Aleksandra and Steve had recently gotten married. In Aleks' words, their next step was "Find a house!" They were not interested in "traditional suburbia". They wanted a place with more character. Our first showing was at a "very intriguing" property, set on several acres in Eden Prairie. It was technically in the suburbs, but didn't feel like it. It sat high on a hill, surrounded by woods. The home was 1880s-built. It was one of the original homesteads in the area. This home turned out not to be the one, but it set Aleks and Steve on a course of house-hunting adventure.

Aleksandra is a writer. She came up with fabulous names for houses we visited. In fact, "Unique Name-Worthy Homes" was our e-mail heading. It became a standard for whether a home was worth a tour or not. 😄

Along the way we visited homes with names like: "The House of Many Bathrooms" and "The German Room House". We saw "Hood in the Wood", "Quirk Fest", and "Tree House." "Suspiciously Well-Priced Home" and "Wonderfully Wooded Retreat" made the cut too.

 It was hard to find a place with the right feel for both property and house. Aleks and Steve found that homes with the best land often had the most "deferred maintenance". Character comes in many forms.

They researched home improvement costs. They decided to find one of two things. Either a move-in ready home would work or they could find a house to renovate. If they were going to remodel, they wanted a well-priced home. They had flexibility with location and price point and were open to a variety of solutions. This creativity opened the door for them.

In the end, they discovered "The Woodland House with the Fabulous Yurt Site." They can have guests "glamping" in their woods, sipping wine by the campfire. This home too was in the suburbs, but didn't feel like it. It has a lovely wooded backyard and all kinds of privacy. Deer are regular visitors. Aleks & Steve were able to see beyond the parts of the house in need of updating. They negotiated a good price on the house and reserved funds for renovations.

After moving in, they completely remodeled the kitchen and master bedroom. Then they renovated the rest of the home. They did most of the work themselves. It looks beautiful! They They found the right house in the right location. Then they created the home they'd been dreaming about. I think this home probably needs a new name now. Woodland Home with the Killer Kitchen and Brilliant Bedroom? I'll ask Aleks what she thinks..... 😅