The Sunday Real Estate section of The Philadelphia Inquirer runs a column called “Haven.”  Every week they feature a story about a house, its inhabitants and why it’s special.

Well, no house could be more special than OUR house, because, of course, it’s OUR house.  So I sent an e-mail and told them just how special No Rhyme or Reason Farm is.  They must have agreed, because they sent out a reporter to interview us and our builder, John Smucker from Forest Ridge Builders.  And they sent out a photographer (unfortunately on a rainy day) to capture the story.  The article is scheduled to run next Sunday on June 12.

I love the way our house turned out, but I also loved the process.  It was an amazing year to watch the transformation from dilapidated, vandalized and overgrown to this well-built, functional and beautiful home.  Every week brought challenges.  Some weeks the house changed dramatically – like when the fireplace was uncovered.  Other weeks seemed to drag while the electrical and plumbing were being run before the walls could go up.  But every step of the way was bringing this house back to life.

The problem is, I liked the process so much, I want to rescue more old dilapidated houses – just to see how they turn out.  Every time I see a “fixer-upper,” I want to fix it.  Of course, we won’t!    We have our home – and it’s perfect!

But, for anyone who looks at those old houses the way I do – go for it!