Truthfully, I've been "house hunting" for years now. One of my favorite past times during a slow day at work would be looking at all the houses I would buy on Realtor websites. So naturally I thought the real thing would be thrilling. Sooo wrong.
It's exhausting and discouraging. This week we went out to see 7 homes and they all were eye-opening disappointments. I learned I never have lived in an older home so looking at older homes was very weird and unnatural. We also learned as much as I say I want a fixer-upper, we just cannot afford that. Maybe our second house?
I think round two will be much better. We're traveling to a different part of town that is a bit newer and probably more realistic for us. I do still want something I can "fix up" even if that just means new paint, granite, tile and floors. I just don't want to pay for someone else's taste in "upgrades". (Spoken like a true decorator). Oh and I also want a bit of charm, even if it's a little bit. My husband is ready to strangle me. I also have learned during this process that you can't have it all in your first home. I'm okay with that.
Are you still with me?
There are a couple contenders right now that we have yet to see in person but love online. But my husband and I have differing opinions on size. I'd like an 1800 sq footer, where he advocates for above 2000. Obv the bigger we go, the more expensive and more work we'd need to do.
Do you have an opinion on this issue? I'd love to hear.
Wow, I usually don't like my posts this wordy but as you all know, this is a very big decision. Truth is, if we don't love anything we'll forgo the tax credit and wait till the fall.
To make this post a bit more fun, I'll share with you some pictures from my "future home ideas" inspiration folder..
I loove these floors; the color, the grain:
I would love to paint my cabinets dual toned, like Anne Turner Carroll:
And like I posted earlier, definitely some black windows:
Simple (and cheap) white subway tile for kitchen backsplash with gray grout, like this:
If we are lucky enough to get a sunroom, some bright floors are definitely in order:
And definitely wallpaper somewhere...
Okay now that I think about it, maybe bigger and lots of upgrades needed would be way more fun. ;)
i am a big proponent of smaller homes....they equal smaller footprints, smaller energy usage, smaller impact on the environment and LESS time cleaning! as you already know from apartment living they also require you to carefully edit your possessions which is a wonderful thing. good luck!
ReplyDeleteI think home size is a very regional thing. We have a 1950 sq.ft. home and there is SO MUCH unused space. I think you need to determine how long you plan to be in the home and what your life will look like during that time. E.g., we plan to have kids soon and that is one of the reasons we bought a house we could grow into a little bit.
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you about charm or size, but I will say go for the big closets and the big bathrooms and if possible, an upstairs laundry room. You can work with the rest. Oh, and a little fenced yard for Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteI'm on board with the smaller home concept. My home is only 1000 SF, but it's just my husband and I so it works just fine. Sometimes I wish for a little bigger house, but even then, I'm only wishing for an extra 500 SF or so.
ReplyDeleteI would vote for the smaller home. My husband and I live in a 2 bed/1 bath house. Only 1250 sq feet and we love it! Less cleaning and maintenance. Plus you are forced to be organized and not buy stuff you don't need.
ReplyDeleteMy house is a little over 1600 square feet and it is perfect for just me {and a pet}. I use every room in my house. I don't have huge bathrooms, but I am okay with that. I like a smaller home from and environmental stand point, as well. Good luck with your search!
ReplyDeleteWe just started looking at townhomes. Northern Virginia definitely bought into the bigger is better thinking. We currently have about 650 sq feet and that is NOT enough. We were originally thinking maybe 2500 but once started looking, that was just too much space for two people. I think we're going to settle for 2100 which is still going to be plenty spacious but about 50k cheaper and ultimately less to clean!
ReplyDeleteHi Brynn,
ReplyDeleteI completely understand where you are coming from-We too are searching for our "first home" plus I am a realtor so I know how exausting the search can be. I am not sure what your price range is, but I have noticed in my search (here at the jersey shore) it is cheaper to build a home then to purchase and old one and renovate it. Check out www.ryanhomes.com to see if they are building any communities in your area...Good Luck!
