I haven't blogged in a long time for a lot of reasons, but I can't say I have a domestic blog and never mention the fact that I moved and renovated a new home last month. I also can't tell the story of my move without telling a little background.
We bought our house in 2008. I worked full time and we were about to start IVF with the idea that twins were highly likely. We were in our early 30s and did what everyone around us did- we moved up. We went from our "starter home" to our dream home which was about $75K more. It had 4 bedrooms, a formal dining room for entertaining, soaring ceilings, and great schools. We had our daughter 9 months later and then 2 years later I began working part time so I could be home with her.
Over time we became the definition of house poor. My income had lessened and the value and mortgage on our house slowly increased. My husband's income has a commission component and some months was less than expected. Combine that with my "need" to decorate and fill this big house and we moved in the wrong direction financially.
In the fall, we started getting serious about our budget and my husband took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. In February, I ran lots of numbers and we decided to sell our house. We wanted a smaller home, a smaller mortgage, and to pay off debt with some of our home equity. We prayed. We consulted. We prayed. We researched. And, God literally opened every day in His perfect timing that led us to this home.
It was the home of a friend that hadn't hit the market yet. It was a 3 bedroom with an office and cost less than we paid for our home in 2008. It had good bones, an amazing backyard, and is within a mile of lots of our friends. It feeds into the only school we wanted outside of our own. It needed cosmetic upgrades only. It was an answered prayer. And after an offer, it was ours.
Suddenly we had a new home and a current home that needed to be sold. We got our house ready and it sold in 2 days above asking. The timeline was perfect for us and we were really moving. God had lined it all up and our obedience led to financial freedom and a home renovation. I was somehow going to save money every month, pay off debt, and get to renovate a home. It seemed too good to be true!
We are now in our new home and almost all renovations are completed. We are happy with our decision and haven't looked back. I always looked at the nice neighborhood next to ours as the next step and God has really changed my heart. I see those big homes and see work and upkeep now.
We are loving our backyard full of big trees and the shade they provide. We are loving the cozy feel a smaller home gives us. We are loving thinking about our money going toward trips to Disney World, Hawaii, and Africa.
We are loving the "second backyard" as Abby calls it. The field behind our home is open and the perfect spot for flying kites, hitting baseballs and watching fireworks!
Over the next few weeks I will share more of the inside. I have always loved farmhouse style and it is so popular right now that I have so many options! We've done paint, flooring, lighting, doors, fixtures, cabinets, countertops, backsplash, fireplace and more!
Stay tuned!
