A Screen Isn’t Always Just a Screen

It’s nothing THAT major. Most people have them and don’t even think twice. But now that we FINALLY have a screen door, it has changed my life (sad, I know).

Buying a foreclosure, although fiscally advantageous, comes with a slew of concerns. For one, walking into a disgusting pile of bricks and looking past the issues to see your dream house is difficult. You really must be a visionary. We brought many family members to give their opinions before we purchased it. Some were very encouraging of the potential. Others were not as optimistic.

There were times, even after the pile of bricks were ours, that I was doubtful it would ever feel like ours. With each improvement – a torn down wall here, a new wall and window there, paint, light fixtures, appliances, etc etc, it started to feel more like a possibility. Then came the personalization. It has been very exciting to decorate the bits and pieces, to beautify the joint.

There have definitely been upgrades we made that are strictly for the aesthetics and then there have been upgrades for the functionality of this house. This screen door has been an upgrade that seems like an obvious one but surprisingly took us WAY too long! To be able to vent out the house and not have the door constantly open with kids coming and going has become a luxury that reminds me this house is no longer a foreclosure.

With each piece of customization we do to make this house more our own, its looking less and less like the nasty pile of bricks we once walked into. It’s hard to believe this is even the same place. Of course, in my mind, it still has a long way to go. But with each change it feels like we are out with the old, and in with the new. It’s so refreshing.

We were so lucky to move into new construction with our last home. Each thing in our house was new and we were the first people to ever use it. Walking into this house, every piece of it had been used and abused by countless people. This screen may just be a screen. For me, I think it represents so much more. It’s another addition that is original to our family. I hope we spend countless years here, customizing everything to our family. One screen at a time 🙂