International Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Benefits of Renting
As DH and I were complaining about things in our flat the other day, we also came to realize that we don't know how some of our friends go from living with their parents right to buying a place since we feel like you have to live a few places to find out what works for you and what you want in a home.
So what are the little things that you will be sure to look for when you buy a home or when you did buy a home, that you maybe wouldn't have realized without having lived in other places first.
My list so far: gas stove, proper venting in the bathroom and above the stove, proper insulation, floor plan without doors between everything, decent storage space and closets, and a full size shower.
Re: Benefits of Renting
I agree about living in a few places to know what works for you. I've lived in more than 10 apartments/houses since I left my parents house 14 years ago. I feel that I'm an expert at visiting places and on what I like and don't like.
I always check for mold, double insulated windows for noise and heat, and I check the water pressure. I usually visit a potential place a few times at different times of day and days of the week for noise and to check the neighbourhood.
Before moving out of where we are now we will need to find a place with outdoor space, relatively quiet in a neighbourhood that has easy access to public transport. I would like to have either gas or water heating, closets, bathtub and a "double sejour" which is a open plan dining/living room big enough for all our furniture. ideally it would also have a closed garage where H can store his stock and an office for him to work in as he works from home.
There are certain elements that I'm flexible on and others where I won't budge. I am very picky.
We've definitely had problems with mold and mildew in the past, and that's something we'd look out for. To buy, washer/dryer/dishwasher is non-negotiable. Also, I'd pay special attention to the layout of the kitchen/living/dining room areas. We like to entertain, so I'd want space for that.
Oh, and a shower where my arms didn't hit the side of the walls every time I washed my hair would be nice, too!
Resale value. This is a huge one I've seen friends get burnt on when buying places just out of their parents' homes. They bought a studio or 1-bedroom because they thought that was all the space they needed and then realized how much more 2-bedrooms increased in value in the same time period.
A place where stuff isn't likely to break all the time!!!! It's nice when you rent to just be able to call the landlord. Obviously you can't do this when you own, so if something breaks (hot water heater, leaky roof, air conditioner) then YOU have to deal with it!!!
This is why my first two homes were new builds, and still under warranty:-)
Oh, a lot of things, specifically:
-Storage
-Good flow between kitchen, living room, dining room
-Double glazed window
-Mold
-Water pressure
-Location, location,location!
-Resale value
Since moving out of my parents' house, DH and I have lived in 3 apartments. Here are some things I think I want in a house, but we really won't know until we get out there and start looking (for real).
- Able to see the living room from the kitchen- Big open foyer
- Two sinks in the master bathroom, and LARGE shower (one we can both fit in, and we will test it haha)
- No mold, newer appliances (though we can replace those over time)
- Resale value, good location
- Garage for DH to store the non-running mustang he built the engine of in high school and refuses to get rid of
- Nice backyard space, patio or deck (good place for a grill so we can have cook outs)
- At least 3 bedrooms upstairs (ours, baby room, guest room)
- finished basement (we'd like to have a bar downstairs eventually to show off all our shotglasses, Belgian beer glasses, and wines!)
We're headed to the Maldives on Christmas Eve!