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 Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 10:53 pm
I really liked the second one. 3nodding
It would be a lot of work to fix up the backyard, but the interior is really nice. THe dishwasher thing..yeah, I can see that as a problem but the interior like I said looks really nice and doesn't seem liek it would be a lot of work for painting and recarpeting. So, with the work with that you could probably do something about remodeling the kitchen and putting in a dishwasher with the money saved from that. Though, the kitchen is pretty far from some sort of sitting area but you could always put something downstairs or wherever you have your living room set up. Distance, but still nice. Plus I LOVE the entrance and front porch, I'm a sucker for the lattice and the nice doors.
...could always have Ed and I come stay with you, too, and we could do your yard work and stuff.
Question, though. Do you know what the size is for the bedrooms in the first house and for the second one? It may be nice to set up one room that won't be used as an office of sorts or you can think of something else to do with the room. Personally, I like the idea of getting a huge kiddy pool filled with sand and buying some turtles.
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 11:22 pm
If I was in your position, I wouldn't be able to decide either. There's things in each house I really liked, however, I think it's more a tie between house two and maybe uh..I already forgot the other one. Haha. House two. xd
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 11:25 pm
Oh, and lol at the easter colored room. haha..
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:36 am
Mala, sorry this is so late but I didn't want to reply until there were pictures and...I didn't check back in until today. sweatdrop
First choice: I don't mean to jump on the bandwagon or anything, but I love #2. That kitchen is gorgeous, and the rest of the house seems pretty darn nice. Super pretty sunroom!! heart The only things I worry about are the fact that it could be too big (as you've noted already) and the brick backyard. I would definitely check on a utility estimate and...well, if you can rip the bricks out like Kimi said, that might be fine too. Backyards with trees can be nice and give you shade, and that could be nice considering it can get pretty hot there in the summer, right? Depending on the tree though, they can be a mess to clean up after (leaves, seed pods, etc.), but that could also be a fun chore. Get rid of the bricks, you have a nice backyard. Aside from those two things, the whole house seems to be a beautiful choice. 3nodding
Tied for second: I don't think #1 is as bad as everyone's making it out to be, but I do cringe at the kitchen, some of the ugly carpet, and a lot of the hideous wallpaper (cute blue bathroom though!). Other than that though, it seems to be a decent house with a decent backyard, and is definitely liveable.
Tied for second: #3. Seems like the house gets a lot of good light, and the backyard is really pretty. Nice master bedroom and huge bathroom (zomg, hila loves big bathrooms). I'm kind of iffy on the "That 70s" bar, but I'm sure you could find some sort of use for it. xd Don't know where you could put fish tanks though...=/ The only big downfall I see is the whole no-dishwasher thing. It's not a personal issue for me (I've been washing all of my dishes by hand for 3 years so I don't care much), but if it bothers you then it's definitely something to consider. If you can, try looking into costs for putting one in. It does seem like it would be a hassle though...I don't know, I'm so torn. I like the house/backyard itself much better than house 1, but this one doesn't have the dishwaser so...blah.
You totally have to be able to make it to AX '08 though!! hila miss Mala! crying heart
But it all comes down to you. Regardless, I'm sure you'll pick the one that's best for you. I just hope I could offer some good insight.
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:08 am
I like numbers 4 and 5 personally. 5 has that really cool crawl space and stuff.
Of course, when you own the house you can always re-paint and re-design stuff. ^_^
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Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2007 11:24 am
Dr. Fomite Zelyhon I'm only partially done, but I've got to say how much I really like Option #2. Really expensive and fairly big, but it just looks great.
But then I got to thinking...and I seriously have no idea what I'd do with some of the rooms. I mean...that first room would make a fine reception area for guests, except I don't get guests and I don't really plan on it, so it would be a big waste of money to furnish a room I never use. I would be using the biggest room in any house as the area for my TV, etertainment centre, and computer usage, as that would be the room in which I would spend the most (awake) time. The second most time goes into the kitchen. I don't really use a bedroom for much more than sleeping and changing, so that's a little less critical, and other rooms would be for storage and stuff display.
