In 1975, we found a house that we could afford and that I absolutely loved. It was my dream house...old, with a picket fence, ivy growing over the back porch and a view of the water. We paid just under $50,000. My husband worked very hard to pay off the mortgage as quickly as possible. Our three kids grew up here.
When I went looking for a photo of the house, I could only find this one. We'd lived there for about 5 years when it was taken and the fixing up was constant. We did all the work ourselves: renovation was confined to bathrooms and furnaces - only what was necessary. Re-painting the whole house was a mammoth job when it only happens out of work hours. By the time the work was finished, it seemed it was time to start again. The 'old' became part of the on-going fixing, the ivy ruined the porch foundation, the view was filled in with new buildings and the picket fence couldn't hang onto it's pickets.
Now, 35 years later, the house has finally left the family. Many of us will be dropping in on the realtor's open house this afternoon. Me, too. I'm looking forward to seeing what the big changes look like. From the photos ( real estate listing here), it will be pretty good. It's really amazing what can be done when a house is empty, you have a construction crew and deep pockets. Oh, and the current selling price is just under a million dollars!
This is the way it looks today. After we've looked and remembered, we're going to have a big family dinner, play with the grand kids and let it go. It's been a long time coming.
11 comments:
What a strangly sad day full of mixed emotions you will have. Will you be taking pictures of the inside, and do you have any of the old inside pictures? It is very nice that the house has been renovated and all fixed up again, just waiting for some more exited people. The family dinner and grandkids sound great!
1985? I think you must mean 1975. I was born there, wasn't I?
Oops! That was a typo, Alex. I've fixed it.
Yup, 1975!
Ah yes, but the important parts and even the muddy bits have a home deep within your heart and mind. Nobody can take those away.
I love the house--it's exactly what I'd choose, too. Well, all except that price tag!
Your kitchen was so neat, it seems like a long time ago since we had our tea and talking about sewing and knitting.
Don't know what happened to the link...I think I've fixed it now.
It looks a Lovely house, Stephanie.
I like the idea of a "mortgage helper"!
Hope you had a nice viewing and family dinner, good idea to use the occasion as a get-together.
Hi Steph,
I remember visiting you there such a long time ago--when Andrea held my boy Kevin in her arms for a photo! It was a great house then and now it looks good too. It's always sad to say goodbye to places from the past. Of course the memories remain.
lovely house, can't get over the price though, guess that's Vancouver for you. Although I will say the property taxes are cheap, as we pay over $4,000 a year where I live in the country, and we had a similar sized house in Brampton, and were paying around $4,000 there. S0 I guess there are some things cheaper in Vancouver after all!!
Gill
What a sentimental day you will have, revisiting such a happy place. I still drive by the house I grew up in and others I have lived in, when I can. Only one is looking terrible. The others seem to have gone happily on without me.
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