Because I'm clearly way too chicken to leave this in an actual note in the kitchen of the home that my husband and I just sold, I thought I'd write it out here...for everyone else to see :)
' Dear People Who Just Bought Our House,
(You may be thinking to yourself, 'What weirdos write a letter to the new owners of their home?'...well, *waves awkwardly*)
Welcome Home!
I hope those words are as exciting to hear as they are to say! We're so glad you're here. A few Sundays ago you asked the realtors if we could leave for a few hours so you could bring your parents by to show them the house. I went for a walk that day and started thinking that I'd really like to meet you, so I could tell you all the wonderful things about this house and our time here. So I thought to myself, 'I should write them a letter'. My feelings were later confirmed when my husband suggested the same thing unknowingly - that we should leave a little note just welcoming you home.
I imagine that you're a young couple, who has just purchased their first home together. ( I could be wrong. I've been wrong before, although not often...just ask my husband :)! ) I imagine that when you first saw this house and walked through the rooms and hallway that all of these dreams you've had started to take a realistic form before your eyes. That's what happened with us when we were where you are.
We purchased this home in 2012. We were dating then and had thrown the idea of purchasing a home out there as something we'd like to do. I was renting at the time and my boyfriend (now husband) was living at home with his parents.
(Funny story, when we first decided to start looking for homes this one was the very first one we drove by without a realtor. My husband immediately said 'no...not for us, I don't like it' without ever even going in. I tried to persuade him to go smush our faces up against the windows to look in since it looked like no one was home, but he refused. Sometimes, I'm braver than I should be. But I digress...)
We signed a contract with a realtor and started what seemed like the never ending search for a home. I think we were about 20 houses in and I told him, after this round if we don't find one..we'll just stay where we are and look again in a few months. I was going bonkers looking at houses every weekend. Our realtor took us out one Saturday with 5 or 6 houses on the list to look through hoping to find the perfect one for us. This house, was the last of them and when we walked in...BAM. Instantly in love. We could see it.... the layout was perfect, the neighborhood was adorable. I loved it. and to my amazement..so did he. We too, wanted our parents to see the house, so just like you, we brought them by to take a look. Fast forward a month or so, a few negotiations and a lot of signatures later....the house was ours!
I moved in first, on November 2, 2012. It was a Friday. That was the night my husband proposed. Right in the middle of the living room you're probably standing in now.
I love this house. I honestly think it's the cutest house on the street (but I'm obviously biased). I love the character and potential. I love that you can be in the kitchen cooking dinner but still hear your family giggling away in the bedrooms. I love the wear of the wood throughout and the trees that line the backyard. I love all the little ways we've left our mark on the house. *Disclaimer - no actual marks to my knowledge aside from one somewhere in front of the fireplace where we dropped our first Christmas tree and it scuffed up the floor...*
I love the memories.
This was the house that became our home. It's where we've cooked hundreds of meals. It was where we brought our first child home to. It's where I walked the length of the house over and over rocking a baby to sleep at 3 in the morning. It's where we've cried with friends and loved ones and it's where we've experienced an immeasurable amount of joy.
It's where we became we.
It's where we've prayed. A lot.
We've prayed for you! We prayed for you before we ever even knew if there was going to be a 'you'. The day our house was set to hit the market, I stood in the living room and prayed for you. I prayed that you would feel God's unending love and comfort in this home. I prayed that you could rest in this decision knowing that God led you to this house and that this is where He needs you. I prayed that you would fall in love with this house the same way my husband and I did. I pray for the memories you'll make here and all effort you'll put in to make this house your home.
I hope you love this house as much as we have. I hope it's as good to you as it has been to us. And I hope if and when you decide to move, you'll be brave enough to write down all your favorite things and share it with the next people.
Welcome Home!
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