Ode to a house

We had a photographer come take photos of the inside of the house yesterday for our upcoming listing. It was mildly stressful, but we got the shots. (You can see a few more that I snapped over at my Instagram account, @lvanderkam). I’m glad the decluttering process forced us to put so many things in bins because now we can just drive the bins over to the new house and store them in the garage for the next few months.

After the photographer and real estate team left, I went out in the backyard with the toddler. As we were wandering around back there, I was reminded of how much I love this house. The butterfly bush is still blooming, as are the “pink grapefruit” yarrows. My husband bought mums and planted rows of fall blooming asters. The leaves are starting to change color. The gates and lanterns and wood porch all looked pretty in the waning light.

The house has been a very good home for us. We have been very happy here. I hope someone else will be very happy here too.

We made a decision to purchase this place quite quickly about 10.5 years ago. We were moving from NYC, and knew very little about the area. So in retrospect it is a blessing how well the house suited our needs for a great many years. The mudroom is spacious. The basement is light and since the house is on a slope, you can walk out to a lower level porch. The kids’ bedrooms are reasonably big. We completely renovated the kitchen three years ago and now it feels airy in addition to functional. It opens up to a porch that looks out over the backyard, and makes you feel like you’re looking out at the top of a forest…even if it is suburban PA. I wish our street had sidewalks, but I can run to trails in less than 10 minutes, so that has been a lovely benefit.

Houses become more than just a place to live. They carry so many memories between their walls. There are drawings on the wall that my now teens and pre-teens made when they were little. The stairs are where their little feet ran up and down every morning. The driveway is where they learned to ride bikes.

Our new house is going to be amazing. I am looking forward to this new chapter, but starting a new chapter means you’ve finished another one. So it goes. Time passes. But I’m sure this house has the ability to make many new memories for someone, who I hope loves it as much as we have.

Photo: Staged kitchen. Everything gone from the counters except a plant I got as a baby gift from Anne Bogel — if you’re not reading the Modern Mrs. Darcy blog or listening to the What Should I Read Next? podcast, you should! 

2 thoughts on “Ode to a house

  1. “The house has been a very good home for us. We have been very happy here. I hope someone else will be very happy here too.”

    These feel like closing lines from a beautifully illustrated children’s book!

    We’re currently renovating our house to make it feel more like a “home.” Despite some (very big) bumps in the road, this house has been a very good home for us, too. I need that reminder sometimes.

    And the pictures look lovely (especially that plant from Anne Bogel)!!

  2. Laura, it was so lovely to read this post. I had moved to my current house after living in the previous one for 10 years. It’s so true that when we say hello to the new chapter in our lives, it means there is a goodbye to another. Like you, I too had enjoyed my previous house fully, it had been witness to such major happenings in my life. My present home too is very comfortable, much more spacious and is best suited for our family’s present needs.
    When we enjoy every little thing about where we live, our homes, our neighborhood etc., I find it’s easier to say goodbye too. When we fully embrace the present, we don’t regret about not sitting on the porch drinking coffee, or not walking upto the neighborhood park bench to watch the flowers and the birds, when its time to move.

    I know my present home isn’t forever too. So, I make it a point to experience it fully and not take its ordinary pleasures for granted.

    Here’s wishing you and your family a wonderful stay in your new home. Best wishes to the prospective buyer of your present house too.

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