Once upon a time, I lived in this adorable little house….
And then Nicky moved out.
And it was just me and Grunt Labor.
And we were young.
And we thought that we really wanted to live in a bigger, newer home.
So we put our cute little cottage-y type house on the market.
And it sold.
And I cried a little – it was home. It was cozy, it was comfortable. There was only one bathroom, which was a struggle, but this was the first house Grunt Labor and I shared. It felt like home to me from the minute I started dragging my suitcase over for the weekend, to when he finally cleaned out a drawer for me (at the advice of a co-worker, thank you, Donna), to when all my furniture and twenty some odd Rubbermaid totes made their way to his attic.
We scoured our area for a new home. I was leaning toward the older homes that needed a little love, Grunt Labor was leaning toward the brand new construction homes that were ready to go.
He won. I’ve never been very good at telling that man no.
We ended up with this.
One year later, we sold it.
The new construction house had everything we ever wanted:
Open Floor Plan
3 Bedrooms and 2.5 Bathrooms, including a large master bath
Fireplace
Bonus Room for Grunt Labor’s Man Cave
Walk-In Closet
Ridiculous amounts of hidden storage
Granite Countertops
Hardwood Floors
A Staircase with Iron Spindles
Large Backyard
2 Car Garage
It was in a one street neighborhood with all new homes that had great sidewalks and was kid friendly.
Sounds like the perfect place for a newly wed couple to live and start a family, right?
But in less than a year of living there, we had it on the market.
Why We Left Our Brand New Construction Home for a 70’s Rancher:
1. Neighborhood Association A.K.A. People that have nothing better to do than nitpick.
When we purchased our home, the neighborhood association had not yet been taken over by the actual residents of the neighborhood. We didn’t even get to see a copy of the neighborhood rules when we closed on the house. When the neighborhood actually took over the association and we had our first meeting, Grunt Labor and I bought a For Sale By Owner sign the next day. Let’s just put it this way, we are not the kind of people that like to be told what we can and cannot do to or around our home and that we need to change some minor little detail that we have already spent a good bit of money on.
That being said, I am not Anti-Neighborhood Association. I’m just not going to pay $25o to you when I get essentially nothing in return each year and you can’t even tell me what that amount is going toward. There is no pool and there is a sliver (I seriously mean I sliver) of community property to upkeep. That does not warrant $250 from each house. Our current house has a neighborhood association and its great. They can tell me exactly what the money I pay to the association is going toward, and they won’t kick me out for hanging a redneck toddler swing on the front porch and having a storage building on my property that doesn’t match my house color exactly.
2. Privacy A.K.A. People can see me running naked through my house when I forget my only clean clothes are in the dryer.
Did you notice how close together those houses are?
Y’all, I grew up in the country where men pee off their front porches and if we have to run outside to the clothesline half naked to get clean clothes, its ok because nobody will ever see you. In this house, I could have opened up the dining room window and tossed a muffin to the next-door neighbor. Needless to say, if I did forget that all our clean clothes are in the dryer after I take a shower and had to make a mad semi-naked dash to the laundry room, either one of the neighbors could have easily spotted me.
I needed a little more privacy so that the entire neighborhood doesn’t see my ghost white butt running through the house like a mad woman. Besides that, I’m sure that was frowned upon by the neighborhood association.
3. Cost A.K.A. I would rather have a fun life than a big, pretty house.
Our new construction home cost significantly more than our little house we had before it and our current home. We could pay the mortgage, all the bills, and buy groceries, but those days of having a couple Presidente margaritas at Chili’s, then going to the mall for a little shopping spree were over. The most Grunt Labor and I have ever fought was at the new construction house – and 99% of the time, it was over money. Having a beautiful new house is great, but having a life is even better.
Live big in less, y’all.
