The new Chez Foster-McDougall
6th June 2007
The purchase of our new house was smoooooth — at least compared to our sale. I’d been eyeing it on MLS for a few weeks,
and once we were close to having the basement in our current house done (OK, started) and New House had come down in price, we went to see it.We saw. We loved. We bought. Yay!
It’s 15 minutes from my parents (read: free babysitting). It has a backyard big enough to pasture cows in (and plant a veggie garden!). Tons of beautiful gardens. Huge deck. A lounge-drink-tea front porch. Three big bedrooms. Eric and I’d own bathroom. A dining room. A family room. A living room (that’s three rooms to just live in). A kitchen attached to an eat-in area attached to the living room — perfecto-mundo for trapping coralling keeping babies safe in one place where we can spy on them.
It’s in an established neighbourhood, so there are tons of mature trees, beautifully kept lots and tons of charm. A public school is down the street. Seriously, it’s like Norman Rockwell’s American Dream, except in north Durham, Ontario, Canada.
The only issue from an aesthetic point is the wall paper. Lots and lots of wallpaper: in the kitchen, main floor bathroom, living room, master bedroom and bath, and both other bedrooms (check out the rockin’ ATVs!). When I say we’re having a weekend of stripping, it won’t be the dirty kind.
We have to buy new appliances, so I’m excited to get a sweet high efficiency, front-loading washer and dryer set. I’m not even 30 and getting turned on by appliances — help me.
I’m sure the 7.5 weeks until we move are going to fly by, but for now, it seems like forever.
(That’s Brian all hunched over in the kitchen. He’s our smart savvy home inspector that looked like a cross between RandyJackson and Forest Whittaker. If you’re selling your house, you don’t want him to inspect it because he’s so good.)
The goal is to get packed and settled without freaking out Lucy or Spencer Dog too much — a challenge for sure, more for Fur Face than Miss Adaptable. Whenever we leave somewhere, Spencer — who was found wandering the streets by the shelter we adopted him from — gets rather antsy.
But he’s definitely coming. We need him to help strip wallpaper.
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Fabulous ! and yes the time will fly by .. its easy enough to pack around baby, I swear Ava hasnt even noticed all the boxes…
Good luck !
We had the same home inspector when we bought our house last month – he’s awesome!
As you already know I am in love with my new front load washing machine. It uses 40% less water and half the electricity and I have the hydro bill to prove it. (It also makes cool sounds and is very gentle on clothes – totally worth the extra $$ it costs…)
Are the front loaders that great?! We’re putting up our house to sell in two weeks (AHHHHH!) and in our next house I definately am considering getting them.
By the way Carly, that house looks fantastic!!! Congrats. I’m sure you’ll love it. You keep saying North Durham, but which town is it??
Laura
ACK!! Wallpaper. You have my sympathies. Hopefully it will come off pretty easily. At least it is not 100 year old wallpaper. Buy a scoring tool, wet it down by spraying a solution of dish soap or fabric softner (doesn’t need to be an expensive brand) and hot water, wait a few minutes and scrap. Should be pretty easy. Don’t bother with costly solutions that say they’ll get it off…the above is dependable and much gentler on the budget. Wash the walls down with TSP afterward, paint and enjoy.
The pictures you’ve shared are wonderful. Lucy will love that gorgeous backyard to play in. You’re going to love the room to spread out.
Congratulations!!
Oh, sounds wonderful! So lovely for Lucy to grow up even closer to her grandparents, and with a school down the street, too. (I always wanted to be one of the kids who could go home for lunch, instead of being a ‘bus kid’!)
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