Lurker question

Re: Lurker question

• LarissaB

  May 2013

  Our wish list was very similar to your's 3 bdrm 1200-1500 sq ft, 2 car garage.  One deal breaker for us was there needed to be 2 bathrooms with a place to shower.  Many of the listing around here would say 2 bathrooms but they were really 1.5 baths.  Right now we could deal with one shower but once we have kids, I just didn't want to deal with sharing.  Another thing we were on the hunt for was a fenced back yard as we have dogs and while we were hunting we realized we wanted to go for a bit of privacy.  Most of the houses in our price range were in developments where the houses are rather close and when you'd go out onto the deck or in the yard you could see dozens of backyards around you.  We ended up falling in love with a house on the edge of the development on a corner lot.  We only have 1 physical neighbor and it's great, plus the lot was a much larger than others more in the middle of the development.  Finally another important thing was storage.  As I mentioned most floor plans are split level so the "basement" is a finished family room.  That leaves the only other place for storage besides closets as the space under the stairs.  The house we fell in love with had a wider, more open entry way which means the space under the stairs for storage was about twice as big as other homes.

   Have fun with the hunt and just take a look at what you currently need and what you'd really wish you could change about it and add it to your list 
  

  

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• entropicbeauty

  May 2013

  I found that the more houses I looked at the less certain things were as important. I ended up viewing over 70 houses and we discovered that the layout of the house ultimately became the biggest deciding factor versus 2 or 3 bedroom or 1 or 2 bathrooms etc. We host events with family and friends frequently, so it was very important for us to have a larger living room/dining room area that was open. 

  Obviously we had our preferences, but when it came down to it, exact square footage or # of bedrooms was sort of meaningless to us.

  I would make a list of things that would be nice, things that you NEED, and things that you don't want. That will help narrow down properties you take the time to look at, but beyond that I would keep an open mind. 

  

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• GeorgiaRiah member

  

  May 2013

  When I was house hunting last year, this was my list -

   

  2 bedroom

  2 bathroom

  garage

   townhouse or condo

   1000 or so square feet

   

  This is what I ended up with -

   

  3 bed

  2 bath

  house

  1680 square feet

  no garage

   

   It really all changes when you are out there looking.  I insisted I had to have a garage.  I am fine without it.  I wanted a condo or townhouse for less maintenance and they are usually cheaper.  I ended up with a house that was an estate sale so I could actually afford an area that I thought I couldn't.  I love having a big deck.  I had never grilled in my life and I do it about 2 times a week now.  I can be as loud as I want.  I even set up an above ground pool in the backyard last week to float around in this summer.  My point is you need to go look at a few that don't seem to match what you want in the listing.  You really never know what you will end up with.

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• LadyG member

  

  May 2013

  I agree with what others have said - get out there and look! Honestly, it took a few weekends of us looking at a wide range of styles and layouts to get a sense of what would work for us.

  Our list in the beginning was very basic: 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths seemed okay to us after living in a tiny one bedroom apartment for 8 years. We thought a townhouse would be fine. Well, once we started looking, some of our wants (i.e., fireplace) became 'must haves'. My husband realized after visiting a few cute ramblers (common in our area) that I loved that he was NOT happy having our bedrooms on the same level as the public spaces, and that he wanted a master bath with no sharing (i.e., now we needed 2 baths). I realized that while I think some townhouses are gorgeous, since we would be living in the suburbs anyway, I really preferred a yard. So, what we wanted and what was most important started to shift. Layout became so important, and while I never thought I would buy a split level (entry on main floor, half flight up to bedrooms, half flight down to rec room and garage), that turned out to be the right layout that made both of us happy. And when we saw the 1950s split level that had all the extras we each were yearning for, it was easy to pull the trigger and make an offer!

   But I must stress - seeing the houses in person was key. Visit houses with a realtor, or visit the open houses yourself. And don't be afraid to change what is on your list to fit your evolving wants and needs.

  My other insight - not quite fitting your question, but related - is to be open minded. Look at the bones of the house, and the possibilities. Don't get distracted by the paint, and things that can be changed.

   

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• ashleybunny8 member

  

  May 2013

  Our house wish-list:

  At least 3 bedroom, 2 bath
  No less than 1400 sq. ft.
  2 car garage
  large kitchen
  large backyard
  Near our church

  We thought of what the house will be used for now and in the future (since we never want to move again!!). We always have friends/family over, so a large areat to eat and entertain was a must. DH loves to grill and work in the yard. We want to have kids one day, so multiple rooms was a must. We also decided on a one-story instead of 2 because I have bad knees and don't want to have to be "stuck" on the bottom floor of the house when I get older.

  

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• OhBenji

  May 2013

  Thanks ladies! We have been looking at houses in the neighborhood we live in right now. Its a good neighborhood with few good public & private schools so that would not be a problem when DS starts school.

  We are visiting few open houses this week and I will keep in mind all of your advice!!

   

  Thanks once again.

  

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• MrsS728 member

  

  May 2013

  My husband and I just bought our first home last Saturday. We aren't closing until August 2nd though. The main this that was important to us was that the bones and guts of the house be structurally sound and newer. We also wanted a house that has a lot of curb appeal if we ever decide to sell.

  Our wish list was as follows:

  1. at least half an acre
  2. wooded backyard/privacy
  3. Exit 8 or 8A
  4. open kitchen/lots of counter/cabinet space
  5. basement
  6. master suite
  7. 2 bathrooms
     
  8. low deck
  9. neighborhood
  10. bigger dinning room
  11. fireplace
  12. 2 car garage/one big door
  13. colonial
  14. 4 bedrooms

  We got everything but the 4th bedroom. 
  
  You'll know when you find your house. We were getting discouraged and when we saw this house we just knew. We made the decision to put in an offer (there were 6 total) while we were still in the kitchen.
  
  

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• codert

  May 2013

  I think that the most important is where is located, for security of our familly and belongings
  

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