We weren’t actively house hunting. But when our friends (and neighbours) announced that they were moving, we were very disappointed. They were the only remaining family with kids in our cul-de-sac and we had spent a lot of time together. Our son would be starting school in the fall so it seemed like a good time to relocate.
We had flipped a couple of houses in Bridgeland and Renfrew and fell in love with the area.
We previously lived in a downtown condo and loved the walkability. It was something that we wanted to get back to. I have been scoping out Realtor.ca for years but never saw anything that met our needs yet was within our budget.
It was difficult to find a great location with an open floor plan and the other features that we had grown accustomed to in our new build. I knew that we would have to sacrifice in certain areas. We were willing to go down in square footage but still really wanted an attached garage, greenspace nearby, and an ensuite. We were also firm that it was a single-family home because as a family of introverts we really value our own space!
Then one day I was on my computer and an email alert popped up in the corner of my screen, it was a listing for a home in Renfrew. I clicked on it and I literally squealed, I just felt a connection. It was very unique and the price seemed doable! I grabbed my computer and ran upstairs. My husband was in the shower and I was trying to show him pictures through the foggy glass, haha! I was so excited!! We booked a showing that evening. Time seemed to crawl and every time I thought about it I teared up. I know that listings only show the best parts of a property so I braced myself for a huge letdown.
Finally, 6 pm came around and we got in, it was even better than I expected. SO MUCH POTENTIAL. I wanted another set of eyes to see it and help me come up with a budget so I took my friend (and Interior Designer) to come to see it the next day. We saw it the following morning, came up with a budget and she agreed to be our general contractor. I would be in charge of most of the design, drawings and planning.
“This house checked all of our boxes to simplify our days and create a delightful life.”
There were other offers coming in so we made our best offer and included a personal note explaining how we loved the home and could see our family growing and being happy there. We adored the design and just wanted to update it, we were not developers that would knock it down or flip it.
“Writing a personalized note to the seller helped us beat out the other offers.”
It worked!! They accepted our offer on my birthday, best gift ever!!
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