New Year Resolution

My apologies for being lax regarding my blog recently. I had a very difficult month in December, professionally and personally. Im happy to report that it is the NEW YEAR, so I am off to a clean start. While there is nothing I can do about my job situation but to go along with it and hope it doesnt last too long, Ive decided that I can indeed take ownership for the other areas in my life. Ive decided that one of my New Year's Resolution is to buy a house in 2009.

I'm happy to announce that I am pre-approved! Thats one step closer to buying my first house!

Last weekend, I met with my Realtor and he showed me 7 properties. I had a great time and it gave me an opportunity to see what kind of houses are within my price range and it gave my Realtor the chance to get a better idea of what I am looking for in a house. We did find one house that fit all of my criteria. It is an adorable brick bungalow with hardwood floors and charm/character galore. I think it is very much a "Hollie" house.

BUT.... of course there is a but. The kitchen is a bit odd in terms of its layout. The current owner restored it to its original kitchen, complete with its original 1920s porcelain sink that is approximately 6 feet long! I dont think its a functional kitchen for me since I want counterspace to do my cooking and baking on. Currently there is NO counterspace.

Here is what it looks like:

And here is the floor plan that I hastily drew:



Any ideas of what I could do if I were to buy this house? Maybe put the long sink in the basement? Install a regular sink with the dishwasher inside the nook instead, which would give me some counter space? Maybe a butcher top island in the middle of the room? A narrow table below the windows?

Any suggestions?

Here is a peek in the rest of the house, which I love:



See what I mean by charm/character galore? All original hardwood floors, built-in cabinets in both living room and dining room, stained glass windows, etc. Its a very pretty, cozy house. It is going on my list but I will continue to look and see what else is out there for me.