It’s been over two weeks since I last announced that we’re moving to Savannah. Thank you so much for all of your comments, messages and emails! We’re so excited to start this next chapter of our lives! I thought that I’d put together some of your most FAQs and give you an update on where we are in the process.

Why are you moving?
Casey accepted a General Manager position with Montage Palmetto Bluff located about 30 minutes outside of Savannah, Georgia. We’ve been visiting this property ever since Casey and I met in 2008. It has a very peaceful and relaxing environment which is perfect for us! We’ll definitely miss Sea Island but we’ll be around to see the Cloister and The Lodge continue to grow. I talk more in detail about why we’re moving in my earlier post if you missed it.

Are you going to buy a house or rent at first?
The Savannah housing market is so hot right now that we’re planning to buy. We were actually looking at investment properties last year before we even knew that moving to Savannah would become a reality so we’ve done a lot of research on the different areas already. Homes that are for sale downtown don’t tend to stay long on the market (most have a contract within 24-48 hours) because Savannah continues to rise in popularity. So when we do find the one, we’ll have to move fast. Not the most ideal scenario since we’re in Provence, France for the next week!

So we’ve made up our minds that it’s a good time to buy since homes are increasingly becoming more expensive. There also aren’t very many rental opportunities in the city because most places are used as vacation rentals. We’re working with Kristy Valdez with Cora Bett Thomas Realty and she’s been the most helpful and accommodating — especially since most visits to Savannah for us occur over the weekend because of our work schedules. (Thank you, Kristy!)

Where in Savannah do you want to live?
With Kristy’s help, we’ve narrowed our search down to two places, Ardsley Park or Downtown Savannah, ideally on the west side in the Historic District. We’re leaning more towards downtown because we want to walk to restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and squares. My favorite streets in the historic district are Tattnall, Gaston, and Charlton.

However, if the perfect house presented itself in Ardsley Park then we would definitely consider it. Both places have a lot of charm. Ardsley Park was built in the 1900s and is within Savannah’s city limits. It definitely has a more of a neighborhood feel and is within a 5 minute drive to downtown.

What are our must-haves in a home?

• A courtyard or a small fenced in yard for our two dogs
• Short walking distance to a park since I typically walk the dogs 3-4 times a day
• 1800s or early 1900s historical elements such as original hardwood floors, wrought iron accents, pocket doors, working fireplace, original molding
• Two to three bedrooms
• Open floor plan or a floor plan that could be conducive for entertaining after a renovation
• A carriage house or garden level apartment for rental income opportunities or for guest accommodations (bonus)
• Off-street Parking (bonus)

Are you in a rush to find a home?
Luckily, we’re going to live on property at Montage Palmetto Bluff for a few months until we settle on a home. We’re very grateful that this is even an option for us and it will definitely make our transition go more smoothly! I think that this will be beneficial for Casey too as he’ll be getting to know the ins and outs of the property and he’ll be on-site during his transition to his new role.

Didn’t you just renovate? Are you looking for another project or something that is move-in ready?
Yes, we just finished a complete renovation on our current house in St. Simons Island. It took about 6-7 months to complete and during that time we had to stay at a rental house. We literally gutted the entire home. It was a very big project but our house is exactly how we want it to be. I’m a home blogger so of course I’d be up for another renovation project! I think that I’ll always be. It’s fun for me and something that I really like to do! However, I’d love to renovate a kitchen and maybe a few bathrooms but I’m not sure if I’m ready to tackle another major project that would require a complete gut job.

I’d also be fine with buying a house that is move-in ready but it’s hard to find something that is completely my style. I’d still have fun decorating the spaces and adding my personal touches. So we’re open to anything as long as it’s in the right location.

What will we do with our current house?
We are keeping our home on St. Simon’s Island and we may work with a vacation rental agency to lease it out during a few weeks when we’re not using it. Our SSI home is seriously my dream house and I couldn’t imagine having to sell it after all of the work that we just did. Keeping this home also allows us to visit St. Simons frequently to see friends and family.

Well that covers the most FAQs that I’ve been getting in regards to our big move to Savannah! Let me know below if you have any other questions! I can’t believe that this is really happening!