The Story of Sunbeam AKA The House That Built Me
Did you know that December 26th is National Homeowner’s Day?
Honestly, the two national holidays I usually celebrate are National Dog Day (yes… all five of them 😉) and National Margarita Day, but when I found out about this one, I had to add it to the list of celebrations!
Because home ownership is a BIG DEAL and deserves to be celebrated as such.
If you don’t yet own a home, you might not fully understand the emotional attachment that people have to their homes, but I can tell you firsthand, this is a REAL thing.
As we round out 2022 and look forward to the new year ahead, I couldn’t overlook one of the most exciting moments of the year… and its closing chapter.
My hope is that this blog gives you greater insight as to what homeownership can really mean for you if you don’t yet own a home and if you do, I hope this encourages you to embrace the celebration that is so deserved!
Warning: this will probably be a bit more sappy than usual 🤣
I'm usually a "keep it business" type person, but I also firmly believe that business is personal. It has to be in order to be done right, so here is a little bit of my story - the personal side of the business!
There I was in November of 2019 - fresh out of a wild divorce. The weight of divorce is real. It doesn't matter if you are the one spearheading the divorce or not. It is heavy and it is murky.
On one hand, the idea of a new beginning is exciting, fresh and new. On the other hand, old limiting beliefs don't just leave us because we change zip codes.
As I opened the door to my "new life", my baggage followed. Long story short, my prior relationship left me with a few limiting beliefs of my own - the biggest (and scariest at the time) being that I was bad and unstable with money.
Not the greatest belief system while venturing on your own… in a commission based business for that matter 😅
What I did have on my side was a case of "I'll show you what I'm made of.” It came from a confidence deep inside that I had awoken by choosing to put me first - like that little voice inside of you that tells you to “keep going.”
My little voice had been put in a box, tucked away in that closet you never open and to be honest she was a little salty about it. So now with this newfound voice, even though I was scared, it was always one foot in front of the other.
One of the things on my "I'll show you" list was something deep down I had always wanted to do: build my own home. 🏠
The first step in getting to that big goal was owning my own home, so I took things slow and purchased a small property that I still own today.
After living in it for a short period of time, something just didn’t feel right - the warm and fuzzies were missing.
The house was cute and I truly loved it, but it didn't have room for all of my people. There was one guest room and as someone who desperately wanted to host Christmas, that simply wasn’t going to cut it. 🙅♀️
And that’s when the pull on my heart really started…
The thought of multiple people being able to stay with me on Christmas Eve with plenty of places to sleep and tons of room for opening presents on Christmas morning became my driving force. 🎄🎁
Just 2 months out of my divorce, I messaged my builder and basically said, “let's do this!”
Business was doing just fine and honestly, I was surprising myself every month, but that didn’t change the fact that building a home comes with a hefty up front cost.
The funds weren’t necessarily there, but the vision WAS, so I ran with it and never looked back.
The crazy part was, the more steps I took in that direction - the more business came in. In just a few months, I was where I needed to be.
Fast forward into the building process, my builder asked me what at the time felt like the WILDEST question - he said, “do you want to put this home in the parade?”
If you’re unfamiliar, a Parade of Homes is basically where the best of the best homes are showcased for people to tour. We’re talking mansions, million dollar, mega homes that are really amazing to look at, but can sometimes feel a little unattainable.
At first I thought that putting my 1,990 square foot home into the parade was crazy because it didn’t belong, but then I quickly realized that that was the very reason I should.
Sunbeam (what I named the home because of the street it was on) showed me that I could do something that I didn't believe I could do and when someone walked into it, it could show them that they could do it too.
This house is so much more than just a house. It’s a vision - one that felt scary and didn’t make a lot of sense at the time - that came to life and is something that gets to be a vision for other people. It’s living, breathing proof that YES, you absolutely can.
Fast forward again, I move in, get to host Christmas for my family (a core memory I’ll never forget 🥺) and this house was everything I wanted it to be.
Dream businesses with dream partnerships were built in this house.
All the girls' nights were held in this house.
My friends' babies felt at home in this house.
Friends gathered for dinner in this house.
My sister stayed in her own room in this house. (this one was a big deal for me 🥰)
Major business goals were achieved in this house.
Dogs cuddled in this house.
Beliefs were changed in this house.
Love grew in this house… which brings me to why this house was no longer the house for me.
Ironically, the same reason this house was built is the same reason the house was sold - I needed more room for my people.
Sunbeam was the ultimate “single girls home” and was perfect for what it was built for, but when life changed, my new family needed a family home.
As hard as it was to sell it, the gratitude that I have for the house that truly built me continues to overflow. And if you own a home, whether you realize it or not, the same is happening for you!
If you take anything from the story of Sunbeam, let it be this:
Listen to the pulls in your heart
You can do hard things
Don’t let negative and false voices dictate what you do
Bet on yourself
When you do the hard, scary thing that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, you almost always get a beautiful result that you never thought possible. 💖
P.S. Sunbeam wouldn’t have been possible without the ultimate team - I would 10/10 recommend all of these people for your home needs in Billings:
Our Humble Abode for Interior Design
The OCD Girls for Professional Organizing