4. Location A.K.A. I used to drive an hour to work, I’m not doing it again.
When Grunt Labor and I purchased this new construction home, it was about 25 minutes or so to each of our jobs. Right before putting the house on the market, I got a job in another school that would make my commute a good 45 minutes to an hour. I had done the long commute before in my former life and had no desire to do it again. Moving closer to our jobs was just another reason to put the house on the market. The move would also put us closer to our bigger babies.
5. Simply put, it wasn’t home.
The new construction house never once felt like home to me. It wasn’t like our previous house that was cozy and always welcoming. No matter how much I decorated or redecorated or moved this piece here and this one here, it just wasn’t home. We did have some great times there for sure. Luckily, we had that house right after we were married and Nicky and the Man of Questionable Honor both moved in. I thank God everyday for that, because otherwise there would have been one bathroom between all four of us.
Now, that would have been bad.
6. We saw the potential in the beloved rancher, even when Mama cried after seeing it.
After we had a contract on selling the new construction house, we began searching for a new home. We almost gave up, we were even ready to move into an apartment for a while until we found the house that we knew was meant to be ours. Luckily, our realtor mentioned there was a foreclosure in his neighborhood – a neighborhood literally five minutes away from Grunt Labor’s job. A well established neighborhood with great people, nice homes, and a normal neighborhood association. We were looking at it the next day – with flashlights. The electricity and water were cut off. It had been on the market for a year with no bites.
One walk through and we knew it was ours – even with just the flashlights.
We brought Grunt Labor’s parents over to see it – well, they weren’t exactly sure we were making the best decision. Mama cried on the way home.
Hell, we weren’t sure either. We had no clue if the water even worked or the electricity. Not to mention, things like the air conditioner unit. I cried multiple times throughout the remodeling process.
But, we were able to see that it could be our home. We walked in the house and saw how the living room, kitchen, and dining room could be one big open space.
We saw the potential in the small, but functional bathroom.
And most importantly – ain’t nobody gonna see me running around naked if I have to.
Please do not take this post as me bashing new construction and saying that everyone should ditch their new construction home. That is totally NOT the case. Many people prefer new neighborhoods with small lots that are low maintenance and that is perfectly fine. Many people don’t want to deal with the stress and work of renovating an older home. That’s fine too. Its just not for us. We may build a new construction home one day, but it will be what we want and free of neighborhood restrictions.
The most important thing is that your home actually feels like home.
And the beloved foreclosure is most definitely our home.
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This just goes to show that bigger and newer isn’t always better!
Amen, Lori!! So true!
Love this story! I love taking the older houses and making them a “home”! My dream is to be able to get a old farmhouse that just needs some lovin to make it a HOME. One can dream right…LOL Thanks for sharing your story and have a great day. 🙂
Thanks, Debra! Yes, I agree – making older houses home is the way to go! It just feels like they are more yours when you do that! Keep that dream alive!
Great post! It just goes to show that a big fancy house doesn’t always make you happy. We too live in a 1970’s rancher that isn’t necessarily our ideal house, but my husband and I both agree that we don’t want to be house poor. I think a lot of times people see what everyone else has and forget what’s important in life, family. Living below our means allows us to go on vacation and share experiences with our kids. Not to mention, it’s much less stressful wondering how we are going to pay a mortgage, eat and put gas in our car. Thanks so much for being so open and honest! You hit the nail on the head….”Having a beautiful new house is great, but having a life is better.”
Yes, Katie!! I’m so glad to have another person right here with me! I totally agree – I think so many people compare themselves to others that they can’t see that they really have it great and that the most important thing is their family! To us, it is so much more important to give our family life experiences that don’t revolve around staying at the house all day because that’s all we can afford to do!
we bought a 70’s rancher in a little po’dunk town it has an acre of ground but we are right across from all 3 schools grade,middle and high kids can walk to school all 12 yrs it needs stuff done to it too has no storage but 2 lovely neighbors on either side who have mowed our acre more than once when we get rainy week ends knowing my son-in-law works all week the whole neighborhood has big lots like this i could stand in front of the sliding doors nakid and no one would see and if they did they would run screaming “my eyes my eyes: xx
hahaha!! It sounds like your house and lot are very similar to ours, Chris!! I love having more privacy!! We are very close to the schools as well, which makes it so much easier!
