I’m Thankful For My Surprisingly Great Home – It Has a Mudroom!

When I was getting ready to buy a house last year, there were a few things I really wanted the place to have. But I was not in a position to be picky and the reality was that I would be lucky if the roof wasn’t caving in. The features I hoped for were not likely to be part of the fixer-upper I would be able to afford. I hoped for a garage, 2 bathrooms (with windows please), a nice neighborhood, a fireplace or wood-stove, a decent basement, and it would be oh-so-nice to have a mudroom. I believed it was only a dream, and doubted I’d have any of those things in a house I could afford.

I did not have the luxury of time either. I needed a place to live right away. My choices were, move into another apartment or rental house, or buy something. With the interest rates so low and the housing market at the best it might ever be, I saw this as my (possibly) one and only chance to own a home of my own in the northeast.

I looked at some scary homes.  The Realtor and I walked into one house that was missing a bathtub.  Upstairs the insulation had been ripped out of the ceiling and it was hanging all over the room. That was not the least of the issues with the foreclosures I looked at, and I am not a handyman, so I couldn’t imagine what it would take – in terms of work and money – to “fix” those places and make them livable.  How could my son and I move into such a place?

The first house I saw at had warped siding, was loaded with black ants, had broken garage doors, a leaky basement, leaky roof, and no steps from the sliding door to get to the back yard. To name a few of the issues! But, believe it or not that was the NICEST place I saw. I ended up buying that house and I have been here for over a year now and I’ll tell ya – it’s looking good!!  I had to begin renovations right away, and things moved along nicely to make my little family comfortable for winter.

The most amazing thing to me is that this house has most every feature I wanted (and never expected to get) in a house. I love the big, 2-car garage (now, with new doors). Both bathrooms have big windows and are nice and bright. The kitchen is modern and huge and I have a big home office. I even have a mudroom (pictured). The neighborhood I live in is quiet and we’ve even made a few friends. I am thankful for this place and definitely feel that I made a good choice when I decided to buy a fixer-upper instead of renting once again.

Related articles

• Makeshift Mudroom (winerequired.wordpress.com)
• Consider This When Buying a Wood Stove (newenglandsnarrowroad.wordpress.com)

Author: Pam

New England native, Florida resident. Sharing my experiences on the water, beach-combing, gardening and camping. Zazzle designer and knitting pattern reviewer. View all posts by Pam