Your house hunt

[CdnCarrie]

I’ve known for years that show was not real but still watch as I like looking at houses.

I’m on my third house.This one we built. Probably looked at over 100 show homes and ended up buying the first floor plan we saw! I still go to display homes for fun.

 

[loves to dive]

I started looking a year before we bought. Hubby gave me a budget (the year was because he wanted a certain amount saved before we bought) and we both had a few must haves. I looked and looked and when I would find one close to what we wanted I would take him to see it. The one we finally bought was below our budget, had everything in our must have list. It was not perfect but we decided it wouldn't be our final home. We have been in it for over 20 years now. Our must haves: if it was two story master on the main (hubby), fireplace (real or gas didn't matter it was a real one we converted to gas logs), basement for our hot tub and hubby's servers (he is a computer consultant and works from home), tile kitchen and bathroom floors (big mistake the builder cut corners and there are at least 20 tiles in the kitchen that are now broken), large garden tub in master bath (not sure why I wanted that since we have a hot tub), hard wood floors in living room, good internet (actually didn't have that when we moved in but AT&T assured us it was coming within 6 months, which it did, meanwhile we had to use sat), decent distance between us and neighbors. The compromises were it's semi-out in the country which I didn't want, hubby did. It is a subdivision built in what used to be a pasture, about 30 min. in either direction to the nearest town and no food delivery, hubby wanted all brick but it's partial brick and partial cement backer board, hubby wanted a little land but it's only 1 acre, hubby wanted brand new - I didn't - it was brand new, I wanted a front porch to sit on - ours is barely a porch and if you put a chair on it you wouldn't be able to get to the door, I wanted a screened in back porch since we live in Georgia and I'm allergic to the sun and bug bites so I wouldn't be able to use it - just have a back deck.

 

[jen7233]

We've owned two homes. When we bought those, we most definitely settled. The first home we bought we realized we needed to bump up a price range to get the square footage we wanted. We were younger so I think we weren't as picky, but settled on having an older place that needed some work. We were younger and tighter budget, lived in a cheaper cost of living area, and bought at 67k.

Our second house we bought in another area when moving for work, and our budget was higher. It was a new build already completed and available, and we had one weekend to go house hunting. I didn't like the bedroom sizes, one was 10x10, and didn't like the laundry room or lack thereof, the closets, and no entryway really, it was just open door, in living room. The kitchen was nice and loved the counters. I'd go back right this second if we still owned it! Currently renting in the DC metro area, and this house needs some serious help but would still probably market for around 600k. To get into what we'd like here based on what we can afford, we'd have to really settle.

 

[Kitty 34]

Did he get to keep his lava lamp???

Ron, who knows what all is out in the barn.

 

[disykat]

We've bought two homes and both had things we didn't like and were missing things we wanted.

Our first house didn't have a dedicated master bath and came with LOTS of work that needed to be done to make it livable. It ended up being a great house for that time period of our lives. (editing to add we probably looked at about 20 houses over a couple of months before buying?)

We love our current home and it was move in ready but the things on our list it didn't have were a 4th bedroom (doesn't matter anymore as we are empty nesters) and a pantry (again, doesn't matter any more.) The biggest downside it did have was that we were too close to not so great neighbors. We lived with those neighbors for about 10 years, but have had great neighbors ever since. The biggest selling point was beautiful trees that we love, but even those come with a downside. The tree guy is coming today to give us an estimate! (I know we looked at exactly 37 houses in two and half weeks before buying, we had sold our old home in less than a week and were really in a crunch to buy during a sellers market.)

I honestly can't imagine really being in a financial position to get a house that had everything we wanted. When we looked at starter homes and when we looked for our current home, NONE of the houses we looked at were "perfect."

 

[holden]

We've been in our home for 22 years and are currently looking to move. There hasn't been anything we are looking for in our price range. There was one place, but the house needed so much renovation that it was a tear down.

We are looking for something very specific, so I'm not surprised it's been so difficult. We want a specific school district, at least 10 acres and preferably a barn/riding ring, etc. for horses.

 

[leebee]

Our first house was in Michigan and had pretty much everything we wanted. We had a 4 day weekend to find a house. We ended up with a perfect house for us! Top of our list was a two car attached garage; we ended up with that as well as 1/3 acre in a neighborhood with good schools, LR, DR, kitchen and 25'X22' family room, sliders to the deck on the first floor. Upstairs was 3bedrooms, 1.5 bath (1/2 bath on first floor, one full bathroom on the 2nd floor), unfinished basement. We paid $109K. Our 2nd house was in PA- great neighborhood full of kids, 1/3 acre, family room, laundry room, 1/2 bath, 2 car attached garage on entry level, Kitchen, LR, DR on first level, 3 bedrooms, 1 full bath, 3/4 bath attached to the master. Basement was full finished with pantry, large area with bar, plenty of space for DH's office, bedroom, a storage room. We paid $113K. Then we moved up here in Maine and went through sticker shock. Pretty much a duplicate of our Michigan house was $165K. Decent houses in our town literally fly off the market- many many have agreements before they are ever advertised. We ended up with a house that's now about 110 years old. Two car attached garage was at the top of the list, but we didn't get that at all; in fact, until this summer the driveway wasn't even paved. Basement has a full finished room that we use for storage, first floor is LR, DR, kitchen, family room. Upstairs is master with full bath, 2 other bedrooms, a laundry room, a full bath, and a storage area. Full walk-up attic. This house has been a constant hassle with repairs, renovations, etc., but at least we found a house that has the space we need. Of course, now there's just the two of us, so it's a lot of space filled with junk... so much stuff that we don't need/use.