I don’t love houses with garage doors on the front façade. I think you made a great trade. Can’t wait to see you make this house your home. Jo @ Let’s Face the Music
Yep Jo, I’m not a huge fan of those either!
I love this post! Our house was a serious dump when we bought it, I wouldn’t even allow my parents to see it until we had already been there a week and scrubbed every surface multiple times. But from the second I walked in the door I saw what my whole life could be there, and it was HOME. We’ll probably move in a few years, but this little trash house will always have a special place in my heart 🙂 haha
Yes, Stephanie!! Sometimes, you just know its home!! I totally had to give our house a good scrubbing too – it was gross!!
Our home is new construction, but thankfully we don’t have a cantankerous ‘ole HOA to deal with! And we hunted for years for the right neighborhood, the right builder and the right floor plan before moving an inch of dirt. I would’ve loved an old Victorian fixer-upper, but there was no way I was convincing my husband on that front. So, now I’m writing up lists of projects to add some “old charm” into our new home 😉
I think that is one of the keys with new constructions for people like us, Emily! We need to have full control over every inch of the house and lot!! Yours is beautiful!
I totally agree, except for the privacy thing. I don’t care if I’m close to anyone.
But sometimes new is always better. We love our 1960’s house, have had fun renovating it and don’t see moving in the forseeable future. It’s a home to us!
That’s exactly how we feel about our home, Kathryn!
I think houses are just more about the feeling in your ‘gut’ then the logic sometimes, right? Glad you found your real ‘home’…
Yes! Sometimes it is gut over logic – totally agree!
i would not be able to stand a HOA like that either! Glad you are living the life you want in the house you want, redneck and all 🙂
haha!! Livin the fun redneck life here!! Thanks, Trina!
Hi, we have lived in our 1968 cape cod since 1970. We raised our 5 children here as well my mother lived with us for about 14 yrs. We did end up adding on a big addition to accomodate us. As the yrs. went along most of our neighbors moved on to “bigger and they thought better” Alot of them ended up divorced and miserable! So here we are 45 yrs. later still very happy in our cape cod house with a sensible addition that has been paid for for many years and we are still very happy. You end up hating your home when you can”t even afford to go to Mac-Donalds for a lousy burger!! I love your rancher; I have always wanted to live in one! It”s soo cute! Take care and good luck in your lovely home! Sandee.
You are exactly right, Sandee – you end up hating your home when it keeps you from doing things like simply going out to eat! We have dreams of an addition one day, but right now we’re ok!
Jenna I posted a comment above and then got a message saying that my comment was awaiting moderation; What in the heck does that mean??? Sandee.
It just means I have to approve it, Sandee! I get spam comments a lot that have spam links in them and would hate for any of you guys to accidentally click on them!
Heeeeyyyy!!! The 1970s were awesome & your house is awesome. A perfect place for my precious granddaughter to live. To borrow a line from Doug Stone’s Country Song: “Love grows best in little houses.” Love you, Darling!
hahaha! Dad, I’m shocked that you know a song by Doug Stone!
Awww, great post girl! I loved seeing your previous houses! And I absolutely LOVE what you’ve done with this place. And now you can run around naked any time of day haha
Hugs,
Jamie
Oh yea!! haha! Thanks!
YOU are the only other person I know who has been through the same thing. I too lived in a brand new construction home. LONG story short, I am happier in my 70’s split level home! BTW, I just saw your kitchen in BH&G magazine. I am so inspired b/c I have the SAME kitchen. I am going to hang up your page as a reminder that I need to get my butt going with remodeling our kitchen and it will serve as a visual reminder of what our kitchen could look like. Best wishes! 🙂 -Irma
Oh, I am so with you, Irma! Our older 70s house is WAY better than our new construction! We can be freaks together! Your kitchen is going to be amazing!!! I wanna see photos when you finish it!
