First Lady Checks Out New Digs as Moving Day Looms

Hillary Rodham Clinton spent two hours at her new house Wednesday, taking notes as she strolled through the big, empty Colonial and trying to figure out how to accommodate herself and President Clinton.

“There’s got to be some space for both of us to work at home,” she said, “and there has to be some space for his music and exercise equipment.”

Standing outside the home on the gravel driveway, Mrs. Clinton said she took notes about things she’d like to do and “just generally took it all in, now that it’s ours.”

The Clintons officially bought the house Monday.

Earlier, appearing in Rye Brook, Mrs. Clinton declined to reveal her move-in date but said the house would be her primary residence. That would satisfy a state residency requirement if she decides to run for the U.S. Senate, as expected.

Asked whether the five-bedroom home also would be the president’s primary residence, she said: “I haven’t really talked to him about that.”

A White House spokesman later declined to elaborate on the first lady’s remarks.

“The president and the first lady are looking forward to moving into their new home. The timetable for when that can occur is not yet set,” said Jim Kennedy, spokesman for the White House counsel’s office. “Mrs. Clinton today has spoken about some of the matters relating to their move, and I don’t have any information to add to what she had to say.”

Mrs. Clinton said the house looks “wonderful.”

“It was terrific being here and being able to walk through the door and walk around the house and see how beautiful it is in the fall,” she said.

Mrs. Clinton said she has yet to buy anything for the house but is “getting the best advice from so many different quarters, all of which I welcome.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve had to do this,” she said. “We’ve done a lot of renovating and redecorating in the White House, but the scale is a little different!”

The first lady also said she’s different from other new homeowners in at least one respect: She doesn’t have a key to the front door.

“The Secret Service has the key,” she said.