 

[PollyannaMom]

So when you were looking, was it hard to find something in budget that met your needs and wants?

Not really. Our first house was an easy find, and it had everything we needed at the time. I think I actually loved the layout more than this one, but it was small (and old) and eventually we needed more space (and fewer projects). - It was the right financial decision at the time, though.

This one took a little more looking. We saw quite a few that just weren't right (too small, too dark, weird lots...) and then actually found it by accident. - We were scheduled to see a house down the street, and saw the sign on this one as we passed. Our realtor made a call, and we saw it the same day. We seriously debated between the two, as there were things we liked about each, but decided on this one, and I'm very happy. The only thing I would change if I was planning to dump a bunch of money into it would be to turn the back deck into a screen/sun room. But that wasn't something I was looking for then, just something that would be good for us now.

It doesn’t matter as long as there is ‘room to entertain!’ Do people really place a huge emphasis on that when buying a house? Not judging, just curious!

That drives me nuts, too! I keep thinking, how can everybody but me want people around them all the time? My home is my quiet place, not party central.

 

[ronandannette]

It doesn’t matter as long as there is ‘room to entertain!’ Do people really place a huge emphasis on that when buying a house? Not judging, just curious!

That drives me nuts, too! I keep thinking, how can everybody but me want people around them all the time? My home is my quiet place, not party central.

It was very important to us. Now, maybe not in the grand style they imply on the tv shows but yes, we have people over (pre-Covid {{sigh}}) at least 3 times a month. Whatever place we bought had to be right for that and my main priority was having the kitchen not be open to the dining and living room and having good spaces to serve food both at formal sit-downs and more casual gatherings. An extra bedroom for out-of-town company was also a must. As a bonus we ended up with a small backyard space to serve pre-dinner drinks in summer - not a deal-breaker and also not easy to find in a condo.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

For us it was location, location, location. I wanted to stay in the same town I rented in so i didn’t have to change the kids school. And move in ready. I didn’t want to renovate things immediately.

Space to entertain was also important. We always would want to host but never had the space. Now we have friends over a lot. I entertain family events. I can have my kids birthday parties at the house instead of renting out a venue. When my son graduates We’re going to do a graduation bbq which we couldn’t do in an apartment. We got a house with a nice size backyard and a finished detached garage and set it up like a family room/man cave. It’s a perfect set up for entertaining.

I could work with anything else. I grew up living in small apartments or in bad living conditions. A house was a major upgrade so I wasn’t that picky.

We put in the offer the first day we looked. It was on the market 4 days and had plenty of offers after ours. We weren’t the first choice but the people before us fell through so we were next in line.

 

[neverlandsky]

Both times we bought we spent majority of the time looking online 18 months prior to buying. Both times the bank wanted us to go higher then what we wanted to spend. Both times we bought new built, settled, and didn't get everything. No house is perfect. Budget 100% dictated what we purchased.

First home (fall 2009 buyer's market) we had more of say so in upgrades and finishes. Yet budget was tight, so we focused on upgrades that couldn't be done later like window additions in laundry room & bathrooms, insulation upgrades, wiring upgrades, etc. The stuff behind the walls boring upgrades. Builder took care of everything in inspection report. Followed up the first month we lived there to make sure everything was great. Sold almost 7 years later and rented for 4 years to obtain career goals and better schools for the kids.

Second home (spring 2020 very hot seller's market right when Covid shutdowns were happening), it was a packaged deal on picks. You couldn't customized and the builder refused to. We didn't know this until after we put down earnest deposit and past the date to walk away and get it back. Details and communication were awful from builder's agent, not ours. A 180 from our first experience. We settled due to lack of inventory available in November 2019. Inventory was way worse when we closed. Overall it's been a bad experience from start to us now looking at a huge hole in our house for almost 2 months before it gets repaired with the builder's warranty. They didn't complete things on inspection report that they agreed to complete. At that point, we figured we'll just do it ourselves which we did. Yet it's been one thing after another structurally. Going to list soon in the spring after 1 year due to job loss. Already have a detailed home disclosure report ready to go. The silver lining is that we currently live in a zoom area so now there's only 12 days worth of inventory on the market.

Purchasing in a buyer's market was a way better experience and very pleasant overall for us. Purchasing in a seller's market, well it was a nasty experience, felt like we were just a number because if we didn't want it someone else would of immediately scooped it up. Purchasing in a seller's market is one in which we never wish to experience again.

