Empty House Photos: Our Second Home, Before and After

We always enjoy looking back at empty photos of our first house because they’re a bittersweet reminder of how a house becomes a home through the moments you share in it. We didn’t waste any time taking empty photos of our second house, too — and looking at them now reminds us that each room really does feel different without furniture. These images capture the marks we left on this house and the memories that will travel with us.

Dining Room and Office

Below is the dining room and office area as it looked when we moved in, followed by the same view after everything was cleared out. Even without furniture, the rooms retain a sense of their original purpose and layout.

Office and Frame Hallway

We didn’t get a before shot from every angle, but here’s the office cleared out and the frame hallway after the photos and hooks were removed. Spackle and paint do a lot of work when it’s time to patch holes and restore walls.

Kitchen: Before and After

The kitchen changed a lot during our time here. Below are photos showing the space when we first moved in and again after we packed everything up. Kitchens often show the biggest visual changes because fixtures, cabinets, and flooring set the tone for the whole house.

Laundry Room

Some rooms are quick to clear and still feel instantly familiar. Here’s the laundry room before we moved in and as we left it. In many markets, appliances and attached fixtures are expected to stay with the house unless specifically noted otherwise.

What We Left and What Stayed

A common question we got was what we sold with the house. In short: most of what you see in these photos stayed. Local customs vary, but in our area anything attached—light fixtures, curtains, blinds, open shelving, and bathroom mirrors—typically remains unless the listing or contract explicitly states otherwise. We did note in our listing that we were taking a few specific curtains, but for the most part we didn’t want to leave the house looking bare with exposed light fixtures or empty window frames.

Fixtures and appliances are often chosen to suit the original home’s layout. A chandelier or a special laundry light might be perfect in one house and impractical in another. Because we prefer buying fixer-uppers to move-in-ready homes, we’re comfortable leaving appliances and certain fixtures behind so the new owners can make their own choices.

Living Room and Sunroom

Here are before-and-after views of the living room and sunroom. Even emptied out, those rooms still felt like places where many small, everyday moments happened.

Bedrooms and Hallways

Bedrooms evolved a lot during our time here—paint, molding, and personal touches changed the feel of several spaces. We don’t have every before angle, but the photos below show a few key views: our bedroom after changes, a sink nook before, the hallway after it was cleared, and Clara’s room before and after. The guest room took on a distinct look after a deep teal paint and new crown molding were added.

Final Thoughts and Memories

Our biggest aesthetic regret was not refinishing the older oak and parquet floors to match the kitchen’s cork floors. It would have created a more unified, rich look throughout the house. Still, we’re leaving behind a place filled with memories: three Christmases, three of Clara’s birthday parties, writing and shooting our whole book, and watching Clara take her first steps. That’s what truly makes a house feel like home.

We’ll miss this house, but we’ll never forget the moments it held. It’s comforting to know the next owners will make it their own—and we’ll carry the memories with us. Psst — we also shared a fun picture comparison elsewhere that shows how quickly time flies and how much changes in a few short years.