It’s always something, isn’t it?
November 10, 2009 · Posted in abc dragoo, life by abc dragoo
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An update on the house hunt…
Both me and Mr. D agree on our #1 choice, the Shaker-style Farmhouse. It was treated poorly by its last owners and needs a lot of freshening up, but we see the potential in it. It was the right price and in the perfect location. We made an offer and all last week we worked on negotiating a deal. The shame in this story is that we lost the house.
What’s even worse than losing the house you’ve mentally moved-in to? It’s the fact that Mr. D and I do not agree on the runner-up properties that we have selected. The idea was if we don’t get the deal hashed out on property #1, we’ll make offers on #2 and #3. I like the house with three gables as my number two choice.
The house with Three Gables is on ten acres of land. We’d have a view of the sunset over the ridge. It is very well done inside, with exception of the baby-nursery paint choices. Seriously, wouldn’t you completely die to have a fireplace like that? We’d need to paint, but that is the extent of our pre-move in renovation. The one downside is that it’s about a 20 minute drive to groceries, nice restaurants and the train to New York City.
Mr. D is swayed by the low taxes of the barn house on five acres of land. The Barn house was clearly designed by a “man’s man” with no care to think about how one would decorate each room. I am a strong believer that when you walk into a bedroom, you should see the front of the bed, not enter and immediately see the side of the bed. Not to mention, the property is out in the boondocks and doesn’t even offer the pleasure of a view or sunsets. To me, it just isn’t that special.
We’re at a difficult point. For what the Three Gables house is asking, we could buy a piece of land in the “right location” and build exactly what we want. But that takes TIME! Both Mr. D and I are going insane without a home base. We need to get our stuff out of storage and claim our independence again, STAT.
1) Would you rent a place in the City and take your time finding the right house? (This doesn’t really help with our storage issue, but it does get us back to the City December 1st.)
2) Would you put an offer in on Three Gables and hope that the drive to pick-up the paper and a gallon of milk doesn’t make you nuts?
What would you do?
I lurve that house with three gables. That is my choice for you :)
Assuming you two couldn’t agree on whether or not to bid for Three Gables, I’d go ahead and rent an apartment in the City. It’s part of your plan *anyway* and would give you that home base you are (understandably) desperate for. You’d just be doing Part B of your plan before Part A… and in the meantime, giving the perfect house time to go on the market.
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i say go for the challenge and the reasonable taxes. you can soak your teeth into the project and make it work. from the outside it feels cozy and inviting with that double-door entrance. I could just be jilted by living in the area of mc mansions and crave some sole and character and big barn states rustic charm with opportunity for many directions for design. But how boony is boondocks? ox t
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I have to say the the 3 gables house is STUNNING, but I am a big believe in not settling, and holding out to get what you are really looking for. With that in mind, I would tell you to rent a few more months and look for something that is going to make both you and your husband happy. If you plan on staying in the house for a long time, it is worth the little extra inconvience time to make it perfect.
I had to laugh at your #2 option. When we purchased our place 4 years ago, we could have bought for more $ in town or less $ out of town 20miles away. At first, I was dead-set against the 20 mile drive– we have blizzards, for goodness’ sake! We opted to save a bit of money each month and moved to the sticks. :) Now, I find that we only buy what we need at the store, rather than making impromptu trips, and the drive is my downtime in which I decompress after work. Also, we rely heavily on the Knock-Knock All Out notepad.
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Was there something about the second house your husband didn’t like? House wise? Other than the drive? I have to agree with Abbie that it’s kind of nice to not have everything at your fingertips. The barn house soundslike it’s plan and design would bother you greatly. And, I love that fireplace!
KEEP LOOKING.
I know exactly how you feel, we have missed out on 2 dream houses, and have been looking since this summer, but we aren’t going to budge.
this is our first house and we know what we want.
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I would WAIT. I’ve lived in the boonies, and it was miserable (and yes, I am a country girl at heart!). Especially with the factor of snow. Get an apartment in the City (love how you say that with a capital ‘C’!) and take your time. A home is far too big of a purchase to rush.
OhMyGoodness ~thanks for all your comments and recommendations ladies!
Sara, the only thing “bad” about the Three Gables house is that drive. For a couple who has been living in NYC for nearly 11 years, not being able to run out for a quick “_____” is a little scary.
The town we have fixated on is really quite sweet. 1 coffee/chocolate shop, 3 restaurants, a bakery, a bank, a gas station and a grocery. The house we really wanted was a quick 5 minute drive out of town - but it could not feel more rural. Just right for us.
The Three Gables House is a 23 minute drive (in good weather!) to the town. A little isolated for our needs.
FYI: The barn house is also about 20 minutes away, but in the other direction - which makes the train further away. Not to mention all the design issues and the lack of pretty views.
Maggie, great point made about it being the second part of our “plan” - and you’re right. We are totally planning on having a small place in the City. We’ve hardly been alone with one another since the start of August. The two of us are starting to feel as though we’ve spent enough time shifting between both sets of our parents! Time to assert a little independence, you know?
No doubt, I will keep you all abreast of our moving saga.
Thanks again for your comments.
xxABCD
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I would definitely wait. It’s not worth rushing into something you’re both not completely happy with.
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Dang, those are amazing houses to be looking at- giant! For just the two of you? Wow.
We just bought our first house- a modest cape, that is not my dream house– but I quickly realized that a dream house and a first house are two different things. The house we bought is well within a manageable budget, giving us some money to do updates and renovations.
If you’re not sure, wait, think, figure out what’s best for you right now. Reality checks are good every so often.
And hey- they extended the tax credit!
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A 23-minute drive into town is a long trip for people used to city conveniences. I would wait and find something close to town. In this economy, you shouldn’t have to settle on a house. It’s a really important decision and you both want to be happy with it. Good luck!
I agree that you should wait until you find the house you both can agree to love. This is too big a decision to settle on. Keep looking - you will find the right house. It took my hubby and I six months to find a house we agreed on, then another 4 months living in a friends basement while we waited on it. Good luck!
Nic, all the houses were between 1800 and 2500 sq ft - That is quite large for us since we’re used to life in the City. But compared to most homes in the suburbs, I would assume it is about average?
I think you are right (people who have suggested holding off) - location for us is going to be key, so we don’t feel too isolated!
xxabcd
I would just rent a place for awhile and build the perfect place. It will take time, but I think that in the end it would be worth it. No disagreements, no one feeling they got the short end of the bargain. And you get a place that you’ll never have to think what if?
Have you tried the first house again? Deals fall thru all the time. Maybe it’s available. And, hey, it couldn’t hurt to send a very nice note to the sellers extolling the virtues of the house and how you’d care for it. It worked for us in a bidding war! Good luck
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