Eek! That’s my dolphin squeal — my kids say my impression is impressive when I’m really excited. I’m thrilled to take you on a tour of our new Florida house as it looked the first time we saw it in February. That was, as it happens, the last time we saw it in person before the world closed down. Since then a lot has changed: the global situation shifted and the house has seen major work. In the six weeks after these photos were taken, our contractor and his small, socially distant crew repaired the worst of the damage. The floors have been fixed, the AC works, and the bathroom now has a flushing toilet (and the sink is no longer in the tub).
This house sat on the market for more than eight and a half months despite being in a charming neighborhood just a few blocks from the beach. The condition scared buyers away, but we’re so grateful it waited for us. We love the outdoor spaces and the gorgeous old trees — there is so much to adore.
Do we wish we were there overseeing the renovation in person? Absolutely. But we can handle a few more weeks of coordinating from afar because by the end of the first week of May the house should be livable enough for us to move in. That’s when our packed POD from Richmond is scheduled to arrive, and we’re finally going to realize a big goal we’ve been working toward for months: owning and living in one smaller house. Cue the dolphin sound again.
We fit everything we’re moving into our new smaller house in one POD. It took us four days of Tetris-like packing — John was a pro. Downsizing is hard, but it already feels right. We talked about how we decided what to keep and what to let go of on a recent podcast, and that process felt empowering. The cheesy victory photo we took made the effort feel worth it.
We’ll share lots more about the renovation on the next podcast and in future posts. This will be a long-term project — just like our Richmond home was — so expect progress photos and updates over the coming weeks, months, and years. For now, here’s the before tour.
Walking through the front door the first thing you noticed was the view across the main living area — and yes, there was a hole in the floor from water damage.
The first-floor main living area will become kitchen, dining, and a casual hangout spot. Ignore the soffits and mauve counters for now — that centered window above the sink brings in great light. The space is deeper than it looks and will comfortably hold a dining table and a little seating area for games or reading while someone cooks. The closet by the door houses the water heater and HVAC and provides some storage.
Facing the front door showed us the charming original wall paneling and, most notably, many large glass doors that look out onto a wooded lot. Count them as you go through this tour — there are twelve in total across the house, which feels like a special feature given the home only has six rooms.
Although it rained the day we toured the house, the many windows and doors still made the interior feel bright and connected to the magnolias and oaks outside. (Side note: it seems to have rained the first time we toured every house we’ve bought — maybe it’s a sign.)
A peninsula led to a formal living room that we instantly decided would be our bedroom. Upstairs holds a large living room, so we didn’t need two. That space has six more glass doors that open to the lot. By closing an oversized opening and removing an awkward triangular post, we’ll be able to make a full wall for our bed and wake up to the doors and trees every morning.
From inside the future bedroom, looking back toward the kitchen, you can see how once the wide opening is drywalled the kitchen will be private. The bedroom also features a fireplace wall we’re excited to style — likely with an electric or gas insert once we settle in and weigh options.
The bedroom looks out onto a beautiful stand of trees right outside the doors. We’re picturing bamboo privacy shades and light curtains to give privacy at night while letting the mornings burst in. We also plan to create a small private patio outside those doors.
If you step back into the kitchen/dining area, you can see how the other side of the house is laid out and spot more of the missing flooring we had to repair.
One oddity: a deep closet off the kitchen leads into what was the only private bedroom when we first toured the house — an unusual layout like a secret passage. That closet solved a problem for our plans, but we’ll dig into that more when we share the floor plan.
During renovation we discovered more extensive water damage than expected. The drywall on the first floor had to come down, which revealed a hidden bathroom leak — a frustrating discovery but a blessing in disguise since we could address it before moving in.
The house originally had only one functional bathroom, which wasn’t usable when we bought it — the water had been turned off. The vanity had been removed and the sink was oddly placed in the tub. These are the sorts of surprises that come with an older house that needs work.
The one proper bedroom will be our daughter’s room. Since these photos were taken, the 8-foot ceiling there has been vaulted and planked, which completely transformed the feel. Her room also has two glass doors leading to a small side porch; we may change those to a picture window or lock them and keep the light.
Next to the bathroom, a former large laundry room will become our son’s bedroom. We vaulted and planked that ceiling too, which made a huge difference. In that room we found small drawings on the wall done by a local artist who once lived here decades ago. The seller’s agent confirmed the artist’s identity, and we’ll preserve those images by photographing and framing them since the drywall couldn’t stay.
Upstairs is a huge, light-filled flex space with a large deck. Because it’s the sunniest and most spacious room, we plan to use it for living and working — and to keep it separate from the bedrooms so we can watch TV without disturbing the kids. The deck is a major bonus for outdoor living and will be perfect for reading, working, or family hangs.
All the flooring is old pine, which we’re excited to refinish and clear-seal. Some sections are already sanded and looking great. Downstairs we also have a roofed side porch, an outdoor shower, and plans for a pool beyond that — a real outdoor-living setup surrounded by trees and no grass to mow.
A final fun story: the artist who once lived here is Nancy Swan Drew. After meeting our contractor and signing the offer paperwork at a nearby lunch spot, I found a single book in the shop illustrated by Nancy Swan Drew. It felt like a sign. We signed the papers, flew home, and learned mid-flight our offer had been accepted. It’s been an emotional, messy, joyful ride, and we can’t wait to make this house our home.
This is just the beginning — we’re so excited for what’s ahead and can’t wait to share renovation progress, floor plans, and updates as we move in and transform this lovely, quirky house into our home.