Finding Home: Brigitte
Navigating Homeownership: Brigitte’s Journey, New Beginnings, and Future Plans
We’re sharing interviews with our team, friends, and clients about adventures in buying their first home, remodeling lessons, and other discoveries of owning a home. Today Brigitte, one of PGR’s agents, is sharing why she and her husband bought their first home, what led them to buy a new home, and what plans they have in the works for it.
1) How did you know you wanted to buy your first home?
Our St. Johns house (which we just sold) was a tiny place, just 775sf; but I fell in love with St. Johns. I loved how walkable our community was and its many resources for families. And I love how the local businesses supported the schools: James John, Sitton, George Middle School, and Roosevelt.
2) Was there a trade-off you felt necessary in purchasing your first home?
We bought our first house because we could afford it. We needed to find a house with a mortgage payment of about $1400 per month, so price was our biggest consideration. We definitely took a trade-off for walkability in St. Johns versus more space, but no sidewalks, in Brentwood Darlington. We bought this house in May of 2014 and am so thankful we bought it when we did.
3) And what led you to buy your new home? (Congratulations, by the way!!)
This summer, a few weeks after our second child was born, I finally admitted our first house was too small. Our new place is in Roseway and it has TWO bathrooms, which we think is amazing. The new house has great guts; new electrical, and new plumbing and went through an earthquake retrofit. Plus there’s a finished basement with gorgeous poured concrete floors. But the entire first floor of the house was painted goldenrod yellow and the wood floors had seen better days.
We got lucky on this house purchase; we wrote the offer the Friday before the eclipse this summer. I think most people were staring at the sun rather than looking at houses.
4) Do you have plans in the works for your new home?
There are two cesspools on the property we need to decommission and there’s no grass. The previous owners were gardeners and they put in gravel paths around the house and garden beds. I am going to feel a
little guilty ripping some of their garden apart, but we have two kids and a dog, and need some grass in the backyard. The backyard is also just a postage stamp – it’s so tiny! But it’s fenced so I’m happy about that.
5) Any other surprises you discovered *after* moving in?
I noticed carpenter ants at the house when I was painting a few days after close. The $375 to Columbia Pest Control stung a bit, but carpenter ants can cause a lot of damage, so I just wanted it taken care of.
6) Any advice you wish to share with future homeowners?
With every house, there are going to be surprises as you get to know your new home, so things like this are just part of being a homeowner.
Thanks Brigitte for sharing your adventures with us! Best of luck as you and your family settle into your new home!
Would you like to share your home search adventures, remodeling tales, or how you made your house a home with us on our blog? Send us a quick note and we’ll be in touch! We’d love to hear from you!
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