THE HOUSE THAT WAITED FOR US
How We Found Our Next Project & the Next Chapter for Our Family
For almost two years, my husband and I searched endlessly for our new home. We viewed countless homes online and in person, but they were all too finished, too far from town, or simply didn’t feel like home. We’d grown used to disappointment, and we often felt like we would never move.
But all the while, there was still one house that sat at the back of my mind.
There was a stately old brick house that rested prominently on a corner lot, just two blocks toward town. I had driven and walked past it countless times with my family over the past eight years. The home had definitely seen better days; the landscaping was overgrown, the windows looked original and old, the front porch was falling apart, but it still called to me. I just knew it had the potential to be a great house; it simply needed someone with a vision to bring it back to life. I had even considered knocking on the door to see if they wanted to sell—a move I’ve made in the past when a house caught my heart.
To our surprise, the house came on the market in the fall of 2022, and I knew we had to move quickly if we wanted it to be ours.
A Home With History
This house wasn’t just any listing—it was a legacy home, built in 1921, over a hundred years ago, and it had been lovingly cared for by the same family for the past 50 years. It had seen generations come and go, while the house definitely needed work, you could see it had once been deeply loved, and the stories it seemed to hold were part of its appeal to me.
The lot was nearly double the size of anything we’d seen, with beautiful mature trees. The house itself was a classic Colonial—style, full brick construction, with original hardwood floors, beautiful bones, a huge three-car garage, and a location just a couple of blocks away from the heart of historic downtown Glen Ellyn.
It was exactly what we were looking for: a home with character, room to grow, and the potential to create something truly special.
Our realtor moved fast, and he was able to get us the first showing. My husband was working downtown Chicago at the time and couldn’t make it to the first showing, but my aunt and my mom just happened to be in from out of town and were happy to take a tour with me.
There was a light dusting of snow on the ground that day, as it was early November, and as we walked through the cold, empty house, I was able to look past all the years of neglect and see the potential of what it could be.
The sellers were three grown sisters whose aged parents had both recently passed away. They asked for the best and final offers by Sunday of the very week it went on the market. My husband and I returned to the home, a day later, to walk through before putting in our best offer. Only a week later, as we were entertaining my brother’s family for the holiday, we got the call from our realtor. He shared that the sellers had 14 offers come in above their asking price, including ours, and to our total surprise, the house was ours if we wanted it.
Out of excitement, we walked with our family the few short blocks to peer in the dark windows of our new purchase, and my niece looked up at me and said, “Aunt Sarah, this house looks scary. Are you going to make it look better?” “That is the plan, Gigi,” I said, and I knew I was about to take on one of the biggest challenges of my life.
We weren’t the highest bid—but we were the ones who promised to preserve the home. I think it helped that the sisters knew I owned a design firm in town and was known for bringing historic homes back to life.
We weren’t going to tear it down. We saw the value in what was already there, and that’s what ultimately won us the home, and probably the purchase without an inspection helped too.
Not Fun,
But Necessary
We closed in late December 2022, and the romance of our new home quickly met reality.
Before we could even think about beautiful finishes or floor plans, we had to address the aged bones. There was no functioning toilet on the main level, the house had no central air, and the ancient boiler gave out almost immediately.
We bought it without a formal inspection—a risk that helped us win the house, but one we hoped we wouldn't regret. We soon discovered the plumbing and electrical systems were both decades out of date. The home needed a full water line replacement from the street and updated pipes throughout, as well as updating all the interior electrical. As we dug into the home, we found the original "knob and tube" wiring from the early 1900s. This was a serious fire code, and it had to go. Even though it was the middle of winter, we knew that come summer, we would want central air conditioning. I made a list of all the things we had to address first, and I quickly got to work.
We hired our beloved trades, including our painter, who spent every day for over a month peeling wallpaper from every wall and most ceilings. Not just one layer of wallpaper, but in most rooms multiple layers.
And even through all that, the house still had magic.
Living In It Made All the Difference
We would move in only a couple of months later. My husband didn't originally want to move in until the house was finished or at least the new kitchen was complete; however, when we had multiple offers come in on the house we were currently living in, I knew our family could make it work and live through the remodel. Like giving birth, it is easy to forget how challenging this can be.
Realistically, I was just ready to be in the house I had fallen in love with. I had most walls and trim painted my favorite color, white “Chantilly Lace” by Benjamin Moore, and all the pipes and electrical wiring replaced, not really how you want to spend tens of thousands of dollars, but it would be worth it. We were still living with the original kitchen and a decrepit basement, but I knew it would take time to transform this home.
Today, there are still plenty of quirks (like our teens sharing an awkward Jack and Jill closet, which also helps transfer heat between rooms), but living in the home has helped us understand it in a way that floor plans never could. We discovered the way the light moves through the windows. We learned how the house naturally flows. And it is finally time to take the house to the next level.
Living here for a couple of years has also given us time to dream. And it turns out, the more time we spend here, the more clearly we see what this house could become.
