The Transformation Inside

When we moved into our house, it needed quite a bit of work before we would be able to call it a home. It did not have a functioning cook range and there was a huge hole in the backyard. The house had three stories, with a beautiful spiral staircase. The Guadalupe River runs through our backyard, however we would need to repel down a cliff to get there. We were newlyweds with a toddler and the stairs the house came with, (or didn’t come with) simply would not do.

The decision to buy a house is one of the biggest financial decisions most people will make in their lifetime. It is something that requires research and can take months, sometimes years to become a reality. Zillow had become the only thing I was looking at on my phone for almost three years… The idea was definitely there but the finances were lacking.

My husband is a talented welder and general handyman. Finding a house that was complete and ready to move into, is what we were looking for. The housing market had been unfavorable for buyers but this was something that we were determined to do. Luckily, we had some savings and this incredible house became availble. I grew up pretty poor so two story houses were a sign of affluence. This house is anything but affluent. It is still ours and the location is incredible!!

These pictures are the process of turning the spiral staircase into something functional for my family.

We are so blessed to have talented and helpful friends that were willing to spend time to help create stairs that my family would be able to use. There is still work to be done but the progress has been transformative and the finished product will be coming soon…

The Outdoor Transformation

The stairs in the back were an entirely different situation. The drop is about 100 feet from the top of our property to the level of the river. That is wonderful considering climate change is real but it is no good if you intend on taking advantage of the river front. My husband has a generous boss that donated the material and man power for the massive set of stairs that were required to get down to the river.