Please tell me your thoughts on the house you bought

[gisellewannabe]

Hi! Thanks to all the helpful responses I got when I asked what to do to fix up my house so it would sell, the FIRST couple that walked through my house wanted it! So thanks to everyone here! I cleaned like a maniac, packed away more than half of my clothes, put away all knicknacks/ family photos, matching hangers in closets, changed fixtures/ fixed tub and painted! WHEW!

So now, would you kind folks help me with my house hunt. I only have about a month to find a house. So, what I would like to know is, do you wish you had gotten something different than you did? Bigger? Smaller? Less/more yard? Less crowded neighborhood? closer to work? I know its all subjective but I would LOVE to hear all your thoughts. Thanks so much again for all your good advice

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

I have a beautiful home, but our neighborhood does not have sidewalks, nor is it near parks. I really miss those things. I find that I don't get as much exercise and don't enjoy the outdoors or neighbors as much as when I had sidewalks and parks.

In addition, I LOVE that our backyard faces the South. In winter it is so warm, and in the summer it stays cooler. Our driveway faces East, so if there is snow or ice in the winter it melts off quickly with the rising of the sun.

I once had a back yard that was north facing, never again. It was so miserably hot in the summer.

Oh, having a soaker tub is wonderful, but jets are just one more thing that can break down and need to be scrubbed. I loved my house with a plain huge soaker, also known as, garden tub.

Last, it is hard, but buying a house with ugly paint, carpeting, and appliances can be a HUGE savings. You get to put in a bit of sweat equity, increase the value of your home, and have things exactly to your choosing.

In this market, a house in need of a good cleaning and simple updates can be 15% to 20% cheaper. In other words, you can get a great deal if you do the opposite of what you did in selling your home. So, the cluttered house with green shag carpeting and golden rod appliances can be a much better deal.

Last, ALWAYS get a home inspection and consider asking for a home warrenty for the major systems of the house. Even with new construction you need to really look at all the things which are not visible to the naked eye.

 

[punkin]

If you have children, number 1 is school district. I am in one of the best ones in the state. That's the only reason I bought this house.

After that, I like the fact that my house has a lot of light. I like the mature shade trees. I like the quiet street. I have the most gorgeous magnolia in my front yard (the only thing I like about living in the "south")

I want a fireplace, a larger kitchen, more closet space, a deck, a mud room.

I want to reconfigure the driveway and have more of a street entry. I really need to change the landscaping.

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

You can always make changes to the house, but not your lot size or view. I wish we didn't look out our back window and see 6 houses in all directions. I'd make sure you like the views

Also, I'd never live on the "main drag" again. Always cul-de-sacs from now on.

 

[cm8]

congratulations!!! I would want a bigger lot between my house and the neighbors. I would also avoid living next door to police people as some of them think they OWN your house and everything in it or around itI would like a bigger closet for clothing and more closets for storing things, I would also put up a fence if it does not have one so no one can look into your house, LOL, make sure you are in a good school district, and (make sure that you are not in a home that has a HOA as some of those people are power hungry and crazy )if you can afford 2 or more acres, take it!!!

We hope to move soon into something with some acreage that our children can enjoy as well as us without worrying about the noise levels. Also make sure to have your own inspector and lawyer if you can and don't close on your home with out it being duly noted what is to be repaired or refunded if not repaired if there are issues that you will have with the home not being in the condition that you would like it to be.

PS, don't rush into one home if it is not what you want, take your time. I know you said you only had a month, but don't just settle, since you have owned a home before, you pretty much know what your likes and dislikes are, use them they will be your best friend

Happy House Hunting!!

 

[CTdiznymom]

We are still in our first home and have been here close to 30 years. Before we made an offer we drove by at different times of the day and week to see the neighborhood. The house is older, and now that the kids are grown (still living home) it's gotten quite small. Still love the house but wish we had more storage space and an extra room or two. The neighborhood has changed (we've gotten older and they've gotten younger!) so noise and privacy are now issues. Maybe once my girls move out we'll make a move too.

