\u201cWe had just lost out on a house that we absolutely loved to a competing offer,\u201d Ellsworth says. \u201cAnd so we offered, I think, asking price, or right over asking price. We\u2019re like, \u2018They\u2019re not going to accept it, right?\u2019 And then they did, and we were like, \u2018Oh, crap, what do we do?\u2019 But it was a really beautiful house.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s where they brought their daughter home.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it has, you know, beautiful memories,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
And in 2023, they found their M Streets-adjacent house. The Kenwood Avenue Tudor needed significant structural work. The joints in the ceiling above the primary bedroom were cracked causing the ceiling to cave in. The flooring around the refrigerator had rotted due to a leak. Neither of them enjoyed all of the crown molding that needed to be done to be period-appropriate.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe renovation process has allowed us to buy homes that otherwise we wouldn\u2019t be able to afford,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re able to get into houses with potential and cool neighborhoods, and we enjoy it. There\u2019s a lot of satisfaction that comes from improving spaces and making them livable and beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was temporary buyer\u2019s regret, but they loved the finished product. It went well with their ornate art frames, refurbished vintage and contemporary furnishing they picked up secondhand.<\/p>\n
But then there was an open house.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe weren\u2019t even looking for a house. We were just wrapping up our M Streets house,\u201d Ellsworth says.<\/p>\n