When Pigs Fly

A couple that I know restored a home to its original condition. The Arts and Crafts bungalow was gutted inside and out. They tore out the wraparound porch that was added to replace it with a cozy porch that was originally suited to the home. The trim around the windows was freshly painted. They installed a stained glass panel in the dormer panel.

They needed to sell it, as one of them received a job offer in another state. They hated to part with it, but it was an important career move. They removed the weathervanes that were not exactly period appropriate, but had been given to them by grandparents when their family home was sold. They didn't want a potential home buyer to see it and list it as requested item with the purchase of the home.

They thought about removing the bird feeders, but I reminded them to leave them. Their little friends would be lost when they came back in the spring if someone suddenly took their usually food hang outs away.

For awhile there were no bites. They felt they had done everything they should have. They removed personal photos from the home so that the potential owner could visualize themselves in the space. What they had also stripped out of the home was the charm. At a suggestion of their Realtor, they purchased a new weather vane and some windchimes to add some personal touches back to the home.

In fact, the person that made an offer admitted that the pig weathervane helped them remember the home among the dozens that they had seen, and so did the sound of the chimes in the garden. The pig was something they bought at HGlifestyle.com. They thought the house would sell "when pigs fly." Apparently it did. For an investment of less than $150.00, it was definitely well worth the price. It sold the house and was far less than a big ad in the paper.