Unfortunately, several of the houses have the disadvantage of having the kitchen on the top level and the biggest open space in the basement, which would mean I'd have to run up and down all the time (because I'm a frequent snacker). That's why I like 1 and 5, since there's pretty direct access from den to kitchen. I guess I could also use a room on the main level for the computer/TV in 2 or 3, but then I'd have absolutely no use for a gigantic room in the basement. Alternatively, I could set up a little minifridge and spare microwave in the downstairs area and stock it with the necessities for little snacks... But I still can't help but think it would be more convenient to be close to my kitchen. ...And I cringe at the thought of moving my heavy furniture down some of those long stairwells. Oh, I'm sure there's an easy solution here. If you have more room than you need, there's only one thing to do about that. Get more stuff. XD Then get the AG to help you move. XD Problems solved.
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Posted: Wed May 02, 2007 2:17 am
I really liked the first one, actually. I can see that it needs work, yeah, but what new house doesn't need work to match the owners personality? I like the quirkiness of the colors in the kitchen, and the layout seems like it'd be easy to maneuver around.
First off, the small things ( carpet, wallpaper, paint ) and the kitchen update, possibly bathroom updates - those things can be used as bargaining tips to lower the cost of the house. If you can talk them down about 10K ( give or take, -10K would make your realitor have nightmares ) or even 3 -5 grand, that's new carpet in some of the rooms + paint supplies. The house itself isn't that expensive at all ( where i live, a house half that is about 250K, like mine.. Totally never been updated in the last 40 years. )
I'd really fight for the first one, honestly. A coat of paint would do wonders. All the storage places are nice, too. You can organize where you keep stuff instead of having "The Storage Room" with everything in it, based on how often you use it since the storage areas are scattered around the house and seem fairly accessible from anywhere.
The kitchen might be small, but let's face it, a huge kitchen has just as many ups as it does downs. Get a small breakfast table, and use the little sitting area with the storage as either a dining area or a snack/game room. You could even mount a flat screen on the banister between the kitchen and that little area.
The back yard is nice. Honestly, it looks like a dogs paradise. A nice big tree to get out of the sun, sunny areas for suntanning ( xd )
That said, i looked at the others, they all have good and bad things about them. But none of them seem to lean toward the mostly good feeling than the first one. One good thing here or there isn't enough to say, " I'm buying this house because it has (insert)! "
A little elbow grease in the first one and you could re-sell it for a lot more if you decided that you didn't like it after a few years of living there.
No dishwasher? Paper plates and plastic cups. Recycle. xd xd xd
And to add my own personal thoughts, edit : the back patio for the first one is a dream. I'd buy that house solely because of that. I'd love sitting out there and watching it rain. sweatdrop Or get back to my ghetto-ish roots and sit outside with a hard lemonade in my underwear and play with the dog. sweatdrop heart
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Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 2:31 pm
I'll be reviewing all the pictures when I'm at home some time tonight methinks.
Also, if no one's figured it out yet, the uniform/wavy sheen bits on the carpet are vacuum cleaner tracks ninja
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2007 9:24 pm
Big thanks to everybody who posted. heart Even when I wasn't replying, I was still lurking and checking responses. And thank you so much, flower-Rachel, for your in-depth post. You really reiterated a lot of points I was thinking to myself, so it helped me a lot in supporting my decision.
In the end, as much as I really did/do love #2 as well, I came down to #1 for a variety of reasons. It got almost unanimous support from my coworkers, a few of whom drove past the place to have a look at it. It also just felt the most right in my gut. Aaaand it wasn't totally going to rape my checking and savings the way #2 would have. sweatdrop In the end, while it may not have some of the things #2 had, it was the one where I could really see myself living and every time I tried to imagine myself in a new home, it came down to that one.
