Oh Dlm, I feel your pain! What a lovely home you have. Dh and I are in the very preliminary stages of thinking of doing what you've done and your post made me tear up a bit.

I think it's exciting though! I hope you'll share your journey with us, I think a lot of us are heading that way and I know I'll need a lot of handholding.

Beth

Dlm2000, we did it 2 years ago after 26 years in the same house and it WAS because someone knocked on our door! I didn't get teary about it at all, because I'm so happy to be living in the city, in an apartment, close to work. You'll see, you're going to love whatever new lifestyle and location you choose!

Your home is lovely. It's easy to see why you will miss it. We will be in the same boat in a few years. Still trying to figure out where we want to go and yes, plenty of sorting and pitching to do in the meantime after 30 years. Thinking about moving on is sad, scary, and exciting at the same time.

What a beautiful house. Best of luck on your new adventures!

I agree, such a beautiful house, and yes, great photographer. How exciting to be able to pick up and move where you want though. That is my long-term goal too. I can't wait to see what you do with your next house and hear about your new adventure.

A classic, perfect home. No surprise it was much in demand. We cant' wait to see what's next!

Beautiful ! So light and airy...a truly lovely home. It was so nice seeing it all together in the slide show..she did an amazing job ! As to the change you are so lucky to have choices. We have thought about it...and very seriously this past August..but I guess we just aren't ready yet. No place draws us ..at least not yet ! Have a grand time with looking and choosing and definitely keep us up to date . c

So serene and beautiful! Thank you for sharing your house with us.

It is hard to let go of a home. I say home bc it is not just a house. You have memories and like you said, your blood, sweat and tears has been put into every inch in making it your home.

I hope that you can look forward to what comes next; all of the adventures and what can be.

I hope you take us with you through your next chapter~

Dlm2000, your home is beautiful, and looks like it would make you feel good just being in it. There are so many wonderful features, from those charming half round curtains in your bathroom to the fabulous kitchen, to the room with the bed tucked into an alcove! The floor plan is so liveable, and the outdoor setting looks mature and calm and lovely----what a wonderful place to have called home for so many years! The buyers are very lucky to be the recipients of all the thoughtful consideration you've spent on this house.

Many good wishes and blessings for you and your husband on this exodus.

Lovely pictures, how nice to have them done professionally! Your home looks like a happy one, can't hope for much more, you know?

Hope you make it to Western NC; my father is in Hendersonville and I occasionally make it down to see him. Even though I've been in MA for 17 years, NC is still home :)

Your home is absolutely wonderful. Each room is special in its own way and shows all the effort you put into it. Be glad and proud...all your efforts have paid off wonderfully. Be sure you get a copy of those pics from the agent. (I didn't with our old house and am sorry.)

We moved after living in our old home for 32 years. So I know what it's like. We too put lots of blood, sweat and tears into every room. But the transition was made easier in that we were moving into our new house with all the anticipation that included.

So be sad that you are leaving, but let it go. Be glad that you enjoyed the place for as long as you have, and look forward to the new adventure that awaits as you find a new place to make your own. And just think of all the learning and experience you had on this house, and how you'll be able to apply it to make the next one even better still!

I used to kid DH that our new house was my very expensive craft project. Shortly after we moved in, I started saying it was time to build a new house, so I can start designing and decorating again...my last craft project was getting done!

The only constant in life is change....

we had been in our house about half the time you have been in yours (which was a very long time for us!) - moved middle of august for job relocation and we are still unpacking and sorting and organizing like crazy- I had forgotten how much work it is!! it was a tough move-- my kids did a lot of their growing up there!
the next move we make will most likely be post retirement- we will look forward to choosing the community we move to then! my parents moved to Brevard later in their retirement yrs and really enjoyed their time there!

Such a lovely home, no wonder it sold so quickly! HP? I love the sunroom on the side! Your kitchen/family room is charming, and your light fixtures are wonderful. Will you leave the kitchen chairs with the house? Because they're the perfect match.

NC seems to be the place to be! Breviary, Asheville, so lovely. Best of luck! And of course you'll be here to share your next remodeling adventure :)

Yes, no wonder it sold in a heartbeat. It is a beautiful home. I can imagine how difficult it is to be leaving. I envy you the chance for a new life adventure! Don't look back.

Annie my mother used to say you never finish a house, that you are hanging the last picture as the moving van pulls up in front!

