The new house conundrum, Part 2

When we arrived at the house just off 21st in North Tacoma, we knew it had potential, but I was pretty much sick of potential.  After all, as a renter, a house usually never lives up to its potential because the landlord is not about to put any money or work into it. 

But after I looked through the windows, I immediately waved for Anne-Marie to get out of the car where she was waiting and come take a look.

1916 craftsman in North Slope neighborhood of Tacoma

 The inside looked a little rough, but that added a little to its charm.  Plus, the house had a full front porch, a huge yard on the one side and trees covering the entire road growing out of the heavily-forested gully* across the street. 

I called to schedule an appointment with the owner, and they agreed to meet us out there that evening.  Bernie and Sandra are an older couple that really have better things to do than drive from their home in Renton and show a house in North Tacoma.  But they were excited that someone else was excited about their house.  (And to be honest, if it wasn't for their kind demeanor, hands-off approach and understanding of the situation we're in, we may have walked away from this beautiful house.)

When we walked in, we found out what was so exciting.  9' high coffered ceilings, fireplace, picture molding, clawfoot tub.  It also has original woodwork and trim throughout the interior, including wainscoting and a built-in china cabinet in the dining room.  All this may not mean a lot to someone who didn't study in a design field.  You'll just have to trust me.

Plus, there are some practical things to go along with the aesthetic features.  A small garage in the back alley.  A fully fenced back yard.  A gas furnace.  A shower stall (so you don't always have to scrub down in the clawfoot tub).  A full basement.  Three bedrooms, plus a bonus room in the attic.  And lots of other stuff that there's no need to list.  Really we got what we were hoping for: a decent house in a decent neighborhood.

It's not identical to our house in Puyallup and it's only got one bathroom.  The hardwood floors are looking kinda rough and the kitchen is a work in progress.  But we love it still and plan on making it home.

Bernie was very kind in agreeing to reimburse us for some of the improvements we want to make (including painting, cleaning and maybe even replacing the flooring).  He just wants someone who will take care of the place.  We plan on doing just that.

So we didn't get the airy, dreamy European-style house of Anne-Marie's dreams, but it feels good and right to be landing here in our new place.

*I don't know if it's officially a gully or a draw.  It may be both.