Home Sweet Home Times Three

It's starting to become very confusing when, in conversation, Colby or I allude to the place of "home".  Responses generally go something like "Which home?", "Louisiana?", "You mean in Washington or South Carolina?" etcetera, etcetera, and so forth.  As we are learning, home is where the heart is and also where the majority of your stuff resides.

After three days spent touring approximately thirty homes just outside of Charleston, we were able to find a great house that will pretty perfectly fit our needs and has just enough room for improvement that we may be able to actually recoup our money and then some when it comes time to sell.  I'm loathe to place too much hope upon that thought, but let's just say that the prospects for the South Carolina house are much better than the Washington house.

I wanted to use the idea suggested by a couple of you and sort of "live blog" the house hunting experience, but we had very spotty internet at the friend's house where we were staying, and honestly, by the end of the days we were so worn down from crunching numbers and imagining furniture placement and thinking about mortgage payments that I just couldn't bring myself to write about the process.

I could go on and on about how stressful the experience was, but honestly anyone who has been through it will know the toll that house hunting takes on your entire being, so instead, let's just get to the good part:  the house!  The new place has about 300 more square feet than our current house, the yard is substantially larger, we have a great pond view, and the neighborhood is my favorite of the entire town.  It's an interesting twist on a neighborhood in that it's more of a living community--restaurants, shops, a grocery store, a gas station, pre-K through middle school, a pool, a gym, doctors offices and more are all located within the neighborhood, mere minutes from our house.  Coming from a neighborhood where it takes at least fifteen minutes to get pretty much anywhere, this is absolutely miraculous to me.

On top of that, we're about 15 minutes from the gorgeous Isle of Palms beach and 20 minutes from downtown Charleston--that's driveway to parking lot.  And oh, how I LOVE Charleston!  It feels so much like New Orleans, but with a slightly less gritty and substantially less abandoned feel.  The architecture is beautiful, the live oaks are plentiful, the sweetgrass sways in the breeze, and you can't swing a cat without hitting a charming little shop.  I cannot wait to call it home for a few years!

And now, for optimum stalking ability, here are some photos of our soon-to-be home (as always, just click to enbiggen!):

 

I love the brick in the entry of the house and would love to find a way to face the steps in brick as well.  There's also a great screen porch in the back and we're thinking of switching the steps to the other side and adding a patio where the dead hydrangeas are now.

Two story foyer with the formal living and dining rooms to the right when you're walking in and the powder room, garage, and laundry room off of a hallway to the left.  I LOVE this entryway and can't wait to see it with some color on the walls.

The living room is currently set up as a bar and right next to it is the formal dining room.  We're talking about keeping the living room as a more informal sitting area with a hutch, maybe a tall bistro table and of course, some paint on the walls.  We love the burgundy in the living room as well as the wainscoting, so probably won't change too much except for the 80's-ish brass chandelier.

As you continue through the foyer, you end up with the kitchen on your right and the open great room on the left.  I've got big ideas for the kitchen, including a warm goldenrod yellow on the walls, Silestone counter tops and a tiled back splash.

Upstairs there are four bedrooms and two baths.  This is a photo of the master taken from a sort of sitting-alcove.  We'll have the other bedrooms set up as a dedicated guestroom, an office, and then a sort of miscellaneous craftroom/excercise/bonus room that can be used as a second guestroom.

And finally, the screened-in porch with pond view.  We spent some time sitting on the porch the evening of the house inspection, and watched as a grey heron swooped his way around the pond.  It really started to feel like home in that moment.

We still have a long road ahead of us before we're there, but I can't wait to make another part of the country "home".

Comments

[anne]

Fantastic view to look at in the mornings! I think you are going to love that. :)

anne

[Steph.]

Oh, I love, love, love that screened in porch! The house is so cute! I bet you'll love it! Can wait to hear about all your decorating, rennovating and moving tales!

[Jenn]

Yay! For all of it!

[Brittany]

I want to visit you now! No, seriously. I'll be there like, in the Spring. I love it. It looks like a very great place for the 4 of you!

[Brittany]

p.s. I just noticed the ceiling in the bedroom. Great!

[Jass]

Wow, I am seriously in love with your new house!

Congrats again! What a gorgeous home! :)

[Jass]

By the way, the view of the pond would have sold me on the spot!

[Heidi Renée]

That is a big, gorgeous house! My husband lived near Charleston for a while when he first joined the Navy, and has only good things to say about it.

[katelin]

oh love the home!!! so gorgeous. seriously the only other people i know SC have an amazing house too, maybe i should just move there :)

[Jessica]

Wow the house looks amazing! I love the high-ceiling entryway. And the porch is awesome too!

[A Super Girl]

Super cute house!

As for what "home" means. My parents were raised in Nebraska and though I've never lived there, I say I'm going home when I go to visit. My parent's home is also still my home (and I refer to it as such). And then there's my definitive home, where the majority of my stuff resides.

I wonder if it's a military thing? Being an Army brat, I never got too attached to a "home". To me, "home" was where my family was and where I laid my head each night. And that could easily change. I've never gone so far as to say it's where my stuff lives. A temporary apartment could be home if that's where I'm sleeping for awhile!

[Kate P]

That looks great. I hope you will have many happy times there!

[new houses for sale Philippines]

I was just out viewing blogs and came across yours.That is a great house,wish I can also buy a house like that someday.