So, in the midst of having a true shitter of a week last week, I made an offer on the house. After much negotiations, we settled at $155k, with them throwing in $3k to my closing costs (so that I may turn around and use the money I save toward new carpet) and a one year home warranty. So...unless something goes wrong before closing (which should be around the start of June), Mala is a homeowner.
If anybody's still interested in helping out, I'm a big failure at attempting any type of home decoration, so I may ask for advice when it comes to picking out new carpeting and such. sweatdrop I've never been good at having a cute, well-decorated home. I just sort of get whatever stuff I like and throw it all together, no matter how badly it all mismatches.
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2007 9:29 pm
Zelyhon Oh, I'm sure there's an easy solution here. If you have more room than you need, there's only one thing to do about that. Get more stuff. XD Then get the AG to help you move. XD Problems solved.
I've already got enough stuff to need massive AG help with moving.
But still never enough stuff.
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2007 9:29 pm
I love picking out colors. Nabs-mom is a scrapbooker and she's always coming to me asking what color she should put with which color. 3nodding
Take pictures of carpet and post 'em! We shall look and pick!
Edit: BTW... as I was driving down to Maryland, I passed a sign that said "Denver Colorado: 1800 miles". I was sooooo tempted! Damn these high gas prices! crying
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Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 9:09 pm
Peppermint Elf I love picking out colors. Nabs-mom is a scrapbooker and she's always coming to me asking what color she should put with which color. 3nodding
Take pictures of carpet and post 'em! We shall look and pick!
Edit: BTW... as I was driving down to Maryland, I passed a sign that said "Denver Colorado: 1800 miles". I was sooooo tempted! Damn these high gas prices! crying
I think I'm going to be doing a fair amount of buying-of-stuff over time, even if I won't be able to afford it all right away. I want to turn that first room into my sitting/reading area, which will double as a semi-office. I'll probably fill it mostly with bookshelves and books, along with veterinary journals and the like. That means I'll need to buy a chair -- thinking either a beanbag, a sphere chair, or something similarly squashy and comfortable. Should probably have at least one second chair in case of guests.
I want to redo the kitchen counter, at the very least. I'll probably leave the cabinets alone for a while, since they're not too terrible. But I'd like to do something marbly or stone-looking for the counter, just not sure what colour to do. Thinking something neutral and grey-ish. Then barstools set up at the counter. Most of the livingroom furniture is preset for now, since I've already got my desk and entertainment centres. Since a lot of the stuff I'm going to have (said desk, centres, and bookshelves) will be wood, and mostly light-coloured wood, I suspect I should get a carpet that will go along with it. Then if I eventually redo the cabinets (I'd also probably pick a light-coloured wood finish there), everything would kinda work.
I'm leaning toward a soft green colour, maybe a sage green? I dunno, though. I'm not good at this decorating stuff. I'm just used to a great mismatch. sweatdrop
Then once I get carpet, I'll need to figure out things like curtains and such. gonk And probably some pictures or paintings to hang... I dunno.
Also, Nabs should drive down and just help me pick stuff out in person. cool Yes.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 7:31 pm
Yay! I just saw this now, but I was going to say house one. :3
Wallpaper is so, so easy to fix! And relatively cheap/quick compared to other remodeling projects.
The cabinetry can always be stripped and repainted/stained/varnished/etc. My mother was telling me they even have a stripper now that you just put on the wood, let it sit for a while, and then rinse off! No scrubbing necessary!
House #2 was way too expensive and I'm glad you decided against it! You should never buy anything that would cost you 2 paychecks or more a month. Having a house isn't worth having no life from lack of spending money. lol
GET YOUR LICENSE!!!!
I'm surprised as hell at your housing choices. I pictured you in a small, ramshackle cabin stuffed full of random animals. Or maybe that's just my ideal.... xd
I love to decorate and would be happy to subject you to my ideas!