It seems many of us are in similar life phases, either recently moving on from the long term nest or approaching that milestone. My emotions vacillate between excitement and terror - this is an adventure and potentially the beginning of a wonderful 2nd chapter but I'll miss my friends, family, familiarity with my surroundings and fear feeling isolated and lonely. I've already made contact with various organizations on our trips there - a newcomers hiking club, an animal shelter where I'd like to volunteer, a synagogue (even though I never attend here it might be a way to meet people) - I know I'll have to be proactive to create a life. It won't happen organically the way it does for young mommies! We live in a 'walk-to' location, the beach, schools, train to the city, restaurants......and as wonderful as that is (and it sure makes sense for our age!) it's not DH's dream. He wants land, privacy, space, views and that's all wonderful but to me that means no neighbors, no neighborhood, no walking down the street and seeing people I know.....sigh. It's all an experiment and I've heard from plenty of people that we're nuts for going there and will be bored to tears, fish out of water and yankees in a world of southerners! As DH says, if it doesn't work out, we can always come back or try some other place. Sorry for spilling my entire crazy mind with you! Thank you for the sweet comments on our home - the young couple buying are completely smitten with it (and have the most adorable 3 yr old daughter) so it will continue to be loved and shelter a family making memories. That's the way it should be.

oldbat2be we are looking to rent a house in Hendersonville (no luck yet) and use that location as a base for exploring and figuring out where we are most comfortable. We won't settle in Asheville proper but I would like to be able to get there easily. Or possibly Greenville, SC which we haven't explored yet.

Change is always difficult--good and bad. Were my kids and grandkids not in the area, I would be living in NC right along with ya! It is such a wonderful place.

Thank you for sharing all the pics of your lovely home. I've seen some of the rooms in the past, but it was nice seeing them all. I remember when you were so generous to share with me your painting technique for your red armoire.

Good luck Deb, and looking forward to posts about your new place once you find it.

busybee - Brevard is definitely on our list - haven't spent a lot of time there but we like it. You JUST moved - it takes time to settle in, doesn't it?

bpathome - yes, HP - you? The sunroom is really hard to leave! Hadn't thought about leaving the chairs but we certainly could - they were on the to be sold list.

deeinohio - if our boys lived here I'd never leave but they'll never live here again. Our oldest, however, loved visiting Asheville with us and is considering moving once we get settled. His dream is to build a tiny home with his father and place it somewhere on the land DH dreams about. In that case, I'd be a happy mamma!

This post was edited by dlm2000 on Fri, Oct 3, 14 at 9:06

Gorgeous, gorgeous home. This must be a bittersweet change.Wishing you many happy years in SC.

In a similar situation - although no one came knocking at our door and we are a bit behind. We have been in our house 23 years. After a few months of decluttering and updating we listed our home at the end of August, accepted an offer second buyer that came to see the place - 5 days after listing. Unfortunately 1 month in, the day after we made an offer on another home, the deal fell through. The house is back listed for a week now. Unfortunately, the market has slowed dramatically and no buyers have visited yet.So we are back in limbo again.

Thanks for sharing pictures of your beautiful light-filled home. It's easy to see why you are reluctant to leave it.

We lived in our first home 20 yrs. It was modest but charming and held all the memories of our kids' growing-up years. When it became clear my parents' health issues would require my monitoring & help and our youngest was off to college, we bit the bullet & returned to our hometown. I'll never forget DD's initial reaction when we told her. "Mom, isn't that where people move away from and not back to?!" The irony is that now she and her young family have chosen to live here, as well. DS, on the other hand, our "homebody" who took our selling his childhood home the hardest, now lives in Europe. You never know!

The best thing about your circumstance is that you have choices. As someone above mentioned, if you don't like it in NC you are not bound to live there. I have relatives in Columbus who moved there from up north 20 yrs. ago and they describe it as heaven.

Good luck on your new life journey. Keep us posted!

Oh my DLM, your home is just lovely and I was getting teary eyed just looking at all the love and care you put into it.

DH and I are at the age that we should be looking for a practical, one level home but he refuses to move. I am still easily able to go up and down stairs but the day when I can't is rapidly approaching. He has two huge garages and three outbuildings that holds his antique cars and his work shop and he doesn't want to move it all or start a new build project. At some point we will need to put an elevator in our home if we are to stay there but he is immovable on that front as well. I am so envious of my GW friends that are able to move.

You will adore Western North Carolina. My DM lived in a lovely Southern Colonial just a mile or so from the Biltmore House. She was in the middle of a lovely neighborhood but they had three acres so it was a very prime location. I held onto it for a bit over a year as I wanted to keep the home but it was a ten hour trip from home so very impractical as a weekend retreat. I actually sold the home to a gentleman that knew the area and he wanted the home badly. He and another family both wanted it but he came up with an all cash deal so it worked splendidly.

