A young couple’s repairs turn an unhappy place into a happy house

I once lived across the street from a rather sad, bedraggled-looking house. She was in dire need of a new paint job and some shutter work too. The shrubbery around her foundation was very overgrown and would look much better with a lot of trimming.

The elderly couple who lived there were too old to take care of their lawn, but they did hire a neighborhood boy who mowed their lawn each summer when he remembered.

The house seemed to be drooping on her foundation; in fact, she actually was. As the years went by, that poor house looked worse and worse until the city finally had to get involved. Folks came out and talked with the owners about the repairs that needed to be done. The old couple decided to try to sell the place rather than go through all the trouble and discomfort of making all the repairs needed. But who wants to buy an unhappy place? For a long time, no one did. Then one fine spring day, a young couple looked at that house and made an offer to buy. It wasn’t the offer the owners wanted, but it appeared to be the best (and only) offer they could get.

In a very short time, that sad, old house was having her foundation reinforced, her roof replaced, windows replaced, a lovely new front door added, and then new paint that made her look young and very pretty. Suddenly, that sad-looking, unhappy place was a happy house admired by everyone who looked at her.

For several weeks work continued on the interior of that house while the new young owners spent hours each day working on her surrounding lawn. They planted trees in her yard for shade, and blooming bushes made a skirt around her foundation. The last touch to that now happy house was a green lawn that was kept properly mowed.

What a difference all that attention made. Her new owners were so proud of their new house. There was a problem those young owners soon discovered. Their new house loved all the attention she got and wanted it to continue. She could always come up with something that would make her happier. She was now a happy house and had every intention of staying that way. Spoiling a house and making her beautiful and happy are never-ending, as her new owners found out.

Laura Moore can be emailed at lehmoore1@gmail.com.