Some "Before" Pics

I noted in a previous post that we bought a house. Now that the ink has dried on our closing documents, I feel like I can share a bit more about that. While my wife and I currently live in Columbus, we've got family in the greater Akron area and had been looking to move there for a while.

There were many houses we looked at, and many houses we could have bought. The one that we ultimately landed on though was 1925 almost mansion in north Akron. If I were to describe it in the parlance of real estate listings I'd say, "This spacious home in Akron's historic North Hill neighborhood boasts wood floors, radiant heat, loads of period details, a stunning ravine view, and...racoons.

Two people stand in a snow covered yard in front of an older home that is overgrown with vegetation. They hold a sign between them that says "SOLD".

An interior picture of an empty dining room in an older home. The room has wood floors, dated wallpaper, and wainscoting.

Yeah. Racoons. They're in the roof and attic. Not great, I know, but beyond the truly astounding potential this house holds, there's nothing about it's current condition that one could rightly call great. It's been empty for years and wasn't particularly well maintained before then. It's going to need a lot of work and take a lot of time before anyone can even think about moving in.

Now, you might be asking yourselves, "Why would a couple of empty nesters looking forward to their golden years buy a 2850 sq/ft fixer-upper in Akron? Shouldn't they be downsizing in Florida?" Normally, I'd say "Yes", but in this instance we're going to take advantage of all the extra space to embark on an adventure in multigenerational living. 

A bathroom floor featuring vintage black and white basketweave tile.  

You see, it won't just be my wife and I living in this house. We'll be joined there by our son, his partner, and our granddaughter. That's bananas, right? Maybe, but I'll tell you this, everyone involved in this undertaking is really into it. Further, everyone I tell this story to is really into it too. It just seems to resonate people.

I don't know if it's our desperate need for closeness and community borne of these terrible times, or if it's the simple notion of building and hoping for something better, but all the principals (myself included) are really excited. And if nothing else, it might inspire our granddaughter to someday write a children's book or memoir about growing up in a weird old house with her eccentric grandparents. 

An ornately carved marble fireplace is partially disassembled in front of the hearth. 

So that's where things stand right now. There's a lot of work ahead, but I think the payoff will be worth it. Who knows, maybe that will be true for other things too. 

Also, I wasn't kidding about the ravine view from the backyard.

An outdoor view of a ravine in winter.