This morning we went back to the house, to meet the owners and to be present during the home inspection. The owners were very gracious and provided lots of information about the house.

They're retired and moving to North Carolina, and selling this house, which they've invested so much of themselves into, is wrenching. My hope is that they liked our family, understood that we appreciate all they'd done to to the house to make it a wonderful place to live, and that our joy in it will ease the pain of letting it go.

It was great to have them give us a personal tour and point out features we missed when we visited with the realtor: a broom closet tucked into a side wall, pocket doors separating the kitchen from the office area, a jewelry drawer hidden in a small space. the antique bathroom cabinets. It was good to just linger in the spaces, envisioning where I'd put things and how I'd arrange the rooms.  Every minute I spent there, I felt more and more thrilled with our decision to buy this house, more convinced that storage would not be as big an issue as I'd imagined, and that we would spend hours outside enjoying the landscaping and the incredible deck and patio.

I realized that this house feels like home already because it reminds me of all the homes E and I have lived in and loved. Our first house was a brick rambler, and this one is as well. The hardwood floors, heavily wooded lot, brick fireplace, and big windows remind me of our Cape Cod, and the dark stained cabinets, brick sidewalks and fan-shaped patio made from pavers remind me of Belgium.

The inspector found some issues we'll have to resolve before moving forward, but I'm confident they can be worked out.  I haven't posted photos because I don't feel it's quite appropriate to do that before we close on the house and make it our own. For now, it belongs to W and A, but when it becomes Chez V, I'll open the front door and take y'all on a tour.

July 17, 2007