Here's the thing, though: no one wants a fixer upper that doesn't have its charms. The best kind of houses to renovate are the diamonds in the rough, because that's frankly where there is a profit to be had. Words like renovate, restore, and renew all imply that that there was something good to begin with that needs to be brought back.
When looking for a home to restore value to, some redeeming qualities have to be present. And every now and then you have to remind yourself of the things you love about the house, or it's easy to get overwhelmed by what you want to fix/replace/paint/forget existed. (Sidenote: this works really well with your spouse, too.)
As we keep a list of the things we'd like to do to Tara before we get her ready to sell in the next few years (which, yes, means that we start another renovation!), it's nice to keep two more lists handy as well. Being the type-A lady I am, I thrive on lists. So, along with your list of potential projects, make sure you keep a list of things you've accomplished (or a blog- to each his own), and a list of what you like about the house. For the latter, put on your realtor hat (and channel Oprah) and make a list of your favorite things. If you had to sell your house today, what are the best aspects? If you moved today, what would you miss most? Why did you originally place an offer on the house? By the way, raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens do not need to be on your list- this is about your house only, friends.
Without further ado, I give you...My favorite things about Tara.
Location, location, location! I've said it before, and I will say it again- the location is arguably the best location we will ever live in. We are not even a hop, skip, and a jump (more like a hop only) to everywhere we could want to be. 2 miles to a state park and 2 miles to Publix. A mile to our oldest daughter's school and a mile to the YMCA. 2 miles to Vineyard Vines and Kate Spade and about 4 miles to Rhett's office. Really...it makes the 5.45 miles to church look like a trek. While our driveway is steep, our street and neighborhood are relatively quiet, which makes jogging and bike riding easy.
The classic ranch floorplan. The Ranch isn't for everyone, and if it was it would not have run its course by the end of the 1960s. For our family, however, a house on a single level is nothing less than a perfect fit. No stairs for little ones to fall down, no stairs for me to run up and down with laundry (I prefer to run at the gym, thankyouverymuch), no stairs, no stairs, no stairs. Whew. Additionally, the fact that all the bedrooms are next to each other is a plus, and the open flow of the rest of the house is genius. Love the ranch!
The HUGE windows on the back of the house and the monstrous bay window in the front. I was reminded of this today as the sun came in! The back of our house has three windows that are nearly floor to ceiling as well as a glass back door, so when it's pretty outside the prettiness comes inside! As for the bay window, I thought it at first to be a decorating disaster. However, I later realized that this is an ideal spot for my olsdest daughter's ever-growing Lego collection. And really, with young children does anyone dare dream of decorating with anything other than America's favorite building block?
The dining room corner cabinets. Tara doesn't have a great deal of whimsical detail (that we'd like to keep, anyways) but these little cabinets are a treasure. Before we moved in, I painted the back walls Benjamin Moore's Wedgewood Gray, which picks up the tinest detail in the china. They now display china and glassware, and instead of looking like storage pieces they come off almost as art.
Four small items on a list that doesn't get looked at very much. During a renovation, though, it's easy to lose your mind, so keeping a list- however small- can be a pretty great asset.
When a pipe breaks, when the roof leaks, when I'm feeling sad...go ahead- sing along...I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad.
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