Styled to Smile HOME | Our Story
HOME
Crazy enough… a couple of months have already flown by since we moved in and became HOMEOWNERS!
It’s definitely been an intense whirl wind of a journey getting to this point, but I couldn’t be more thankful for it all. The entire experience has been delightfully overwhelming + I am so excited to share with you how it all came together.
THE BACKSTORY
Brandon and I had been actively looking and working toward buying a home for about the last three years. Why for as long as three years you may ask? Between working on credit, saving money, stalking market rates - There were a lot of check list items to work through and take care of before buying a home would become possible… And then there was the daunting task of finding a home that lived up to my ridiculous/slightly unrealistic standards. (I’m okay with calling myself out on that. I like what I like.)
When we first started looking at what type of home we wanted to buy, we had to decided on weather or not we were going after a new build or an existing home that needed work. I work in the world of New Home sales and so definitely could probably be considered biased, because I was all for a new built. That being said, I also understood very well the draw backs that come with them (unfinished yard, lot premium, HOA dues and mello-roos, etc.). Armed with that knowledge we weighed the prospect of an existing home that just needs minor improvements, but couldn’t deny the very real fact that neither Brandon nor myself had the ‘know how’ for taking on a fixer-upper. It would have to be considerably improved, needing only minor work to fit our needs. More so, neither of us had a desire to get in cheap and raise value to resell eventually. That kind of project takes a lot more work and time than either of us have to offer up, so it wasn’t even just an issue of ‘know how’. Along those lines, we never had the mindset to stay forever in our first purchase and were aware that new builds also increase in value as a subdivision is built out… so if we wanted improved values, we would just have to get in on the first phases. Knowledge is power, friends.
It became clear what choice we were leaning to. After we considered the kind of finances we were working with, the loans we could get, and the projects that would exist after purchase we decided to look at purchasing a new build - if we could really pull it off. At first I was convinced it was a no. With a little bit of (okay a lot a bit of) encouraged faith, I proceeded with the process. Fortunately, I was armed with the support of mentors along the way with more experience and knowledge than I and I was able to land a really sweet deal. I caught wind of a new home community being built within my “realistic” price range far enough in advance to get our affairs in order. (I caught wind working on the paper work for the project, funny enough, but it wasn’t until much later I found out it was something I could afford). I say realistic in quotes because it never felt necessarily ‘do able’ - the whole thing felt like a pipe dream, the whole time. It’s hard to wrap your head around the fact you can actually do something as big as this, especially when you’ve been trying for so long. It’s been a couple of months now, and we’re still pinching ourselves… We truly feel like we’re living a dream and it’s amazing. Every day it feels a little more like “ours”.
The first house we looked at in this community didn’t work out. We were teetering on the line of making it happen and pulling out, when the house you see above became available. Thankful that someone had fallen out of escrow with just enough time for us to swoop in and close before the builder’s “year end” - we jumped on this more affordable opportunity and got to work. The process of buying is no joke - you have to provide literally every kind of documentation on your life and finances, you have to give over sooo much money, and your have to keep your fingers OFF your credit cards the whole time. By the end of it you are so superstitious that anything you do will cause you to lose the home you’re working so hard to make yours that you won’t even announce that it’s happening (hence the secret keeping lol). In the end, it all worked out though because we had the nicest teams working with us which made the process go as quickly and smoothly as possible.
On September 26th, 2019 Brandon and I went to my office and signed papers for our house. We also bought my engagement ring this day. My mind was blown, and frankly still is. On September 27th, 2019 Brandon and I got the call that we were on record. We excitedly packed up Bridget and boxes into our cars and went to get keys. This was our last night in the apartment. We were so excited we couldn’t contain ourselves. On September 28th, 2019 we had the most amazing team of friends and family move us into the house. We said goodbye to our apartment and hello to our future. This was our first night in our HOME.
A BLANK CANVAS…
A new house really is like having a blank canvas; especially ours. The floor plan is open, the back yard is unfinished, the walls are white, the kitchen tile is white, and the rest of the colors are a neutral taupe or are dark brown tones. Moving from a small one bedroom apartment to a three bedroom house is a serious undertaking though, so it will take me a while to finish this picture.
I’ve had the most fun dreaming up what each space will look like when it’s finally finished. Here’s a sneak peak at the before for a majority of the house:
In the first month we had been able to get a lot more done than I really thought would be possible. The two extra bedrooms have been dedicated to mine and Brandon’s hobbies, so we have a man cave and of course the Styled to Smile HQ (aka my office). Brandon’s man cave is outfitted for gaming of all kinds as well as the prime spot for watching games on tv. The Styled to Smile HQ needs a LOT of work though, so I don’t expect to make more progress there any time soon. It has a work space for sewing and a giant papasan cusion on the ground for Bridget to hang out on while I pant and such, but the actual desk and shelves are still being shopped for. For the most part, the first floor has really taken shape and is almost completely done. I think the biggest accomplishments included replacing the couch, the living room tv, and pouring the concrete outside. The concrete is finally drying all the way through and I cannot wait to get to the rest of the yard. We have hired a landscaper and as soon as the weather cooperates again we will have sprinklers, grass, and planter boxes in place.
I won’t lie though, initially and throughout the process, it’s been a mess….
…. But it is all coming together in time.
Be sure to follow #styledtosmilehome on Instagram to keep up with all the latest progress + sneak peeks!
ON THE LIST | Items I’m Shopping:
(Ps… every picture is linked, so you can shop too!)
For now, I’m taking a break from finishing all the details that bring each room together and turning my focus towards decorating for Christmas. Brandon and I are so excited to get decorating that we have gotten started even without the tree, lol. We are hoping to get that next week as well as some much needed garland for the stairway. There is so much room for decorations in here it is hard to not go crazy…
Here’s a sneak peek:
I’ts getting Jolly in Here!
I want to say thank you to everyone who has kept StyledtoSmile.com in mind while I took a much needed break from posting to get my legs under me after such a huge life event. I wan’t expecting us to be able to pull this off as quickly as we did - and it was the biggest unexpected blessing I could have ever asked for.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us on the road toward home ownership + everyone who shares our excitement for what’s next. None of this would be as fun, or even possible, without you all and I am beyond grateful.
