Making a House a Home: Living in Life’s Renovations (Part 1)

May 14, 2018
4 min read

Two months before we said “I do”, Addison and I were driving around some small, cornfield surrounded hamlets and villages in search of 'home'. It was somewhere half way through our long distance dating relationship, I knew in my heart that God was preparing me to move to ‘the land of my man’. It was daunting and thrilling at the same time.

If you know me, you'll know I like adventure - responsible adventure - the kind where you know your destination, but have room for exploring off the beaten path. So, moving to a new country and changing careers and making new friends were expected. Adventure was expected. Being stretched out of my comfort zone was expected. But, even within the expected, God wove in His 'unexpected' to draw me closer to His arms with trust and faith.

One such glorious 'drawing in' began 10 months ago for my husband and I, a journey we, for better or for worse, chose to embark on in our first year of marriage. Addison and I started our house hunt by looking for temporary rentals. That quickly changed, for as many young, twitter patted couples experience, we felt a tad bit invincible: “what’s one more big challenge? Let’s ‘flip’ (renovate to sell) a house.”

Now, I had grown up in and still return home to one house; the house my parents built before I was born. I knew next to nothing about renovations expect for HGTV and that paint swatches are great for crafts. Addison, a carpenter and really, just brilliant at building, works in residential construction and renovation. Phew! Good thing.

So, it was on a sweltering July day that an engaged couple with two wedding celebrations (one in Canada and one in America) to pull off and immigration process to start up stopped in front of a half acre property with two ramshackle buildings. The price had been dropped significantly at the very moment we had been cruising around the dirt roads of Illinois.

After one very long pause, we both said, “What is that?” “I think the roof is metal.” Addison noted. “Wait. I think the whole house is made of metal!” Addison pulled up our trusty Zillow app and read the information. The realtor sign out front was the name of a family friend. “Well, it can’t hurt to look” I replied. Little did I know.

Addison called up the reality office and within 30 minutes we both were standing on the threshold of a new adventure, a new unexpected, a new season. As it turned out the 'tin box' was a Lustron house: a prefabricated, enameled steel house developed in the post-World War II era in the United States in response to the shortage of homes for returning GIs.

This house was build in 1956; a build ahead of its time – signed, sealed, and delivered right to your property on the back of a truck. Pretty much the IKEA home – all you needed was a screwdriver and you could have a house made up of over 3, 300 parts, pieced together in an average of 350 hours (2 weeks).

The skeleton of the house was made of steel frames, welded into walls and roof trusses. The roof and walls were made of porcelain-finished steel panels, compressed with plastic seals to resist weather fluctuations. The daring venture of the Lustron company didn’t last long as bankruptcy set in in the 1950s. Less than 3,000 homes were developed and today an estimated 1, 500 homes survive.

Fast-forward to 2017 and a young, excited couple tapped on all the metal walls and laughed as magnets stuck to every part of the structure. This house was a shell of possibility, but the emphasis was on ‘shell’. The roof had holes, the pipes were rusting, and the walls were caked in years of neglect. Everything (which was really only a kitchen sink, tub, toilet and bathroom sink) were all original to the house – Lustron made everything the house had inside. The closets and vanities were all custom Lustron metal pieces – yes even the drawers and pocket doors.

The house sat on a beautiful property with ancient trees and open spaces – amazing for an in town’ property. It was quiet and safe. You could even see the cornfields from the windows. The potential of the property was what snagged both Addison and myself. We could flip it and make it into an income property down the road or sell it one day. It was a great size for a starter place.

We put in a bid and it was accepted. I was already back in Canada preparing for our wedding when Addison signed the paperwork. As some things go, it all happened very quickly. I chose to embrace the unexpected. I needed to trust. I needed to have faith. Or else I knew fear and worry would topple me over.

Throughout the beginning of this adventure. the word 'home' never really came to my mind. I knew the property was ours - our first! But, it was a house, a building, a shell waiting to be loved and cared for. From the possession date in September 2017 till today, we have been on a journey to make this house into a home - our home. The road has been full of major ups and downs, sacrifices and blessings, tears and laughs, but isn't this what adventures are made of.

Within the renovations swirling around Addison and myself was the stark reality of what we were learning about each other as a couple and how we were growing in our relationship. Learning patience, embracing challenges, throwing out our comfort zones, and practicing to love and actively forgive happened right along side fixing the water pipes, tearing out the floor, busting through walls, and fixing foundations.

The adventure is messy, but learning to trust God and each other through the renovations on the outside has made room for renovations on the inside. As this tin box is turning into an outer home for us, we are also creating a home within ourselves for each other. In this first year of marriage, the adventure of 'home' is pretty astounding.

Here are some pictures of the house when we bought it. If you haven't done so already, subscribe to catch the next post on ‘Making a House a Home’ next week! - AKS xo