 

[Ephany]

I'm in a weird situation as we're renting a house where I go to school, but still own a home elsewhere as we want to settle back in that area when I'm finished. Renting again after owning has definitely made me aware of what I like/dislike.

Our house:
-like having multiple floors, the bedrooms are separated from the common areas
-like having a fenced in backyard (wooden, not chain link) with lots of greenery (our backyard faces south too, very much like this)
-like living in an established, quiet neighborhood on a cul de sac
-like that we're within walking distance to a good elementary and middle school
-like that the washer/dryer are in the garage/separate laundry area
-like having a garage
-dislike not having sidewalks anywhere in the community until you get to the main road
-dislike that nothing is within walking distance except for schools, everything else must be driven to as there's no sidewalks and the town is stretched along a highway

Rental:
-like that it's located in one of the 'good' school districts
-like that because I'm in a city vs. small town there's a variety of activities and restaurants
-dislike (actually hate) the chain link fence
-dislike the busy road, DD can't ride her bike in the driveway b/c it slopes steeply down to the road. I have to take her to the park or school where it's safe.
-dislike that there are no sidewalks
-dislike washer/dryer in kitchen, they're behind doors, but it's still annoying
-nothing is within walking distance, the nearest stores are miles away
-dislike that fans and lights are controlled by same switch and that there's no garbage disposal (these are petty I know, but I'd never thought about it until I didn't have them)
-older home so I spend a lot of time dealing with bugs, especially ants as those buggers can find the teeniest little crack in the baseboards to come inside.

I'm sure there's more; DH teases me I should start a list of my likes/dislikes so that when we find our 'forever home' I'll have the basics covered.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

We love our backyard - it's fairly flat and fenced off. We looked at several houses with majorly sloped backyards and I just know I would have hated buying one of those.

We like the house but honestly we're in a cookie cutter type neighborhood and I wish we had gotten a house that is more unique. Our neighborhood is really quiet which is great.

Love the fact that we have a pool in our community - really don't like having the Homeowners Association that goes along with it.

Good luck!

 

[merekc]

We have a North facing driveway. Right now our drive is solid ice, our neighbors across the street have clear drives. The sun doesn't hit ours at all.

Wish our driveway was flat. We can't really have a basketball goal for the kids. Our drive is also very narrow and short. Barely fits four cars and even then you step out of the car into the grass. Really hate that and not something I ever thought about.

Our house also doesn't get much sun on the West side due to shadow from neighbor's house. We get a lot of wood rot there. Again, something I never thought of or experienced previously.

I have to have a laundry room on the bedroom level. I like a large open kitchen, plenty of cabinet and counter space. Must have a dishwasher. Would love to have a double oven.

We also don't have a coat closet (somewhat open floor plan). We always have coats and bags everywhere, miss one more than I realized I would.

I prefer to have garages with extra room. They don't have to be third car or anything but a little extra room for storage on the end so you can pull in your cars and still have room for your yard and outdoor stuff.

Make sure that the runoff from the neighbor's yards don't all run to your new house.

 

[C.Ann]

DD and her DH purchased this house (where I live with them part-time) in 2006 - knowing full well that over time they were going to totally remodel it from top to bottom.. (Her DH is capable of doing all of the work himself and is able to get the materials for less through his employers contract account..)

So - why did they choose this house? I will list them in the order of what appealed to them..

#1 - Extremely good school district for their DD.. One of the very best in this part of the state..

#2 - Very, very large and deep backyard; large side yards separating them from the neighbors on either side; and a good size front yard..

#3 - Beautiful, safe neighborhood..

#4 - The house has 3 garages.. One in the front - for her DH's Classic Camaro - and a double garage on the side for their vehicles (all attached to the house)..

#5 - The right number of rooms - good sized - and as an added bonus, a fireplace in the LR..

#6 - HUGE basement! (So far they have turned some of the space into a utility room for the furnace and hot water heater; family room; laundry room; 2nd bathroom; office for DD's DH; and a small scrapbook/craft room for me that will be expanded to approximately 3 times that size this summer or next..) HUGE attic over the house and a 2nd HUGE attic over the two-car garage..

