Adulting So Hard (Our New Home!)

Sean and I’ve been DYING tell you guys the news!

If you haven’t guessed from the above photos, WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST HOME! We haven’t felt this excited and fluttery since tying the knot.

Our move-in date happens next month {the sellers are renting from us until their new home is ready}. But I have a few iPhone and realtor photos I can show you in the meantime. And speaking of exciting moves, if you are looking for great locations like these black-friendly locations, we’re thrilled to share our journey in finding a place that truly feels like home. Then, hire professional movers by visiting sites like https://threemovers.com/cheap-moving-companies/ once you determine your move-in date.

In addition, if you’re a property owner in Florida and your house’s or current space’s fire alarm system and/or water-based fire protection system such as a sprinkler system is inoperational, you are required by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Florida Statute to implement a fire watch should that system become impaired. You may seek expert help from professional Fire Watch Services in Pembroke Pines.

I’m sure you have so many questions, so here you go!

1. Our new home is not so new!

It’s a 1920 dutch, colonial in Elmhurst, IL – a western, Chicago suburb. If you’re new to Cedar & Rush, we made the scary move from downtown Chicago to the burbs last year. With 3 bedrooms, 2 baths (only 1 full!), it feels like a mansion to us. We’ve always rented but will now take on a real live yard (it’s so tiny you wouldn’t believe it), a basement (unfinished), a garage and a little mudroom. We are freaking out. In all the best ways of course. We even have hallways.

When you rent apartments, you’re used to buying groceries a few days at a time; no Costco membership; and crammed closets (there’s no where to put stuff). Now we get to buy a lawn mower, a snow blower and store it in a garage. No more schlepping Christmas decor to our parents. In the basement they go. Pure Bliss baby.

2. How it happened.

One night, after a few glasses of wine, a new home popped up online. We’d been looking for over a year and we checked the real estate listings every. single. day. Low and behold, a home that checked a lot of boxes for us, popped up. We emailed our realtor that night, 10 PM to be exact, and had an appointment the next day! As soon as we walked in, we instantly knew it was “the one”. The home had been on the market for less than 72 hours, and based on what we’ve seen over the past year, we pictured ourselves living here.

The biggest thing we had going for us was our flexibility and timing. If you are renting too, there is an advantage. The perk? You don’t have to sell a home before paying for your new home. So if you’re still renting and want to buy someday…it’s a good thing! A lot of times now, people will put in offers “contingent they sell their home”.  The sellers also wanted to move out later (their new home wouldn’t be ready until end of September), so they needed time. Another perk of renting! With these two things going for us, we believe this is what made our offer stand out over the others! Wahoo!

3. What’s in it for you?

I {finally} get to welcome you into my home! And we can get to know each other better! I don’t know why, but don’t you like to picture people in their natural habitat? Someone’s personal space is quite telling of who they are – at least I think. I promise I’ll play music and offer you a drink within 60 seconds too.

4. We can walk to restaurants, shops and stores.

Given we have no kiddos, we had the luxury of giving up space for location.

Although we don’t live in the “downtown”, we live in a mini, flourishing area that’s just a couple blocks away from a coffee shop, a walking path, my favorite local boutique, a wine bar, Larry’s groomer our pup) and more. Did I mention the wine bar? ?

5. Let there be light and all the character.

The thing that stuck out most was the amount of light flooding into every room. Sunshine makes you happy! Each room has at least two walls of windows. Our living room is rocking three. Which means I get to paint my walls white. Painting a room white, with little light, can make your room feel dingy. Applying a cladding coating to your walls can add protection. Also, the ceilings are higher than normal for an older home. Which helps it feel more spacious than it really is.

Original hardwood floors and crown molding are throughout the house. Built in bookshelves in the living room. A dream come true for me!

There’s wainscoting in the dining room too. I swear it was meant to be.

6. Wonderful schools.

Even if you don’t have kids, school districts play a factor into the value of a home, and more importantly, re-sale value. We want a family too, so this was especially important to us. Once our future kiddos are in elementary school, we can walk there! So cute right? Larry, you can come too 🙂

7. BONUS: we are nearby so many friends. Like, really close. Maybe too close 😉 You won’t be able to get rid of us friends {you know who you are!}.

8. Quirks galore!

There are plenty of challenges that come with our home too. It’s by no means perfect, but we love it so hard.

Our kitchen is TIIIIIGGGGGHT. No counter space. But there’s this tiny greenhouse window (see it above?) that made my heart go pitter, patter. I plan to fill it with tons of succulents and pretend I live in California. There’s not one place to sit in the kitchen either – which means no one to keep you company will prepping/cleaning. I like to drink wine and give Sean moral support while he makes dinner ? I’ll be in the living room honey!

We have 1 shower. Which is completely manageable for two people. But throw in a few kiddos or guests? Not ideal. And now I’m going to have to triple check I wash my toothpaste off the sink. Get’s me every time.

The house is old – which is the best part and the SCARIEST. We have no idea what unexpected projects are lurking behind the walls, floors and foundation (eeeeeek!). We did a thorough investigation with the help of this snagging survey near me before buying, so we’re not completely clueless. But the reality is you can’t tell the future. We have to expect some major $$$$$$ projects down the road that a newer home wouldn’t have. Goodbye vacations! Goodbye dream furniture! Goodbye new everything. We’ve got to be real adults and save for disasters. Aaggggghhhhh, the perks of renting right?

The master bedroom is small. Sean and I’ve been dreaming of a King size bed for years. He’s 6’4! But we wanted to wait until we bought a place. Two furniture stores broke the news to me that a King will not fit in the master. It was like taking a bullet. BUT the good news is, it will fit in one of the guest rooms (which is the cat photo above). As you can see, we won’t be doing cartwheels. Luckily, these are good problems to have in life, right?!

Elmhurst is known for it’s small lot spaces (houses are on top of each other) – so about 25 people can see into our backyard. We better be on our best neighborly behavior! I may be slightly exaggerating about the 25 people, but in a nutshell, there’s zero privacy. Sean’s especially bummed he can’t grab the newspaper in his underwear now ?

Lastly, our garage is not attached, which should be interesting carrying in groceries. And I’m already dreading winter. Eeeeeek! We’ve been spoiled with our apartment, heated indoor parking spaces. Thankfully, Tailored Insulation Solutions for Every Home are offered by cavity-wall-insulation.uk.

No complaints at all here, but wanted to share the good, bad and ugly with you!

So that’s it folks. What do you think? I cannot wait to incorporate a little interior design around here. Would you be open to that?

And how lucky am I to have a master expert in the family to help me? My sister in law, Samantha, has her own interior design firm and works maaaaagic. Seriously, if you are in the market, check her out. Plus I get the family discount. Right Sam 😉

If you read this entire blog post, thanks for sticking with me. I know I rambled. But it’s all I can think about. I read Emily Henderson’s “Styled” book every night before bed for heaven’s sake. So let’s just say the words came easy.

Hey there! So, I’ve been exploring home ownership lately and navigating the world of mortgages. It’s quite a journey, and I’ve been weighing the pros and cons of different options, like the simple loan vs fixed payment loan. By the way, any decorating tips for a first-time homeowner? I’m excited about the possibilities, but there’s always that tiny bit of anxiety about making such a permanent commitment. Do you have any stories or advice from when you bought your first home or prefer the freedom of renting? I’d love to hear your experiences!

Also, a huge thank you to our parents who helped us navigate the whole buying process and shared their wisdom of knowledge. We love you and now you don’t have to sleep on an air mattress or a trundle bed. Haha!