We're moving!!
November 19, 2015
'A house is made of bricks and beams, a house is made of love and dreams!'
Oh, our beloved house... it's been a tough tough couple of weeks trying to decide what to do for the best. Let me tell you from the start!
We weren't looking to move at all. When we bought this house Ben said 'we'll be here for 10-15 years at least!'. I knew it wouldn't quite be that long, maybe 5-10 depending on children etc. But we never thought it would be as little as three!
However, an opportunity has arisen that would be foolish of us to turn down. Unfortunately we're a little tied to this village and the housing stock here tends to be big family homes with people often staying in them for a long while. Ben and I have lived in this village since we were born - aside from a few years up north in Lancaster at uni for him and a couple of years for us both in London whilst I was studying, our hearts lie here in Hertfordshire. Our families are all so close by as are our friends, we love how we feel in the countryside but equally we're so close to London, it's all we've ever known really. Ben being a property developer always has one eye on Rightmove, and so we tend to know most of the houses and roads in the village fairly well. The house we're buying came onto the market at the start of September, it seemed out of our league and we thought it would get snapped up quickly. We actually went to view it {some of you may remember from my Insta a while ago?} but we figured it was a couple of years sooner than we'd want to move. However, six weeks down the line it's still on the market and had been reduced in price a little. We thought about it, reallly thought about it, and decided that actually there's only a couple of houses we'd ever really want to live in here in the village. Plus, although it's way before we wanted to move, surely it would be better to renovate before I get knocked up or have a couple of kiddies running around the place. I didn't want to be the stereotypical grand designs/location couple desperately looking for a house or in the middle of a building site with toddlers! Plus with some work, it would need an extension and everything basically redoing, it could be really really amazing.
But it's with heavy, heavy hearts that we have to leave this place behind! After all the work we've put into it. We know that this house won't do us forever and as much as I love it, we both love it, it does have a couple of flaws that make it a tiny bit easier to leave behind {no driveway, a v narrow hallway not that great for buggies plus a fairly busy road and no evening sun in the garden!}. But don't get me wrong, I've cried and cried already about packing everything up and leaving. Ben promises me that we'll make the next house even better {and has promised me a utility room yay!!}. And I am excited, I really am. But these houses come with a lot of emotions! I also feel for the couple who are moving out after forty odd years there, they don't want to leave but have to for health reasons. I hope we can be as happy there as they have been.
So, in a couple of months time all being well {don't worry not before Christmas!! I couldn't cope with that!} it will be onto the next project. This is the house we're moving to, Ben's Mum said it's the most attractive house in the village which I thought was rather lovely. It was built in the 1700s as part of an Old Palace and has the period features we love plus a gorgeous front door! It's grand, it's so much bigger than we need right now but I think we'd be kicking ourselves in a few years if we didn't go for it. It will take us a while to get it how we want to and I can see us with paint brushes in our hands for a good couple of months. {And forks for the garden plus hammers and drills and all that jazz for extension building plus shed building plus everything you can think of}. Basically starting from scratch again. So bring on the move {I think!}, hours spent on pinterest and trips to Kempton again at some point but for the next few months I'm going to soak up every last drop of our current abode.
R <3 xx
p.s. it means I'll have to write a whole new blog about all the renovations!
and p.p.s. we're probably taking half the kitchen with us - you know that instagram wouldn't be the same without it!
4 comments
Hi Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteI've been following your blog and lovely house for a little while. I know so well the sentiments you speak of about your home, having myself grown up with Real Estate investor parents with whom I made many moves, and now living with a Real Estate agent/investor husband. But I am so happy for you! Change is often wonderful. The new house is a stunner, and you will be so happy. It will be fun seeing all that you do to it.
<3 Keri
Middle of the US
Wow your new house looks gorgeous and I selfishly can't wait to see what you do with it! But can completely understand your sadness, so pleased you can enjoy one last Christmas there. I'm sure you've been told by lots of people but speaking as someone with two little ones it's definitely the right choice to get your new home sorted 😉 x
ReplyDeleteThis is so exciting! I don't recognise it but you'll have to tell me all about it when we meet xx
ReplyDeleteOh what a beautiful house... so exciting for you both... and what a project for the New Year. Myself and my husband built our own home in the countryside here in rural Ireland. We'll be in it 4 years soon and we're almost finished decorating now. Although I still have two bedrooms with no furniture but don't need them yet. We just finished our good living room... My husband laughs at me saying we'll never sit in it as we have an everyday living room, large kitchen/dining room and large sun room too. Looking forward to follow your home move and renovations....
ReplyDeleteAll things nice...