(Don’t worry, we also bought a leaf blower)
I know I’ve been eluding to some big news lately but I wanted to wait until we officially closed to announce that… WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! Anel and I have been saving our pennies for over five years and finally came to a point where we were ready to bite the bullet. On Friday night we signed approximately 4,000 pieces of paper and can now call ourselves homeowners. The whole process felt really scary and “grown up” but it also felt so right. Let me tell you about how it went down…
The house itself
I’m obsessed with it. Size-wise, it’s definitely not a mansion but it’s not a shoebox either. We have four bedrooms and three bathrooms but it’s cozy and the perfect size for us right now. We bought it from a developer who gutted and renovated the entire home, so everything from the floors to the kitchen appliances are brand new. It’s empty right now but I promise to share photos as we move in (next weekend!) and get settled. In the meantime, be sure to follow along on Instagram and Snapchat (lemonstripes) for more real-time photos and videos of the space.
The room I’m most excited about
My office! In our apartment, I spend weekends and nights blogging from the couch which is both uncomfortable and uninspiring. Having my own space to work without the TV blaring in front of my face makes me beyond excited. I can’t wait to make it a perfect, comfortable space where I can get my work done in peace and quiet.
Decor
(Current state of our living room)
We’re working with an amazing design firm, Decor Aid, on the living room and dining room designs. Although I’d love for the whole place to be furnished on move-in day, I know that’s not realistic, so we’re tackling it one space at a time. I put together this Pinterest board to share with my designer, Alex, for the two rooms if you want to see what direction we’re heading in.
We’re moving over our current bedroom design with a few small tweaks to simplify and my friends at Matouk are helping me out with bedding for a more elevated guest room. Over the weekend, we started painting with Farrow & Ball paint (above is the living room in Cornforth White). It takes a village!
The process of buying a house
(View from the front door)
Buying a house is no joke. Everyone always told me that it was a stressful, difficult process but I had no idea just how insane it was until I went through it myself. I’m going to write a full post on this for any of you future homeowners to reference because I wish I had known so many things going into it. We also butted heads a lot with our seller which caused even more anxiety. I literally haven’t slept through the night in over a month. Everyday we had to send another document to the bank or book another inspection. It was a seemingly never-ending nightmare that is finally over.
Now we just have to pack everything up and move! I can’t wait to share the process of moving and decorating with you. See what’s happening in real-time on Instagram and Snapchat (lemonstripes).
Yay! Congratulations! I’m in the process of looking for a home so I can’t wait for the upcoming blog posts.
i’m so happy for you Julia! Can’t wait to see the house decorated
Paola
http://www.lechicchedipaola.it/
Yay yay YAY!
I recently bought my first house too and despite the fact that I am a loan originator and know the process, I didn’t sleep either. Congrats on the new home! Can’t wait to see the finished product!
Congrats!! The hardwood floors are gorgeous!
http://www.maggiealamode.com
Congrats! What town did y’all decide on? We are looking in Fairfield Co, too, from out of the area. Decided to rent in Greenwich for a year to truly get a look around before settling on one.
Congratulations! It is a beautiful home. You will make wonderful memories there.
Sarah
http://www.sefoster8.blogspot.ca
Congrats! It’s so much work, but you will LOVE it. Even though there’s so much more to worry about, I feel so much more piece of mind in my house than in an apartment. I love that tree in the front yard!
Alyssa | Glitter and Grey
So excited for you guys! What a beautiful home 🙂
So excited for you!
Congratulations to you and your husband!! I am currently going through this process with my husband to buy our first house and I understand the feeling of sleepless nights, I haven’t been able to sleep since we started the home-buying process either. We are closing December 1st (if all goes as planned, which it rarely does!) and the looming idea of decorating and making an entire house have a cohesive look is starting to give me my next wave of anxiety. I hope you will share your decorating tips, I will be so excited to hear your ideas, as I always love your style! Best of luck moving!!
Congratulations! Owning a house and taking pride in it is a wonderful feeling (and a lot of work!). Have fun putting your stamp on it but don’t wear yourselves out either!
Oh my goodness… Congratulations, Julia!! SO exciting. I agree that the process of buying a home is beyond stressful — and nothing can really prepare you for it. Like you, I didn’t sleep for months, and I feel like I was constantly crying. Just one tiny hiccup or mistake, and BOOM. You’ve lost your dream home, you know?!
Anyway, so glad that you and Anel made it through, and now are in your first home together! So, so happy for you… So many memories to be made inside those walls!
xoxo!!! Congrats!
Kelly | Kelly in the City
<3 <3 <3 I would also love to read your post on the process. Obvi different from state to state, but I still want to know everrrrything for when we get there! Also, send me pics of where that Draper chest ends up!!!!
Congrats! I look forward to your post about buying a house for the first time home buyer! I am in the process of getting all of my ducks in a row to buy in the spring and could use ANY and all help I can get!
casualonthecoast.com
Congrats! What an amazing milestone in life! I cannot wait for the day I have a piece of property to call my own, but I’m going to love watching how your house takes shape and becomes your own over the next year!
Laura | Laura Aime Vous
Congrats! can’t wait to see all the process along the way !
Congratulations!!!
Congrats! I can’t wait to see how y’all decorate!
xoxo,
Katie
chicincarolina.blogspot.com
Congrats Julia! Your new home looks beautiful! Would you be opposed to
sharing the name of the developer who did the gut/renovations? My husband and I
are looking to buy our first place in Fairfield County and would love to do something similar with a fixer-upper type property. Thanks so much!
Best of luck! xx