Author Topic: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.  (Read 5786 times)

MayDay

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WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« on: March 01, 2017, 02:49:19 PM »
WWYD: House buying edition:
Saw house. Like it. Don't love it.  Important info:  small town with extremely limited inventory. 

There have been 3 houses in our price range in 2017- this is #3.  #1 was more expensive and we didn't love it either.  #2 had water in the basement and a weird layout.

Currently renting a house that is reasonably priced but I am going bonkers in it for various reasons like no closets.  It is in a so-so location, kids can't walk/bike to school, we are rural and have to drive in to town.  We want to buy because we love to garden and do little house and decorating projects, which you can't really do in a rental.  We also just want to feel settled and not like we have to move again. 

Pros:
1. NOTHING WEIRD (this is major, people. There are a lot of weird houses around here.
2. Small
3. In good shape, no major renovation needed
4. Ideal location- 1/2 a block from elementary school, walkable to MS and HS.
5. Very dry basement (finished) for play room
6.  Low end of property taxes for the area

Cons:
1. No garage.  Would want to build one at some point.
2. In town, so 1.5% income tax (income is ~150K a year so this is a cost)
3. I just don't *LOVE* it. It is nice. It is fine. It isn't weird. But I don't love it. I love 50-60's ranch houses and this is a 1922 two story.
4. Towards the top of our budget (245K- but houses under 200K are rare, there have not been any in 2017)

I start to convince myself no, because I should love it. But then I convince myself Location Location Location.

It will go under contract with a few days, waiting and making a low offer is not an option.

WWYD?

caracarn

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #1 on: March 01, 2017, 02:55:00 PM »
This gets difficult because a lot of it is what you value.  For me, I owned a house I did not love and everything that happened to it was just another grumble on my list.  Granted one of the things that happened in it is I got divorced, but it was similar in that it was a good location, my spouse liked it, and I knew it would need work to get it to what we wanted.  It basically was a money pit for the time we owned it, and spending money on something you do not enjoy was rough for me.  Therefore, in your shoes I'd walk away, but I had more options in housing in our area than you do, so that's a wrinkle I can't help with.  You've had 3 houses in your price range in 2017, so it seems inventory provides you about 1 every 2.5 - 3 weeks.  Given the importance of a home, I'd lean toward waiting a bit longer. 

Cassie

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #2 on: March 02, 2017, 05:40:26 PM »
I would wait until I found what I wanted.  Plus you are only a few months into 2017:))

trashmanz

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #3 on: March 02, 2017, 05:57:30 PM »
Every house is a compromise in some sort, its up to you whether you have the time and resources to keep looking for a more ideal one.  For our family the house was OK as well, I didn't love it but have come to find it comfortable and nice.  We looked at a lot of houses and there was also limited supply on the market here.  Hopefully you have seen more than three houses?  We saw close to 100 before actually buying, not that I recommend that, but it is a major purchase.  But again we didn't have the area perhaps that narrowed down so were looking across many different neighborhoods.  If you are set for your area then you will have less window shopping. 

Frankies Girl

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2017, 05:59:37 PM »
For me, the cons on this one would be a dealbreaker and I'd stay in the rental. I'd actually be looking for other rentals in addition to ones to buy because if I could find a great house just to rent, I'd be happy with that and it would give me (hopefully) a good amount of time to be super picky about finding "the" house.

And this is still early in the year technically. The selling season for houses typically happen in the late spring/summer so you may be just around the corner from some better choices coming up for sale.
« Last Edit: March 02, 2017, 06:01:27 PM by Frankies Girl »

Linea_Norway

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2017, 05:14:11 AM »

Pros:
1. NOTHING WEIRD (this is major, people. There are a lot of weird houses around here.
2. Small
3. In good shape, no major renovation needed
4. Ideal location- 1/2 a block from elementary school, walkable to MS and HS.
5. Very dry basement (finished) for play room
6.  Low end of property taxes for the area

Cons:
1. No garage.  Would want to build one at some point.
2. In town, so 1.5% income tax (income is ~150K a year so this is a cost)
3. I just don't *LOVE* it. It is nice. It is fine. It isn't weird. But I don't love it. I love 50-60's ranch houses and this is a 1922 two story.
4. Towards the top of our budget (245K- but houses under 200K are rare, there have not been any in 2017)


A garage is something you can do without. As as you mention, you could build one later. And I think location is one of the important factors of a house. This, combined with the view.

I would think that a 1922 house is expected to require quite some renovations at a certain point. Maybe you just don't see it yet. Keep in mind that elderly houses always are full of surprises. If you ever make a renovation, the project might be much bigger than expected, because the floor/walls/roof/electricity/water pipes or whatever wasn't in the condition that you expected. This is my experience from a house from the 70s. I can only imagine what a house from the 20s would be like.

waltworks

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2017, 01:25:30 PM »
It's a box for keeping rain off. The most important things are the location and how much it'll cost you (both to buy and maintain/heat/cool/etc).

Forget the love crap. It's some boards and asphalt shingles and drywall. It will never love you back.

-W

Iplawyer

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2017, 02:45:28 PM »
I'd say buy it and live in it a while.  Then you'll know what you need to change to make it a love it place.  That is what I did with mine  because of its location and I would not live anywhere else now that I have made it my own.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2017, 02:56:31 PM »
If it has the correct bones, I would buy it and then get started on making changes to it.

BY correct bones I mean
  • Structure is in great shape
  • No major defects in electric or plumbing
  • Has the appropriate number of bedrooms/baths.

