little house: found

Willie had been itching for a little piece of land and workshop for nearly 6 months before he found our house in early November . we're familiar with the area as he's been keeping all of his tractor equipment at a little organic farm down the road for the past year.  he liked the community and we had already made a few hippie/country friends down here. {it's the middle tennessee organic farmer mecca}

the internet search, real tracs listings and phone call leads with relator friends became another full time job for WD. {he is NOT a patient person when it comes to making up his mind and getting junk done}  

and we rode around. a lot.
but that's kinda or our thing...truck rides {always with rt. 44 sonic drinks}
i love it.  a lot.

he always waited for me to go with him to see the spots. though there was no official spoken testimony of "we're doin this together" -- it was very much understood that this house would be OUR home, for a little while, at least. and BOY HOWDY did we look at some properties; trailers, 100+acres, too many miles away, those we thought were "the one" but didn't pan out, more trailers, more fixer uppers, some we couldn't afford, many we could afford but were too far out....and this went on for MONTHS.

so this house W had driven by several times before we went to see it with the realtor for the first time.  We were on our way home to GA for Frolona Fest and  something in me was less critical, more open and it felt right. Willie loved the shop and lean-to barn -- and that's pretty much all he cared about.  The house was tiny & outdated, had a lot of potential, and he didn't need much more than that anyway.  I fell for the huge back porch (shocker)...the rolling fields across the road (duh, felt like home) and the trickling creek we could constantly hear.

he made an offer about 2 hours into our trip to GA.
the next day they countered.
inspections happened. minor issues found.
new negotiation.
back & forth.
SOLD! 

.....for literally $400,000+ dollars less than then rental houses & going rate in the neighborhood we were both living in at the time.  I'm still blown away thinking about the cost of real estate in the hot spots of 12South on 0.12 acres --- and here he was getting several structures, land, creeks & sweet neighbors for so much cheaper!

anyway...after a few normal closing glitches, the delay from the holidays and a lot of anticipation from one anxious boy ready to settle down...closing day came!

he signed papers at 9:30am and at 11:07am I got a text message photo from him of a large wall he had already torn out.  i expected nothing less.  i was on-site at an event that day, but was so excited to hug his neck and celebrate.  

i showed up bearing a bucket of KFC chicken with the trimmings and biscuits, a case of busch light and cheap champagne.  

we ate on the floor, popped open the cheap champagne, i took a few swings and some stress out on a few more walls that had already fallen victim and was thrilled for my ole boy.

the same day, in the pouring rain he put up a large flag pole in the front yard. 
     i think it's some boy, southern, i-do-what-i-want thing...but flying that flag in his new front yard was so very important. i can appreciate that.

For the next three weeks he worked around the clock, sleeping on pallets on the freezing floor, tearing out walls, ceilings, reworking plumbing + electrical, painting, rebuiliding -- full on renovation. I also worked like a dog.  I pretty much just did what I was told and spent a lot of time pulling staples out of orginal hardwood floors, stripping floors, sanding floors and cursing floors...but it's all worth it -- just wait and see!

this is not our forever home. or our start a family home. but it's an investment, a landing place vital to W's business and a stepping stone that's perfect in every way for right now.

The first day we saw the house it looked like this:
 {bless it's little ugly potential filled heart}

 

and 2 weeks after it was W's...it looked like this -- a fine work in progress: 

{grow grass grow!! needing landscaping, new glass door (coming!), dynamite to scratch those awful numbers off...and that lumber you see? -- gonna be an artsy fartsy herb & flower garden, yippee!!}

 

So this is going to be a chronicle of all the the things we've done to make this "little house" home.  
And that simple term "home" is demonstrated in the photo below in a way that makes my heart leap and tumble and nearly burst open.

I'll be sharing lots of befores + afters, the how we did it's, re-sale value decisions, what we still have plans for, and why we're loving it 
    -- all part of this bigger story that we're just beginning....

hang on for the ride!!!!!!