working on it for me but in a very unsystematic way. Many treacherous holes are involved in their effort.
Congratulations to your new home it was meant to be I think :-)
What an adventure you've embarked on! You've got a big nest to spiff up - it will be such fun for you!
It does sound the perfect place, it was obviously meant for you.