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  • 2 days ago
Three siblings thought they were helping their single mom clean a client’s house – only to discover their names on the bedroom doors and realize she’d actually bought it. After her marriage ended in 2020, Andrea Murdock, from Joplin, Missouri, was also faced with the daunting prospect of where to live, having had to sell the home she had moved into just a year before. But Andrea, 30, was determined: she made a promise to herself slowly but surely, she'd get herself back on her feet, save, and buy a new home she and her sons – Jonah, Finn and Simon – could call their own. Andrea's father helped her initially find a rental where she and her boys could live – but over the years that followed, that home, where all three boys shared one bedroom, felt increasingly small. Her boys, now aged six, eight, and 10, dreamed of one day having a bedroom each to call their own. During that time, Andrea continued to work hard in her non-realtor commission-based role with a local real estate firm, saving as often as possible and never spending money she received back on her taxes. She thought it would take another year or two of savings to purchase the home she felt she needed, but when she saw the "perfect" house on the market, her supportive parents encouraged her to go for it. But she wanted to surprise the boys – so she told the trio she needed to clean a house for a client. When they arrived, Andrea encouraged them to take a look around, and they were confused when they noticed custom signs with their names on, hanging on the doors to the bedrooms.
Transcript
00:00Yeah, go ahead.
00:01My oldest knew instantly.
00:04You could see in his eyes that he suspected something.
00:08Jonah, are we moving?
00:09When I became a single mom,
00:11we were living in what we thought was going to be our forever home.
00:14And so having to sell that was like, oh, that was painful.
00:19For the last few years, they have been sharing a space.
00:22All three of them, they're getting older now and they needed their own space.
00:26The focus was always like getting our own home, a home that I owned.
00:30It was exciting to have a purpose and a goal,
00:32but it felt daunting too trying to do this on my own.
00:36My mom found the property and we went and looked at it together.
00:40And there was just a moment of like, this is too perfect.
00:45I just told them that I was going to be working late a couple of days
00:49because we were going to help a client get their house ready to sell.
00:52I was going to ask if I could help today.
00:55Yeah, you want to stay and help clean.
00:57I said, I don't know.
00:59That's fine.
01:00You can stay and help.
01:01A good, good friend of mine came up with the idea of painting signs
01:05and we hung them on the doors.
01:07I just wanted to see it click on their faces
01:09without having to tell them straight away.
01:13Jonah is in some hideout.
01:17This side?
01:18Yeah, go ahead.
01:20Not a lot in there.
01:22Cool.
01:22Why would that have your name on the door, Jonah?
01:27Wait a minute.
01:29Yes!
01:30Yes!
01:31I bought this house.
01:34This is our house.
01:35Oh!
01:36It felt like the biggest accomplishment, the biggest win.
01:45My heart was so full.
01:47I did it for them and here we are in this moment.
01:50I'm really sad.
01:52I'm kind of sad.
01:54Well, why don't you guys go see the upstairs and see?
01:57The stairs are upstairs.
01:58This way, this way, this way.
02:04This is so tall.
02:07I can't wait to tell my friends.
02:08All the hard stuff, all the tears, the working,
02:12they were definitely worth it.
02:13Is this Hellfire Club?
02:15Wait, is that my clubhouse?
02:18Wait, hold on.
02:19Hold on.
02:20Hold on.
02:20This is Simon.
02:22Hold on.
02:22Hold on.
02:23Close that door.
02:24Let me turn to find out.
02:24Let me turn to find out.
02:25Jedi Master, sign it.
02:26We're here.
02:27We did it and we can start to set up house
02:30and just continue to build a better life for ourselves.
02:34I got the best room.
02:35You got the best.
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