It’s been 2 weeks since we left our Nebraska home and moved across the country to midcoast Maine! Chris drove our truck and trailer with Teddy in the backseat and I drove our car. It was a 3 day, 33 hour trip and many stops were needed to maintain our sanity. But we made it and we are already feeling so at home!
You’ve patiently waited so long to see our new house ever since we announced that we were moving months ago. Now that we officially own the home, I’d love to give you a tour. I snapped these photos the day we got the house, before we moved anything in, to capture it in it’s most authentic “before” state. Welcome to our new home – The Maine Cape!
Purchasing The Maine Cape
We purchased a 1977 cape cod home that’s nestled in the trees. The home has great bones and incredible potential, but what really sold us was the location. It’s on an incredibly private piece of land with mature trees and mountains surrounding the home. It’s only a mile from the ocean and walking distance from one of the most beautiful harbors in Maine. We’re 5 minutes from what I consider a Hallmark-esque village and 4 minutes from another picturesque village that’s a bit of a hidden gem. The location is a dream come true and the house is a cherry on top!
The home needs a little love, but it doesn’t need a complete gut job which is why were were drawn to it. The big things like siding, windows, foundation, electrical, and plumbing are all sound and need only a few improvements. With those big ticket items in good condition, we can put our budget towards the fun improvements. More on that below…
Purchasing the home is a bit of a unique story. This home was put on the market in late winter while we were renovating the bathroom in our Nebraska house. We weren’t ready to put an offer in, so we watched it sit on Zillow for a few weeks. It didn’t sell because it needed some work and they eventually pulled it off the market.
Then a couple months later, when we were ready to purchase, we noticed the house come back on the market and we instantly contacted our Maine realtor for more information. But just 2 hours later we noticed it was pulled off the market again. We found out that the homeowner was doing renovations on the house and the listing was accidentally published too early. Despite it being off market and under construction, we asked if we could do a virtual tour through our realtor, which the homeowners hesitantly agreed to. We fell in love and put an offer in same day! Again…the location is a dream and we knew that if they finished the renovations and listed it, it could sell quick. So we wanted to snag it before that happened. To our delight, they accepted our offer!
The Exterior
We love that the exterior has wood clad siding and dentil trim. Wood siding was a big priority for me to serve as a solid foundation for us making this home look as historic as possible. Of course, we already have some projects planned! For starters, the landscaping will be re-imagined in phases, starting with cleaning up the overgrowth and removing a few dead trees. We’re excited to re-paint the exterior, remove the shutters, take out the ramp to the front door, swap out the front door, replace the roof, and eventually finish out the garage to be a primary suite!
One of the more unique features in our back yard are the 2 massive granite boulders. While we initially saw them as a drawback for taking up space in the backyard, we now see them as incredibly special and we’re excited to seamlessly integrate them into our landscaping plans. We want to preserve as much natural beauty as possible and it would be a shame to cover, remove, or disguise them.
The Living Room & Dining Room
The bones of these rooms are great, featuring wood gridded windows, solid wood floors, and lots of natural light! The footprint of the main living areas will work for us for the time being, but we have plans to shift some rooms around to gain a dedicated dining room and a larger living room.
The Kitchen
The galley kitchen was updated prior to us purchasing the home and while it will serve us well for the time being, I dream of a bespoke kitchen with natural materials and cabinetry that resembles handcrafted furniture. Until then, I’m planning a phase 1 makeover!
The Bedrooms
We have three modest size bedrooms with plans to add a fourth! I very much look forward to playing around with the eaves in the upstairs bedrooms and leaning into their quirkiness.
The Bathrooms
One of the bathrooms was renovated prior to us purchasing the home and the other features what I believe to be the original 70’s flooring and fixtures. We have big plans for both bathrooms that will involve a complete rework of the layouts, finishes, and overall functionality. Until then, I may find myself doing some phase 1 makeovers.
It’s a dream for us to live in Maine and in such an idyllic location. It’s a dream to own a classic New England Cape Cod home. And it’s a dream to have a home that’s snug in a forest. I’m so glad we took this adventurous leap! We’re slowly cleaning, unpacking, and settling in and we’re anxious to start a few projects this fall. As always, I’ll share all the renovations we tackle here on Nadine Stay and on my Instagram @nadine_stay! Thanks for following along!
Leave a Reply
DO YOU WANT
The Inside Scoop
Where behind the scenes, exclusive advice, and candid conversations are sent straight to your inbox every week.
This is so exciting! I can’t wait to see what you do.
Looks and sounds like there is so much potential. The location sounds ideal! I’m excited to see you make it your own. ๐
The location is what sold us and the house is the cherry on top! ๐
Congratulations!! Your new is and will be amazing! What’s even more amazing is watching the two of you go after and live your dream. So inspiring.
Thank you! We’ve been dreaming of this move for years so it’s a complete dream come true to finally be here!
Beautiful bones in a tranquil setting. I know youโll love living in the state as much as I do!
Congratulations!!
Thanks Bev! We’re beyond thrilled to live here!
Congratulations on your new home! Itโs so cute. I look forward to following along as you make it your own. Iโm sure it will be amazing
Thank you so much Karen! ๐
I dream of moving and residing in ME. I lived there for an all too short period and so want to return and make it my home. I will be waiting and watching for all of your upcoming updates and will just have to live vicariously for now! What a treasure you have found. I would love to know which little villages you mentioned.
Congratulations on your new home! We have a similar home in New Hampshire. Our trim throughout the house is similar to your living room. Iโll be interested in seeing the changes you make.
Thank you so much! Can’t wait to dive in and get to work!
Congratulations! Totally living vicariously through you on all of this! I’ve only visited Maine once but it would be a dream to live there one day! Can’t wait to see what you do!
Thank you! Trust me, it feels like a dream to call Maine home!
How exciting, I can see the huge potential and the location sounds wonderful. Look forward to your updates.
It’s bursting with potential! Can’t wait to get started ๐
Iโm so happy for you. Your home is adorable. I canโt wait to see how you make it yours.
Thank you! We’re so eager to get to work on it!
Love your cape cod style home and looking forward to seeing what changes you make!
I had the pleasure of spending a week in Maine and thoroughly enjoyed the area. Would like to go again. Your Great Grandpa/Grandma Harms had a medicine cabinet with light fixture like the one in your original bathroom. ๐
Maine is such a beautiful state! Almost as beautiful as that medicine cabinet ๐