— Filed under Uncategorized

Hello Farmhouse!

Our house search began over 10 months ago. We wanted to skip the starter home step, so we were looking for something we could see ourselves in long term which meant that we were going to be a bit picky about our requirements:

  • We were most picky about architecture and character. Farmhouses, Victorians and colonials are our favorite, but we also looked at Craftsmans and even a prairie style home. We told our realtor we probably wouldn’t be interested in seeing homes built after the 1940s. You should have seen her face when she heard that. Bless that woman for sticking with us to the very end! Ideally, we wanted a house at least 90 years old.
  • Size: It’s so easy to go too big when it comes to old houses. A house with three bedrooms and around 2,000 square feet would fit us perfectly.
  • Lot size: A quarter acre or more is ideal.
  • A two car garage was a must for him.
  • And a basement or cellar was a requirement for me. I need a place to cower when tornadoes come to town!

I have always been very fond of old farmhouses, so I held out hope that we could find one (the ones with a center gable are my ultimate weakness!). Despite our rural area, they are hard to find. The farmhouses that did go on the market were small ones less than 1,000 square feet—not enough space for our needs.

Our farmhouse fixer upper

I checked several real estate websites multiple times a day. With so many people shopping for houses right now, I was determined to find potential homes as soon as possible! Not much gets listed on Saturday though, so I didn’t bother looking on one particular Saturday. On that day, my fiance was visiting his friend in a nearby town (really just a suburb of our city at this point, though it does still have some small town charm). He took a wrong turn and drove past a lovely two story farmhouse—with a center gable!!—and an acre of land overlooking the countryside. The for sale sign had but placed in the yard just hours before.

The next day was Mother’s Day, and I begged my realtor to show us the house on such short notice (and knowing she probably had Mother’s Day plans). I didn’t expect it to be a popular find, but we were the sixth scheduled showing on its first full day on the market! And on a holiday no less! We saw tons of potential in the house and since the property was really well priced, we decided to put in a full price offer that night. I also included a letter about how much we wanted an old house and what an honor it would be to be its caretakers and preserve its character and history for the future.

Our realtor contacted us the next day with the news. We were outbid by someone else’s offer… But my letter really touched the seller, and he chose to accept our lower priced offer instead! Seriously! I’m pretty sure I burst into tears when our realtor told me that. Over the next few weeks, we dealt with the inspection, negotiations about repairs, and our mortgage application. I was still completely nervous the entire time that something crazy would happen and we somehow wouldn’t get the house. I wouldn’t be able to relax until I had the keys in my hand. We finally closed last week! We officially own this 120-year-old farmhouse! Structurally, it’s in great shape, but it does need some work. We are very excited about the possibilities!

Our farmhouse fixer upper

It’s in good shape, but it needs some cosmetic changes to restore it back to its original look. For the outside, we’ll need to remove the vinyl siding, add shutters, spruce up the porch, and replace the nonmatching front doors.Our farmhouse fixer upper This is the view from our backyard. Our farmhouse fixer upperThis is actually our neighbor’s barn. It may not belong to us, but I’m glad it’s there because I love old barns. There is a metal pole barn on our property which may be a more functional but it’s a bit less charming! :)

9 thoughts on “Hello Farmhouse!

  1. I just found you randomly through Pinterest and I have loved reading through your posts and can’t wait to see what you do with your farmhouse! I’ll be following along now! :) We bought our 1930 Tudor in 2012 and have been tackling projects big and small for the last two years, so I can relate to many of the things you are going through. It is a lot of fun though!

  2. Thank you! I’m finishing up grad school right now (it’s my last semester!!), so it’s been tough to find time to work on the house, but we have so many plans! I can’t wait to work on it more! I’m definitely going to check out your projects :)

  3. Hi Meg,

    Love all you are doing here! Your home is soooo charming! I just finished spending the last hour stalking your posts and instead photos!! It’s so refreshing to see restoration happening to such an old beauty. I am totally iinspired and look forward to your future posts and insta photos!
    Andi

    Kind Regards

  4. Sounds like God had this house just for you! There is no such thing as coincidences. There are just too many weird and perfect details to your story. God cares about our dreams and He loves to bless us with answered prayers! So happy for you guys can’t wait to see everything you do to your little farmhouse!

  5. Meg, I’m so happy you got the house of your dreams and are carefully restoring it. It will be fun to read about your progress! I have a love of old barns also. I’m so glad you get to enjoy such a beautiful view! And I agree with Sara Jo that the Lord blessed you with this answer to your dreams.

    1. Thank you, Joanne! We indeed feel so blessed that this house became ours ♥ It’s been two years & I still can’t believe we’re lucky enough to enjoy this home and beautiful views!

  6. We live in a 1916 farmhouse that has been home to my husbands family for more than 65 years. I am proud of everything we have done to the family farm, but will admit our chire list is never ending. Couldnt imagine living any where else, except when it snows a d blows and we are snowbound for a few days. Enjoy your home and make some amazing memories!

  7. We also just bought a similar house in Muskoka, cottage country in Ontario. Love what you are doing and I will follow you as we are doing the same. Good luck!

  8. We just bought the perfect white farmhouse for us in Northern California it was built just after the war in 1948. It’s been remodeled in the inside but still has its old character on the outside. Your farmhouse is beautiful can’t wait to what you do with your home.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I accept the Privacy Policy