Turns out, pretty far.
I've mentioned quite a bit on here, on Facebook, and in person that we have been looking at houses and getting things organized in case we found something. What we haven't told everyone yet is that we've bought one and have been under contract for close to a month. Tuesday, March 31st, was our closing date.
Here it is in all its home-y splendor
I had fallen in love with this wonderful, quaint house in an area technically in Waterloo, Illinois called New Hanover. I kept showing it to Bryce to see if he liked it, but he wasn't sure about being so far away from town. He then pointed out something I hadn't realized: our friends, Jeannie and Evan, literally lived directly behind the house. He agreed to set up a showing with our realtor, but just in case the house wasn't what we were looking for, we decided not to tell the couple.
We still decided to drive by a few times just to see it in person. The second time we drove by was the day prior to our scheduled showing. When we arrived, there was a realtor showing around a guy and pointing out outdoor features. My heart sank. Like, I legitimately started crying, and I realized how much stock I had put into it.
You see, I had already planned the house out. I had decided the breed of thornless roses to grow along the side, and I had imagined the window boxes filled with pansies. I had decorated the kitchen, repainted the bathroom, and hung family pictures along the exposed brick of the staircase. I had even started the planning for J's first birthday party. You know that cliche about just knowing when you meet "the one?" Well, I had found the one, and here was this guy, trying on my wedding dress to marry him. It's not a perfect metaphor, but that's okay.
We got in the next day and looked around. In person, it seemed even better. And as Bryce walked around the huge yard, he agreed. By that evening, we were working on a contract, but because it was an old house (145 years, y'all), there was a lot of room to find major flaws that could have become evident during the inspection. We decided to continue keeping it a secret.
The next few weeks flew by, almost entirely thanks to my incredibly-organized husband (opposites attract). We had our inspection, and everything came back great. We got our loan through and completed any paperwork. But at this point, we decided something: it would be hilarious if we just never told the couple. We made several scenarios to reveal it. We could make cookies and bring them over and announce it was because we were new in the area. We could have Bryce ask them for help moving, have them come out to our old house and have them follow us back here, or my personal favorite, reveal it with Bryce mowing the yard shirtless with a Natty in hand.
In the end, we brought over a bag of muffins that Bryce's mom had made. Much to my relief, they were actually excited, which is good, because that could have gotten very, very awkward. Jeannie told me that she had spent so many months praying about new neighbors, so to have us move in wound up being "the best kind of surprise" (her words). It was a pretty great early April Fool's joke, if I do say so myself.
So, that's the reason I've been so vague. But now that it's out, I can't wait to start sharing more pictures and documenting the process. Bryce and I both have a pretty strong vision for how we want this place to feel. As I mentioned earlier, this house was built in 1870. The history nerd inside of me is dying from excitement. And I've seen enough Rehab Addict to know that you don't just go into a house like that and turn it into the cookie-cutter style. This house has a heritage, and I plan to honor that in every way possible.
If you're not a big fan of the old, I'll tell you right now this may be the point where you decide to stop reading this blog. And that's fine. But this is something I am thrilled to do, and I'd love to share the projects here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I will!
-Lindsay Fickas
Homeowner (what?!)
