When we were house hunting, we looked at MANY beautiful homes:
This house wasn't so special on the inside, but look at the backyard! Right on the water!
All lovely, right?
Here's the house we actually bought:
Oh, no.
Oh, my.
You're kidding me, right?
Now, you might be wondering why, after looking at all the beautiful options, did we choose a home that was so... not.
I wonder this myself.
When we first looked at the house, I vetoed it right away. The pictures don't even do it justice. I had never seen carpet so dirty. I was certain I was going to catch some kind of disease just by looking at the shower. Some evil child had scribbled in Sharpie all over the cabinets. There were puncture holes in the bathroom floor. It was really just a mess. Plus it had less bedrooms than what we were used to, and it was a two story when we're used to a single. I really couldn't see us living there.
But The Agent is a persuasive guy. He really liked the house. He felt it had everything we were looking for. It was in a nicer neighborhood. It had rv access for our trailer. It had a bigger backyard with mature trees. But what The Agent loved most about it was that it needed work.
A lot of work.
I didn't get it at first, but he's right, that really is the best thing about the house. Structurally, the house is in great shape. But because it was such a mess, it was selling for a fraction of the cost of the other homes in the area. We could purchase the home for way under our budget and still have money to remodel. And, since everything needed to be replaced anyway, the home could be exactly the way we want it, and it would really be like a brand new house.
So, he convinced me.
And now the work begins.
The Agent is a handy guy, and can do a lot of the work himself. What he can't do, he will hire out. We hope to be moved in by mid November.
Any words of encouragement?
Congratulations! This is exactly what I've been telling my husband we need to do. He's looking for the shiny new home with the crazy price tag. I want a pricetag in our budget that we can make our own. We love to paint and remodel so I am confused as to why he's digging his heals in. Maybe once he sees what you all have done he'll see the light.
ReplyDeleteTake your time and really think about what you want. Don't cut corners if it's something you really like and will help in resellin the house. (I've always regretted letting my hubby say no to tile in our hallway from the garage in our Vegas home. That was the highest traffic area and the hardest carpet to keep clean.)
It has a lot of potential! My first word of advice- clean the bathtub. You'll sleep better at night. That photo makes me feel A LOT better about the soap scum that's in my tub. He's right...you'll love it so much when you have it exactly how you want. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteWell, the agent is right. And you've made a great decision. At least you would no longer worry about where or how you will start tearing the interior to have one that suits you better. With this house, all you need is to start right ahead with the remodeling. No hassles, just work to rebuild it into a place where you can nestle.
ReplyDeleteLucius Keehner
I know it seems daunting now, but I think in the long run, you're going to be so happy you did it this way. Because, like you said, now you can do with it what YOU want.
ReplyDelete