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In case you missed the memo: We sold our house!
As we share our entire lives on social media and this blog, sometimes there are things happening that we cannot share in real time.
I know it may come as a shock to some of you, but to others they could foresee this choice. Grant and I have hopped homes every 3-4 years since we met (13 years ago). We both love design and projects and it’s a part of our life plan to continue hedging our house bets by buying, fixing and selling homes. If you have been following us for a while, you probably remember the project we did prior to the current home we live in. If not, you can see it here.
Back in January, our real estate agent told us he had a few people inquire about homes in our area. We live in a semi-gated neighborhood in Los Angeles that includes a lot of historical homes. It wasn’t the first time we’d gotten whispers from people interested in purchasing our home. As Grant and I were on the fence for over a year about selling, we finally told our agent he could show it to a few people who were seriously interested. We ended up selling to an off-market buyer. It was was an offer we couldn’t refuse.
We ended up making this choice because, for over a year, we were talking about it nearly every single day. We had {daily} grievances about this 100 year old home that we knew we couldn’t just “fix” nor did we want to change the beautiful integrity of this historical home {more about that below}. We also found an amazing school that we are sending June to and it is in another area of Los Angeles.
In addition to all of the reasons above, over the past year we found ourselves in unforeseen living circumstances. Like everyone during Covid-19, our priorities shifted this past year and we discovered that we want something different in our home for our day to day lives. I don’t 100% love the neighborhood that we currently live in. As a Texas born farm-girl, now that I have a daughter I am really seeking a location that’s a bit more quiet. To give you a frame of reference: We hear fireworks, gun shots, traffic and sirens/helicopters almost every night. It was affecting my sleep and my day to day peace. That’s not to say that we won’t ever live in a more urban neighborhood again. I am just seeking more peace in my life currently.
We didn’t want to make an impulse move and we have given this over a year of consideration and thought. It will be very sad to leave this home, but I am very excited about the vision I have manifested for our new home that’s in a new neighborhood. Rather than looking back, we are looking forward with smiles on our face.
I’m so excited to finally be able to share this news and updates with you all. We will close on the sell of our current home next week and are in escrow to buy a new house. Because a lot of real estate deals fall through, I wanted to wait until I was 100% certain that this was a “done deal” before sharing it.
So…you have questions. I took a poll on Instagram and have included a lot of your questions below. Feel free to leave a comment if you have something I didn’t answer below. For privacy reasons, we never disclose the location/neighborhoods of our homes nor will we share were June is going to school.
Q: What are your likes and dislikes about your current house?
What I like: I love and respect the history and integrity of this 100 year old home. It is screaming character and charm. I love the sunroom and the windows that open up to our backyard. I love the quietness of my pamper room and having a place to escape with a book or morning coffee. I love our office space and that it’s detached from the home. What I love most is the history. It feels like a piece of art. And I positively LOVE entertaining guests in this house.
What I dislike: I dislike the drafty nature of the house. It often times feels cold and creaky. I don’t love living in a two-story house with a toddler. We had no idea what parenthood would look like as we purchase this home during our pregnancy. As amazing as the character of the “oldness” is, I don’t love that every drawer sticks, every floor creaks and every door knob has to be fixed month after month. As absolutely beautiful as this quirky home is, it’s a lot of work and upkeep to manage the history of the home. We also are not able to do much “work” to this house because it is protected by a historical preservation act in Los Angeles. Therefore, we can’t really do many changes to this house without permits and permission – a lot of red tape! What I dislike most is the darkness. The entire downstairs is nearly pitch dark if all drapes are closed. I am craving LIGHT!
Q: How is your new house different than this house?
The new house is… well, new! It’s a newer construction. Ha! We kind of went the complete opposite direction but I am very excited. The new house will need a few minor updates and touches. We are replacing some tiles and adding a few elements to offer defined living spaces {i.e. an entry and dining space}. The new house is also one story!
Q: Will you take your current furniture/decor to the new place?
A lot of our furniture will be used up at our Lake Arrowhead home. We will also be taking as much as possible with us to the new house, however not everything will fit perfectly. The things we do not take, we will sell locally.
Q: Did you end up finishing your backyard area?
We finished the hard construction but never furnished the space because we knew we were moving. By renovating the outdoor living area, it increased the overall value of the home. But we completed the project around the time that we knew in our hearts we would sell soon so I didn’t want to invest any more money or time in to furnishing the space.
Q: Any recommendations for light fixture stores?
As I am currently shopping for light fixtures for our new home, YES!
Q: Does the new house have a pool?
YES!
Q: This house is so different than your previous one. I love both, but why the switch.
Grant and I truly love to change things up. Our first condo was super duper modern, mid-century and minimal. Then we moved to a Spanish style bungalow. The previous home (which you are referencing) was a complete gut-job that we transformed into a contemporary home and now our currently house is historic. We just love interior design, architecture and projects. Don’t know what to say other than it’s what we love to do 
Q: Will you decorate your new house similarly to your current one?
Yes and no. I will definitely take a lot of our vintage and charming pieces along for the ride. I’m still figuring that out as I design this project. I will absolutely keep you posted!
Q: Any updates on your Lake Arrowhead project?
Yes! We are almost finished with the kitchen hard renovations and painting. We also are near completion on the bunk room and fireplace in the living room. Grant is driving up this week and I will have updates for you soon!
Q: Are you taking all of your light fixtures to the new house?
I am obsessed with our light fixtures. I consider them to be art and I am taking as many as humanely possible. The pieces we are not taking are going up to the lake house and/or being sold to a local vintage dealer.
Q: When are you moving out?
We won’t be moving out until some time around May. Because we are doing some light work to the new house, we don’t want to move June over until the paint is dry and hammering is done!
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jaceylenae, Khareem Sudlow
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