Tag: dreams come true

When Should a New Homeowner Remodel, Now or Later?

Posted on by Sean Patrick O'Feery

We got the house!!

Now what??

Gabe and Alana are wonderful thoughtful folks and new homeowners! Their new home is not new, in fact it is a beautiful 1915 craftsman. The home is truly wonderful, just steps to Multnomah Village with a beautiful yard and has been lovingly cared for and maintained. Here is the rub, the last remodel was just before the previous owners moved in… 30 years ago. They can, and want to, remodel but a question has been posed:
Do we move in and live in the home and let our plans for a remodel develop as we grow and know the home?
Or
Do we get started with the remodel based on design concepts and our known goals?
We’ve had a fair amount of discussion on the subject and for them, the jury is still out for the time being.
Here are the sticking points:
  • The issues of living in a home and living through the remodel with a young family
  • The idea of getting to know how the house lives and what becomes your priorities after being there for some time.  Does that knowledge and insight outweigh the inconvenience of living through a remodel?
I have only ever done significant remodel work on home before we moved in  because I can’t stand drywall dust, I repeat, I loath drywall dust.
I’m landing at – live in the house, make plans as they develop, plan for the work to be done with a trusted contractor and take a vacation or rent while it is being done.
Ha! If only we had a budget like that!!
Congratulations on your new home and I’m super excited to see what you make of it!!

Fit for a Piano

Posted on by Jené DeSpain

Kendra loves to cook, and Jazzy loves to surprise her with inspiration for new dishes. Both of them enjoy an olive plate, a dinner shared with friends, and the sound of the piano accompanying their evenings. After looking at a number of sweet 2 and 3 bedrooms, we happened upon an olive green painted ranch over in Foster Powell and thought we had found their dream home. Owned by an instagrammer who had photo documented and posted about her transformation of this home, every little detail from the front door handle to the bathroom shower hooks was meticulous chosen to accent the design curated by this seller. After all the work and progress to personalize her home and share the process with her followers, this seller and her family found themselves faced with an option to move they couldn’t pass up. And so, after 2 years of beautiful work, she put her home on the market much to Kendra and Jazzy’s delight. We visited the home a number of times, our eyes glazing over at the kitchen counter tops and bathroom tile, the basement’s light, and backyard potential. The house was more than we could have hoped for. It was during one of our last visits to the house, sitting on the gorgeous living room couch talking about the nursery they would soon paint, that Jazzy suddenly remarked, “Where is the piano going to fit?!” In all of our ooohing and aaahing, we had forgotten about the piano. After a good amount of time talking out ideas, it was clear, we were going to have to pass on this olivine of a house. There was just not enough room for the piano. With sunken hopes, they trusted me to keep looking and we set back out to find a home fit for a piano. It wasn’t long before we found their new house and while, it may not be instagram famous, it certainly captures all they were hoping for and more. We closed just in time for them to put in a brand new floor n the main level and move in their belongings to host their families for the holidays. The kitchen with the right layout for Kendra’s dream stove, the dining room large enough to fit a large group of friends, and a front room, with a grand window looking out to the street, just the right size for their piano.

Congratulations Jazzy and Kendra! It’s been so fantastic to rock this adventure with you both!