For years there was a creepy house a couple streets down from us that looked completely abandoned. It was the oddest house – it had a big, flat lot on the top of a hill, it was in complete disrepair and no one had seen anyone come or go in decades. My husband and I would walk by it and dream of being able to renovate a house like that. One day we even walked up the long, steep driveway to peer through the doors and windows and verified – yep, completely abandoned. We joked that the house looked like something a drug cartel from a movie would own. It was mission style with big arches and beautiful details, overgrown bougainvillea and lantana, giant agave and palm trees.
We had been looking to buy a new home for about a year. During my pregnancy and maternity leave we realized that our current home just wouldn’t work for a kid. It’s beautiful, but the backyard is just a pool and then a cliff… no safe place for a kid to run around. We started looking in earnest for a new home at exactly the wrong time – Summer 2022. Every house was going for $100k over asking and had 523 offers before the first open house.
I was touring a couple homes when my phone dinged that a new listing had just been posted.
It was THE house… the creepy drug-lord house that we had wondered about so many times. It was over-priced of course and I knew it was a huge project. I immediately ruled it out. Too expensive, too much work. I had a 6-month-old baby for God’s sake!
But we went to look… you can guess what happens from here.
The universe aligned for us to have this home. The listing estate agent was on our side from the moment she met us. The family came to see our point of view about the value and from the minute we walked in the house we knew we had to do it. If we watched someone else renovate it, or worse, tear it down, we would never forgive ourselves.
We closed on the home in February 2023. My hope/dream was to be in the house for Christmas. I am writing this on December 22nd, 2023 and we will definitely be spending Christmas at our old house. Our dream home is still waiting for doors, windows, drywall, stucco, a kitchen, two bathrooms and appliances. Just a couple last minute touches you know?
We will move in sometime in 2024 and I couldn’t be more excited.
Back to the original question! What is “Grassland Mission”. It’s pretty simple. Our new home is on Grassland Drive, and it resembles an old mission-style home. It’s also our mission to get this home renovated… get it?
Grassland Mission represents more than just the home to me though. It’s my personal mission to create a life that is beautiful, peaceful and joyful. It’s my mission to build a home where our children can run around outside and have space to be wild. It’s our mission to create a forever home that embodies our goals and personal values. So it seemed a perfect title for my new blog-venture. This writing is an extension of my Grassland Mission. I hope you enjoy!