Thank you for sharing your experience. I cried while reading this because we are finishing up the building of our “dream house” and it has been a nightmare from start to (almost) finish. I wish every day that I could go back and buy a smaller, less expensive home, free of a homeowners’ association, but we are stuck with this house for the time being. Maybe we will grow to love it and stay for many years, but I can totally see us selling in a year or 2 and buying a home similar to yours so we can also “Live Big in Less”.
Oh, Susan. Ya know what – your dream house is going to be a lot better than what our new construction was. We didn’t get to choose anything for ours except the carpet. Everything else was already done by the time we bought it. You are going to have a beautiful new home that you will love!
I just discovered your blog through Pinterest. We live in a brick ranch built in 1965 and the quality far surpasses the new homes we have seen our peers buy. Not all new construction is crummy, but a lot of it sure is. We are enjoying updating the superficial aspects of our house, while also appreciating the quality, time-tested features such as an all brick interior, a wood-burning fireplace, mature trees, and architectural variety. Fun blog!
Hi Kitty! Its so nice to meet someone else who loves and appreciates their older home just as much as we do! I do have to say, I am super jealous of your fireplace though!! That is one thing I SO wish we had!
I lived in a new construction home for 20 years and then divorced. It was the home that I brought my children home from the hospital and where I tried building “the dream”. I’ve had to move on from that and it has taken me many small steps for sure. I don’t live the typical dream anymore but I haven’t stopped dreaming, believing, and moving forward. I bought the house I didn’t want. It is a 1980’s construction with a wet bar and stripper pole. People have scratched their heads wondering what was I thinking? Its only been 7 months but it is the house for me and my 3 kids. I am sure of it.
A wet bar and a stripper pole??? Girl, you’ve got an awesome house! hahaha!! As long as it works for you and your kids, nothing else matters! 🙂
Yay for old fixers!! Our story is similar to yours. We waited almost a year for a house to be built from the ground up. We picked out paint colors, and carpet, we chose tiles and cabinetry. And the more the house began to take shape, the more we hated it. The front yard was so small, our car wouldn’t fit in the driveway. The backyard even smaller. These were lots that boasted “pool sized.” One day we went looking at older homes, just for the fun of it, and we found THE ONE! It was in rough shape. It had been empty almost a year. It was a short sale. The people before us did not love it. I started to panic. We were locked in with a huge escrow account on the new build. Two days later, we had the money in our pocket and an offer on our house. Since it was a short sale, it took us 7 “short” months to close. And now it’s ours and every single day I thank God that we did not move into that new build. You can read my story and see before and after pictures on my blog at http://dutchdoorclovis.blogspot.com/
WOW! That is a crazy story, Misty, but such an awesome one!! There is just nothing like an old house that you put your heart and soul into!
Before we got married my husband bought a huge 5 bedroom 2 bath 1950s split level for him and his buddies to live in. Now that it’s just the two of us I am trying to turn it into a home. I’m so glad to read this post because lately I’ve been hating on my house and wishing we lived in a “perfect” new construction home like my coworkers all have. Thank you for making me appreciate my imperfect home!
Embrace it, gal!!
This sounds just like me! ….right down to the running naked to the laundry room. LOL I cannot wait til the day we move out this new construction home….I hate everything about it. That’s what I get for letting the hubby decide. Some day I’ll find our perfect fixer upper! I long for that day like you wouldn’t believe.
Your post was recommended to me on Pinterest, and it caught my eye because we also did the crazy thing of buying a 1960s fixer-upper in town instead of a new construction up in the ‘burbs. (Your bathroom in this post looks like it could be ours!) You nailed the reasons we chose ours also! Now I’m gonna browse your blog for some before and afters. 🙂
Awesome, Emily! Yes – we are all about buying old – new homes just aren’t us!
