6 Years Ago Today...

At the tender age of 23, I took possession of the keys to my first home. I remember how excited I was to get in there and make it my own. The woman I bought it from had lived here for 35 years and it needed some "freshening up". I spent so much time looking at new furniture, paint colors and I think this is when I can pinpoint my crush on Pottery Barn starting.

About 2 weeks before I got the keys, I remembered my good friend Elizabeth was in town for Christmas and I wanted to show her the place. We went and got some ice cream from Alinosi's and came and knocked on the door of my soon-to-be house. Luckily, Violet (the previous owner) was home and was kind enough to let me show Elizabeth the house in the current state. Elizabeth and my parents were the only ones to see the house that Violet had lived in for 35 years (so they can all attest to the decor)...and I think Violet was convinced I was leaving it exactly how she had it.

We did our walk through and once Elizabeth and I got back into our car she said to me, "It has great bones, but you are changing everything, right?". And boy did we ever.

6 years ago today, we started the labour of love of taking down a wall of mirrors in not just one room, but 2, ripping down wall paper in I think every room, ripping up carpet, finishing hardwoods, ripping out plastic tile from the bathroom and painting....lots and lots of painting. And how can I forget the accordion folding interior doors??? Ahh, the memories.

As I type this post, I can't help but get a little nostalgic and my eyes have some tears in them. We have decided to put this house up for sale to move on with the next phase of our lives together. As much as I love this house, it is time to move on. The neighborhood has changed so much, it has gotten to a point where we no longer feel safe. Also, this goes without saying for those that live in Michigan, but we have also lost so much value, to the tune of 75%, it is just time to cut our losses. We can't wait 5-10 years they are estimating for things to get back to 50% of where they once were. No one ever could have expected this to happen. We did what we were supposed to...invest in real estate, you will always gain value! Ha. C'est la vie. As hard as it is to think about what will come of this house both myself and my parents have put so much sweat equity into, I have to let it go. Who would have thought I would have become so emotionally attached to a house? Oy vey...

Anyways, over the next week, I am planning on taking you through a little journey through memory lane and post the before and after pictures. I wish I had more before ones, but in some cases, you will have to take my word for it. Trust me...there was A LOT of wall paper. Did I mention the kitchen cabinets even had wall paper on them? Luckily, I do have a picture of that! Stay tuned!