Hi! I've been reading for a while but never commented. Sorry - I do enjoy your blog!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to comment about the tax credit, because my husband and I have been looking to buy also and our mortgage broker was pressuring us to buy before the credit expires. First, it's only $8000 if you purchase an $800,000 home - the credit is 10% of the purchase price of the home, and nothing if the home is more than $800k. Second, it is capped at $225,000 MAGI for married couples and phased out completely at $245,000. We considered these factors and decided we were better off saving for a larger down payment.
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=206291,00.html
I know you and your husband will decide what is best for your situation, but the implication that the tax credit is $8000 for everyone bothers me (that's the government implying, not you) and I just wanted to make sure you knew.
Plus I love seeing your apartment decorating ideas! Since we'll be in an apartment a bit longer, I love ideas to make it feel more like home and less like an English basement ...
My hubby + I have bought 3 homes in the past 4 years (nuts, I know... thank you, relocation!)... and my biggest suggestions would be: look at a ton of places, figure out how much work/renovation would be too much for you + your husband to handle, and what house wants you'd be willing to sacrifice, and which ones you can't.
ReplyDeleteWith every house we've bought, we've ended up with something slightly different than we initially thought we wanted... and we've loved every house. It's just that as you look, your ideas about what you want/need change a little. Our most recent house had horrible bathrooms, wallpaper, carpet, etc, but we got it for a steal and decided we could live with ugliness for a little bit and slowly improve the place over time.
We're also small(er) house fans: our house now is about 2000 square feet, and is too big for just the two of us, but we'd like to have kids soon so we know we'll grow into it. More room is nice, but too much room feels wasteful and requires more cleaning.
Having said all that - enjoy the process - I loved looking at houses, even if it got frustrating at times! Best of luck to you and keep us posted! :)
we bought our first house a few years ago. what we started out looking for is not what we bought. at first we wanted a smaller (1200-1500 sqft) house with 2 bedrooms, maybe 3. we ended up buying a 1900 sqft house with 4 bedrooms. it needs a lot of work... it is more house than we need right now, but i also think that we'll end up staying in it a little longer than we first planned. we looked at so many houses (i can't remember how many now, but at least 50, maybe even 60 some) and i was getting super frustrated. but as silly as it sounds, we knew as soon as we walked into this one house that it was the one we wanted. good luck with your search, i think it can be a lot of fun as long as you don't put too much pressure on it :-)
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel better you really can't have it all in any home. There are always trade offs at every price point.
ReplyDeleteIm sure you'll find something you love in short order and have a great time making it your own.
As you know I love older homes and am happy with the trade offs but its not for everyone. A new home is always much easier.
OMG, you should have seen our first home that we just moved out of. It was completely ugly when we bought it, in a cookie cutter neighborhood. But after getting in and adding personal touches, I couldn't have loved the interior any more. It's all about making it your own- no matter the neighborhood, the size, the age, or the appearance. that is the added bonus of being a designer :) best of luck!!
ReplyDeleteOur house is about 2400 sq.ft. and it is good for our family of 3. We bought a little bigger because we knew we wanted to have children here. We use all the rooms a lot besides the guest bedroom, which is just used occasionally. You definitely can't get everything you want. You just have to prioritize.
ReplyDeleteWe lived in a subdivision in Charlotte a few years back (Univ. area NE of the city). We always regretted not finding an older house in one of the closer, downtown neighborhoods. It seems like they had more character. Also, we've lived in a 2000 sqft home for the last 5 years with 2, then 3 kids. We are moving into a 2400 sqft home soon but it's more about the layout than the size. We've laughed about bringing our 3 kids to look at homes that people with only one kid think are too small!
ReplyDeleteWe have around 2k square feet in Raleigh and it's just the two of us + dog and cat. It's actually a good amount of space for us - we have a downstairs rec room/man cave and large shop/laundry/storage. It's a place we can stay should a kiddo come along and still be comfortable. I'm so not into the 3K+ McMansions that are all across NC.
ReplyDeleteWe benefitted from the tax credit and it's currently our "cushion" money.
I'd take a smaller, older house "in town" all day long over something newer and bigger in the burbs. Prices have come down quite a bit- there are some really good deals on fixed-up houses in our Cotswold 'hood now!