If there is a place on earth that I would love to live it is in Asheville or Hendersonville. The people in the South are so very friendly but DH and I always commented on how extremely slow paced everyone was. I swear nobody there is in a hurry to go anywhere.

Good luck and all my best wishes for an exciting new life there!

Your home is lovely. I know you will miss it, but what wonderful pictures you will have to view when you feel a bit nostalgic. I wish that I had taken pictures of every place we've lived, no matter how humble.

You obviously have a good plan for meeting new people and becoming involved in your new community. Best wishes to you for an easy closing and a trouble-free move.

I'm looking forward to downsizing and moving to a more walkable location. That's a few years away, though.

Oh dlm...wish I could give you a hug. It's not just leaving your gorgeous, happy home & yard and all the effort you put into it to make it so. All your family memories are there. That's so hard to leave behind.

Yes, those photographs are beautiful. The photographer did a great job fiddling with the lighting, exposure, & brightness to give them good color & visual impact: a nice tribute to your old home and your excellent decorating skills.

Please know we're here to support you getting through this. I'm sure you'll land on your feet just fine and will make a lovely new home in a place that will make you happy -- a new place to fill with more happiness for phase 2 (or 3?) of your life.

well, there's no mystery why you sold your home so fast -- it's lovely. I especially think the kitchen looks not only very pretty, but functional!

Just think of the fun you'll have with your new place, though!

(I laughed at the "big hairy men" line, too!)

Dlm,
You created a lovely property, no surprise of the fast sale.

We did what you are contemplating, and from the northern burbs of Chi-town.
You have a good plan in place to make connections. MeetUp groups are also an option.

Land, privacy, space, views - CHECK

What worked for us:
Chose middle location between 2 cities. Have greater choice of restaurants, entertainment and shopping. Note: impossible to replicate Chicago dining and retail, except NC furniture!

Purchased raw land within a very rural, yet gated, hobby farm subdivision.
(We did what's on trend, went from corporate jobs to hobby farm)
All tracts are minimum 10 acres, covenants allow animals. Some owners are lake front. Covenant restrictions are 'lite', only common property provided besides roads is the gate.
We have 28 acres, 1/3 pasture, 2/3 wooded/woodlands & ravines. The majority of owners have horses, cattle, mini donks, heritage chickens. All owners are professionals, many entrepreneurs.

Because of small ownership and the POA, we know ALL our neighbors. A friendly group, we connect frequently among families and hold annual parties.

Plan for:
Raw land requires obvious infrastructure. Once developed it needs maintenance. RTVs and a farm tractor are necessities for us. Outbuildings need to be built, electricity run and possibility water.

Despite years of planning and owning the land, the move for us was physically exhausting and stressful. Your plan to move and rent initially may be for the best.

Enjoy the journey! We love it here. Great to get away from winter weather AND the constant feeling that someone had their hand in my wallet, hahaha.
~bgj

dlm, I'm interested in one of your move moves -- where did you find a "newcomers hiking club"? We love to hike (6 days in Peru this year, for example), so that would be a good intro to a new area for us when we move too.

dlm, I've long been an admirer of your home. You are a "familiar face" here on this forum and your posts were ones I enjoyed. Please come back and show us your new place and stay with us as you transition! Sending good thoughts your way....

dlm2000 - I remember your many post on updating your home. It is truly beautiful and I now you will miss it. My brother and SIL are getting ready to put their long standing home on the market. They will, however, stay in the same town in SC. They have had people knocking on their door.

Hendersonville, Bat Cave, Weaverville, Arden and Laurel Park are wonderful communities in the Asheville, NC area. We have friends in all 3.

I live about an hour from Hendersonville, just over the mountain in the hills of TN. You might consider the Tri-Cities area of TN instead of W. NC. We live in the oldest town of TN...Jonesborough, but Johnson City proper.

Greenville, SC is another wonderful town. I grew up in that area. :)

I got teary eyed reading your post. I've always admired your home and thought it had such a crisp/clean, cozy look. And I love all the big trees. Good luck on your new journey!

(Side note - could you tell me about your pendant light in the kitchen?)

No surprise that sold quickly. It's beautiful and immaculately clean.

Love the window treatments here.

Just beautiful, can't believe what great shape your home is in after 24 years. I wish you good luck for the future, I am sure you will enjoy the new adventure.

I would love to say that I was a part of the happy young couple making the purchase but, like you, we made a move and now are ready to make another. Joints, muscles, connective tissues, vital organs, dependable though they may have been for many years, are now giving way and the 2300-square feet that seemed so small a few years ago, is now far too much with more than an acre of land and now a 1000-sq ft apartment is looking better and better. You made that a lovely home. Lucky buyers. It is perfect but I understand.