Jenna,
Just want to tell you how much this post helped me. I had just placed my brand-new construction on the market for a contingent offer on an 80’s ranch, fixer upper and saw this post on pinterest. It re-affirmed that I was not crazy. Many of the reasons for selling my home were similar to yours. Eight months later, I am documenting my own experience on my blog. I just wanted to tell you THANKS !!!
I hope to reach the level you have one day and develop my style.
Love,
Erica (Fellow freak from Chattanooga Tennessee)
Hi Erica!!! Thank you so much for this comment – seriously this makes my day!! YAY! I’m so glad to hear this – I can’t wait to see all you do. I’m headed to your blog to make sure I’m following you right now! And you’re from Chattanooga?! That is awesome!
Yes, Jenna. I am a proud Chattanoogan! I would love to do an interview with you if you ever have the chance. Thanks for all of the inspiration.
Of course! Just shoot me an email! [email protected]
I loved, Loved, LOVED reading this page. I’m ready to purchase and I’m in the visionary part of the process (thinking hard on the things I want and what matters most). A great read! Thank you!
So glad to hear you loved it, India!
Girl I’m so glad to read this!!! A very similar thing has happened to my husband and me and I hate the house were living in– for just a year!!! You’ve inspired me to sell this place and build the house that’s meant to be ours on some beautiful property that we own.. Thanks for sharing your story– it’s helped me to have some courage and move out of a neighborhood that doesn’t suit us and work toward loving our home!!!
I am so happy to hear it, Neva!!! I just know your new house is going to be amazing!
I loved your story and your sensibilities, Jenna. I’ve had old historic homes from the 1920s and newer construction as well. I prefer the old craftsmans or foursquares. While house hunting yet once again, we found a very sweet 2 story 2008 build with craftsman touches, a front and back porch and other nice amenities including a large, private lot with mature landscaping. We almost went with a vintage house this time. However, the newer one is very well built, insulated like crazy and within walking distance to many things right in our new little city of Tacoma, WA. We are going from a bad neighborhood to a much nicer one and we look forward to moving in only 3 weeks! By the way, I hope your remodeling project is complete.
Cheers!
Phil
I love Craftsmen houses, Phil! Sounds like you found a home that had a fantastic builder! I think having a great builder is key to getting a new, well-built home these days. Your new house sounds wonderful and I hope you love it!
So glad I stumbled across this post. My husband and I have lived in two new builds. One was built prior to us finding it, the other we started from scratch. Neither ever felt like home. We’re purchasing hubby’s grandmother’s 1965 ranch home on a big piece of property. She has been the sole owner. I have never seen the storage space like what this home offers off the bat. Two walk-in closets in my son’s room, walk-in pantry, three full baths … all the amenities I have desired in new builds that just. don’t. exist. We have ZERO reno skills so we are looking forward to learning as we go along. This post helped me get past the weird almost-guilt of not wanting what “The Joneses” have, so to speak, and knowing that what’s in my heart is what I truly, truly need.
Amber, I am so excited for you! This house just sounds wonderful! It will be work, but so totally worth it!
I ran across this post today and I haven’t even admitted this to my husband yet, but our house doesn’t feel like home. We build what was going to be our dream home. It cost us a pretty penny too. I literally just said to myself last night that I still don’t feel settled and like I’m home and we’ve lived in the house for a year. 🙁 It’s almost twice the size of our last house and was supposed to be our forever home.
Now we are looking at relocating (for various reasons) and the houses I keep saving on Zillow are older, cozier homes where I would like to cuddle with the family without everything echoing. And enjoy a big, mature back yard with the kids. I hate that I hate the house we built together, but I can’t help what my heart feels. :-\
Oh no, Delaney, I’m so sorry. I hope you find the perfect home this time around. 🙂