ReplyDeleteI will say with regard to size that it's nice to feel like you could have a baby or two without panicking that you *had* to find a bigger house. Some of my friends are going through that now, and it's stressful. No clue if that is in your plan, but if it is, it would be nice to get a house big enough to accommodate a baby so you don't have to rush rush rush to find something else if you get pg.
I felt the same way when we house hunted. I was always so disappointed when I'd love the MLS pics then see the house and it not live up to my expectations. In the end, we chose a house in a location we liked (definately learn all you can about your city and neighborhoods)and had a good layout. I was surprised that many houses listed as having more sqft than ours felt smaller because of awkward layout. Ours is 1400 sqft and we have room to grow!
ReplyDeleteOur first home was 1700 sq. feet and I loved it. One of the things I loved was the yard. We had one of the biggest ones in the neighborhood. I would recommend that you not sacrifice yard for home size. You can always change the house, but you can't make more land. As far as building goes, nationwide it is more expensive to build than to buy an older home. But... all real estate markets are local and that accounts for Cara's comment about her area. You'll have to check with your agent about your area. I don't think going a little over 2000 sg. ft. would be too big. And you just moved away from family. You need space for visitors and maybe little ones in the future. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I just bought our first home, it is about 1700 square feet and believe me it is PLENTY big. It is four bedrooms 2 1/2 baths and we literally never even go in one of the bedrooms or the second bath upstairs. But it will be nice when we have kids.
ReplyDeleteWe were in the same situation as you, not a lot of cash to make repairs on a fixer upper. I would definitely recommend taking advantage of the 8K tax credit. We were able to use that money to paint the exterior of the house and put in granite countertops. It was nice to be able to get some things done right away. And it's nice to have the rest of it put away for future repairs the house might need.
One thing I learned, a house that doesn't seem like a fixer upper still needs a lot of work. I'm sure you are picky like me, and your to-do list will get long very quickly even if your house is in good shape (like ours is).
Good luck!!
you have fabulous ideas all the way around! i bought my home in 2006 and definitely wish i could go back and make different design choices. when i looked at homes, i definitely looked at more than 100. i printed out listings and drove by them before getting my realtor involved, so i didn't waste time scheduling to see homes in neighborhoods that i knew wouldn't fly. i drove my friends CRAZY asking them to ride along to looking a homes. this way worked much better for me, because it ensured i only saw homes i really wanted to see.
ReplyDeletemy home is 1750, and it's okay for me but would definitely be tight with 2 kids. i would think about whether you'll be there 0-5 years, or 5-10 and whether kids are in that plan. i think a small(er) home that has a great floor plan is definitely do-able. just be careful about wasted space . . .
buying a home is a really fun, and yet stressful time. i'm excited for you, and can wait to see what you decide--that tax credit is GREAT!
(sorry for the dissertation . . .)
Don't be discouraged. Remember you only need to find ONE house! We looked many many times over the course of months, but we have everything we asked for.
ReplyDeleteOur home is 1500 sq feet. But there is room to expand into the attic/3rd floor and also the yard is large so we can always build out if we need to later on.
We ended up spending more money than we thought we would, but we got a good home that we love that needed mostly cosmetic upgrades. The 8000$ comes in handy, but its not worth rushing into something you dont love.
Also old homes are awesome!!!! Look for homes from the 1920s-1930s - it was a very good time for houses!
I say buy when you find something you love, not just because there is a tax credit. Some homes are marked up because of the 8k credit too. Good luck and I say smaller is better but that's because I hate cleaning! :)
ReplyDeleteWe have a 1600 sq ft house with two kids. The size is a bit small at times, but honestly, I wouldn't want more to have to re-do, buy furniture for or clean. The key with our house is that it has ample bathrooms and closets. That is KEY to me!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I have a townhome with about 1500 sq. feet. It works for us (love that it doesn't require a ton of cleaning), but storage has become a challenge, even after purging a bit. I'd like about 500 more sq. feet, mostly in storage space!
ReplyDeleteFun, house hunting is great. I learned this:
ReplyDelete1. What you learn as you look around will change your opinions about what you thought you wanted. We started modern fixer upper! Ended up with remodled craftsman.
