We were so excited to finally close on our first home; it took a while to find the perfect place for us, but luckily we found it. We were blessed to have such a fantastic realtor who helped tremendously. Suppose you need to sell or look for a new house, I recommend Lauren Bell. You can check out her Facebook page by clicking here.
“What Was the Process Like?”
Jake and I were lost. We were looking around, and it honestly was a miracle we found such a great house in the time frame we did. But Lauren Bell helped us with looking for something that not only fit our needs but our comfort zones as well-meaning the price was in our range, and the location was PERFECT! She did so much for us, and we thank her a million times for it! Even the inspectors we used were very thorough and overall excellent. We used Elite Pest Control for the termite inspection, and the person who came was very knowledgeable and got the job done! We also used David Cheek from Hometown Heating & Air as the HVAC inspector! He, too, did a great job overlooking everything – They do service calls, repairs, and more! They offer FREE estimates on NEW systems, and they offer a maintenance program where you can have two maintenance a year for just $140 and $99 for each additional unit. You can check their website out and learn more by clicking here.
What some Parts of the House Looked Like Prior to our early ‘Renovations’
When we offered this house, we knew there would be work that needed to get done (your inspector should also give you a list of things that need attention), and it was no problem. What my family members have told me is, “you’ll never really be finished with the house,” and that is so true! It’s like we’ve been doing something with it every week since we moved here last February. We were not complaining because it has been and continues to be super fun renovating, changing things, decorating, etc. Below is a shortlist of some of the “before” and “after” photos. I’ll also include small galleries or extra pictures to better show! The person who lived here before us was a considerable smoker who smoked in every single room, it seemed. So we had to buy a lot of Kills primer and paint to cover it up and get rid of the smell. The paint was EXPENSIVE.
Before
After
Other Photos:
Of course, all of the photos I showed didn’t show everything. I believe we still have a lot more to do, and I wasn’t ready to show most of it; I still have plans for flooring, etc.
My Advice for Those Searching for Their First Home
If I had to give any advice, I would tell them to save up for necessities and things you’ll need to renovate ASAP if the house wasn’t bought or bought “ready.” The paint was super expensive; it took a lot of sweat to wash the walls down and clean up before painting and moving in. Make sure to hire inspectors for different types of things such as a typical house inspector, a pest/termite inspector (IMPORTANT), HVAC inspector, all of that. It helped us know what we needed to do when it came time to move in and when we needed to renovate.
I also would advise, to have patience. You will look at many unique houses; some of your offers may fall through, but never lose hope of finding the perfect place! We had bid for a different home, and it fell through. It turns out a week later, there was a gas leak. We still talk about how that was a blessing in disguise to this day. But because of that, we also found our home. I am also pretty happy we got this one instead.
Final Thoughts
Overall, we absolutely love our home and still cherish everything about it one year later. I know so many were excited to see all the changes, but I’m not ready, nor are all the changes finished quite yet. Once they do, though, you can view them in my story highlight, “Home Sweet Home” on Instagram under my bio! Be sure you’re following me on Instagram, so you don’t miss updates and news!
Life With Caitie 