I’m Jen – a gal who fell in love with homeownership after buying her first home outside of Boston, MA in 2011 after saving up for 10+ years (expensive real estate around here…). My husband and I bought a plain 100+year old house with “good bones” but of course, needed some TLC.
While I’ve lived in old houses for 25+ years, I didn’t discover my soft spot for them until fighting the urge to literally dive into my neighbor’s dumpster to save their old discarded interior doors. (They were GORGEOUS even with all those layers of paint! Why would you throw them away!?!?!?)
When I’m not navigating this sometimes overwhelming journey of homeownership (and drooling over old houses), I’m happily tackling the role of dedicated wife to Brad (a diehard Clemson University alum who builds a a darn good raised garden bed) and tired mom to 3 lively and adventurous little girls.
Why This Blog?
A few years into homeownership, my husband and I were on a roll with home improvements. Then we found out I was pregnant with twins (SURPRISE!).
We already had one child, but it was manageable to still do home improvement projects. But with twins (and me still working full-time), well, it was a whole new ballgame!
But I still wanted to be “working” on my house. We have an older house challenged by limited space and old-world quirks that don’t quite fit into a modern lifestyle for a family of five (six if you count the overgrown pooch).
So I put down the hammer and shifted my focus towards improving the day-to-day operations of my home.
To learn the “everyday” logistics and responsibilities of homeownership to create a “livable and lovable” old house (see “Philosophy” section below).
Smart, practical solutions that blended with an appreciation of my old house’s character.
And since I have a horrible memory (probably due to the twins waking up multiple times a night….), I decided to document all that I learned about old houses on a little blog.
And never in my wildest dreams did I think that people would actually find me online AND like what I had to say! I’m incredibly grateful for your interest and support that has motivated me to keep blogging 5+ years later! Thank you!
When my twins turned 2 years old, our nanny left us for a teaching job, so I decided to be a stay-at-home mom. It was NOT easy for me to transition to mom 24/7. I had spent the last 20 years working my butt off in the corporate world .
But it was best decision I ever made (ok, besides marrying my husband. That decision definitely worked out well 😊). Not only did leaving corporate American mean spending quality time with my kids and experiencing all the milestones, it has allowed more time to do what I love….. write about homeownership and old houses.
Why the “Everyday” in Everyday Old House?
I live in an American Foursquare style house – the epitome of simple, pragmatic residential architecture. You probably drive by these houses everyday and don’t even notice them.
But in its heyday (early 1900s) this plain but solidly built house was the perfect solution for an emerging middle-class to economically achieve the “American Dream” of becoming a homeowner.
It was an “everyday” house for “everyday” people. But to me, this “everyday” house has the potential to be “extraordinary”.
What You Can Expect from Everyday Old House?
Of all the blogs out there, you might be asking yourself, Why should I follow Jen? Good question!
I’ll share strategies I find to make my home both functional and fun without a lot of time, stress or money.
Sometimes that means practical and serious posts, like determining if you have asbestos in your home.
Other posts are just a bit of fun to learn more about your house, like wondering why you have a random toilet in your basement.
From time to time, I’ll throw in an easy DIY project that helped me improve the look and function of my home.
I don’t pretend to be an expert, and I’m certainly not a hardcore DIY’er. You won’t see a perfect Martha Stewart home, instead you’ll see REAL home life from an authentic everyday perspective.
Professional Experience
While this blog is written from a homeowner’s perspective, here’s my professional experience. (You can snooze through this part if your not a journalist checking my credentials….)
Ahhh… the resume….
- 20+ years in risk management with stints in consulting, finance AND academia (whew!)
- Homeowner for 10+ years
- Lived in old houses for 25+ years
My graduate thesis in Environmental Engineering/ Health evaluated and ranked 10 lethal home safety hazards. (Check out that photo with that rocking 90s hair and glasses!!!)
As an environmental consultant, I researched the history of 100+ properties, skills utilized to develop my Beginner’s Guide to Researching the History of Old Houses.
Oh, and I dealt with fun environmental hazards, like mold and asbestos at those same properties.
Lastly, working in insurance for another decade taught me the importance of maintenance, preparation and safety. And how preventative tools like home inventories are an essential part of protecting our homes, assets and families.
And it appears that major newspapers and online media outlets have noticed my experience and value….
In the Press
THE BOSTON GLOBE
• There’s No Place But Home. Social Distancing Has People Looking at Their Abodes in a Whole New Light
• In a Pandemic, There’s No Place BUT Home. Do You Still Like Your Place?
•Why Your Dream Kitchen May Have to Wait
US NEWS & WORLD REPORTS
• 10 Tips for Keeping Your Home Safe and Sound
APARTMENT THERAPY
• The Frustrating Reason Why Homeowners Are Staying Put in Their Starter Homes
REALTOR.COM
READER’S DIGEST
• How to Clean Brass and Restore Its Shine
WOMAN’S WORLD
• How To Cut Your Home Heating Bill In Half, According to Financial Experts
FABRICS & HOME
• Home Decor: How To Restore And Refinish Your Antique Furniture
My Philosophy
Active home improvements is just one aspect of a happy home that is “livable and loveable”. What do I mean by livable and lovable?
Livable = Functional
A house that is efficiently and comfortably clean, organized, and decluttered. NOT perfect, NOT polished. But a space that works for my family and fits my lifestyle.
Old houses are especially challenging to make livable for today’s families. BUT with some creativity and determination, they CAN be functional.
Lovable = Fun
A place that reflects a balance of my personality and my home’s history. It’s where I want to spend time and create memories with my family and friends.
And with an old house, lovable also means learning how to value and celebrate its history, charm and character (they truly don’t make ’em like they used to!).
For those of you who know me off-line, you’ll agree there’s room to me to grow as a homeowner.
My basement, attic and garage could use a good decluttering. I finally got around to decluttering our tiny linen closet. I don’t have the cleanest home, as you can tell by the soap scum in my tub.
I’m not the most organized person. I’m a work in progress.
Stay in Touch!
Thank you so much for stopping by! Browse this site for a bit and then connect with me with through social media (Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram), my Etsy Shop or over at Everyday Old House (no spaces) over at gmail with any thoughts and questions. Or even to just say Hi and tell me about yourself.
Feel free to subscribe below so that you will be the first to learn about updates.
I hope you join me in this adventure!
Cheers!
Jen