There seems to be an endless supply of entertainment options documenting the buying, renovating and selling of homes. Whether it’s professionals who do it for a living, or the do-it-yourself crowd hoping to climb the property ladder, watching the process from start to finish can be quite informative and even inspiring.
Among my favorites is a show that follows people in the United Kingdom who purchase and restore abandoned and run-down castles. One look and you can imagine what glorious structures they would have been centuries ago, but the ravages of time, decay and neglect have left them in ruins. Yet enterprising, and sometimes naïve, people come along with dreams of restoring the formerly magnificent and storied buildings.
The timeline and the budget are often underestimated and after spending small fortunes many projects remained uncompleted when the show does a follow-up. But watching the passion, toil and setbacks unfold, you can’t help but marvel at those who have vision and determination to see the project through amidst all that goes wrong and all the money that needs to be spent. Their love for these centuries-old buildings propels them as they persevere to return the structures to their former glory.
As wall finishes are removed, or foundations rebuilt, history is unearthed and past stories are told. To say ‘these walls can speak’ is no exaggeration since they demonstrate the history of building techniques, the identities of specific craftsmen, and even some of the events taking place in the region at the time by examining the materials used and process of construction.
Stories. Revelations. History. So much to discover by putting the work in and finding out what’s there. Of course, those doing the restoring hope there will be a return on their time and money one day, but they are also devoted to ensuring these treasures aren’t lost. Some episodes are downright heartwarming as you watch dozens of rooms, turrets, watchtowers and stone fireplaces come back to life through an extraordinary labor of love.
Whether it’s a centuries-old castle requiring a complete restoration or a mid-century modern in need of repairs, watching the process of a building receiving an overhaul makes me wonder about all that took place in the dining rooms, living rooms and kitchen over years…decades…and more.
Thousands of footsteps running up and down staircases or down cobblestone hallways. Hundreds of meals prepared over open fires or modern cooktops. Music floating to the rafters coming from teenagers’ bedrooms or formal parlors. Countless conversations around fireplaces, in sitting rooms, or on verandas and decks. Plans made. Problems talked through. Tears shed. Surprises revealed. Joyous moments celebrated. Life
This week our family will mark the day our youngest daughter joined our family. Prior to her adoption my husband and I filled out booklets of forms, underwent interviews, and had to have our home approved for the arrival of a child.
It was important that those facilitating her adoption knew this little one was going to a house that was safe and secure. We had to demonstrate we had proper space for her to sleep, to play and to grow up. I had no problem with the house inspection, but it made me think that so little about us had much to do with the kind of house we lived in. None of the events that define our family took place because of the color of the walls, the finishes in the kitchen or the size of the entryway. Neither of our girls, nor we as parents, would say our family is what it is because of the floor plan of the house or the deck off the back. The house is the structure. Home is what takes place inside that fill that house with the stories and memories of all that is shared.
When it’s time to sell a property, we are told to make it as neutral as possible to appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers. Family photos are taken down and personal mementos packed away so that those walking through can picture themselves building their own life in it. But while you can remove the evidence of the family who lived there before, you can never remove the home from the family. The history of the structure provides intrigue and richness, the current gives context and connection.
It’s true that appraisal in real estate comes from location, square footage, finishes and upgrades, but that’s not where its only value is found. Certainly, we want our money’s worth from anything we buy, sell, renovate or restore, but we should put as much time and effort into what is happening within its walls as we are to anything we are doing to those walls. That’s my outlook.
