we accidentally bought a bungalow

We were living in the big city, working two really stressful corporate jobs with two kids already off on their own and the two youngest (twins) in elementary. 

We had a modern, large tract house conveniently located to our jobs and the kids' school.  It was very nice, had plenty of room, a gorgeous pool and cozy garden where we entertained tons of friends and family over the years.

The Ahwatukee abode in Phoenix

​I had completely updated it when I bought it in 2005.  No major complaints.  But also, no major connection.  

It looked identical to everyone else's homes, not only in our neighborhood, but in the majority of the Phoenix metropolitan area.  This house was not inspiring other than that it provided a comfortable albeit expensive solution while raising the twins and doing what we did -- work.  A lot.

I knew that this was not going to be where I wanted to dig deep roots for the long haul.  I figured that one day when the kids were off on their own in college I would look for a home that really spoke to me.  Didn't really know where, but I knew it wouldn't be in metro Phoenix.

​Then, on a day trip up to the high country in northern Arizona, Michael and I began to explore Prescott.  
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​we followed our hearts

At first it was really just about getting away for a few days, here and there, from the concrete, the cars and bustle of Phoenix.  Yes, the scorching heat was a big motivator to head north too!  Just for fun we decided to check out the real estate in Prescott.  You know, just... to see what it was all about.

It felt right.  We were just going with our gut.  And we gravitated to all the old, historic bungalows.  Even then in 2010, with the recession still in full swing, there were extremely few of those downtown cottages on the market. 

Then we happened upon a brand new listing, almost by chance, that somehow felt just right.  We jumped in the car after taking the day off from work, and headed up to take a look.  The next day we made an offer, and... suddenly we were the owners of a shaggy, overgrown, amazingly cool historic bungalow in Prescott!
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North yard

West side, front of house

Entry porch and south yard

​was it meant to be?

So, the truth is that while we had a great feeling about this little spot in the mountains, there was a lot to overcome. 

To begin with, we were one of 5 offers on the property and we figured there were investors in the mix with deeper pockets than us.  But, when our offer was accepted we felt the thrill of real possibility.

Chain link and overgrowth with the carriage house in back.

At the same time, we were still very much in the depths of the recession and there was no guarantee that the house, the property, or the neighborhood was going to be a worthwhile investment.  The town of Prescott is very old, and being in the downtown meant that there was a lot of history and many old victorians and craftsman bungalows.

As with many old town centers, much of the more recent development and investment had been happening on the outskirts of town.  Where the land is less expensive, and more accessible.  This street was on the original plat maps from the mid-1800's and it looked like maybe it hadn't been maintained all that much since the early 20th century.  Many of the historic homes seemed a bit neglected.  

But after going through many inspections, and knowing that the home was being sold as-is, we decided that it was the right time for this house, in the right location, in the best part of Arizona.  It was meant to be.
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was it going to be livable?

The perfect spot for a future gazebo

We weren't exactly sure how we would make this place livable - it was a mess inside and out, it was tiny (at 1,100 square feet), and with original windows from 1924 it was charming.... but drafty!

It was clear that there was a long list of work, time, and investment required.  Because we were still living and working in Phoenix (100 miles away) we knew progress would be slow and limited to weekend DIY projects.

Meanwhile, we would keep our eye on the long-term and pick away at it.  We would start outside - selfishly wanting to be able to be outdoors as much as possible in the high country.  And we'd clean up the inside with some paint and minimal tweaks to make it reasonably comfortable for now.  
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TOUGH BALANCING ACT

Really, the short-term meant about 8 or 9 years.  Our youngest, the twins, would be off to college then and we could begin to seriously downsize -- sell the Phoenix house, and shift our full-time home to this little cottage.  That was our dream.  

We had to live on a tight budget meanwhile and be willing to drive up and down he mountain every few days.  We did a ton of fun projects outdoors but did 90% of them on our own, along with all the upkeep and maintenance. 

I learned how to do "extreme power-gardening"!  It was impossible for me not to dig in the soil and build the landscape of my dreams - but with only 2 full days a week it became a high-efficiency operation, rather than a leisurely hobby.  

And that drive up and down the mountain - 2 hours each way, if you were lucky to avoid the horrendous weekend traffic - was trying at times.  

Narrow and steep back door steps

There's a house back there!

First things first: a trash bin.

​some doubt, some overwhelm

I'm not going to say that it was easy - but we had a very specific vision of a smaller and simpler life for our future.  And this was our chance to invest in that future. 

Sometimes it felt like we couldn't sustain the balancing act.  We had doubts, and frequent "overwhelm."  The kiddos didn't always share our vision (which is only to be expected as their lives got more complicated and independent).  

And you know what?  Those 9 years just flew by.  We stuck with the plan, worked through the overwhelm and managed to have tons of fun along the way.  Each year we fell more in love with the house, the property, the neighborhood, and this old city.  

Looking back, now that we're on the other side, it was all worth it! 

​And the beginning of our Whiskey Porch journey.... stay tuned!

Thank you so much for following along.

Cheers & we'll see you on the porch,
~Miriam

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To find out a more about what we accomplished in those 9 years, you can read the next chapter here.

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