March 31, 2024
Can I just start off by saying that buying a home is HARD?! I’m not talking about the transactional process of buying a home; I’m talking about the emotional process of deciding which home should be YOUR home. Especially for a home-lover like me. I mean, I love so many different styles of homes and can see the potential in just about any property. The upside of being a contractor’s daughter, I guess. So naturally, when it came time for hubs and I to search for our first home together, we were fairly open to the style of home, but we had quite the specific list of criteria.
Some of our “must-have” amenities included three to four bedrooms, two and a half baths, a dedicated office, laundry room and dining room, formal and casual living, finished basement, 2 car garage, and an amazing backyard with an inground pool. It had to be in an established neighborhood and within 7 mins of mass train transit (hubs commuted to NYC for work at the time). And after renovating my last two homes and hubs renovating his as well, I didn’t want to live through another bathroom or kitchen reno. Oh, and we had a tight budget for the list of amenities we were looking for.
As a full-time REALTOR®, I knew the criteria we had was so specific that if I buyer contacted me with this same amenities list? Well, I’d silently roll my eyes and say to myself, “This house does not exist. At least not at that price.”
Our center stair colonial in Central New Jersey is in an incredible neighborhood (we’d learn how incredible in the months after we moved in) and had amazing bones. The old adage in real estate of “location location location” is true! Because besides the location, the home we chose to make OURS missed lots of our other suppose-ed “must-haves”. (As an agent, I also know that most buyers must-haves become wish lists as they get out into the market and tour homes.)
When we purchased our home in 2019, video walkthroughs and photos of rooms from multiple angles just weren’t a “thing”. So, what I’m left with are the photos the sellers sent to us.
Our Formal Living Room
At 12′ x 24′, the formal living room spans the Southwest side of our home front to back. And with a centered fireplace and windows on three sides, I thought this would be a breeze to balance furniture in. Five years later, three different sets of furniture, and countless configurations… I. Was. Wrong.😂 Why? The doorways! However, I think we finally found the sweet spot of arrangements in here.
Our Formal Dining Room
I was in awe of having a dedicated “formal” dining space. I dreamt of hosting lavish dinner parties and holidays with the family gathered around the table… and five years later I can say that we HAVE! At least the second part.
Our Kitchen
Great size. Horrible configuration. Dated cabinetry and finishes. Five years later? We fixed it all. It’s cozy and coastal and 3 years after gut renovating the kitchen, I don’t regret a single decision.
Our Family Room/ Den
A rectangular box. Nothing fancy to see. Easy to update. I was happy as a clam to have two living spaces in our new home! I also took a paint brush in with me the moment we closed on the house. Five years later, this room is one of our favorite spots to hang out in.
Our Sunroom
An unexpected bonus space that we didn’t have on our home list but are so grateful to have! It’s the perfect place for bird watching, morning cups of tea, and an indoor reprieve for guests during summer BBQs. 5 years later and we’re in the process of renovating this space slowing into the perfect coastal sunroom.
Our Backyard
This is the space that sold me on the house. The decks, shed and fence were aging but all things to be replaced with time. Five years later and it’s one of our most used spaces. From April through October, I start and finish my days with this view.
What boxes did our house check off?
- Great, Established Neighborhood
- Close to NJ Transit
- 4 bedrooms
- 2.5 baths
- Dedicated Laundry and Dining Room
- Formal and Casual Living Areas
- Amazing Backyard with an In-Ground Pool
And it turns out some of our must-haves were actually negotiable. Our home has a 2 car garage but we can’t actually fit 2 cars in it, it doesn’t have a dedicated office space, and it wasn’t completely renovated. In hindsight, I’m so happy it wasn’t updated because it let me renovate major spaces to our taste without feeling guilty!
In the nearly 5 years we’ve owned our home, so many changes, renovations and updates have been made. I’m looking forward to sharing more with you on our updated spaces soon!
Till Next Time,
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