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HERRIMAN -- A California couple is getting ready to move into the "Up House" in Herriman. They say the movie that inspired the home is one of their favorites, and living in that home will be a dream come true.
Moving crews are going to the Petaluma, Calif., home of Clinton and Lynette Hamblin today. They'll pack up their stuff, put it in storage for a month, and on Jan. 4 move it into the "Up House."
"You just walk in and you just feel love there," Lynette said. Aside from a few additions, the Hamblins say they are going to keep the house pretty much as it is.
"All of the main floor, we're not changing a thing about it," Hamblin said. "I'll add some of my glass art throughout and then add in our family pictures throughout."
The 2,800 square foot home sold for roughly $400,000, but it's a lot cheaper than the Hamblins expected.
"When we heard about it over the summer, we thought, ‘Oh, that's probably a multi-million [dollar home]. Oh, what a dream. What a dream. We didn't think that it would be attainable. So, when all this fell into place over this last month, it was a dream come true," Hamblin explained.
But why would anyone buy a house designed to look like a cartoon home? Well, Hamblin outright loves the movie. It has sentimental value to the family since "Up" was the first movie they took their daughter to. Plus, having gone through miscarriages, Hamblin connects emotionally to what Carl and Ellie Fredricksen go through during the first 15 minutes of the movie.
"Just the possibility and the excitement of, ‘You're going to have kids,' and then it not happening, for whatever reason, is a huge loss and it's a huge reality for people across the world," Hamblin said.
As far as the home itself, Hamblin says the builders at Bangerter Homes did everything right. But she hopes Herriman City officials will support them in keeping the outside looking like it does now. Some residents have suggested the home be painted brown or gray to look more suburban.
"There have been some here and there, but then there has an outpouring of people that want the colors to stay, as well," Hamblin said.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
