I’ve been meaning to share our progress at this house since day one. This house is so special to Mason and I. For starters, it’s right next door to us. Literally. We share a driveway. So, that in and of itself makes this project feel so unique! And quite literally, close to home.

One of my favorite aspects has been feeling like I’ve gotten a small glimpse into the people’s lives who lived here for 35+ years. We only lived next to each other for ~3.5 of those years and I never really took the opportunity to really get to know their family–which I now regret. They seem like amazing people who took absolutely immaculate care of their home. It still blows me away how amazing of condition this home was in for having been built in 1967. Often today people just don’t take the same level of care and it shows.

I truly believe there is something so special about this home. I can remember the day I met with the seller, I was standing in my bathroom with dry shampoo cooking in my hair, diligently going over my numbers and suddenly stopped what I was doing and decided to pray.

I can’t explain my gratitude for this opportunity and how amazing it has been to learn and grow throughout this process.

We closed on my mom’s birthday, January 27th.

Getting Started

Mason has been with the same employer for over SEVEN years. Kid was committed. Back in the fall, when I first started expressing interest in this house, we discussed the idea of him being the contractor and whether that would be feasible with a full-time job. By time I closed, it was clear that this was all happening for a reason and with perfect timing. Mason decided to take the leap, resigned from the safety of his long-time position, and started his own GC company. I couldn’t be more proud of him. His work ethic alone is second to none. And just like that, we began demo on Valentine’s Day 2022!

Somewhere along the road, it became clear that this house deserved top notch love and care. Initially I had somewhat lower quality finishes in mind, but that flew right out the window once we dove in. For example, when we opened up the wall between the kitchen and the living room, I wanted the new flooring to flow between both rooms. I started looking into LVT (luxury vinyl tile), but it quickly gave me challenges left and right. The dining room and hallways are real wood, which led me to get a hardwood quote. I battled and battled with that decision, but once I let myself imagine the finished product, I knew we had to bite the investment and go all out. And boy am I glad we did!

There have been a laundry list of areas we upgraded, ultimately DOUBLING our initial budget on the property. But the thing was, this house just meant more to me. Now don’t get me wrong, I am about as anal about numbers as one can get. Every. single. penny. is accounted for, documented, recorded, reconciled. And I made adjustments where necessary, like upping the end-game value, to make sure we always made responsible financial choices along the way.

It has been very stressful making such dramatic changes in decisions and having to pivot time and time again over the past 90 days, but with the end in sight… damn am I proud.

The Final Push

There’s one last twist in this story…

Back around Thanksgiving when I first started discussions with the previous owners, I can remember sitting around the table at Thanksgiving dinner telling my family about this AMAZING new house I hope to get. Sitting there at my grandma’s dining table, I planted the seed that perhaps, JUST MAYBE, my parents should sell their house in Park City and move next door to their favorite daughter. 😉

Fast forward 3.5 months… ITS HAPPENING.

I can hardly comprehend that it’s real.

The perfect house came to fruition.

My boyfriend found his dream gig.

We’ve poured our hearts into this project.

And now, we get to be neighbors with my three favorite people on the planet.

I just can’t believe it.

I am so grateful. So excited. So blessed.

Now at this point, the pressure is ON. They’ve listed their house and we’re shooting for a June 10th completion date on Dublin. Mason and I have about 3 week to get our asses into high gear and make sure everything is ready on time!

The Kitchen

Cabinets arrive this week! Eek! We’ll set them, install the sink, and then get the countertop company out to template. From there, it’s installing hardware, final lights, pantry doors, and lastly, countertops! So happy to finally be seeing the light at the end of the rehab tunnel.

Living Room

The literal oasis. This room is SO cozy. I keep telling Mason how excited I am to celebrate Christmas in this living room. Fire burning, Christmas tree twinkling, fresh food in the oven…. say no more.

Guest Bath

My arch nemisis. I did/am doing the tile in here and I hit a HARD wall haha. It’s my goal to have this bathroom 90% completed by one week from now. I need to finish tiling the shower pan and curb, finish painting, stain the vanity, and install toilet. Again, so glad to be seeing the finish line here!

Master Bedroom

Paint, paint, and more paint!

Master Bath

Tile for the shower and floor starts in here next Monday. We didn’t have a ton of square-footage to work with, so we really went all out with what we had. From the body sprayers, a rain head, and handheld sprayer to the heated tile floors….. this bathroom is going to be what dreams are made of.

Basement

Whatever you do, don’t ask Mason about the basement. Poor guy can’t STAND to be down there for another second LOL. It’s hard doing manual labor in what can feel like a dungeon over time. 🙂 Only a few more items and the basement will be wrapped.

Overall, we’re SO excited about this project. It’s been a true labor of love. We’re over the moon about getting to be neighbors with our family and this house is going to have a piece of my heart forever!

Big Agenda Items Remaining:

• Landscape Removal and Planting
• Exterior German Schmear Application
• Hardwoods Sanded and Stained
• Carpet Install
• Cabinets & Countertops Install
• Master Bath Shower & Floor Tile Install
• Mud Room Install

Now… off to paint. Back with final updates come June! 🙂