HELP! So indecisive I''m miserable: the house hunting saga continues

[firebirdgold]

I'm just back from my latest house hunting trip (with dh) to our soon-to-be new home town. We found two very different houses with similar prices and we are having a heck of a time picking one. I can't decide which is fantasy and which is practical. So I was hoping that my wonderful fellow PSers could lend me some insight?

First off, I've been considering this move to a different part of the country as a chance to start over with new, healthier, and neater lifestyles. This covers eating better, exercising more, being more relaxed, enjoying our hobbies, having less stressful jobs, going back to college for me, and putting the tv away from the main living areas. Hopefully the clutter problem will be solved by ruthlessly purging before moving and making sure everything we keep has it's own place in the new home.

House 1: Cabin in the woods.

• Small modified A-frame on 4 flat acres of quiet woods that is across the street from a huge hiking park
• Yet is only 16 minutes to work & school and less to good groceries.
• While small it uses all of it's space well with good separation.
• It's easy to visualize us living there
• There's a dark bedroom perfect as a media room.
• It's comfortable and cozy
• Has a bright master suite that has a bathroom that two can use at the same time.
• It also has a hottub cutout in the deck and a sunny organic veggie garden.
• It's adorable with pine ceilings and trim.

BUT:

• The finish isn't high quality.
• It needs new floors, wall heaters that aren't glorified hair-dryers, and some updating to the kitchen like new appliances and organizational retrofitting to the cabinets.
• I think the windows are single paned as well.
• No covered decks or patios.
• It also has a very deep and not terrible strong well without a holding tank. (although I presume it rains too much to run out totally).
• It does not have a great deal of storage and there is no garage or studio space. I would have to rent a small studio space in town near DH's work and my school until we could build a garage. There's plenty of flat land to build a garage with a studio over it though and we could afford it.

House 2: Tree house in town.

• It's a contemporary style house set on a sloped .4 acre lot that is heavily treed and park-like.
• It's 11 minutes to work & school and minutes to shopping.
• It's 700sq ft larger than house 1 with lots of storage, plus it has a studio and a 2 car garage.
• The house has an amazing number of (new) windows that overlook the trees with a peaceful and quiet feel.
• There are several covered decks perfect for sitting and watching the rain fall through the trees.
• There is good separation of space due to the fact that it's a three story house with the 'bedrooms' spread out.
• The build quality seems fairly good.
• In this house we would have room for everything including hobbies we've never had a chance to indulge in before, yet it's not so big a couple would feel lost in it.

BUT:

• I have trouble picturing exactly how we'd use each space or furnish it.
• I can't figure out where to put the tv at all since it can't be in a main area nor near DH's office.
• I don't even know which room we'd use as the master bedroom as there is nothing next to a compelling bathroom
• The bottom floor is a separate guest suite that can only be reached by going down outside stairs. (the main floor is the top floor).
• We'd have to drive somewhere to hike with the dog and it's too hilly to bike to work (or at least until I'm 20lbs lighter it is).
• There is no place for a hottub, and it's too shady for a veggie garden.
• There is work to be done on this house as well. The kitchen is ugly and has no oven, so we'd have to reface the cabinets, cut out a section for a new drop in stove, replace the countertops, and replace the dishwasher.
• Also we'd have to replace the carpet with wood floors even though the carpet is in ok condition (4 pets + carpet == not so good).

Since we live several states away we can not revisit the houses before making a decision and we were only able to visit the Tree House (#2) once as the owners are seriously ocd and have to escort visitors yet they left no cell phone #.

Since most of the money to purchase the new home will be coming from the sale of my house, DH is leaving the final decision to me. I just keep going back and forth on these houses and I'm making myself stressed and miserable by not being able to decide. We fit so badly into our current home (that I bought when single) that neither of us ever settled in and DH still has boxes everywhere. I'm scared of picking the wrong house where we're equally ill-at-ease.