2. Make sure there is enough room, stick to your guns if you need two bedrooms, stay with two.
3. Make offers on properties that cost more than you can afford. Case and Point: Our house was listed at 340, 7 months later it was down to 320, we offered 220 (they almost killed us!) They were unwilling to go below 275, and they stalled so that we would have to accept at the last minute, or loose out and have to start over. I wish we would have called their bluff. B/c the house was on the market for so long, we could have said ok, we won't pay 275. We should have let the offer expire, then start over, and let them realize that the longer they have it on the market, the more they loose. But we were emotionally attached, cuz we are loosers like that. Anyway, learn from our mistake. No one wanted our house b/c it has a small kitchen (that can be easily expanded), but it is on a dead end, great hood, and the most square footage for our price range in the entire zip code. I thought I needed it fixed right away, but I also learned that you have to live in a house for a while and let it speak to you. We have been here one year and I still only have a dining table in our huge dining room. It echos when we talk. But I am waiting for the right things! It also took us one year to find our place and we looked a hell of a lot, and we changed our hood several times. So you may end up in a place you never expected!
it's an adventure, for sure! the best piece of advice I was given is that you can change the house, but you can change the neighborhood, so don't forget about your 'want list' for the neighborhood, too.
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way you do after our first round of looking. the reality of what we were going to get for our money was a little shocking! sacrifices will definitely be in order! I didn't get every single thing I wanted (dying for a wood-burning fireplace!) but I didn't get anything on my "please no!" list either. no carpet to pull up and no wallpaper to pull down, for which I am THANKFUL!
one more thing to consider when looking at the fixer-uppers is the handiness of your husband. sure, you can learn to do a lot, but some kind of natural affinity or ability is a major bonus. DIY upgrades also take up A LOT of time after work and on the weekends (I read recently to assume that it will take you twice as long as it will take a contractor), so that is something to consider, too.
you'll find something! good luck!
House huntung takes time! Sure luck out in a few weeks, we bought our home in Dec 08 in No. Cali - there is so much competition out here! We looks at over 60 house.We bought a older home 1956 - with lots of charm, just needed some love, we've had fun fixing her up - but its alot of work ongoing work!oh our our is tiny 1000sq - but we have HUGE lot makes up of lack of indoor space...just take you time and make a list
ReplyDeleteI actually just bought a small house and I love it! A lot more character, etc. than the bigger homes where I live.
ReplyDeleteAlso, my home was less than $150,000 and I was still able to qualify for the $8k tax credit (I'm anxiously waiting it to do some minor fix ups--I too am picky). I was told by my realtor AND broker that your home has to be over $100,000 to qualify for the full $8k, given your combined salary is less than the limit, I think that is $225,000.
Good luck!
Try not to get stressed about this. You'll have fun looking for a house, and you'll find the perfect one when the time is right.
ReplyDeletejbhat
My husband and I bought a 2400 sq foot home for just the two of us and our animals. Just because we could. It's WAYYYY too big. We only have one tv in the bonus room, which means we spend no time in the living room. I really love it, but when we look for our next house, it will be a one story brick rancher. But then again, I was going crazy in our 1300 sq foot condo. Maybe I'll never be satisfied.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I just moved into our first home one month ago. It's 1750 sq ft and it's an older home. Honestly, coming from living in an apartment, the house feels plenty large. For just the two of us, we actually have plenty of additional space (that we have yet to figure out what to do with). Plus, remember there's more cleaning to do in a house than in an apartment, even a smaller home.
ReplyDeleteWe chose our house because the guts of it were very good. Being an older home, we don't have to worry about updating things like the roof or furnace since the previous owners took care of that. As far as interiors, the kitchen is a bit of an eyesore. We bought the house knowing that the kitchen needed to be updated, and we plan to spend the 8k tax credit money to pay for it.
I love house hunting too, but after awhile I understand your feeling that it gets very tiring. We bought our first house last fall and I still watch House Hunters and My First Place though so I can keep looking! :) In terms of sq. footage, my husband, dog, and I live in 1250 square feet plus a finished basement. We are always in the same room and there's a lot to do - I would go for the smaller side for now, because we have plenty of space for one child even when we get to that phase. It'll depend on how long you plan to be there, but for us we are pretty always together anyway! Also you have way more to heat and cool with more square footage. My compromise on old vs. new was an old house with charm that's been well taken care of and upgraded a bit (livable and not pink bathroom tiles) so that we could paint and put our touches on. GOOD LUCK!
