Our Fixer-Upper Journey: From Dream to Reality

Hey there, Besties! 🌿 So, let me take you back to when my love affair with fixer-uppers began. Picture this: It's 2008, the housing market has just taken a nosedive, and our neighborhood is brimming with foreclosures. At the time, James was working with a general contractor, and they were bringing these forgotten homes back to life. I was completely mesmerized by these transformations! 🛠️✨

This sparked a dream in us – to own a fixer-upper ourselves. We spent years touring homes that were crying out for love and care. We tried to buy several, but oh, the hurdles! Cash buyers were king, and securing a bank loan on a foreclosure was like navigating a maze in the dark.

Fast forward to the summer of 2015. We decided to play it straight – no more chasing fixer-uppers. We teamed up with a realtor, prepared to take the traditional home-buying route. But, you know me, I couldn't resist adding a little note at the bottom of our wish list: '…& any foreclosures!'

As fate would have it, our house hunting took an unexpected turn. We stumbled upon a foreclosure right in our hometown. It felt like déjà vu as we toured it, not getting our hopes up too high. But our offer was accepted, to our amazement and a bit of disbelief (I still think we were the only bidders!)! By late 2015, we were ready to start our biggest project yet. 🏠💫

Our new home wasn't one of those 'still looks fabulous' foreclosures. Nope. It had its share of woes – from a flooded basement that claimed the furnace and hot water tank to burst pipes and pet-stained floors. It was outdated a little unloved, but oh, it had potential. And the best part? We saw nothing we couldn't handle ourselves.

So, here we are, embarking on a journey to breathe new life into this house and turn it into a home again. It will be a rollercoaster of DIY, creativity, and probably a few 'what have we gotten ourselves into' moments. But the excitement of seeing it all come together? Priceless!

Stay tuned because this fixer-upper story is just beginning, and I can't wait to share every step of this adventure with you. 🌟🔨