Dream home built on former farmland

Over 150 years after the construction of their family farmhouse, the Greiner family moved into a new home this year, a few hundred feet away from the previous home built on their own farmland.

“The farmhouse was built in the 1850s, and it’s done its duty,” Marianne Schneider said. “We just needed a place that we could retire.”

Steve said it was surprisingly easy to build on the surface used for crops over the last several generations.

“This ground was almost a natural fit, we didn’t have to do a lot of dirt work,” he said. “This was just how this field laid … there’s all natural drainage.”

The new home has a leg up on the old family home, in more ways than one.

“We have a wonderful view, our old house had no view; it’s back from the road, we’re not right by the road,” Marianne said. “It’s got walk-in shower, very easy to clean, which I love … all my cabinets are custom built.”

Just because it’s new doesn’t mean the Greiners haven’t already given it some sentimental value. Several pieces in the home are cut from Wood on Marianne’s own home farm where she grew up, to compliment the land Steve moved to when he was seven years old.

The new home has a sun room, a feature Marianne said she had long hoped for.

“Our other house, I only had north windows, I couldn’t grow plants or anything,” she said. “My mom always had a green thumb, so did me and my sisters, and I enjoy that.”

Marianne said the larger space — over 1800 square feet on both floors — was also accommodating to visiting family.

“I have three boys, when they’d come home with their families, our old house was very crowded,” she said. “Now with our basement, they have places to stay. I know you’re not supposed to build for your children, but I wanted a place where they would be comfortable.”

One last key component of the home is its handicap accessibility: while the house has stairs, the driveway wraps around the building to reach a door on both levels, making it compatible with wheelchairs.

“Everything’s handicap accessible, if you’re in wheelchair, you can be here,“ Marianne said. ”I work at the Halcyon house, and I always hear people say, ‘I want to go home.’ We want to try to stay here as long as we can.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com