Do you ever browse house listings online just for fun? I do it all the time, and I’d love to know I’m not the only one. It’s a slightly odd hobby, but not entirely unreasonable—Jeff and I are saving to buy another home, and I can’t help daydreaming about what we’d do. We’ve been saving seriously for the past two years for a sizeable down payment, and although we’re not quite there yet, that won’t stop me from browsing. Seriously, it won’t.
A while back I decided to share this house-hunting obsession with you. I’ve partnered with Owners.com—a national real estate brokerage that focuses on making buying and selling homes personalized, efficient, and straightforward—to show a few homes I’ve been dreaming about. There’s one mid-century fixer-upper I’ve had my eye on for more than a month. It’s still on the market. Could I convince Jeff we need it and get a deal?
You’ll have to tell me if it’s worth it—honestly. It’s not exactly inexpensive and would require a lot of work.
So here’s how I do it: every week I visit Owners.com to see what’s new and imagine the changes I’d make. Is that crazy? Maybe, but it helps me refine what we want and keeps the dream alive. I particularly like Owners.com because of its preference-based search. Instead of scrolling through dozens of irrelevant listings, I can mark features as “important” or “nice to have.” The best matches appear first, but all relevant properties are still listed, so you won’t miss something that’s almost perfect just because it doesn’t tick every box.
The top contender in my current dream-house lineup is a mid-century fixer-upper. Before you gasp at the price, know that it’s well outside our budget and needs a lot of renovations. Still, I can’t stop thinking about it. I run the numbers, consider lowball offers, and imagine how it could be transformed. It checks nearly all my boxes for the type of home we want.
What I’m Looking for in a Future House
1. Excellent natural light
Of course this is number one. I spend a lot of time at home and want to feel connected to the outdoors even when I’m inside. Big windows, skylights, and bright rooms are essential.
2. A house that needs some TLC
Part of the appeal of buying a house for me is the project: the chance to make it our own. Our first house, which we bought over ten years ago, was a tight-budget renovation—creative and inexpensive. Now, having saved more, I want a place where we can invest in meaningful updates and enjoy the design process. A house that needs work ranks high on my list because we can always add larger windows or sun tunnels later if needed.
3. A home with character
Character is hard to define; it’s one of those things you just know when you see it. Little architectural details, built-ins, or unusual layouts that spark ideas make a house interesting. When I spotted built-ins under the stairs in our current home, I immediately knew what I could do with the space—and it’s become one of my favorite features.
4. A garage
This one’s Jeff’s must-have. He’s firm on having a garage—perhaps a guy thing—but it’s on the non-negotiable list.
5. At least 2,000 square feet
Working from home and having a child means we need room to spread out. A house with over 2,000 square feet is currently a must for our family’s needs and future possibilities.
I could list more, but I’ll stop at five for now. I’d love to hear your must-haves when searching for a home. Do our lists overlap? What are your non-negotiables? If you’re house hunting—or you, like me, enjoy browsing—check out Owners.com.
Back to that expensive fixer-upper: here’s what I’d do if we somehow managed to buy it. First, the positives: it has tons of character and wonderful natural light. The hardwood floors seem in good condition, the living room fireplace is charming, and I can picture the house nestled among trees with multiple decks and even a stream in the backyard.
The downsides include dark wood ceilings that make spaces feel low and closed in. My first move would be to sand and lighten the wood or paint it white—yes, paint the wood—to brighten the rooms. I know some readers dislike painting wood, but it’s an option I’d consider.
The kitchen and bathrooms need full renovations. The kitchen looks small and dated from photos, so I’d explore expanding it—perhaps into the adjacent space with the windows and piano. Bathrooms are clearly from another decade and would need modernizing. I’d also replace bedroom carpeting with hardwood floors that match the original living areas, and allocate the remaining budget to exterior work: fresh paint (leaning toward black, maybe white), deck repairs, and removing a front privacy screen to let in more light. What would you do?
I realize this sounds like a lot of dreaming about a house we probably won’t buy, but the process is fun. If anyone can convince Jeff to at least attend an open house, please get in touch. Meanwhile, here are a few other Atlanta properties I’ve been imagining in our future:
– A home that’s roughly half the price of my top pick but offers similar vibes and more space.
– Another listing that feels a bit too polished and glamorous inside for my taste, though it has elements I like.
– A very large property with huge renovation potential.
– A painted brick house on a lower price point with some projects—kitchen redo would be necessary, but it reminded me of our first home, which is appealing.
Side note for Atlanta readers: Owners.com now offers a white-glove service in the area—a team of expert agents focused on matching buyers with the right home. I think that’s a great option for local buyers.
That’s all my house talk for now. Before you go: do you own your home? Do you browse listings for fun like I do? And what do you think about my dream house—am I crazy to love it? Tell me honestly; I can probably handle it.
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This post is sponsored by Owners.com. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Paper and Stitch running.