I'm so surprised and interested that many seem to have a connection of one kind or another with NC! We had never been there till 3 years ago and it wasn't even on my radar until I started researching places to move. After 2 visits we were hooked. I'll be perfectly honest that with all the changes I know are coming, it is comforting that this won't change. I can visit here at GW anytime and yak on the conversation side with all my internet peeps! Y'all - catch that? I'm working on my southern talk ;-) - are so sweet with comments and understanding my not so young house love. Hey, wait a minute. I feel a blog coming on! NOT!

awm I will take that hug - today has been a tough day, lunch with my best friend - she's my rock and we are in denial. But her DH is in the furniture business, goes to High Point 2x/year so she thinks they should move, too :-)

Oh antiqueannie what a pain to lose that buyer after a month. Our market has slowed a lot since July, too and we couldn't risk being publicly on the market and possibly not selling - DH's customers would be very hesitant to start projects with him if they thought he was leaving - so we did an exempt listing, no sign, no MLS and got lucky. I hope you get a buyer soon.

billygoatjoe you have described my husband's dream. He's an entrepreneur, always had his own businesses and part of this plan is to take what has been a small but consistent sideline business and grow it to support us. You're from here? And went to NC? need to talk to you!!!

sjhockeyfan as bgj mentioned, check out Meetup.com for any location that interests you. Doesn't have to be about a move, you can find meet up activities that fit in with vacation plans, too. On one of our first visits I found out about a place called Brother Wolf Shelter and one of the things they do is have volunteers take the dogs on hikes to socialize them and help newcomers to the area meet people and learn about some great hiking. There's also Carolina Mountain Club and other organizations that I've been in touch with but you'll just have to research whatever area you're thinking of moving to. Start searching and follow every link but save anything that looks promising because you'll never find it again.

nhb we have considered looking into TN - thought about the Knoxville area. I did a little research long ago into Johnson City - may have to revisit and plan a visit to check it out. That whole corridor, from where you are down to Greenville is our target - somewhere in there is where we hope to land.

shee do you mean the double light over the island? I can look in my file and see if we still have any info on it. It's not really anything special, was bright brass and I painted it a few years back.

caminnc we spiffed everything up for listing, of course but the house is solid as a rock - built in the 30's then we added on and almost doubled the size in 91. DH is a mechanical engineer and his business is home remodeling and repair - that should explain a lot!

patricia that's part of our plan, single story. I will miss my stairs (built in exercise) and having bedrooms up (I think it's quieter than first floor bedrooms) but the windows will sure be easier to clean!

Dlm, my sister lives in Asheville after living in Florida for 30 years. They vacationed there and her DH said, "We could live here!" And that was that.
Both she and her DH still work, and found jobs immediately in their health professions.
I understand your DH's dream of land and privacy but hopefully you will come to a compromise. I think you can have privacy in NC yet not be isolated. As we age, we really do need to be near medical care. Thinking this move through, you want this house to last until your 90's, unless your DH has a two part plan that you are unaware of.
Good luck and keep us posted!

What a lovely, beautiful HOME. It must be so hard to leave but I can only imagine what you will create in your next place. Western NC is one of the most beautiful places on earth and I would love to live there. You have made a fine choice.

I learned a lot looking at your photos; you seem to have a knack for restraint when it is called for, and I'm working on that. I think that's why your home looks so open, airy, and yet comfortable and welcoming.

Best of luck in your future home!

Was HP! Now LF. We were between the theatre and the historical museum, but it's been over 15 years. Before that I had an apartment between the HS and the hospital. Loved HP, still do, in fact I was at the library just today. It's my favorite.

My folks live on a small lake. A couple of months ago a fella building in the neighborhood knocked on the door, said he didn't realize how much he'd miss his old house on a small lake, and was dad interested in selling an easement for lake access. That land wasn't dad's to sell, but dad joked "I don't suppose you'd be interested in our house?". The guy perked up and said if dad was serious, he'd sell the house he was building and take him up on the offer! M&D are straddling 90 yrs, and I don't know why dad didn't say "hang on while I pack"! He did get the guy's phone number, though...