ReplyDeleteI would say for your first house, 1800 sq ft is plenty. Otherwise you will realize that you are having to upkeep a lot of wasted space. Plus, if you start smaller and cheaper, then you will learn (by not wasting money) what you really want and need in a house and what you are willing pay extra for because it fits your needs.
ReplyDeleteOh house hunting, I was there a year ago, so I know what you are going through!
ReplyDeleteWe looked at a ton of places, and we were only looking at condos, as we wanted to live in the city, etc. etc. We ended up going with a loft and for us 1200 square feet was MORE than enough. But there are only two of us, two cats, and no plans to ever have children, so it's perfect, no to mention it's totally open living, so we have more options than having rooms that are certain sizes.
My one piece of advice is to look at EVERYTHING you come across, even if you hate it in the listing. You never know until you set foot inside, and who knows, you might be surprised!
Okay, we just bought our first home this last fall, so I can offer some tips. First, it is your first home, you won't find everything in one place that you love, and if you are planning on eventually moving into a bigger one for having a family later than you don't need everything. Secondly, don't settle by convincing yourself that you can change it all, because it's time consuming, and you will inevitably run into problems that make it impossible to change everything you want to change, so make sure you love the home as is (with looking at changes that are easy to make, paint, replacing carpet/flooring, etc).
ReplyDeleteAs for the $8000 tax credit if you buy any home $80,000 or more you will get it. For us, it's going into a savings account to gain interest and with plans to sell in a few years it will insure we have the cash in case the buyer needs help with closing costs (which get rolled into their mortgage but needs to be paid upfront....meaning you pay it, but get it when you sell the house to them, since the payment is tacked onto what you get for the house). It is expensive to sell a house as well (ours is a simple $215,000 but it's going to cost us about 8% of that in total selling costs, making it near $17,000 just to sell it.) so if you plan to sell before you've put enough equity in your mortgage I highly recommend hanging onto that 8 grand.
But, with all that b.s. just remember, this is a special time for you, your first home together that you can change whatever you want, that you can really make your own. Enjoy it, but if you don't find what you are looking for, if there is no "moment" than you don't have to buy. The money is nice, but loving your home is more important.
We have a smaller home (just under 1800 sq ft) and it's perfect for the two of us. If anything, it's too big, and I can definitely see us having at least on child in this space. The way the space is used is important, but I never, ever feel limited by this square footage.
ReplyDeleteAlix seems to have the tax credit info wrong. I say that because we bought our first house and received the full 8k. It's 10% of the selling price OR 8k, whichever is less. So if you're house only cost 75k you would only get 7,500. If your house costs more than 80k you will get the entire 8k. If you scroll down farther, Kalee has the correct information.
ReplyDeleteOnly thing I would worry about is to make sure you buy a big enough house if you have plans to expand your family any time soon. The tax credit stipulates that the home must remain as your permanent residence for 3 years after purchase. If you sell the home you have to return the tax credit. Just something to think about it.
Buy what you can afford on one salary. Babies have a way of making you want to take some time off. We had a 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath with finished attic and small playroom and not very many closets (about 1700 sq ft), which was ok with a family of four....when the 3rd kid came along it suddenly got verrrrry tight. I wanted a much bigger house, but was happy that we had the flexibility for me not to work for a while.
ReplyDeleteWhen we buy again (we relocated for my husband's job and are renting now), we will still buy what we can afford only on my husband's salary....my salary will be put away for college.
Don't get discouraged! Charlotte is a hard market to find something in because of the size and huge differences in price by area. You already know what we ended up with .... : )
ReplyDeleteI found the site carolinahome.com to be a useful resource because you aren't limited to the listings of a specifc realtor/company.
If you want any advice on Charlotte house hunting let me know! Hubby and I looked at over 100 homes over the course of a year before we found the one we are in now...it all works out in the end. I can give you the low down on different areas of the city, there are some that are not the best investment. Good luck with the hunt! Also I vote to go with a smaller home unless you hire someone to clean every week, cleaning our 2200 sq. ft. home takes a full day!
