In 2019, my husband Rich and I sold our condo on Walnut Street, thinking we might not want that “style” of living long term. We didn’t know exactly what we wanted, so we decided to rent a loft while we looked.
We soon learned we did not want to rent forever but weren’t sure which direction we wanted to go. Then Covid hit, so that slowed everything down.
We have owned property in several ZIP codes in Springfield. I knew I didn’t want a three-bedroom brick ranch with a subdivision feel. I wanted a neighborhood. I wanted a cottage feel. I wanted to know my neighbors and I wanted projects.
The problem was how quickly things were selling and whether what we might find needed way more work than we might have the energy, time and money to do!
On the last Sunday of January 2021, we drove over to take a look at a house listed on Chase that we knew had been renovated. Not our style or price but drove around the block and came down Douglas. I mentioned the “cute cottage with the arbor and picket fence.” We had almost bought a house 20 years ago on this very block!
On Tuesday morning of that week, Rich called from work and said guess what’s listed on North Douglas?
I threw on a coat and drove over! Real estate agent Adrianna Bertoldie lived next door at that time and when I called the number on the sign, she showed me the house right away. Adrianna and her husband had restored 1896 N. Douglas and Adrianna is involved in the Restore SGF initiative.
We came back after Rich got home from work and made an offer. Two offers were submitted, the other actually higher, but they accepted ours!
We have a list of projects a mile long, but we love it and are settling in. We plan on staying here for the foreseeable future.
We love being part of the Woodland Heights Neighborhood Association and in a small way doing our part to restore this great neighborhood!