Going Home

 Thomas Wolfe wrote the novel, You Can't Go Home Again.  In it, the main character realizes "You can't go back home to your family, back home to your childhood ... back home to the escapes of Time and Memory." 

I certainly believed that!

That's until one day we realized that while we left our community four years ago and embarked on a search for a new lifestyle, it wasn't working.

We missed our friends and family.

It was time to go "home."

Once we made our minds up, we found a fixer upper only a block away from our old home.

It is a single story, 1924 Normandy style cottage that needs everything!

The previous owners lived here for 40 years until they went into a retirement home.

It has great bones and a floor plan.  There's a back deck that is perfect for entertaining.

Nevermind that the deck is rotten!

Let's go inside and take a peek. 

The living room is to the left of the entry...

...with a sunroom next to it.

The dining room on the other side of the entry.

I love the French doors that look out to the front porch with its canvas awning.

 The master bedroom opens to the deck in the back.

It has a bathroom and walk-in closet.

There is a family room that also opens to the deck.

In true HGTV fashion, I plan to knock out the wall behind the sofa and create an "open concept" kitchen/family room.  

It was another selling point to this house.

The kitchen. 

I just want to point out that all of these photos are shot to make the house look bigger and to sell the house.  

This kitchen is tiny and not functional.  

A remodel is definitely in its future!

Since buying this house, I've replaced the roof.  I've gutted the master bathroom, which is nearing completion.  California Closets created a very functional master closet.  The interior has been painted and there is a huge landscape project underway.

We moved in about a month ago, so we're living through the reno.  

I'm planning on blogging again to share this project with the few readers that are still there.

Will you follow along as I take this old lady and gussy her up?