Wow, thanks for sharing. It's nice that you will have those wonderful photos to document what you did. I expect to find myself in the same boat in a year and a half, although it'll be a miracle if our house looks that finished even then! (We've "only" been in it since 1986!) I could stay indefinitely, but we only came to the city on a 5 year plan, and my husband is ready for the space, privacy, big shop building, etc. We did build it first, along with the house, so I'm hoping that will make the transition a little easier (more "to" and not all "from," if you know what I mean. But there are going to be a lot of tears, I know that. When you have touched every square inch and finally made a place what you want it to be and what it deserves to be... that's a hard goodbye!

Yes, that's the light. I would've never guessed that was brass.

Dlm,
Apologies, we landed in Northwest Arkansas. Ironically, we lived in Eastern NC for 5 years early career. Coincidently, our initial 'rehirement' interest was south of Knoxville, TN. One relo criteria for us was to be near a large university town. We also met that criteria here.

We made about nine trips to the area south of Knoxville - from Oak Ridge, the fish glow in the dark ;), to Maryville and well outside Pigeon Forge, shudder... We desired acreage and a view. What we found with a view in this part of the country was land that was straight up and straight down. You needed a ski lift to get to the peak of these properties. And, the infrastructure costs to put in long, uphill driveways, and dig deep, deep wells was significant. We finally decided to look elsewhere.

What an exciting time for you and your DH. It's a great opportunity to reconnect with a spouse and create new memories. How many people get to experience their dream?
Best,
~bgj

Yes, give Johnson City another try and look in our area of Jonesborough. Lot's of places with land, and not all of it is straight up and down.

Here is a photo of our back yard. We live in the city limits, but the back yard view is county. Our back yard is flat, but the house does sit on a slight hill off of the road, and across the neighborhood street from the 7th hole of our golf course community.

Wow, NHB - that is one gorgeous view. We've seen our share of houses perched on mountain sides and that's not for us. I love the more rolling land with the distance views of the mountains. It's not all about the land, of course, it's also lifestyle, and we love the slightly off kilter, hippy aspect aspects of Asheville along with the great dining, outdoor activities, entertainment options, the variety of festivals in the area etc. Last year we went down there with friends for LoxFest which was a hoot!

bgj your trips to Knoxville sound like ours to Asheville, looking for the area that fits and is far enough away for peace but still allows us to get there and enjoy the aspects we love. I do want to go to Oak Ridge, though, just to see it! I would prefer to find an existing home and remodel it like we did this one but we haven't seen anything worth putting the time and $$ into. Biggest issue for DH is he won't accept a block basement, it has to be poured so I imagine we'll build. that's another thing to freak out about. We want a smallish house on acreage and if the land is there the house is 3500 sq ft and up - way more than I want to deal with.

ellendi I hear you on the need for medical care. Privacy vs isolation is the tricky part but DH and I are partners and neither one of us is going to play the martyr for the other. We'll find a balance or we'll move on. Bottom line is, when I'm happy, he's happy ;-)

bpathome we're really neighbors, you know? Several friends live on the main drag east of town. You probably knew/know one or two. And do not get me started on the library! That is honestly one of the hardest things for me to leave - we have the BEST library.

shee that fixture is from Sea Gull Lighting but it's old and certainly not current stock. I spray painted it with Rustoleum ORB paint years ago when the look of brass was totally passé.

Dlm, your home is a timeless classic. So quietly elegant. May your next abode bring you just as much enjoyment and happiness.

Dlm, your home is gorgeous, and it is certainly no wonder it sold so quickly. Wishing you well in your move and search for a new place to settle.

Every place suggested so far is wonderful. As a North Alabamian who has visited these cities many times, I can vouch for all, and then some. My mother's surviving family live in Greenville SC and the surrounding community of Greer. We visited last year and enjoyed it very much. Will be going again next fall for a wedding. A good friend has lived in Davidson, NC for several years, and another has a second home in Wolf Laurel, just south of Asheville. She and her friends hike a lot, especially this time of year.

Can't wait to hear of your next adventures. Hope all goes smoothly.

In your scouting trips, dlm, if you see a house you really like, try knocking on the door and ask if they'd sell! It could happen! And make sure the library is good. Yours has terrific programming, fabulous stock in every category and medium, and a view to rival NC...almost. (I lived there only about 4 years, great town.)

Beautiful home, dlm. Surely would be hard to leave a home you've put so much into. Last summer we visited relatives very near Asheville. Town was called Mills River, and the neighborhood was called High Vista. It was such a beautiful area. Just driving around to see all the beautiful homes was so much fun. It would definitely be a place I could settle in to easily. You have some wonderful adventures ahead of you. Enjoy!!

dlm2000 - This is looking out the front of our home. We have all the things that you express an interest in, including the "hippies." We are a college town.

Oh! My! That's where I'm moving to! Under the rainbow!