As any home buyer knows, the time between having an offer accepted and getting a signed contract is the most nerve-wracking and stressful part of the entire process.
We were able to see the house a few more times before the closing. One of those was the home inspection–another anxiety producing part of home buying. After 4 hours with an inspector, glazed eyes and all – the tiny notebook we had brought filled with incoherent scribbles – we were just as excited as the first moment we saw the house and we knew it was going to be great.
Fast forward two months to the day of the closing. Chris and I met our broker, Susan Whalen, at the house to do the walk through (she was actually shoveling snow to clear the walkway when we arrived… she really goes the extra mile and we can’t recommend her enough.)
It really felt strange not having Alice there. It was almost as if we had expected her (and her furniture) to still be in the house. The walls that were once sprinkled with artwork were now covered in cobwebs; the shelves that were once occupied by books were now peeling; the floors were badly scuffed and there were leak marks on the walls of the kitchen and dining room. Still… it was going to be great.
After the contract was signed, we headed back to Clinton Hollow. As we drove up the now ice-covered driveway we looked at the house — it was now our house.
After wandering around in all the empty space, we felt so overwhelmed that we joked about just shutting it down and coming back in the spring. Actually, we were so excited we wanted to stay right away, but we hadn’t planned that far ahead so we sadly had to drive away. But don’t worry, we had a bed delivered the very next day and we came back with a broom, a mop, and as many cleaning products as we could carry. With a lamp, a pan, two coffee mugs, and a box of macaroni and cheese – we began to nest.
Oh, and thank you Agway for having everything we happened to need at the right moment. This is our cat Suki patiently waiting in the car (inside the lamp shade) for the kitty litter we forgot.
With help from Joan at Hammertown, her friend and designer extraordinaire Wanda Furman, our broker and other friends in the area, we already had a list of recommended contractors. Right away we began meeting with prospective carpenters, painters, floor refinishers, heating contractors, electricians and plumbers. Of course, we quickly became experts in each respective field. The trick is, you accept that the first plumber you meet is going to know you have no clue about any of this. So, you ask as many questions as you can, get all the information and then when the second one arrives, you are an expert in the field of old house restoration and plumbing concerns. “Oh, yeah, Sage and I thought about replacing the water pump, but that baby’s got at least 10 more years in her!”
To be honest, everyone we meet up here is nicer than the next, but it takes some time to find the right person who you know understands the bones of an old house and doesn’t want to change it into something it was never meant to be.
What we want most is to do the least. We want to beautify this home without changing its character and bring out all the potential that’s already right here.
Sage and Chris
Next Week: “Where do we begin?”
To read Part I, click here.
I LOVE this – the idea of letting us in on how a house becomes a home! Brilliant and touching and just right for this moment – when everyone seems to be frozen in their own shadow. It’s great to be sharing an adventure — where we can see someone taking positive forward steps.
It’s a terrific way to be reminded that ‘style’ is not a shallow commercial concept. It’s the texture life. It’s the way we choose to tell the rest of the world who we are. It’s not frivolous. It’s not unimportant. It’s real and vital – and as likely to be a floor we can paint ourselves, or a great old bucket found out behind the barn, as it is a brass lamp with just the right balance of function and nostalgia – or a cushion that looks as though we can see the hand of the artist who stitched it.
Joan is a retailer who has always understood this. It’s why Hammertown feels real and alive. And this wonderful living story about the development of a home is a perfect example of Hammertown’s philosophy and her customers’ interests in the building of our lives and the texture of our own, unique forms of self-expression. I so look forward to the next ‘chapter’!
What a wonderful adventure, and we all get to share it! Thank you so much. Growing up in New Orleans almost automatically means a love and respect for old structures and a true desire to restore them or lovingly help them along in their evolution. I can’t wait to see the next page………..
Now that Part 2 has hooked me, how can I access Part 1? Is it archived somewhere?
Hi Marilyn -
Go to the end of Part II …there’s a link to Part I at the very bottom.
So glad you liked Sage’s blog!
Mary Murfitt