Ranch House Here We Come!

Yesterday we completed the home inspection on our new home.  There were a few surprises on the exterior of the home that will require a little extra expense to fix.  But other than those few things, things are looking good for moving forward with the property. 

This home is considerably smaller than the homes we've lived in before.  And so very different!  I think both these things are good for us right now.  It seems like we simply don't have enough time to take care of an older, large home.  There was just always so much to do to maintain it.  This was one of the reasons we made the decision to sell our big old home this fall. 

That being said, the layout of our new house looks something like this:

 It's well laid out for our family but it will require some new storage and organization solutionsin order to work for us.  And we'll be selling/donating a whole bunch more furniture. 

First up, the 'tiny bedroom' on the main floor will be converted into a music room/office, as it's the only place that we can put Audrey's piano. Additionally, the kitchen will need an overhaul. It's in good shape and is newer, but it's not a style I love so we will definitely be making lots of changes there.

 Elliott really, really wants a bedroom and lounge space in the basement.  He's 12 now and just wants a cool space he can go with his friends and play the xbox in peace.  I am ok with this as we are completely renovating the lower level and the windows are actually above ground level down there.  I'm choosing to think about fire safety, rather than a  teenager sneeking-out here.  I'll post more about this phase of the reno another day, when we have it more sorted out.  It's likely the first thing we will be completing once we have posession.

We are going to live with the home in its current footprint for a while.  We want to see how it works for our family before we decide on the additional renovations (if any) we will want to do.  I would like for the small space to work for us but I just don't know if it's possible.  The home is on an amazing lot, on a great street so we would consider an addition like this:

(I forgot to label the bathroom in these graphics - it's the small rectangle in the middle)

 

This small change gives us a little more breathing room.  But we haven't made a decision yet. We want to see how the house works in it's current state before we decide to renovate.

 

So there you have it.  I'll probably post a few pictures of the house once we have signed off.  We get the keys in late January, so I have lots of time to dream, plan and organize!  If you have seen an awesome 60's ranch renovation online, send me the details.  I'd love to see what other people are doing to modernize them.  

I know all my American friends are preparing to celebrate the things they're thankful for this weekend.  And there really are so many things to be thankful for, aren't there.  We celebrated here in Canada a few weeks ago - I hope you all get to enjoy some family time with the people who are important in your life. Happy Thanksgiving to you!

xo Meg