#7 - Much closer to my place at the lake - where they vacation with their travel trailer on my extra lot every weekend from late April to mid-October.. A 40-minute drive compared to the former 1 hour 10 minute drive..

Had DD's DH not had the ability to completely remodel the entire house, I'm sure they would have passed on it - but with his abilities and his "vision" - as well as an awesome price - they would have been foolish to pass it up..

We're all very happy here - no regrets at all..

Good luck with your house hunting quest..

 

[crusoe2]

We went with an older, fixer-upper house because it was quaint and near my parents. Less than 10 years later, my parents were both gone and we had become really disatisfied with the house. I've learned that I would rather have a newer, plainer house on a larger lot and a quieter street. The things I thought would be no big deal have turned out to be major issues (tiny closets, odd floor plan, no garage or carport, having to park in the backyard) and that these things are not as easily fixed as we'd thought. Mainly because the lot is so narrow. So a larger lot is definitely up there on our wish list for the next house.

 

[gisellewannabe]

You guys are awesome! Thanks so much:thumbsup Keep em coming!

 

[Littlemotherhaywood]

When we owned our last home the thing I really loved was the big front porch. It was one of the main things that appealed to me. I also loved the huge tree that gave shade in our backyard. Our house (and driveway) also faced East and it really does make a big difference when you live where it snows. In the end though there were a lot of things we overlooked because we were taken with the charm of the house. We had plenty of attic space for storage but the closets were too small and there was only one full bathroom. We definitely would have outgrown the house if we had still been there when our third came along.

We're renting right now and our house sits at the bottom of a hill. Every time it rains our driveway and yard get flooded and the moisture just sits in the yard for days. I would definitely look for a nice level lot. It makes a big difference for things like rain and also maintenance. My dh hates mowing the hilly lawn.

Space was a big issue for us. We didn't have enough of it between us and the neighbors. I really don't want to be so close I can see in their windows or they could see in ours

I love house shopping, but it's amazing how hard it is to find the "perfect" house, lol. Good luck and happy shopping.

 

[Taja]

A lot of good advice from everyone!

Here are some additional thoughts:

1. What is your family size and composition?

2. Childrens ages? Many more years at home or close to university age?

3. Parents/grandparents likely to become resident family members in the next few years?

4. How did your previous home fit your family? What is your lifestyle?

If you have children, you're more likely to make the school district a very high priority. If they're leaving for university in a year or two, you might want to consider a smaller, comfortable home rather than a large one that will leave empty nesters with more work than they want in the very near future! And if older parents/grandparents are likely to become resident family any time soon, you need to consider their special needs: stairs (lack thereof, comfortable patio/porch, sidwalks, etc.).

Beyond that, what makes your family comfortable? City, suburbs or country? More land for an active, outdoor lifestyle or just concern about location? Need a lot of storage? Garage? Size of driveway or available parking (children reaching driving age in the near future?)? Floorplan?

And budget. Don't overextend yourselves financially. That's been a hard lesson for many people these past couple of years. As others have mentioned, location can't be changed, but the house itself can--within reason.

You asked what others like or dislike about their homes. My home was purchased as a long-term investment and is in a very good school district. The term has been about 8 years longer than planned, due to family commitments, and is likely to be another two years or so longer due to market conditions. LOL What I like about it is the location and that it is a good design for resale. New owners could open the floorplan a bit more, but it isn't something I'm willing to do--although it would be spectacular! The one thing I dislike about it--and didn't even realize until I'd lived in it for a year--is that it does not have a utility closet! No place to store brooms, mops, vacuums, etc., except the hall closet. I installed some cabinets in the garage and reserved one for household cleaning supplies, so that problem is solved! My biggest issue is the property and house are too large for me and I devote too much time to regular cleaning and maintenance. I do plan to sell when the market stablizes a bit--we're still in a volatile home sales market.

