Brandon and I have been looking at houses for well over a year now. Since we already had a great home – albeit just a bit small – we were in no rush. We mostly just browsed Zillow and drove around on weekends we were in Rhode Island seeing what was out there. For us, having land already meant we didn’t want to give that up but we didn’t want to be far away from Jamestown/Newport.
In the late summer, a house popped up that caught our eye. They were having an open house one weekend but we were of course away sailing. We did still drive down the long driveway and took a poke around peeking in windows – assuming no one was living there (apparently we were wrong but didn’t learn that at the time!) Then we asked a friend of ours who is a real estate agent to reach out to see if we could visit it.
It is a beautiful 4 bedroom Cape built in 1960 with a 2006 master suite addition sitting on 2.5 acres and butting up against 57 acres of conservancy land. It was reasonably priced in a good neighborhood – so we were thinking: “What’s the catch?”
Well on our first visit we got the disclosures to learn it has a cesspool – which are now illegal in Rhode Island. New owners will have 1 year from the date of closure to put in a proper septic system. This new home is also in a “critical resource area” due to proximity to water tables. So… $$$$$ septic tank.
After some negotiations (and low offers) and even the house being taken off the market, the sellers (a retired couple who raised their family here then has moved South) accepted. Then started the stressful, drawn-out mortgage, inspections, and closing process but on October 22, we got the keys and started the move in.
It’s the best of both worlds as we are keeping the other house and Brandon’s mom is the new tenant. Moving is a slow process utilizing Brandon and my dad’s trucks.
Side note, on the same week of the closing, my car decided it liked Fletcher Road too much and couldn’t handle the move across town – having already moved me across the country twice and the state a few times. So after 10 years, the little-Honda-Fit-that-could ended it by popping herself out of gear, putting down the e-brake, and rolling out a nearly flat driveway to hit a tree 6 inches in diameter at 3mph. No one humans or animals were hurt or even witnessed her demise – the neighbor came over to let us know she ran away into his yard. The dent in the rear corner was enough for the insurance company to total her.
So now back at the new house, we have a list of projects to make the home our own, so far Brandon is making the garage his haven with insulation, more power, and heat and I am taking down wallpaper.
Facebook Marketplace has been a wonderful place to find some furniture – as we now have to furnish a house double in size. So far, my favorite room is our den. It has a wood fireplace, a beautiful view of the woods behind us and plenty of light. It has become my new defacto office due to its warmth and general hygee (Danish for coziness).
Scruffy has been adjusting but has already come to think of this as his territory – so squirrels of Congdon Hill beware! He is also a fan of the new chairs by the fire just not all the banging Brandon does in the garage.
The grand plan is to host both of our families (18! + 3 dogs) so stay tuned for that!
Lastly, Persistence came out of the water on November 1. We didn’t go on any big adventures this year, just a Cuttyhunk and a last Columbus Day weekend to Block Island. Hopefully next summer we will get away. We have grand dreams to do a honeymoon crusing trip to Maine.
Speaking of the wedding… persistenceadventures.com/wedding has more information about that.