 

[lynxstch]

We spent almost 6 months looking for a house. We must have looked at at least 40 houses. Small town, not a whole lot in our price range (and I wasn't looking for a fixer upper). I was driving by the house we now live in, when I noticed that it was empty and looked like someone had just fixed it up. Called the realtor,,she said it was just about to go on the market. She got us a walkthrough within 2 hours. We walked in and loved it, told her to write up the contract at full price in cash, pending inspection. The for sale sign never even had a chance to get put up on the lawn. 3 weeks later we closed and moved in, and I told hubby, I am never moving again. It's one story, but a full basement, no stairs for him to climb since he doesn't go down there, and as we get older, I really appreciate that. It does have a large yard, which seems to get bigger everytime I mow it, but I love that we have a big garden, lots of trees and bushes , lots of birds, squirrels and chipmunks, and a few cats that have found out I won't leave them hungry, lol. It's plenty of house for the 2 of us!

 

[tvguy]

Been 38 years. When we started looking, we floundered. Some houses too expensive, some houses needed too much work. Then we hooked up with a realtor who got us pre-qualified and asked us what we wanted. Newer construction, move in ready, no projects. Everything we looked at fit the bill from that point on. Only issue with the house we bought was it had wrought iron bars on all the windows. Made us wonder how safe the neighborhood, but when we walked in, we understood. The owners were lovers of wrought iron, They had wrought iron book shelves and other furniture. Floor plan was perfect, house was 4 years old, some odd paint color choices and odd wallpaper, and it was further out than we had thought we wanted to be, 1750 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 car garage, living room and family room. Way more house than we needed. Fast forward 12 years, and two kids later, and it was a little tight. Re-enter the housing market and discovered buying an existing house with the extra bedroom and bathroom we wanted would cost $100,000 more than our house was worth. So we spent $24,000 adding them onto our existing house. Made it a 4 bedroom, 3 bath 2010 square foot house. Fast forward to today. Just the two of us rattling around but makes zero economic sense to downsize. Property taxes on a smaller house would be double what we pay now, we'd have to pay $30,000 in commission to sell it, plus moving expenses. So we remodeled, and this will be our first and last home.

 

[Micca]

It doesn’t matter as long as there is ‘room to entertain!’ Do people really place a huge emphasis on that when buying a house? Not judging, just curious!

There's a Chili's across the street..."Room to entertain!"

 

[SC Minnie]

We've been in our house 22 years. We didn't have a huge list of must have which made house hunting easier. We wanted to be in a certain town, a two car garage, a formal dining room, at least 3 bedrooms and a decent sized lot-- for the town we were looking in most lots were 1/3 or 1/4 of an acre and we wanted at least 1/2 or a full acre. We looked at less than 10 houses with a realtor but found the house we bought on our own. It was being built by the neighbor who was a contractor as FSBO. It had everything we were looking for. It didn't have a lot of upgrades on finishes but those weren't important to us at the time.

 

[Kittyblue]

I settled a bit. I liked the layout of another home better, but I liked the neighborhood better at the home I'm in. If I could go back, I'd push the budget a bit and get a courtyard home I loved with a pool and a little studio.

 

[dyna]

DH's #1 rule was do not shop out of your budget which was not the same as what the relator an banks told us we could afford his budget was always 15,000 20,000 lower but he wanted to do more with life than pay house payments.

I have always found my own homes without a relator, I KNOW what I want an I don't want what a relator thinks I would like.

I have always bought the 1st house I looked at once relator was called to see a home.

3 homes in 45 yrs I musta liked what I picked out.

 

[indimom]

We built our first house. The house was great, the location not so much.
Our current home, we looked at about ten houses. The only compromise was we chose the 100yo fixer and there was no garage. But the cost was low enough to do what we needed to in the house; and, we built the garage about two years later.
We are looking for our retirement home now. While we love the current house, all the bedrooms are on the second level and I don't want to deal with stairs in retirement (we also want the ability to move our parents in if need be - so I really want a rancher with all bedrooms on the first level). I also want more open space living in this home. We have a "farmhouse" with four rooms on the ground level. They are all 12x15 to 15x15 and completely separated by doors - so if you host Christmas people are split up between all four rooms. I want bigger and better connection between the living spaces.
We've been looking for over two years. Any house that was close to what we wanted was grabbed up before we had a chance to make a bid. I probably am being picky, because I'd prefer not to do renos this time... we may have to build to really get what we want.

 

[PollyannaMom]

DH's #1 rule was do not shop out of your budget which was not the same as what the relator an banks told us we could afford his budget was always 15,000 20,000 lower but he wanted to do more with life than pay house payments.

That was us as well! When we were looking for our current house, we were approved for (what seemed to me to be) a ridiculous amount, and one really neat house did temp us, but I'm so glad we stuck to our smaller comfort zone, and saved some room in the budget for other things.

 

[Darcy03231]

Well, we ended up buying a fixer-upper so no, we really didn't compromise anything because we completely redid the whole house from top to bottom. The one big thing that we didn't compromise was the location. It's on a lake. Can't change the location, but was able to change everything else. Of course, we got in on a price point that made that possible. We gave our real estate agent a huge range for our budget, depending on what we had to do to make it what we wanted. We ended up buying below the low end of our budget.