Bmeandering

Bmeandering

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Barn Charm Entry 48


We recently viewed a friend's family home
in regards to us buying it.
She and her sisters are selling the home they grew up in,
since their mother died almost a year ago.
The two sisters who live in town are quite content with their homes
and the sister from out of town chooses not to move back.

Since we have been looking for a home for two years now,
we went with an open mind and especially an open heart.
I have always liked this home, as I would pass it to take my mother
to work at the small community hospital up the street
(so that I could drive the 69 mustang to school).

It is a charming home and I will show photos of it at the end of this post.
However, it was what was in a field behind it
that caught my eye and utterly delighted me.


From this angle, you cannot be certain what is behind all that greenery.

This shot reveals a roof.

In this one you get a faint sense of an outline.



I redid it in back and white for contrast.

Now! From the other angle,
a barn is revealed!
There is quite a bit of land behind it
all owned by the owner of the barn.
Alas, it does not belong with the house.
There is a driveway that separates the two spaces.


It is not being used for much at all.
I would have liked to get closer
but I was in sandals and the overgrowth and high grass was daunting.

It turns out to be owned by another friend of my husband's,
a contractor who has been working with him
on building an RV park for the Utica Shale workers
who are gradually invading our county.

He told my husband that when he bought the land about 15 years ago,
he shored up the barn and did structural repair.
But it is falling apart again,
and he has decided to let it go. 
Sigh.

This is a view from the barn
looking up at the house.


A side view shows the design of the home and gives a glimpse of the front porch.

Here is the front porch I fell in love with many years ago.

It is beautiful inside, but the bedrooms are quite small and awkwardly laid out.
The upstairs is a huge room that was the bedroom of the two older girls
with a bathroom that has a humongous shower (not a fancy one like today's)
that could fit five of our grandkids.
There is also a storage room upstairs.

They put a new roof on,
but it needs much more, which they concede.

We would have to add on though,
so we would have a bedroom that was downstairs
and at the back of the house.
For a small town, our streets are busy and noisy!

I would want to include an expanded kitchen in that addition.
I could take the upstairs for my studio,
but that would leave Mike the old-fashioned basement
for his workshop, office, and TV room.
To make the basement  habitable would take a great deal of work
and of course some money.

Of all the homes we have looked at,
this could be liveable with much less work,
but it would not be ideal.
We would be compromising and ending up with a small yard,
so I would not get my goats and chickens.

As for those whose minds are racing ahead to us buying the barn,
the answer is no.
The owner will not consider selling even a portion of his land
and in fact is interested in buying the home,
now that we have decided it is not for us.

You got much more than just a barn shot today!
But I don't just want to show a barn.
I also want to tell a story.

Hope you enjoyed today's story
and photos.

For more barns,
please click below:


16 comments:

  1. It's a great old barn and sad to see it falling apart.
    I like hearing the stories too. The porch on that house is beautiful. Too bad it won't work for you guys.

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  2. I like the looks of the house...the barn would be a plus in buying it. Even if it were not mine.

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  3. before long i wonder if it will be totally covered up by green weeds? great views. (:

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  4. The house looks really cute and to be so close to a barn. I know this might sound weird, but have you looked into a barn with some land? With your love for barns it would be cool to rehab a barn and make it a home. I have seen some real cool homes this way. Thanks for the story. :) xo

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  5. oh i love all those windows on the house...sorry it didn't fit what you need but i enjoyed the story and photos and the barn! hope the neighbor buys!

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  6. it's good not to buy when you have so many reservations...keep on travlin'!

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  7. What a wonderful front porch. You'll know when you find the house that is right for both of you.

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  8. A very sunny sun-roomy porch; it's the best part of the whole house.

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  9. I like that house and the barn its sad to see it go. ^_^

    Kim,USA

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  10. I love the front porch... other than the need to wash the windows, which I'm not good at. My first thought was small bedrooms as office, etc., and upstairs as your bedroom. And somehow making a spare room, etc. But all w/o cost, of course. Oh, well. The barn is interesting, to say the least.

    Glad you decided what to do quickly, though. It will keep your heart from exploding and then being crushed.

    Blessings.

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  11. I love the "secret" barn and the house is fabulous. Sorry that it won't work for you though as that porch would be a great place to read, knit, gossip...

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  12. Hi Beth, Loved the 'story' --but am sorry that the house is not for you... Do you think you two will ever find the perfect house for you???

    Great barn pictures... Sorry the man won't sell part of that property...

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  13. Love the vines growing on the old barn! Beautiful! Hope the perfect house is just down the road for you!

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  14. I love the vine-covered face of the barn! What a beautiful photo! Sad that the owner is letting it go, but sometimes that's all you can do. The house looks lovely, but if it doesn't fit your needs it's best to keep looking until you find one that's right for you.

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  15. What a shame that house doesn't meet your needs, but it's not for you if it doesn't work for you. An interesting story about the barn and it's also a pity that it's unlikely that it will be restored.

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  16. I love vines covering old barns. The photos of this one are beautiful!
    Sorry the house didn't work out for you, but the right one will come along.

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