the nice vibe

I really believe that the people who live in a house do leave a mark on it, in some way. For instance: Matt and I went into a house for sale in our neighborhood the other day. It was a brick tudor, with charm intact, but neglected. What do I mean when I say neglected? I guess this is my euphemism for the owner having died of old age, possibly in the house, after years or decades of infirmity. Not a scenario where you prioritize, say, new Pergo flooring.

Anyway, this particular house (we were told by the listing agent) was owned by an old man who had lived in the neighborhood for many years. The weird thing was that, before being told, I knew that it was an old man's house, and so did Matt. We also agreed that the house felt creepy. "Creepy old man vibe," Matt called it, and it was. You could feel it the moment you walked in.

Another house just down the street from us had been lived in by the owners for fifteen years, then divided into apartments and rented for another fifteen. Then it had been converted back to a single family home and put up for sale. It was clean and polished and presentable, but it had no character -- like fifteen years of renters coming and going had erased the personality of the family that had lived in it before.

But Isadora's house has a nice vibe -- it's a friendly house. It feels welcoming. Even in its state of neglect, it feels cared for. Some rooms, particularly the kitchen, feel tired. All of which is what the house of a mother of sixteen would feel like, no?

about the house

You were wondering, weren't you:

It was built in 1912, most likely by the same architect that did Julianne and Oliver’s house. Vital statistics: 3,840 square foot lot, 1,980 square feet of living space plus a 1,030 square foot unfinished basement and just over 900 square feet of unfinished attic. The attic has a real staircase leading up to it, and plenty of room to stand … it’s lovely up there, and on a hot day feels like a sauna and has that warm wood smell.

According to the Department of Planning and Development, it had a “service upgrade 200-amp panel change” in May of 2000; a “low voltage security system SFR” in January of 2005; and a new gas furnace in November of 2005. (End of list: 3 records.) We can assume that sometime in the 1970’s someone went to town with a sprayer full of asbestos ceiling popcorn.

I learned a bit more about the previous owner from Julianne. She had sixteen children, thirteen of whom survived her. And she took in and cared for many more, all of whom adored her and called her “M’dear,” short for “Mother dear.” She was a fantastic cook. Her name was Isadora.

Shark steamer

The most striking thing is that each time we see the new house it seems to be in better shape. I don’t mean like little elves are coming out at night and fixing things. I think it's just that in our memories the problems, over time, loom large, and we keep being surprised by the actuality. Or, you know, maybe it’s little elves.

Actually it’s an old, neglected house in great condition. This is official; the inspection guys confirm it. It has old-house problems – unexplained water stains all over the place, extensive knob and tube wiring, cracked and broken this and that, not to mention the many and various asbestos products on floors and ceilings. But overall it’s in great shape, mainly in need of cosmetic work. This is good!

That said, one thing that’s been bothering me from the start is the asbestos ceiling popcorn. Not so much the toxicity as the aesthetic. Sorry to say. I’ve learned that we can legally remove it ourselves, by soaking it with water and scraping it off while wearing respirators and disposable coveralls and rubber boots, with the room encased in plastic sheeting. And the negative air pressure, yes, Dad. And then today Matt said, you know what we could use? The Shark steamer. And it was an epiphany! We could use the Shark steamer! Yes! (You don’t know what a Shark steamer is? Check it out: Shark steamer. It's a little steam cleaner thingy, looks like a canister vacuum cleaner. Numerous attachments, all of which can blast dirt out of tiny household crevices. Of dubious purpose, until you become the new owners of a filthy old house. The Shark steamer will scare the asbestos popcorn right off your ceiling. Of this I am certain.) And such was the joy in this realization that, several times today, I’ve caught myself grinning and thinking, the Shark steamer! Brilliant!

waiting on contingencies

After a week of long-distance negotiations, our offer on the house was accepted -- to our unequivocal delight. (We have known buyer's remorse in the past, oh yes. But it is notably absent at this time.) Our purchase and sale agreement is contingent on our being able to sell our condo; today our condo lists. We have until Oct. 15 to sell it; until then the house's sellers can, if another offer comes in, "bump" us, meaning accept the other offer unless we can scramble together funds to buy immediately. Eek.

The inspectors come tomorrow morning (contingency number two).

It should be noted that after four days of organizing, packing, and cleaning, the condo looks lovely, all elegant and minimal. I wonder, could we actually live like this? Half of our belongings (the unsightly half) reside in the six billion Sterilite storage boxes filling my away-at-college sister's room at my parents' house. Matt has gone artistic on the remaining jars of various things on our kitchen counter -- black beans, cornmeal, split peas, dog biscuits -- and now they are arranged progressively by color.

Audrey has had a hard time with all of this. Although to my surprise she is genuinely excited about the new house, she is uncomfortable with the changes around here. Also, I've been distracted by all this offering and counteroffering and scheduling of this and that, and this just does not fly with her. She has valiantly entertained herself next to me when I'm on the phone or email, but she is used to being the center of my attention. Also, this stuff is boring to a three year old. Not that you need to be three to find this boring.

My plan is to get us out of the house as much as possible during the day, so that I can ignore the fact that total strangers will be wandering through our house and peering into our closets.

house video

Heather took a couple of Videos with our agent Cheryl after we made an offer on the house. The first one starts outside the house and walk around the first floor.



The second starts at the landing and goes through the whole 2nd floor and attic





Ahh sweet sweet popcorn ceilings, how I will miss you.