December 2, 2017

Starting from the Bottom

Projects

Ryan works away from home, so when this farm first went on the market in early 2017, I toured the property alone. I remember holding my breath when I pulled in the driveway. This was it.

We had been casually browsing real estate listings for about a year without much luck. Whenever something semi worthwhile became available, it was either in a residential area, too far out in the sticks, needed renovations we simply couldn’t afford… the list went on. Hard work doesn’t scare us, but crumbling foundations and zoning ordinances do.

Maybe it wasn’t meant to be. We made lists of other types of businesses we could start together. I was leaning towards a bookstore with cats… he was leaning towards a drive-through car wash. I guess it’s a good thing opposites attract.

I got out of the car at 1040 N Main Street and took a few pictures on my phone. I tentatively texted them to Ryan. Daydreaming and typing up a business plan from the comfort of our couch was one thing; walking around the property and contemplating the scope of work needed to start and maintain a farm wedding venue was another.

But it was all so perfect.

We talked about it, got anxious, and backed down. Then the listing went under contract; we had missed our chance, and someone else was going to purchase the perfect farm. Bummer.

We spent the summer looking at other properties a bit more seriously. And we talked. We talked non-stop. How would this all work? There’s nothing like this around Bangor – is that good or bad? Do we have to go back to eating Ramen?

We talked to family. We talked to friends. We talked to business owners, we talked to banks, we talked to advisors. The feedback we received most often was: “That’s an awful lot of work”; “Your current job is more stable”; and “Why would anyone want to get married in a barn?”.

So we talked to each other.

We wanted to start a business together, and we wanted it to be one that could stick around for generations to come. We wanted to do something in our little town that would support other area businesses and entrepreneurs. We wanted to get into farming and living more simply, and we loved the idea of pairing all this with a space for families and friends to gather and create memories. This was the right path, even if the amount of work to get started was overwhelming.

The very day we decided Yes, this is 100% right for us, the contract fell through and the farm was once again listed for sale (if you believe in signs from the universe, that seemed like a pretty good one).

We put in an offer. It was accepted. We bought lots of Ramen.

Since closing on the property on 8/30/2017, we’ve had a never-ending list of projects. Our first priory was getting the Timber Cabin fixed up to be used as a winter rental. Next, we had to clean out the barn to get it ready for construction. Currently, our contractors are waiting on the final plans/drawings from our engineer. The initial plan was to start work in early November, but we threw a wrench in timeline when we made some design changes at the very last minute (stay tuned for details on that!!). Between waiting on drawings, waiting on materials, and the holidays it’s looking like construction will start the first week of January.

For those of you that have already booked for early spring, don’t worry – everything will still be done + looking gorgeous!

While we wait for the big work to start, we will be updating/decorating the farmhouse, building custom tables, planning our gardens, and doing all the behind-the-scene prep work to get ready for spring.

Here’s a look at some of the things we have been up to:

That’s it for now. Keep checking back; I promise to start updating this blog! You know, in my spare time 😉

All I do is paint.

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