Anyone reading this probably already knows the big news, but I’m going to say it anyway, because I still can’t believe it:

We bought a house.

We bought a house on 10.5 acres of land. There’s probably seven or eight acres of woods, plus a huge fenced-in yard with a paddock for animals (goats in the future, maybe?). There’s a big shop and a row of fruit trees and lots of lovely plantings around. There’s a massive attached two-car garage for extra workshop space.

And then there’s our house. It’s three bedrooms, two baths, and it was built in 1977. It has not really been updated since. It’s in good shape, but we are chomping at the bit to dig into a little light renovation.

I wanted to get right into reno-talk, but it doesn’t seem fair to start first with the stuff we want to change about the property. It doesn’t seem fair, because there is SO much that’s amazing about this property. It also doesn’t seem fair, because it implies that we’re walking into a house that hasn’t been lovingly cared for, and that’s just not true.

We were very fortunate before we closed on the house to have the chance to chat with the previous owners. The house was built in the late seventies by a couple who clearly loved this spot. We spent a little time with their son, who showed us photos of his parents and of the home being built. His mother is a master gardener and had clearly spent a lot of time making the yard what it is. His father took great pride in his home and workshop, and it shows in the thoughtful layout and in the maintenance of the property.  It sounds cheesy, I guess, but it felt really special to make a connection to the people who built this place and took care of it.

It’s not as if it’s an old home, with centuries of history, or anything–but it’s a fantastic spot, and thought and care went into everything. Take the electrical wiring, for example: there’s 220v power in the shop and garage for welding; there’s electrical in every building–including the greenhouse and the pumphouse–and everything is meticulously labelled. Or take the woods, where the previous owners once maintained a series of walking trails, and where, when logging was done, it was done sustainably, with horses.

It’s great to see a place so thoughtfully maintained by its owners, and we’re proud and excited to carry on their legacy.

Now, photos.

Looking back toward the driveway, with the pumphouse (left) and the shop (right)

Obviously there are tons of projects ahead. We’ve already gotten started on a few, and I’m super excited to show off some in-progress photos. Soon!