Our New House: The Details

Our New House 

Back in the fall, even before we knew we were having a baby, we sort of started looking for a new house.  It was nothing serious, we were just checking out good options as they became available.   If you live in the DC/Baltimore area right now is a great time to buy because interest rates are low and prices are still relatively low/holding steady.   That's one of the hardest parts about living where we do, housing is not cheap.   When I watch HGTV or see other bloggers houses I want to cry at how cheap housing is and wonder why I don't live in those areas. 

I stumbled upon this house the weekend after New Years.  The price and location were right and I knew we had to have it.  We went back and looked at it about 3 times and put it offer in that following Tuesday.   After about a week of negotiations it was ours!

The house was built in 1987 as I said before and while the kitchen has been sort of updated (like 8 years ago) the baths and everything else is original.  Despite being older it is in really, really good condition.  The original owners had lived there for the past 24 years and despite raising 2 boys there and renting it out last year it looks great.   

Another thing that drew us to this house is that it's in a great neighborhood.  The neighborhood has a community pool, tennis courts, walking paths, and an elementary school.  I grew up in a really fun close knit neighborhood so I knew I wanted that for us when the time came.  

The house is 3 bedrooms, 2 full bath, 1 half bath.  It has a nice large family room with vaulted ceilings and sky lights and a finished basement which is what really drew us in.   It also has a nice big backyard for Layla to run around in. 

Now on to the fun part... pictures!  Excuse my crappy iphone pics. 

Right when you walk in to the right is a coat closet and our living room

To left when you walk in the door is our stairway upstairs 

In the main hallway leading back to the kitchen and family room is our powder room. 

Do you see those awful lights?  Yes the toliet is beige and so is the counter top

This is our family room.  We have 2 huge sky lights which bring in so much light and I love this.  The carpet in here is brand new which is nice except that I see Layla destroying it within hours of us living here.

The brick is kind of ugly- I'm pretty sure I'm going to paint it white.  What do you think, should I paint it? 

Right next to the family room is a little eating area which I forgot to photograph and then our kitchen. 

As I said it before it was updated probably 8ish years ago.  It has granite, stainless steel and the cabinets are in good condition.  The granite isn't the nicest and is full of seams and the stainless steel is first generation so it's not exactly shiny and pretty anymore but it all works so I can't really complain.

Here is another angle of the kitchen. 

I would love to take down those cabinets over the long part of the counter to really open it up into the family room. 

The pantry- you have no idea how excited I am about this.

In our townhouse we had no where to store food or anything really so I am over the moon for this pantry. 

The dining room gets a ton of natural light and already has crown molding and chair rail which I love.   The chandelier is solid brass so I think I'm going to hang on to it for now. 

The living room is absolutely gigantic!   I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with this room but the first order of business is that it's going to be painted. 

It currently has an awful beige and white textured paint to it so I can't wait to see what it will look like once that is gone! 

The finished basement- the main living area is just a straight shot.  I cut a bit of it all so you can't see all of it but I envision this as a tv room for my husband and one day play room for kids. 

 

Do you see those awful fluorescent lights?  Ugh.  They will be going soon

 Here is a little office/bedroom in the basement.  Right now we will be using it as an office for me and Kyle.  Again the ugly lights. 

Phew sorry that was long!
 
I will be back next week with pictures and details about the upstairs.