 

[Aloros]

I''d say #1. In terms of upgrades you''d have to make, it sounds like a bit more of a project, but it also sounds like, once these upgrades are made, you''d have the house you want.

With #2, you have fewer things to fix-up, but there are things about it that you don''t like and you can''t change - the lack of a clear master bedroom, the hills, the lack of a place to hike with the dog...etc.

Just sounds like #1 would be a better choice, long-term. Hope this helps!

 

[decodelighted]

I vote #1 ...

In my experience, people generally put their #1 selection in the #1 slot. You''ve already MADE the decision -- you''re just trying to justify it!

If both homes need work - it''s just a matter of what types of work you''ll be doing. WHY NOT do the work on the home that already is laid out the way you want it??? NOT the one you can''t picture living in or where you''d put what.

Other ways to tell:

Which home is most representitive of the life you WANT to live?
Which one did you walk into & not want to leave?
Which home are you decorating in your mind already?

 

[Erin]

This is what you said

a chance to start over with new, healthier, and neater lifestyles. This covers eating better, exercising more, being more relaxed, enjoying our hobbies, having less stressful jobs, going back to college for me, and putting the tv away from the main living areas.

and House #1 fits while #2 does not

 

[lumpkin]

I like #1 better. If you can see yourself living there, it's a much better option than #2, which you can't visualize yourself living in.

ETA: The only thing that concerns me about #1 is the well. Is that where you would be getting all your water? I don't know anything about wells, but, I don't know, I like my city water....

 

[Gypsy]

Number one.

You need to renovate parts of both. At least this one has an existing layout you like. Plus three story homes are a pain at times. AND you have MUCH more property so that you can expand/add as you want adding value to your home.

Have you had an inspection done on number 1 to see if it is badly constructed? Cause that would make a difference as well. Although, for me the difference wouldn''t be to pick house number 2. It would be to look for house number 3.

 

[Cehrabehra]

I chose #1 for many reasons, potential being amongst them. I really didn''t see anything in house #2 that was compelling other than the decks, but you can build those yourself. 4 acres to yourself leaves amazing opportunities.

Are they the same price?

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 7/10/2007 1:22:32 PM
Author: Gypsy
Number one.

You need to renovate parts of both. At least this one has an existing layout you like. Plus three story homes are a pain at times. AND you have MUCH more property so that you can expand/add as you want adding value to your home.

Have you had an inspection done on number 1 to see if it is badly constructed? Cause that would make a difference as well. Although, for me the difference wouldn''t be to pick house number 2. It would be to look for house number 3.

ditto - or to renegotiate the price on house #1

 

[Skippy123]

I picked 1 also. I hope you find the home of your dreams.

 

[firebirdgold]

Date: 7/10/2007 1:22:32 PM
Author: Gypsy


Have you had an inspection done on number 1 to see if it is badly constructed? Cause that would make a difference as well. Although, for me the difference wouldn''t be to pick house number 2. It would be to look for house number 3.

We haven''t had an inspection done but given that the kitchen (while cute) has particleboard-y cabinets, the cheapest vinyl tiles in the master bath I''ve ever seen, the lowest grade bathroom cabinet and countertop possible to make a two person sink, the cheapest in-wall heaters, etc... But otoh they have two big decks made out of that indestructible composite stuff, skylights and custom windows in the master, customized screens with little doors to get to the widow latches, a backup well, hardwood floor in the kitchen, a garden window for herbs over a built-in breakfast area... Well I can''t decide if they''re just very frugal (who wouldn''t stint on good insulation and construction), or people who are just plain cheap?

Granted my DH is in the frugal category and is puzzled by my dislike of the flooring. Um, hello? Dark brown shag carpet alternated by low grey industrial carpet, with weird textured tan carpet in the master, and white vinyl tiles with rosebuds?? And he wants to know why I wouldn''t move in before putting new flooring down?