ReplyDeleteit really is all about location. the best bet is to buy the ugliest cheapest house in the best neighborhood...and make sure you don't price yourself out of the neighborhood with all of the upgrades you want to do.
ReplyDeletewe are looking for a house too, and i keep telling my husband that we need to find a house that is "worthy" of the upgrades we want to do. i mean, i want to make the house look great and be a place to showcase my design aesthetic, but i also want to turn a profit when we eventually sell it.
good luck though---i hope you find the perfect little charmer that is WORTHY of your mad-awesome design skills!
the key is to buy a house that you really like not one that you can live in for a few years and then trade up...because you never know... you may be in the house longer than expected...don't be discouraged...there are a lot of unattractive places out there... we bought an antique and love it... it is small and i always thought we might trade up but we never did... it is just right... our first bid was rejected and a higher bid taken but the sale never went through...so second time around we upped the bid and got the house. But key is to really like the house - don't settle
ReplyDeletemy husband and i live in a smaller house at about 1200 sf. what i would say is don't concentrate on the overall square footage as much as whether or not the space is distributed where you need it. for me it was in the kitchen, bathrooms and closet. for you it might be office and storage. a bigger house won't do you any good if all the square footage is in creating a huge master, a formal living, and a dining room.
ReplyDeleteThe inspiration pictures are too die for. Walnut floors, white trim, black accents.... LOVE. Good luck in the house hunt. My boyfriend bought our first house without me even seeing it.... It turned out to be wonderful, but not my taste exactly and we paid WAY too much.
ReplyDeleteThe next time won't be that way.
Enjoy it!
My advice would be don't buy a house just because the gov is offering the tax credit. Wait until you are more than ready. Be old fashioned, wait until you have 20% down. Stay in the apartment a little longer. I am speaking from experience here.
ReplyDeleteBut, if you do buy, I would say get less than 2000. Smaller houses are cheaper to live in for obvious reasons. You can afford fancy upgrades when you don't have much sq footage to work with.
But really, my main advice is, don't be in a rush to buy.
Hi Bryn!
ReplyDeleteI've been tagging along with my boyfriend looking at condos lately, and I hear you about paying for other people's "upgrades." The one we're hoping to get has virtually no upgrades apart from wood floors (yay!) and beautiful granite countertops in the kitchen (another yay!). Personally, I like smaller spaces. When you have a bigger home, you have to clean a bigger home... : ) Good luck! Can't wait to see what you end up finding!
We have 1500 square feet. When we bought the house nine years ago. We started with the mortgage/taxes amount we wanted to spend each month. We also wanted to ensure we could afford the payments on one salary if need be. We could have afforded a much larger house but wanted to be mortgage wise. Then we started with our wish list. I wanted a front garage, established neighborhood with open floor plan and trees. Hubs wanted about the same with the living areas centered around the backyard. We wanted convenience to our jobs and activities.
ReplyDeleteLooking back, I'm so glad we made those choices. I love our neighborhood of established homes with large city lots. I wouldn't trade being able to get anywhere in Dallas in 15-20 minutes.
Yes, our home is on the small size in comparison to others. But we live in each room and my daughter is always with us. Our footprint is much smaller, less to clean, and the best part is that it will be paid off in ten more years!
I say go for liveability. A small house with a good layout goes much further than a large house with a poor layout and no storage.
I was always so excited to buy our first house. It was miserable. I bawled my eyes out all the time and got super depressed. Nothing ever worked out. Being a designer is almost a curse because you are so picky. We finally built a townhouse and we love it. But that year we spent looking was horrible. So glad it's over. I'm sure you'll find something you love. Don't give up and stay optimistic.
ReplyDeleteBTW-we live in about 1600 sq ft with a newborn and so far it seems to be just enough. If I wasn't a stay at home mom right now, it may feel bigger but I could go for another 500 sq ft or so. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jo though about the possessions, when we moved into a bigger house, I actually ditched a bunch of stuff because it wanted to enjoy the openness of the new house and not feel obligated to pack it put with more stuff!
