With the attainable exception of the snake that dropped into their bathroom the day they moved to Taos, N.M., not a lot scares Holly Scheib and Paul Wisneskey in a brand new home.
The couple’s third dwelling, for instance — a New Orleans Victorian they purchased within the early aughts — got here with a termite infestation and plumbing leak, however curiously, no kitchen or rest room. Now, seven homes and 5 states right into a 25-year marriage, they’ve perfected a sample: “transferring into a house that wanted work, fixing it up and constructing sweat fairness,” mentioned Ms. Scheib, 49.
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“They’ll stroll right into a home and, although it might not be an ideal match for them in its present state, they’ll simply see what adjustments they might make to show that property into their dream dwelling,” mentioned Cyndi Gonzalez, an affiliate dealer with Berkshire Hathaway, who helped the couple discover a dwelling after Ms. Scheib accepted a job in Taos that required relocation from Santa Fe, 90 minutes south.
That fixer-upper mentality and an $800,000 price range afforded them ample selection in Taos, the mountainous high-desert city recognized for its Indigenous tradition, thriving artwork scene and alpine Ski Valley. However there have been a number of circumstances: Having simply been named director of neighborhood growth for the UNESCO-listed Taos Pueblo — dwelling to a number of the oldest repeatedly inhabited buildings in the USA — Ms. Scheib needed an inexpensive commute. Mr. Wisneskey, 55, wanted an area for his distant work as a software program architect for BigBear.ai, and significantly more room for the pinball machines he repairs and collects.
One other assortment requiring its personal actual property: the Mardi Gras paraphernalia the couple retains available for his or her yearly pilgrimage to New Orleans (most conspicuously, the motorized recliner that Mr. Wisneskey constructed to experience within the Laissez Boys parade).
For any home to be a severe contender, it additionally needed to have house for the couple’s two youngsters, although neither could be residing there full-time. Will, 21, is a dancer with the Grand Rapids Ballet, and Kate, 19, is a rising sophomore at Goucher School in Baltimore.
Aesthetically, the necessities had been fairly easy: a conventional Taos vibe — an adobe or adobe lookalike with the uncovered wooden ceiling helps referred to as vigas and latillas — and lovely high-desert views.
Even when the important thing components weren’t completely there, the couple may refashion the remainder. “The design is all Holly,” mentioned Mr. Wisneskey. “I simply do the work.”
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