Timing is
everything.... More
on that later
We (I) have been spending a lot of time thinking about our next house. I have a must-have list and a like-to-have list of things that I hope we are able to get in our next house. While talking about it recently, I admitted to Brian that I'm scared we wont find a house that we fall in love with like this house. We had seen about 15 houses when we were house hunting the first time and the minute this listing came online, I was all over it. Sure enough, we loved it the same in person. It just felt like us, and felt like home. We looked past the aesthetics and things that needed updating and just loved it for what it was.
So as we look ahead and look at houses, these are our next house
must haves:
More space, incl 2 living spaces (family room + playroom)
At least 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths
Decent yard/lot
Central air
Good flow (doesnt need to be open floor plan)
Close to work, my parents and daycare
Like to have
Cul de sac
Master bath
Finished basement
Hardwood floors
The reason we are consumed with all of this? We have accepted an offer on our house and are currently signing the contracts! I dont want to jinx anything but the inspection went well and we are moving forward. We are planning to close mid April. So, as far as timing... we thought we had it all planned out and the timing would work out. We'd sell our house, find a house and maybe live with my parents for a few months if time overlapped. As I've mentioned our main objective is to finda larger home, closer to work to cut down on the time we spend commuting. We narrowed our search to Wilton but are open to New Canaan and Darien. Most anyone could tell you that real estare in the later two towns comes at a pretty penny, so we are realistic about looking there.
A few weeks ago, our realtor tipped us off that there was a new house coming on the market in NC that we may like. I must have driven by 5 times before we finally got the ok to tour the house on Tuesday. I went into it expecting the worst. There are essentially no houses in New Canaan in our price range so I just assumed this would be forgettable. From what I know now, the
only negative
is
that the wooded 1 acre lot, backs up to the merrit parkway. For some, thats a huge deal breaker, but for us, it puts the house in our range. What I wasn't ready for was the abundance of charm and character. The house hits every mark on my list and then some. It is perfect, and it felt like home, to both of us.
Take a look at this amazing living room that must be 4x the size of our current space. The opposite wall has a beautiful mantle and fireplace surrounded by built ins. This screams cozy family time and I can't stop thinking about it:
These ceilings continue through the ranch home, including the large master. I mean.... The house isn't even on the market yet. The owners knew my grandfather well and were excited we were the first to see it. Trouble is, our timing couldn't be more off. Its like the tease of all teases. We literally can't do anything for at least a month! So, when the house goes on the market this weekend, and with each passing day, I'll have my fingers crossed that this house waits for us ;) wishful thinking but I know what I like, and this house is amazing! If its meant to be, it will be....