I really like the black windows!
Good luck house hunting, I look forward to seeing what you find!
I'm all for having a smaller home that you can then afford to upgrade, furnish, decorate, etc. I also find that with a smaller home you have less junk and it's easier to keep clean. Just make sure you know what you absolutely want for features. Our first home was our "starter home" and we settled in nice but didn't love it so we were always waiting to leave. I live in a bigger house now I don't find it's a tonne more functional from a size perspective but we love the features that we consider non-negotiable (like a garage, walk in closet, neighbourhood, etc.). If you don't get what you absolutely want then you're always going to feel temporary.
ReplyDeleteHappy House Hunting!!
So many pros and cons for each...
ReplyDeleteOur house is just over 2,000 square feet and it is nice to have a place for everything HOWEVER is it hard to keep it clean...I miss our little 900 sq ft. place on cleaning day!
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. I am in Rock Hill looking for a home as well.
ReplyDeleteI dont see me making the deadline. Some great homes, but in the wrong areas.
I feel your pain.
Mr. Goodwill Hunting
http://g-w-hunting.blogspot.com
These are all great comments. I bought a 1200sf row house in Denver after looking at about 30 properties.
ReplyDeleteAlls I can say is that you know it is your house the moment you walk into it. Don't get too burned out, you'll find it, or it will find you.
These are all great comments. I bought a 1200sf row house in Denver after looking at about 30 properties.
ReplyDeleteAlls I can say is that you know it is your house the moment you walk into it. Don't get too burned out, you'll find it, or it will find you.
So many pros and cons for each...
ReplyDeleteHi Bryn!
ReplyDeleteI've been tagging along with my boyfriend looking at condos lately, and I hear you about paying for other people's "upgrades." The one we're hoping to get has virtually no upgrades apart from wood floors (yay!) and beautiful granite countertops in the kitchen (another yay!). Personally, I like smaller spaces. When you have a bigger home, you have to clean a bigger home... : ) Good luck! Can't wait to see what you end up finding!
We have a smaller home (just under 1800 sq ft) and it's perfect for the two of us. If anything, it's too big, and I can definitely see us having at least on child in this space. The way the space is used is important, but I never, ever feel limited by this square footage.
ReplyDeleteI would say for your first house, 1800 sq ft is plenty. Otherwise you will realize that you are having to upkeep a lot of wasted space. Plus, if you start smaller and cheaper, then you will learn (by not wasting money) what you really want and need in a house and what you are willing pay extra for because it fits your needs.
ReplyDeleteI love house hunting too, but after awhile I understand your feeling that it gets very tiring. We bought our first house last fall and I still watch House Hunters and My First Place though so I can keep looking! :) In terms of sq. footage, my husband, dog, and I live in 1250 square feet plus a finished basement. We are always in the same room and there's a lot to do - I would go for the smaller side for now, because we have plenty of space for one child even when we get to that phase. It'll depend on how long you plan to be there, but for us we are pretty always together anyway! Also you have way more to heat and cool with more square footage. My compromise on old vs. new was an old house with charm that's been well taken care of and upgraded a bit (livable and not pink bathroom tiles) so that we could paint and put our touches on. GOOD LUCK!
ReplyDeleteTry not to get stressed about this. You'll have fun looking for a house, and you'll find the perfect one when the time is right.
ReplyDeletejbhat
I actually just bought a small house and I love it! A lot more character, etc. than the bigger homes where I live.
ReplyDeleteAlso, my home was less than $150,000 and I was still able to qualify for the $8k tax credit (I'm anxiously waiting it to do some minor fix ups--I too am picky). I was told by my realtor AND broker that your home has to be over $100,000 to qualify for the full $8k, given your combined salary is less than the limit, I think that is $225,000.
Good luck!
Fun, house hunting is great. I learned this:
ReplyDelete1. What you learn as you look around will change your opinions about what you thought you wanted. We started modern fixer upper! Ended up with remodled craftsman.
