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“We were living in Tampa and knew we wanted to move a little more North,” says Leigh Disalvo. “We looked at several neighborhoods in Jacksonville. I fell in love immediately with the house. We looked at ten other houses but the sweet old home had my heart. My husband Joe said I could choose the house but he got to choose the paint colors.”

The homeowners have lived here now four years and, being retired military, this is the only home they’ve ever owned. The house dates back to at least 1910. A couple who purchased the house in 2008 undertook major renovations to bring the house back to a single-family dwelling. Their renovation choices are still seen in the house today. “The previous owner did some major remodeling to keep this a home that first-time buyers would feel brave enough to purchase. A new air-conditioning system, new roof, foundation stabilization, and a new hot water heater are among the improvements made by her.”

Leigh and Joe haven’t been afraid to make improvements of their own. “We started with some simple projects, such as removing the vines on the outside of the house, changing the fencing, refinishing our pocket doors, painting the exterior of the house, and landscaping the front and back yards,” says Leigh.

Those do-it-yourself projects were relatively minor undertakings. Unfortunately, not every project started was so simple. A planned laundry area didn’t go as originally envisioned. But they kept at it and are happy with the unplanned results. “We now have an eat-in-kitchen with new counter tops, appliances, tin ceiling, a dedicated pantry, a laundry room with side-by-side washer and dryer, and plenty of storage,” says Leigh. “We have also updated four of the five bathrooms.”

When not improving their historic dwelling, the two thoroughly enjoy the neighbors, walking the neighborhood and looking at all the different styles of houses. They particularly appreciate being able to walk to Main Street and its many restaurants, pubs and other conveniences. *