 

[purplepixiedust]

Our home is quite old (late 1800's) and in need of many updates. You don't want to go that route!! Our house is large and open but lacks storage and privacy. We only have closets in the bedrooms, none for coats and shoes etc. I would like to have a few rooms that could be sitting areas or a tv room seperate from the main living area. Our friends have a finished basement which has a pool table and a tv area and our children love to hang out down there and play video games. I would LOVE an attached garage. We also live on a main road which is no fun. Can you tell I would LOVE to move??!!! LOL! We bought our house about ten years ago when we outgrew a rental (had another baby) and we were on a tight budget. We loved the curb appeal of our home and our neighborhood but our house isn't very liveable for a family of five. But now we have had a chance to see our friends build homes that we would like to live in. Different things are important to different people, so it is hard to say what is a good thing and what is not. But you definetly do not want to buy a house that needs work done to it....

Here are my top five faves for when we decide to move:

1. must have more than one bathroom
2. attached garage
3. outdoor entertaining area (love our front and back porches) that is at least semi private
4. ample closets/storage throughout home
5. a few different living areas (den, finished basement etc)

 

[purplepixiedust]

We went with an older, fixer-upper house because it was quaint and near my parents. Less than 10 years later, my parents were both gone and we had become really disatisfied with the house. I've learned that I would rather have a newer, plainer house on a larger lot and a quieter street. The things I thought would be no big deal have turned out to be major issues (tiny closets, odd floor plan, no garage or carport, having to park in the backyard) and that these things are not as easily fixed as we'd thought. Mainly because the lot is so narrow. So a larger lot is definitely up there on our wish list for the next house.

::::sigh:::: we are in the same boat!!! Dh & I feel the same way about our home.

 

[iwrbnd]

Storage!!!

 

[design_mom]

We had our current house built, so we got to do a lot of things that we wanted... but there are always things I wish I would change.

Consider your lifestyle when choosing your yard. I grew up on 2-1/2 acres (all grass) and it was my job to mow/rake. It took most of Saturday. I did not want a lot of land. We now live on a 1/3 of an acre, and with a mulching mower, we can take care of the lawn in 30-45 minutes. I would only want more land if it was woods or something.

We have dogs and kids. I wanted the entrance from the back yard and garage to be tile/vinyl/wood, not carpet. At our old house, the back door opened onto carpet and no matter what I tried -- door mats, rugs, wiping the dog's feet -- it was *always* dirty.

We added a jacuzzi tub to our new house. I think I've used it 2-3 times since we moved in (in 2003). I would not do that again.

We considered adding a third garage bay, but didn't because of the cost. Now I wish we would have. Our garage is cramped with two cars, lawn equipment, kids outdoor toys, etc. It would have been a small investment then. And due to the way our house is positioned on the lot, I'm not sure we have enough room to add it now -- we could have positioned it differently to keep the option open, but we didn't think about it at the time.

I wanted the downstairs bathroom to be a decent distance away from the main rooms. At my SIL's house, their half bath is right next to their family room. While you're sitting in their family room you can hear EVERY sound in the bathroom. (I do my best to hold it till we go home!)

Choose the things that are most important to you and concentrate on the ones you can't change later (admittedly, the carpet/tile thing could be updated later). Before we decided to build, I found a "perfect house" -- great location, great floor plan, etc. DH wouldn't consider it because he wanted white woodwork and the house had stained. I told him the woodwork could be painted, but he wouldn't budge. (I like our current house but still think that was stupid...I think he really wanted to build but didn't want to say so.)

 

[okeydokey]

The house we are in now is the second we bought so we knew what we wanted. Screen porch, quiet neighborhood, good location, large kitchen, storage space and wood/tile floors. We got all of that and I am glad because even when we were looking we were saying we could always add a porch later or the floors, but in reality we probably wouldn't. Get everything you can get right at the get-go.

 

[DawnM]

The biggest thing we look for when house shopping is PRIVACY! We hate those sub-divisions where all the backyards just flow together and everyone can see in your windows.

We like at least some trees or something.