2. Make sure there is enough room, stick to your guns if you need two bedrooms, stay with two.
3. Make offers on properties that cost more than you can afford. Case and Point: Our house was listed at 340, 7 months later it was down to 320, we offered 220 (they almost killed us!) They were unwilling to go below 275, and they stalled so that we would have to accept at the last minute, or loose out and have to start over. I wish we would have called their bluff. B/c the house was on the market for so long, we could have said ok, we won't pay 275. We should have let the offer expire, then start over, and let them realize that the longer they have it on the market, the more they loose. But we were emotionally attached, cuz we are loosers like that. Anyway, learn from our mistake. No one wanted our house b/c it has a small kitchen (that can be easily expanded), but it is on a dead end, great hood, and the most square footage for our price range in the entire zip code. I thought I needed it fixed right away, but I also learned that you have to live in a house for a while and let it speak to you. We have been here one year and I still only have a dining table in our huge dining room. It echos when we talk. But I am waiting for the right things! It also took us one year to find our place and we looked a hell of a lot, and we changed our hood several times. So you may end up in a place you never expected!
I say buy when you find something you love, not just because there is a tax credit. Some homes are marked up because of the 8k credit too. Good luck and I say smaller is better but that's because I hate cleaning! :)
ReplyDeleteyou have fabulous ideas all the way around! i bought my home in 2006 and definitely wish i could go back and make different design choices. when i looked at homes, i definitely looked at more than 100. i printed out listings and drove by them before getting my realtor involved, so i didn't waste time scheduling to see homes in neighborhoods that i knew wouldn't fly. i drove my friends CRAZY asking them to ride along to looking a homes. this way worked much better for me, because it ensured i only saw homes i really wanted to see.
ReplyDeletemy home is 1750, and it's okay for me but would definitely be tight with 2 kids. i would think about whether you'll be there 0-5 years, or 5-10 and whether kids are in that plan. i think a small(er) home that has a great floor plan is definitely do-able. just be careful about wasted space . . .
buying a home is a really fun, and yet stressful time. i'm excited for you, and can wait to see what you decide--that tax credit is GREAT!
(sorry for the dissertation . . .)
I felt the same way when we house hunted. I was always so disappointed when I'd love the MLS pics then see the house and it not live up to my expectations. In the end, we chose a house in a location we liked (definately learn all you can about your city and neighborhoods)and had a good layout. I was surprised that many houses listed as having more sqft than ours felt smaller because of awkward layout. Ours is 1400 sqft and we have room to grow!
ReplyDeleteWe lived in a subdivision in Charlotte a few years back (Univ. area NE of the city). We always regretted not finding an older house in one of the closer, downtown neighborhoods. It seems like they had more character. Also, we've lived in a 2000 sqft home for the last 5 years with 2, then 3 kids. We are moving into a 2400 sqft home soon but it's more about the layout than the size. We've laughed about bringing our 3 kids to look at homes that people with only one kid think are too small!
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel better you really can't have it all in any home. There are always trade offs at every price point.
ReplyDeleteIm sure you'll find something you love in short order and have a great time making it your own.
As you know I love older homes and am happy with the trade offs but its not for everyone. A new home is always much easier.
My hubby + I have bought 3 homes in the past 4 years (nuts, I know... thank you, relocation!)... and my biggest suggestions would be: look at a ton of places, figure out how much work/renovation would be too much for you + your husband to handle, and what house wants you'd be willing to sacrifice, and which ones you can't.
ReplyDeleteWith every house we've bought, we've ended up with something slightly different than we initially thought we wanted... and we've loved every house. It's just that as you look, your ideas about what you want/need change a little. Our most recent house had horrible bathrooms, wallpaper, carpet, etc, but we got it for a steal and decided we could live with ugliness for a little bit and slowly improve the place over time.
We're also small(er) house fans: our house now is about 2000 square feet, and is too big for just the two of us, but we'd like to have kids soon so we know we'll grow into it. More room is nice, but too much room feels wasteful and requires more cleaning.
Having said all that - enjoy the process - I loved looking at houses, even if it got frustrating at times! Best of luck to you and keep us posted! :)
My house is a little over 1600 square feet and it is perfect for just me {and a pet}. I use every room in my house. I don't have huge bathrooms, but I am okay with that. I like a smaller home from and environmental stand point, as well. Good luck with your search!
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