Stone Details with Furniture!

"ALWAYS choose the ground floor!" - Becka O.

We loved the clean, open aesthetic and it was easy for us to imagine living here with the dogs on the sofa and friends around the table.

When we first walked through this apartment I pretty much knew it was the one. I didn’t have to use my imagination in this space; I didn’t feel myself making mental compromises that I knew were unsustainable (narrow spiral staircase, coffin size showers, the need to hunch-walk down the hallway). It was the difference between “I could be happy here” and “This should be our home,” plus it had a lot going for it besides the beautiful stone work:

• This is a ground floor apartment, but feels private because of the steeply sloping site.

• There’s a small park (for the dogs!) just around the corner, and it’s close to the museums, train station, and promenade.

• The street is full of bars and restaurants. Carolyn had already befriended the owner of a film themed bar down the street, so she can nerd out with him.

• There’s a laundromat nearby.

• The pub where we had spent a rainy evening listening to a band was steps away. We both thought it would be a good place to become a regular.

• The apartment is laid out well for guests or for VRBO.

• The Owner let us know he was willing to sell most of the furniture, so we could get this place furnished and move-in ready!

The kitchen is functional and handsome. I can imagine laughing with friends around that island and Carolyn doing puzzles on the dining room table.

I wasn’t going to be able to brush my teeth anywhere else after seeing this.

One of three simple bedrooms, the Ikea closet in the background was on our list of furniture to be included in the purchase.

I was sold, but was Carolyn going to be on the same page? We’d exchanged a few I know! looks on the tour, mouths agog. When the agents were out of sight, we’d pulled each other aside whispering excitedly, “Did you see the arches!?!” Carolyn definitely liked this place, too, but it can be a long way from there to “let’s buy it!”

This isn’t the first time we’ve house hunted together. We bought our house in Austin right after we got engaged. We navigated some dicey loan officers and had a few awkward money conversations, but we communicate well about what we like and why. And we have an F.H.P. in place, a Frank Honesty Policy: Don’t agree to live in a place you don’t like, and don’t let your partner purchase unflattering pants. The funny thing is, if you are saying what you really think, it somehow lowers the stakes and it’s easier for the hunt to remain fun. For houses and for ‘fits.

The blue shuttered windows go to the bedrooms of our new apartment but the entry is at ground level, up the hill at the red arrow.

View from the second bedroom of street with cafes and restaurants. Could this look any more French?

We said goodbye to the seller and left the apartment along with our agent. Agnès wished us bonne nuit at the corner and I immediately turned to Carolyn to begin campaigning. Before I could open my mouth to speak, she exclaimed, “WE SHOULD MAKE AN OFFER!”

We both KNEW this was the place! Sure, there were a few details that were odd. For example, the primary bedroom has a floor-to-ceiling corner window that faces the hallway to the other two bedrooms—I mean, why not create an opportunity for your guests to catch a full-height glimpse of you naked? The wood floor in the living room has a thick hemp rope at the perimeter, where you’d usually find a baseboard. There is no hood over the kitchen island, and there is no central air conditioning (the thermal mass of the stone walls will even out temperature swings, right?) We’re puzzling through solutions to each of these issues, and we’ll post about them in the future.

You can see the funny rope baseboard in the lower left - this is the door to the primary bedroom.

We texted Agnès that evening and said we wanted to submit an offer in the morning. On her advice we ended up offering about 3% below asking, but with a list of furniture to be included in our offer price. Agnès assured us this was a good place to start. We aren’t hard bargainers and we don’t need someone else to lose to feel like we’ve won; there’s no reason everyone can’t leave a deal feeling good about it.

The seller declined our offer quickly, but he included a polite reply saying it seemed like a deal was within reach. He countered with a price that was about 2% below the original asking price and agreed to include the furniture. DEAL! We agreed right away. We went over the next night to look at the furniture more carefully and sign a contract for purchase. Roberto immediately began fretting about which bottle of champagne or wheel of cheese to bring as a gift.

The wood credenza in the background was a favorite of mine, and I was happy the Seller was willing to part with it.

In future posts, we’ll tell you about the process of signing the sales agreement and our first interactions with the government official who will be guiding us through the paperwork and taxes, the notaire. Until then, we are thrilled beyond words! We recognize the great luck and privilege that allow us to take on this adventure. And we’re grateful to all of you who are along for the read!

Jusqu’à la prochaine fois (until next time)

Carolyn & Roberto

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