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Hi, friends! Guess what?!… We’re MOVING!!! While an extremely difficult decision to make — because we LOVE our home and neighborhood friendships of 9-years! — we’re excited to move into my childhood home in Wellesley. Just 2-miles down the road! Feeling all the feels with this new adventure!
My family closed on this beautiful home in December 2000… I was 12 years old! Memories in this home from 8th grade, to all of my high school days, college holidays/summers… it’s been 20+ years of Christmas mornings, birthday (surprise!) celebrations, homecomings & proms, dance parties in the “boom boom party room” (in my garage!), slumber parties, graduation parties, engagement parties, karaoke nights, and more! Now it will be HOME with my husband and our boys… they will grow up with the same special memories, coming full-circle, and it couldn’t make me happier!
My parents have been looking to transition to a 55+ community with maintenance-free living for several years now… it wasn’t until several weeks ago when my parents were talking next steps on officially putting their house on the market that I suddenly got super sentimental about it all! Ryan and I had an “a-ha” moment while thinking about long-term family goals… why aren’t WE moving into this home to keep this gem in the family and carry on our family traditions?? My parents wouldn’t then have to hassle with getting their home “show ready” and we’ve been a huge help with decluttering their home to prep for their move. One morning my parents came over to talk everything over… we signed an offer with them… and celebrated with a Bloody Mary cheers!
There are so many things we LOVE about the Wellesley neighborhood… walking/biking distance to shops/restaurants, sidewalks/crosswalks, a beautiful lake, a community pool (swim team!), a gym, tennis courts, basketball, clubhouse events, a good sledding hill (HA!), and more! We’re thrilled to have these new neighborhood amenities for our family + staying in the same awesome school district we’re in now. Our sub-division within Wellesley has some new neighbors too — many with young boys right next door!
SO! We decided to capitalize on this HOT real estate market right now and take quick action! Somehow with 2 little boys running around Ryan and I got our house “show ready” within ONE week! It was such a surreal feeling the first day our house went on the market! Seeing our house on MLS and the homepage of Zillow — watching the scheduled showings rack up — pulling into our driveway seeing the official “For Sale” sign in the yard… it’s all really happening! Our house went LIVE on MLS, we had 4-days of back-to-back showings all weekend long… and we signed the best offer!
After 3-weeks of hustle to get our house sold… we then scooted off to the rivah for FOUR kid-free nights!!! The perfect way to unwind, unplug, relax, and CELEBRATE Ryan’s 40th birthday and selling our house! A much needed escape and now back to reality with packing up our house in the next 30-days! We close mid-May. Never say never but we feel strongly that this is our forever home (before retiring to our rocking chairs on the Rappahannock)!
Bittersweet to say farewell to the home we first moved into as newlyweds, brought both our newborn babies home to, had our final moments with our fur-babies, and hosted a multitude of celebrations… unforgettable memories over the last {almost} decade!
Lots of packing and logistics in the coming weeks/months ahead… we move in 23-days!! We have a long list of fixer upper projects on our to-do list to spruce up our new place and put our own spin on things! You all know how much we love those “naptime hustle” before/after projects! In efforts to not flood my business page with house stuff… I decided to create a fun Instagram account to document our various house projects and adventures at our new home sweet home… follow along here at The Shumate Estate.
As luck would have it… just before Easter weekend, my parent’s signed a contract with their new house! Just a few miles down the road from us — in the wide-open land of Goochland County is their exclusive neighborhood. It’s a perfect home for them. They plan to live at the rivah this summer until they move-in in October.
Lastly! More details to come on this but… I’m SUPER excited for my new in-home Studio at our NEW house!! It’s the room with the large window above the front door. This room used to be MY bedroom as a teenager. It’s filled with beautiful natural light and I cannot wait to give the room a fresh coat of paint, new carpet, and new furniture. Stay tuned for boudoir booking details this summer!
PS! If anyone is looking for an AMAZING realtor, Bev Bailey is your go-to lady!! She’s been a dear family friend for 20+ years since my family first moved into Wellesley (she once lived on our street!). She helped sell Ryan’s home in Chesterfield before we moved to the West End (just before we got married!) and has now helped with our “new” home (see the transition below!). Tell her we sent you! 🙂
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