Real Estate Porn

Filed under: Domestic Diva, Mi Familia, Suburban Diva — Blonde Mom at 4:25 pm on Saturday, May 5, 2007

My mother is building a beautiful new home less than 10 miles from us. I’m very excited as we will no longer have to trek up the interstate for a visit and the hubby and I can drop the girls off and go to dinner drinking on a whim!

Yesterday I took Amelia to daycare for a few hours while Caitlin and I ran errands. A Wal-Hell trip was on the agenda, and I figured I’d have a closer grip on sanity if I didn’t take both girls. I was proven right as later in the day I took both girls to the movie rental store and Amelia decided that she just wasn’t going to be bothered with the whole being buckled in her car seat thing. Good times.

Caitlin and I stopped by my mom’s new home to see the progress. Everything is falling into place nicely, and I especially love the kitchen. I know that’s puzzling as despite not being a great cook, I do love kitchens. Her cabinets ended up being more of a light tan than the antique white she was looking for, so she ordered a different shade of countertop–sort of a coppery, leather looking type finish.

Oh. My. Lord.

I took one look at those handsome, come hither countertops and it was all I could do to not run my hand lovingly down them and chain myself to a drawer pull. My first thought…”WOW, these would not show any dirt or fingerprints or coffee or red wine drips or yogurt flingage!” My imagination went wild with the possibilities!

We’ve been in our house six and a half years and our white on white on white kitchen (as in white cabinets, countertops, and appliances) is looking a little dingy. We didn’t have kids when we bought the house and I was just thrilled that it had been remodeled, as our house was built in the late 1960s. The white color scheme in our kitchen didn’t seem to be a problem back then, as our only kids at the time were our two dogs, Bailey and Jack, and I knew they wouldn’t be dancing on the countertops with their muddy paws any time soon.

Lately I’ve found myself with home wanderlust and looking at homes for sale online, even though we are at least a few years away from buying a new, or new to us, home. I’ve even taken to stalking homes in our neighborhood as they go up for sale, because the property value keeps going up, which bodes well for us if that trend continues. I’m going to try not to lust after my mother’s new home too much, but there’s something about the smell of paint fumes that is intoxicating. And as long as our house doesn’t know I’m cheating on it, I think I can get away with flirting behind its back.

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11 Comments »

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Comment by: Colleen

May 6, 2007 @ 10:40 am

The allure of a brand-new, you-choose-everything home calls to me often. We’ve been in our 1940s house for nearly six years too and it would be fun to try the opposite–a home never lived in by anyone but us. We’re in the process of deciding what to do about our tiny house. We’re about to outgrow it and have to either make it bigger (ugh…what a process to live through!) or sell it and go somewhere newer. I completely know what you mean about, “real estate porn!”

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Comment by: Friglet

May 6, 2007 @ 11:07 am

I love that phrase “real estate porn”! I’m a really estate porn addict! I love to look at model homes for sale and covet everything about them!

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Comment by: Mrs. Schmitty

May 6, 2007 @ 2:51 pm

I know what you mean about the white on white on white. Me too, and it looks like heck. I have daily daydreams of when I win the lottery and what my house will look like. I will plan, design, and have it built completely from the pictures in my head.

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Comment by: Erin

May 6, 2007 @ 6:17 pm

will she let the girls come visit? (and thus make her countertops sticky?)
I know what you mean about kitchens! We are in a teeny tiny apartment and I want a bigger kitchen too! Even if it’s just to bake frozen pizza!

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Comment by: Library Mama

May 7, 2007 @ 7:24 am

I adore our neighbourhood. We live right across the street from our elementary school and within walking distance of our church. Our street is very quiet, except at school drop-off and pick-up times, and our kids can ride their bikes (fairly) safely up and down the block, where reams of their friends live.

However, our house is a 1956 three bedroom bungalow with one (count it - one!) bathroom for five people, and it needs some serious foundation work as our city’s forefathers decided to build our fair city on a swamp.

Still, we’re picking away at the work that needs to be done because for us it’s location, location, location!

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Comment by: Blonde Mom

May 7, 2007 @ 7:39 am

Library Mama:

Our house has ONE full bathroom, too. We have a half bath but just one tub/shower. With three girls in the house, I know eventually something’s gotta give!

But we love our location, too. We’re close to daycare, our elementary school, my husband’s office, several great parks, etc.

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Comment by: Liz

May 7, 2007 @ 7:46 am

A big YAY, for Caitlin and my Mini-Me graduating kindergarten, next month - oooh, we are so going to be sharing in a Kleenex moment - these are the days, my friend!

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Comment by: Erin

May 7, 2007 @ 8:28 am

how is it that grandmas do that? my grandma keeps a meticulous house and didn’t let me touch a lot of things either! (I remember coasters and being scolded for putting my feet on coffee table!) I think it’s revenge. When you have grandbabies, you some how kind of are giving your kids revenge by teaching the grandbabies to not be sticky and to sit still in church.

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Comment by: » Decorating by Osmosis

May 7, 2007 @ 9:07 am

[...] I’ve already admitted I stalk houses online, so I might as well tell you about my home decorating, home organizing addiction. And no, unfortunately, this does not mean that our house is straight from the parade of homes. [...]

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Comment by: Anne

May 7, 2007 @ 2:59 pm

How excellent for everyone that your Mom is moving closer!! Aw!

I don’t stalk houses online but I do stalk the custom homes my husband builds. We aren’t richer than rich but most of his clients are and it is really interesting to see how effed up or how lovely taste can be. And I have learned this over and over again: Having money is not the same as having good taste.

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Comment by: Holly Schwendiman

May 7, 2007 @ 3:56 pm

What a fun post dear. I think we can all relate very well.

Hugs,
Holly

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