Before:
Jace showed me this beauty on the Internet weeks before we bought it. And as usual I thought to myself and said to him, "No thanks." But as we pulled up to the house one sunny late summer day - it came to me. Yes! I remember now. I remember this place. This neighborhood. This house. My childhood.
My sunny childhood took place just down the street from this house. I rode my bike down this dirt road. I hid in it's dark places during summertime capture the flag marathons. I later would speed by this house in my Toyota truck - late for 1st hour English or work at Dairy Queen. This house very quickly became near and dear and FULL of potential.
You may remember Jace leaving my side and closing the deal on this day. My newborn baby is now 5 months old. Mikael and the house have grown and changed so much.
After:
Shall we go over the highlights? The funky sun room - gone. Replaced by a two car garage, with a decorative metal garage door (carriage style). Large, awkward porch roof - gone. Smaller porch roof over new front door, with rock column bases. New concrete siding (green!). Newly poured concrete driveway and sidewalk. And the dirt road I biked on as a child, is now paved!
We replaced the windows. Replaced roof shingles. And added shake shingles and craftsman style braces in the gables. I'm in love with the lot. It is over 1/2 an acre and has many mature aspen & pine trees.
Beauty ain't she?
Arizona is full of "ranch style homes." This is the 4th ranch home we've bought. They are all built in the 70's. Flat front exterior. 1 car carport - usually framed in. Same 3 bedroom/2 bathroom floor plan. And one long run of low pitched trusses. The goal every time we tackle one is to add character, and depth, and make the neighbors forget how bad the 70's were. My handsome contractor and I were not alive in the 70's. Were you? Maybe one of you could tell me why every single house built was the built the same? My Dad told me 7 years ago when we bought our 1st "rancher" that his 1st house was a rancher and that he built it for $29,000. Whoa! We couldn't believe it. We couldn't imagine a world where newly weds could purchase a home for under $100,000. Maybe the 70's weren't so bad.
Fast forward to 2011. And the aftermath of a housing market gone bust.
Funny how life repeats itself.
People listen. This bust market has some real bright spots. My Show Low house being one of them. She is for sale. Get the info here or here. The handsome contractor and I have done all the hard work. She will not disappoint. And I will forever be jealous of you and your sunny part of the world.
Come on back for some more amazing interior before and afters.
