I practically grew up in an amazing house on 5 acres here in AR. While I lived in TX with my parents throughout the year, I spent my summers in this house and made a lot of awesome memories there. It was my Mamaw and Papaw's house.
When my Papaw died in '05, Mamaw sold the house and most of her possessions because it was just too hard for her to deal with everything without Papaw. Well, in the months that past, she came to regret her decision and has since. I've said for the last 6 years that if the house ever came available again, I would do anything to have it back.
Well, yesterday when we were coming back from our little Father's Day fishing trip, we drove past the house and there just so happened to be a For Sale signed outside. I think my heart literally tried to jump out of my chest. I cried. It was like a dream come true. After talking to Curtis and my aunt and uncle, I thought "what the hell?" and called the number.
The lady I talked to sounded very nice on the phone and said they were eager to sell but in no hurry and said we could come look at it tonight. She also told me that I probably wouldn't recognize it because of all the changes they had made. She also mentioned the asking price... $40K over what she paid for it 6 years ago but I thought "Eh, it just might be worth it if they've done a lot of renovating..." I knew the house needed it but I was not prepared for the change.
So Curtis and I decided we would just go check it out and we would talk finances later. I really thought I was going to throw up on the way there. I haven't been on this property in 6 years... the last time was when we sold all my grandpa's possessions.
They did make a lot of changes... landscaped the yard, took out a couple walls in the house, tiled the floor, sheet-rocked the walls (they used to be paneled), painted. The only rooms that looked the same were the bathrooms. Oh and she (the owner) managed to throw in a few jabs at my grandparents, knowing they were my grandparents and I might be interested in buying the house. Who does that?! Apparently, Papaw getting sick and dying interfered with their buying process 6 years ago. Well, excuse the hell out of us. She also didn't like the way he "landscaped" or the fact that he had burned trash on the property (in barrels) or a few other things he had done in the 15 years him and Mamaw owned it.
Needless to say, I was not impressed and we won't be trying to buy the house. It was great to see it and I definitely miss it. But I miss Mamaw & Papaw's house... this one just isn't the same. I just don't see how what they have done to the house can jack the price up that much in 6 years in this market.
It was a nice trip down Memory Lane.
I bought the house my grandparents (my grandfather and great grandfather built together) lived in for 51 years. I LOVE having the memories here. We still do family get togethers and I know my grandparents would love that we love this house as much as they did, even with the changes we have made. I know they have to be happy that we kept it in the family.
ReplyDeleteWhen my hubby redid the bathroom, the electrical box had written on it in sharpie or some black permanent marker "house started May 1954, finished May 1956 by...."his name") it was SO cool to find it. My hubby wrote on it when we remodelled the bathroom and stuck it back in the wall with the lightswitches. Someday I hope the girls hold on to this house and love it as much as we do.
BTW- my crazy aunt and her kids won't come and see my house since it "isn't the same without" my grandparents. But whatever, we LOVE this house. I know my grandmother must have jumped for joy that we put in a dishwasher, she asked for one every year for Christmas... I put one in not long after we bought the house! She had to loved that for me at least!