It Oozes Potential

I used to work in a real estate office and I wrote one too many ads that promised, “Loaded with potential!”  In case you didn’t know, that’s code for, “Hideous and needs a ton of work!”  Well, my sister and her family are in the process of buying their first, very-own home.  I am so happy for them and in all of our excitement, we spontaneously ventured out for a visit Sunday.  The house is almost a centurion and, you guessed it, it’s loaded with potential! It really is.  I promise.  You think I’m lying because of what I said before, but I’m serious right now.  It sits on four lovely, rolling, green acres and has a slew of eclectic outbuildings, including a playhouse and a red chicken-coop.  Aside from natural  deterioration and a gawd-awful 1960-style remodel, the place is fantastic.

There are talks that part of this cool shed will be a future man-cave.

The coop.

Let’s go inside the house now, shall we?  I will start with a series of photos that highlight the things that must go, demo away!

Somebody actually thought this was a good idea?  I don’t know what else to say…the floor, the half-way up, miss-matched wall paper.

They didn’t stop with the green shag.  They felt the need for a different color in each room upstairs…even the landing has it’s very own shade!

Did I mention, wood-paneling everywhere?!

I’m pretty sure that some of the lighting fixtures are haunted.

Now for the things I want to stay in the home (as if I have a say in it!).

I love this bright, vintage clown cover, and lucky for me, my sister thinks it’s creepy so I get to have it!

I love these engraved column thingies.  They are scattered throughout the house and I think they may get demoed as well.  But if it were my house…… I would keep them and paint them bright white or turquoise.

The basement.  It’s unfinished now, but it has tons of character, like this brick column.  In the future it could become the family room.

The antique freezer in the basement.  It’s charming and rounded…much like my…just kidding.

But wait.  What’s this?  It’s an original label on the freezer.  Read what Irma Harding has to say…”Write me.”

These original doorknobs must stay.  If the doorknobs could talk…Am I right?

Let’s go back outside…Beautiful, mature trees, prime for climbing.

A closer look at the tree reveals a little bit of Springtime magic…

A patch of rhubarb.  The husband loves the strawberry and rhubarb pie that his mom makes, whether or not I can manage to do anything with the stuff remains a mystery.

Hey there handsome man behind the rhubarb.  Don’t eat the leaves, they are poisonous.

Remember the playhouse I told you about?  This is it!  And standing in front, is it’s new tenant.  I get the feeling that it has had many previous tenants.

Envisioning all of the good times she will have in here.

The future caretakers and owners of this well-seasoned property.  Stay tuned for updates.  I am so pumped to see all of the renovations and marks they will make on it.

XO, Tobi