Renter wanted to have a place of his own. Rising rental prices convinced him to search.

Emily Adams Keplinger
·4 min read
Josh Spangler is a proud, first-time homeowner.
Josh Spangler is a proud, first-time homeowner.

Josh Spangler wanted a place of his own. Rising rental prices convinced him to start looking to see what was out there.

“I was excited at the prospect of becoming a homeowner, but also a little anxious,” recalled Josh. “I contacted Melody Bourell, a real estate agent with Marx-Bensdorf Realtors, who came highly recommended to me by one of my friends who had used her as their agent. As a new homeowner, Melody was extremely patient with me, very knowledgeable about what was available and might be a good fit for me, and genuinely interested in what was best for me. I really appreciated her guidance and efforts.”

Josh chose a traditional, one-story, brick home in the Colonial Acres neighborhood of East Memphis.
Josh chose a traditional, one-story, brick home in the Colonial Acres neighborhood of East Memphis.

Josh told Melody that he wanted to find a house with a big kitchen. It was also important that the home had lots of natural light. A big factor in working within his price range was that he didn’t want to buy a fixer-upper that needed major repair work. As for location, he wanted to be closer to the hub of Memphis than where he had previously lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Collierville.

The living room is spacious and benefits from the addition of plenty of color.
The living room is spacious and benefits from the addition of plenty of color.

Melody took Josh to see approximately 20 properties. A traditional, one-story, brick home in the Colonial Acres neighborhood of East Memphis is the one that caught Josh’s eye and fit his budget. He paid $245,000 for approximately 1,600 square-feet of living space.

“I knew I was getting a good price for what I was purchasing, but still it was terrifying to sign for it when you’ve never owed that much in your life,” said Josh. “But I knew I could make this house a home. It was built in 1954 and had great hardwood floors in most of the rooms. With two bedrooms, I knew would have enough room to make one of them into my home office. The bathrooms still had lovely, original tile; pink in the guest bathroom and green in the primary bathroom. And there was a large sunroom.”

The previously remodeled all-white kitchen features an island that provides additional storage and seating.
The previously remodeled all-white kitchen features an island that provides additional storage and seating.

Josh’s home had an abundance of curb appeal. The front door was side-facing, with a large bank of windows across the front of the house. His lot was surrounded by mature trees and simple, easy-to-maintain landscaping. Stepping inside, the living area flowed into the dining area, letting the rooms “live large.”  All of the interior walls had been painted a soft dove gray and all the trim had been painted a crisp white. The all-white kitchen included white appliances and an island, topped with light-colored granite that matched the countertops. The island offered additional, casual seating and was filled with cabinets and drawers on one side for ample storage. There was also a pantry for more storage options. The sunroom was large, with a large closet with accordion-style doors that made the most of the available floor space.

Out back there was a concrete patio large enough for outdoor entertaining and grilling. And the home had a brand new roof.

The dining room is a casual, comfortable place to have a meal.
The dining room is a casual, comfortable place to have a meal.

Although Josh had not wanted any major projects, there was some work to be done at his new home.

“I had to replace the sewer pipe to the street, but the previous owner was kind enough to split the cost with me for that,” explained Josh. “And I plan to replace the floor in the guest bathroom, which had tile that had been painted over. I’m thinking that I’d like to use a black-and-white retro tile pattern or something that is solid black to match the trim. Other than that, I'm pretty happy with the house as it is. It had been recently refurbished and was in great condition overall.”

A sunroom was added to the back of the house some years ago.
A sunroom was added to the back of the house some years ago.

“My new home is certainly roomier than my former one-bedroom apartment,” continued Josh. “And I’m now much closer to downtown. I think this is a beautiful neighborhood, as opposed to the cookie cutter apartment buildings where I was before this. And I’ve noticed that my home is also much less dusty than my former apartment, which was a common issue because of the carpeting. I love taking little walks around the area and everyone I've met has been very sweet.”

Emily Adams Keplinger is a freelance reporter who produced this feature for the Advertising Department.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: First-time homebuyer wanted home with big kitchen, natural light.