We’re Moving!!

Bungalow ExteriorAlright guys… I’m super excited to finally announce (if you haven’t already figured it out)– we’re moving onto another fixer upper. Emmett (so weird calling him that!!) and I are moving across the country from Ohio to Salt Lake City. Last month we put our house on the market and it sold in 3(!) days. Shortly following, we went house hunting and put an offer on a totally unexpected home. I told myself I would never ever, in a million years, buy a ranch. Some people love them and don’t get me wrong- they make great single level houses, but they’re just not my personal preference. I’m a cape cod, bungalow (like our current house shown above), or charming tudor kind of gal. I’m really attracted to interesting architecture. You can probably guess how the rest of this story goes… we bought a ranch. A reallllly ugly, boring, neglected ranch, at best.

Giant SchnauzerAfter looking at over 20+ homes in the span of a few days with our very patient realtor (shoutout to Chad for being amazing!!), we learned a lot about the market in Utah. First off, houses sell fast…. really fast, as in a matter of hours. We toured a charming bungalow the morning it listed and were ready to make an offer that afternoon, but it had already sold. Unfortunately, this scenario happened a couple times. Real estate in the particular area we were looking moves quick.

We definitely had our sights set on a specific type of home. Our goal was to find a relatively cheap house in poor condition, but in a good area or neighborhood. This proved to be more challenging than expected. Moving from the Midwest, we certainly had a bit of sticker shock… our money didn’t go half as far and our tight budget was really restricting. Therefore, the second thing we (luckily) prepared for was the cost of living being much different than what we are used to. If you’re curious about our must-have checklist, here it is:

House-Hunt-Checklist

Obviously you can tell what we compromised on. The biggest bummer is not having a second bath… that means sharing one bathroom again. The other con is not having a garage or basement for storage. We have a lot of outdoor equipment and gear, plus I have a problem with hoarding / restoring furniture. We’re definitely going to have to minimize the amount of things making the move with us, or figure out other arrangements. We’re also sort of crossing our fingers for room in the budget to add on, which is a venture we’ve yet to tackle.

Just like our current home, we’ll taking on a total renovation yet again… because that’s just what we do. Emmett says I’m too picky to move into any home, regardless of how amazing it is. I can’t say I disagree because I love putting my stamp on a home and making it our own. Of course I love sharing the process with you guys, as well. He even admits that renovating is way more rewarding. At this point in life, we’re sort of addicted to making drastic updates. It will be bittersweet leaving this amazing place, but I think we’re ready.

MovingHere are some common questions I’ve been asked so far… I’ll do my best to answer!

Q: What’s next? A: We’re hitting the road at the end of August to begin our journey westward. This renovation is going to be extremely different from our Ohio home because we’ll be living amongst the mess. Follow along on snapchat ( @sar.gibs ) or instagram stories ( @sargibs ) for chaos behind the scenes!

Q: Is this another DIY renovation? A: You bet!! The two of us against the world (ha!), saving money, making memories, and putting a lot of blood, sweat and tears into our new home.

Q: What’s happening first in regards to the renovation? A: Unfortunately, there’s a long list of things to do before we get to the fun, cosmetic changes. We’ll obviously begin demo right away, dog-proof the fence and yard, replace the roof, update the HVAC, replace all the windows and doors, and refinish the hardwood floors… most likely in that order. After that you can expect a full kitchen reno, a complete bath renovation, potentially an add on, AND lots of DIYs along the way- exterior projects, building architectural elements like built-ins, as well as adding trim.

Q: What is the timeline? A: Unfortunately, renovating is not our full time job and we’ll be doing this thing one room at a time. We’d be really lucky to get things completely done within six months to a year (excluding the exterior).

Q: Why Salt Lake City? A: We visit often and fell in love with the young, vibrant, beautiful city. We love being outside and it doesn’t get better than mountains! Who knows where our next house will be, but for now, we’re excited for a new adventure.

Q: Why did you settle on a ranch if you hate that particular home style? A: This house just felt right. It’s hard to explain. It needs a TON of work- way more than others we looked at. I suppose it’s typical- we wanted the cheap, diamond in the rough… following our tradition of buying the worst of the worst. In all seriousness, it has great natural light, energy, a decent layout, plus a TON of potential.

Q: Will this house feel similar to your current home? A: No and yes. I feel as we’re aging and maturing, we’re coming into our own personal aesthetic and style. For me it’s always evolving. I also want to push my design limits and reach outside my comfort zone. So, to answer the question- no, in regards to the exact same style because it’s a different home…. a different style home, in a totally different location. But yes- hopefully it will still feel like “us” and be a reflection of our personalities. Since we’re moving across the country, we are getting rid of a lot of furniture, but I’ve definitely kept plenty of things that are meaningful to us.

Quiet Front PorchStick around for a complete house tour next week (Emmett leaked an image here)! I’m sharing rough plans, as well as the before images. We’ve only been inside the house twice… less than a total of 60 minutes. You’ll probably think we’re crazy when you see this place. I’m also trying my very first FB Live Q&A on Monday at 12:00pm EST. Please log on, say hi and ask me whatever!

Starting in September, I’m going to do my very best to blog at least three times a week, but I’m expecting my schedule to become crazy busy with a renovation, a small business, AND a blog. As always, you can follow every step of the renovation right here on Room for Tuesday. Ready for another one, guys?!! Thanks so much for all of your support on social media lately. xo

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14 Comments

  1. Congratulations to you and Emmett. Most importantly I would like you both to know how proud Jody and I are of you and for you! The best decision we ever made was moving and never being afraid to take the next step. Follow your dreams, take a risk, make a difference and for us we have been able to provide JB and Ella with an incredible childhood. With adventures, memories and some great stories of our travels. I am excited to see how your adventure unfolds! Love and luck (which we all need a little bit of) to you both!

    1. Thank you, Brandy!! That means so much coming from you guys. We really appreciate your encouragement and support! We’re ready for a new adventure and can’t wait to move west. We’ll have to make a trip to ski at your home base once we’re settled :) xo

  2. Jennifer Grube says:

    So bummed you are leaving the area! But excited for you to share your new adventure with us! Best wishes and if anyone can make a ranch look amazing…it’s you two.

    1. Thanks so much Jennifer!! I know how much you love camping, and there is LOTS of amazing spots in Utah- let me know if you’re ever out west! xo

  3. Michelle Davis says:

    Congrats guys! We can’t wait to watch the progress and be inspired as usual :) Have an safe move out there. Can’t wait to see this place!

    1. Thanks!! Can’t wait to watch you guys grow with your newest addition. Congrats!! xo

  4. Elizabeth says:

    So excited! Literally cannot wait to read your posts!

  5. Becky Radcliff says:

    We’ll miss you in Ohio, but know you will LOVE beautiful Utah! Safe travels to you two and Finn. We’re looking forward to sharing in your new adventure via blog!

    1. Thanks so much, Becky! We’re very excited. We’re also hoping Finn will do ok in the car during the 3 day moving trip. Thor is looking handsome as usual :)

  6. So stoked for you guys! Can’t wait to see this transformation first hand!

    1. Thank you for being so incredibly helpful with everything!! You’ve made moving long distance really easy so far.

  7. Ann Heltzel says:

    WOW this is SO Exciting! I can’t wait to follow it all. Best of luck in the move to you and Emmett. btw, I think he looks like an Emmett =)

    1. Thanks so much, Ann! If I didn’t know if him for so many years as Kalyn, I would probably think so too. Ha! xo