We need to have a house warming party at Malas. 4laugh
You don't know how much this depresses me. I had to give up my hope of buying a small $40k condo because it was just too much. Oh, to have a good paying job.... crying
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 8:31 pm
Pastel Flower Yay! I just saw this now, but I was going to say house one. :3 Wallpaper is so, so easy to fix! And relatively cheap/quick compared to other remodeling projects. The cabinetry can always be stripped and repainted/stained/varnished/etc. My mother was telling me they even have a stripper now that you just put on the wood, let it sit for a while, and then rinse off! No scrubbing necessary! House #2 was way too expensive and I'm glad you decided against it! You should never buy anything that would cost you 2 paychecks or more a month. Having a house isn't worth having no life from lack of spending money. lol GET YOUR LICENSE!!!!I'm surprised as hell at your housing choices. I pictured you in a small, ramshackle cabin stuffed full of random animals. Or maybe that's just my ideal.... xd I love to decorate and would be happy to subject you to my ideas! We need to have a house warming party at Malas. 4laugh You don't know how much this depresses me. I had to give up my hope of buying a small $40k condo because it was just too much. Oh, to have a good paying job.... crying
Yeah, the second one was painfully expensive. sweatdrop If I was a married person something like that would be easy enough, but since I'm on my own, it was just too much. I'm too paranoid to take on a roommate, either, after the previous experiences I've had.
I figure the same. Wallpaper will be easy, and I'm thinking I may even wait on the carpet. For as bad as it looks in photos, we walked around the house again and honestly the carpets aren't in bad shape at all. They're pretty nice everywhere but the basement, and I don't really mind the colours too much myself. The cabinets will need changing eventually, but I'm most concerned with the counters...which shouldn't be horrible and can still wait a little bit.
...Yes ma'am! gonk Actually, as expensive as gas is lately, I don't feel like I'm missing out on much.
You can still imagine me in a tiny stuffed-animal cabin, if you prefer. whee Mala just needs lots of stuff room, y'know? ninja
Also, yay for more decorating help. 4laugh I will be sure to enlist you guys when I start working on stuffs.
And yes, everybody should come over for the party at my place. 3nodding
If it's any comfort, though, I am buying the house and I'm still depressed. I don't know if it's the stress of all this, worrying about getting everything finished in time, or what. Or maybe it was just due to hit anyway. But I'm finding that I'm honestly not excited about it at all right now. sweatdrop Just feeling pretty lousy.
But some day xane will be super rich and have a marvelous home filled with dollies. heart
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 1:17 pm
Dr. Fomite Big thanks to everybody who posted. heart Even when I wasn't replying, I was still lurking and checking responses. And thank you so much, flower-Rachel, for your in-depth post. You really reiterated a lot of points I was thinking to myself, so it helped me a lot in supporting my decision.
In the end, as much as I really did/do love #2 as well, I came down to #1 for a variety of reasons. It got almost unanimous support from my coworkers, a few of whom drove past the place to have a look at it. It also just felt the most right in my gut. Aaaand it wasn't totally going to rape my checking and savings the way #2 would have. sweatdrop In the end, while it may not have some of the things #2 had, it was the one where I could really see myself living and every time I tried to imagine myself in a new home, it came down to that one.
So, in the midst of having a true shitter of a week last week, I made an offer on the house. After much negotiations, we settled at $155k, with them throwing in $3k to my closing costs (so that I may turn around and use the money I save toward new carpet) and a one year home warranty. So...unless something goes wrong before closing (which should be around the start of June), Mala is a homeowner.
If anybody's still interested in helping out, I'm a big failure at attempting any type of home decoration, so I may ask for advice when it comes to picking out new carpeting and such. sweatdrop I've never been good at having a cute, well-decorated home. I just sort of get whatever stuff I like and throw it all together, no matter how badly it all mismatches. this sounds like a win. you talked them down a bit it seems. you'll get really handy, too. in the massive number of times i've moved i've become quite a handyman. i can lay hardwood floor and tile, cut marble ( granted i'm not great at it. BUT I CAN DO IT >O ) put up drywall, patch holes, rip stuff down, painting and furniture updating. i wont touch electric or plumbing, but! hey. you learn. best of luck with it all. heart
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