I''m looking over the comps right now. There aren''t alot of houses that go on the market in that area. The closest in type and location and lot size sold a year ago for $10k over house 1''s asking price yet the comp had new carpets, a newer and very nice kitchen and was 700sq ft larger. (I might add that house 1 actually was on the market last year at a slightly higher price... have I mentioned yet that the sellers appear to be delusional? )*hits head repeatedly on desk*

House 1 is asking for 20k more than house 2. However I''m considering their asking price to be a product of ... well maybe I should check the plant life in those woods more carefully!

 

[firebirdgold]

This is house 1''s kitchen. or at least some of it... I swear it''s not quite as small as it looks!

 

[surfgirl]

Date: 7/10/2007 1:06:27 PM
Author: Starset Princess
This is what you said


a chance to start over with new, healthier, and neater lifestyles. This covers eating better, exercising more, being more relaxed, enjoying our hobbies, having less stressful jobs, going back to college for me, and putting the tv away from the main living areas.


and House #1 fits while #2 does not

Well said! So you have to do some work to this one, big deal. You have to do work to the other one too. And this lot sounds like you could conceivably make a substantial addition to this house, or re-design it altogether at some point, making it a better long term choice.

 

[Gypsy]

People have different priorities with housing upgrades. And even with the price difference between the 2... I''d take number one. That''s A LOT OF LAND, and land in my opinion makes up for the price difference. The other house is on .4 acres??

 

[Pandora II]

House 1 gets my vote.

FI and I have a very expensive glorified cupboard here in London with about 5ft of balcony space. I wuld kill for 4 acres!

I also love house projects - I have problems keeping my hands off my friend''s house ideas! Since I''ve moved in I have totally redone the bathroom, kitchen and sitting room and it looks like a different house. Amazing what can be done with 5 trips to Ikea and expensive accessories bought for a song on ebay!

 

[divergrrl]

Its REALLY easy & inexpensive to build a garage. We turned our 1 car garage into a 2car w/shop & it was very reasonable.

I also have a 3 story house & its so hard to clean..really chews me up & I''m a fit person.

but the top 3 rules in real estate are location, location, location.

You can always offer less for House #1 than they are asking & see what happens.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 7/10/2007 6:20:49 PM
Author: divergrrl
Its REALLY easy & inexpensive to build a garage. We turned our 1 car garage into a 2car w/shop & it was very reasonable.

I also have a 3 story house & its so hard to clean..really chews me up & I''m a fit person.

but the top 3 rules in real estate are location, location, location.

You can always offer less for House #1 than they are asking & see what happens.

omg diver I was just going to say this and thought for once I should scroll down and read the rest first LOL

poor cabinetry can be replaced, ugly rugs can be replaced - it is far harder to move the sun so you can have a garden or buy and tear down the house next door to increase your land space.

I would be moved more by lifestyle than asthetics - you have so many options with the larger property including tearing it down and starting from scratch. Now, that''s a last resort, but you can do all sorts of things... in that kitchen I see a window with space that means you could enlarge that space down the road if you wanted.... put in french doors that open out to an herb garden

 

[ephemery1]

Hmmm... I like Deco's reasoning for this one.

The sense I got is that the problems with House #1 are mostly fixable. It'll cost money, but they're the kind of projects that can be fun and done over time. The problems with House #2 are more vague, but deeper... based on things not "feeling" right. And no matter what you do to the kitchen and floors, if the layout and location don't feel cozy and home-like to you guys, it's not going to be your dream house.

Definitely #1... but I think you might already know that.

 

[AndyRosse]

#1

 

[iheartscience]

I voted #1 as well! It sounds amazing! I think it seems to fit better with what you''re looking for and most of the problems with it seem more fixable than the problems with #2.

Maybe I''m weird, but the big thing that stuck out to me about #2 is that there''s nowhere great to walk your dog. That''s such a non stop day to day activity, you know?

 

[monarch64]

#1 simply because of the 4 acre lot!