We Bought the House in Our Dream Neighborhood: Our Fixer-Upper Journey

Here’s a funny little story about the house below: we bought it, and now we’re moving in.

We know this announcement probably sparks a mix of feelings — excitement about new makeovers, sadness at leaving our current place, curiosity about logistics, and maybe even a sudden urge to do The Carlton. We felt all of that and more.

To tell this story we have to rewind seven years to our first house hunt in Richmond in the spring of 2006. Having just moved from New York City, Richmond felt roomy and surprisingly affordable. We explored several neighborhoods and fell for a charming, historic area with large wooded lots, strong schools, tree-lined streets and kids on scooters — the kind of neighborhood you daydream about.

Unfortunately, the houses with that old-world character were out of reach. The bank only trusted the one of us who had a long-enough payroll history, which effectively cut our buying power in half. That reality nudged us away from our dream neighborhood and toward a different, more affordable option: a fixer-upper that would change everything.

That early disappointment turned out to be one of our biggest blessings. Choosing a house well within our means let us save money for projects and build a financial buffer. It also launched this blog and taught us that renovating a less-than-perfect house can become a fulfilling way of life and work. We held on to the dream neighborhood in our minds, but we put it on the back burner while we made smart financial choices.

Fast forward 4.5 years: after a new puppy, a backyard wedding, the arrival of our daughter Clara, and my return to full-time work, our 1,250 sq ft ranch (one full bath) started to feel tight. We went house hunting again, sure that this time we’d land in our dream neighborhood. Instead, the mortgage underwriters had other ideas — self-employment timing once again left us constrained — and we were steered into another affordable fixer-upper. Again, that constraint turned into opportunity: another house with potential and another chance to sock away more savings for the long-term plan.

We never set out to treat these homes as deliberate “stepping stones,” even though the outcome has looked that way. When we fall in love with a house, we fall hard — Sherry even believed our first house would be our forever home. But moving on from that first place taught us we genuinely enjoy restoring older homes. That passion made it easier to embrace the idea that a house doesn’t have to be your last in order to be treasured.

When we moved into our current house we approached it with that more open mindset: enjoy the process, make memories, and don’t promise forever. In the three years we’ve lived here we’ve celebrated three Christmases, finished a book project, and watched Clara hit major milestones — crawling, walking, talking and dancing — so this house has been a true home for us. Leaving it will be bittersweet.

We also knew we didn’t want this to be our last fixer-upper. Renovating is both our passion and our livelihood, so as we tackled the final untouched rooms we casually watched the market for something that could serve either as a rental or as a future family home. We’d comb through listings and pop into open houses, hoping — quietly — that a property in that dream neighborhood might finally come available and be within reach.

Then, almost out of nowhere, a house appeared in that very neighborhood: a genuine needs-a-lot-of-love property sitting in the charming area we’d been admiring for years. It felt like a seven-year coup. The whole thing moved quickly — faster than we could blog every step — and before we knew it we were closing on the house.

Thanks to years of saving, the down payment meant our new mortgage is nearly the same monthly cost as our current one, and our interest rate is lower. Closing day felt surreal — we kept waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out and yell “You got punked!” — but everything was real and the house is officially ours. We’ve already addressed several critical items: we repaired a leaking roof, fixed a broken furnace, and reactivated the alarm system.

The house hadn’t been updated since it was built about 35 years ago, and in a mostly move-in-ready neighborhood that interior made other buyers hesitate. The sellers priced it well below assessment — over $100,000 less than a comparable home down the street — which made it an unbeatable deal for us. Yes, 1970s wallpaper, blue trim and lumpy carpet included.

Beyond the great price and ideal neighborhood, the house suits our family lifestyle in practical ways. It’s nearly the same size as our current home (less to clean), sits on a quiet, kid-friendly street (perfect for teaching Clara to ride a bike someday), and is still close to family. Best of all, it presents plenty of design challenges and creative opportunities. For the first time in years we’ll have stairs — yes!

It’s funny: at our age my parents were already settling into their third house, where they stayed for decades. Maybe staying put for a long time runs in the Petersik family after all.

We know you probably have questions: When are we moving in? (We don’t have a firm date yet.) When can you see more photos? (Soon.) What does Clara think? (She’s already claimed a room based on the closet size — priorities.) We’ll answer these and more in future posts, but for now we have tasks to finish so our current house can go on the market. We’ll share updates at our usual, real-time pace — selling, packing, planning, moving and then renovating the new place.

Did I mention these two are the most excited of all? Okay, three — if you count Ariel.

We can’t wait to share the good, the messy, and the hilarious moments as we dive into this new chapter. If there’s a moral to the story it’s patience: this house wasn’t bought on a whim or by some sudden windfall. It’s the result of seven years of living within our means and saving intentionally. Had we stretched our budget back in 2006, our financial and career paths might look very different today. So while the wait was long, the reward feels especially sweet — and who knows? Maybe this one will be our forever home.