My house - sneak preview

I am in the process of buying a house. All hurdles have now been cleared, so it's just a matter of waiting (less than two weeks!) for the closing date. It is essentially my dream house. I feel so lucky to have found it. I can't wait for the parrots, Andreas, and I to move in!

I'll post tons of pictures in the upcoming months, as I adjust to being a single homeowner.  I am going to pick up a lot of home improvement skills!  One of my new good friends and coworkers is married to a handyman.  How lucky am I?  I get along really well with him, and the three of us go out to dinner and are forming a real friendship.  He has promised to help me out and show me how to do things myself.

It's an old Victorian, with tons of character and charm.  I didn't take a lot of really good pictures, as I was mostly concerned with the pretty parts!  Luckily, my handyman was there to handle the mundane mechanicals to make sure I wasn't making a huge mistake.

The neighborhood is exactly where I want to live.  It's only a few blocks from where I am now, and I'll still be able to bike to work and walk to most places.  My best friend lives only a few blocks away, and it's by the best scenic running area I've been able to find.  Just amazing how things work out!

It has quite a bit of stained glass; here is what's in the entry way, by my fireplace:

My staircase to the second floor, complete with little room under the stairs.  It's currently coat closet, and I'd hoped to turn it into a bathroom, but it's too small.  All of the people I've shown this to who are Harry Potter fans are particularly delighted with this detail!  It's hard to tell from this picture, but there is more stained glass on the landing:

My butler's pantry.  This place is just so charming; I love it!

In my apartment, the parrots have been living in their own bedroom.  This is not ideal, as they don't get as much attention as they did when they were in the main living area.  However, given the layout of my place, and the fact that I wanted to try to have them in an area where they'd be least likely to generate a noise complaint on my behalf, that's where they went.

But only for two more weeks, as they'll be back in the living room at my new place.  The windows in the living room face east and south.  I can't wait for them to be able to rise with the sun and me not have to worry about their noises irritating the neighbors.

Many more pictures and updates to follow!