We’ve been casually house hunting for a few weeks now — driving through different neighborhoods, browsing MLS photos, and popping into a few open houses when the timing works — and we’re finally getting around to writing about it. Between frantically cleaning our own home, scheduling showings, and juggling everyday life, it’s surprising how easy it is to let blogging about the hunt fall by the wayside. But hunting for a new house is part practical search and part emotional adventure, and we want to share how this process feels.
One thing that slowed us down was deciding how much to share. We’re excited by the idea of showing every nook and cranny, but we also want to respect the privacy of sellers. Unlike the homes on television shows, these houses weren’t listed for public critique, so we decided to be careful about what we publish. We’ll show an edited exterior photo and give a thoughtful, honest description of each house’s highlights and drawbacks, plus whether it might be a good fit for us.
First up is a house we nicknamed “The Cottage in the Woods.” We stumbled across it while exploring a nearby neighborhood and fell hard for the curb appeal before we even learned the details. From the moment we saw the exterior we were enchanted — the kind of place that feels like it’s stepped out of a storybook. That initial excitement made us eager to see the inside, but once we toured the home we realized how different the interior reality can be from a charming façade.
THE STATS:
- Year built: 1953
- House size: 1,905 square feet
- Lot size: 1.4 acres
- Bedrooms: 3
- Bathrooms: 2
THE PROS:
- Quaint, vintage character that feels authentic and full of charm
- Amazing privacy — the house sits well back on the lot and is surrounded by woods, so you drive through trees before you even see it
- Lovely neighborhood setting and access to good schools
- Open living and dining areas that invite natural light and comfortable gatherings
THE CONS:
- No en-suite bathroom, which matters when you’re used to more private bedroom layouts
- Small, cramped kitchen — roughly half the size of our current kitchen — with limited options for expansion
- Two bedrooms on the main level and one bedroom located in the basement
- Basement ceiling is low — uncomfortably so for taller people — and has a dehumidifier in place
As much as we loved the exterior and the idea of living in a secluded cottage surrounded by trees, the interior layout gave us pause. Our tastes lean toward open, airy floor plans, and while we enjoy the idea of knocking down a few walls to update a house, this particular floorplan didn’t lend itself to those kinds of renovations. The bedroom-in-the-basement setup felt less than ideal for a family planning to keep children and adults close by, and the low basement ceiling made that space feel less usable than a standard above-grade bedroom.
There’s also the practical reality of the small kitchen. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and downsizing to a cramped layout that doesn’t have clear expansion possibilities would be a daily frustration. The lack of an en-suite bathroom is another consideration: it’s a convenience we’ve grown used to and one we don’t want to give up lightly.
In short, this cottage had plenty of personality and privacy, but the compromises required to make it work for our family felt like settling rather than choosing. We’d rather keep looking for a home that balances charm and livability without requiring trade-offs that limit our day-to-day comfort.
We edited the exterior photo for privacy and to illustrate the feeling the house gave us — altered by our friend Photoshop — but we want to be clear that the choice to pass on this house came down to layout and functionality, not curb appeal. The search continues, and we’re excited to share more homes, lessons learned, and what we find as we refine our priorities.
Quick note: we’re also preparing for an upcoming television appearance on The Nate Show. It’s a little nerve-wracking, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that we don’t come across as total starstruck goofballs. More on that to come after the show.