It is easy to replace cabinets and floors. Even bathrooms are easy. Once they are changed to your style, I believe you will love it then.

lizzzi

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #9 on: March 04, 2017, 03:04:07 PM »
Intellectually it sounds like you should buy it, but emotionally it sounds like you shouldn't. I would go with your intuition and not buy it, especially that this is only the beginning of March, and other houses will be coming on the market. I have found that with each and every house I've purchased, it had to meet my intellectual criteria, but it also had to have that "x factor." Hard to quantify, but the house has to feel like "home." That is the emotional part, and it's very important. Don't let anybody tell you it isn't.

nottoolatetostart

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #10 on: March 04, 2017, 03:37:50 PM »
Disclaimer: I have a 1959 ranch home. I love it. I want to live here forever. I could not imagine loving anything else. I never felt that way with our other 2 homes. Location here is amazing.


How long will you stay? After owning a few houses in the last few years, we wish we would have waited till we found the one. We spent needless money and time fixing up, repairing, remodeling homes that weren't a long-term home for us. We spent more money on previous homes to make it "right". Oddly, this home has lots of original features but we have done very little to it, other than paint and needed roof.

I agree with others garage is not deal breaker. If you have vision to make it what you want and want to leave there long term, then purchase.

Also, many in my small town buy homes for 200k and demo and rebuild what they want. Possibility for you? Not mustachian, I know, but MMM kind of did it too.

Otherwise, I would pass. Don't settle. This is expensive (think of sales costs too on the back end).

Can your agent send out flyers to properties you may be interested in to sell if they would be interested in selling? Something in that location?

Hope this helps. Good luck!

robartsd

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #11 on: March 04, 2017, 05:07:22 PM »
Two story vs ranch is certainly different bones to the house, not just style. But lots of things can be changed about a house; location is not one of them. Would the house be a good investment as a rental; if you can't make it a house you love and you can't make money renting it out, don't buy it - the only way you'd leave without a loss (at least once you consider opportunity cost) is if you find a buyer who does love it.

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MsPeacock

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #12 on: March 04, 2017, 05:11:50 PM »
If it has the correct bones, I would buy it and then get started on making changes to it.

BY correct bones I mean
  • Structure is in great shape
  • No major defects in electric or plumbing
  • Has the appropriate number of bedrooms/baths.

It is easy to replace cabinets and floors. Even bathrooms are easy. Once they are changed to your style, I believe you will love it then.

This. You can fix many things about a house except the location.

Two story might kill it for me, everything else is mostly changeable.

Hargrove

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #13 on: March 04, 2017, 06:35:49 PM »
Intellectually it sounds like you should buy it, but emotionally it sounds like you shouldn't. I would go with your intuition and not buy it, especially that this is only the beginning of March, and other houses will be coming on the market. I have found that with each and every house I've purchased, it had to meet my intellectual criteria, but it also had to have that "x factor." Hard to quantify, but the house has to feel like "home." That is the emotional part, and it's very important. Don't let anybody tell you it isn't.

This is where I would be.

You spend an awful lot of time and money on a house. If your gut says "ehhhhhhhh" and you're not already prone to analysis paralysis in your decision making, I would pass. The terrible consequences of waiting another month, or two, or ten, to find a good house are... what? Continuing to look? How do these compare with the terrible consequences of buying a house you don't like, which you'll enter with suspicion, and potentially view future challenges in it as proof of that suspicion (which will then grow worse, etc.)?

Jon Bon

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #14 on: March 04, 2017, 07:47:04 PM »
It's a box for keeping rain off. The most important things are the location and how much it'll cost you (both to buy and maintain/heat/cool/etc).

Forget the love crap. It's some boards and asphalt shingles and drywall. It will never love you back.

-W

This!!

Pass because it does not work for you. And please don't go out and blow your budget on a house you love. Emotions have no place in a business transaction.

lizzzi

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #15 on: March 04, 2017, 08:51:38 PM »
It's a box for keeping rain off. The most important things are the location and how much it'll cost you (both to buy and maintain/heat/cool/etc).

Forget the love crap. It's some boards and asphalt shingles and drywall. It will never love you back.

-W

This!!

Pass because it does not work for you. And please don't go out and blow your budget on a house you love. Emotions have no place in a business transaction.

That's a little cold, Jon Bon. It's a home, as well as a business transaction. Emotions play a huge role in home buying...but you have to recognize that and keep it under control. I think the OP pretty much has it together...recognizing the importance of location, but voicing reservations about the house itself. I don't necessarily think you have to love the house you move into...but you have to be able to modify it into a place you can love. I myself purchased a great location with a so-so house--but the house was basically what I wanted and needed--it was just a matter of fixing it up. If I truly disliked the house, I would not have bought it, location or not.

waltworks

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #16 on: March 04, 2017, 10:10:49 PM »
This has always confused me - what is there to "love" (or not) about a house? Setting aside at least semi-quantifiable things like proximity to stuff you want to do, safety of the neighborhood/quality of schools, size, price, condition - what place does emotion have in the purchase?

I don't "love" (or not love), say, a nail gun. I just want to make sure it's safe, reliable, and reasonably priced given the first 2 features. It's not a person so "love" isn't applicable. I guess I could prefer the color or appearance of one over another, but I would never "love" it regardless. It's a THING. Things are mostly interchangeable. There are a ton of people in my life that I love, but I'd never shed a tear over losing any of my possessions. They're just inanimate matter!

The appearance? The layout? What is it? If you don't love a house right away, can you love it after some time? What if you fall out of love with a house that you loved initially? Do other members of your family need to love the house too? Does this mean that if you're just in a bad mood (or an especially good mood) you're going to buy/not buy a house?

Seems insane to me. But I guess if you just can't be happy unless you love the house, then that's all that matters. Keep looking.

-W

Hargrove

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #17 on: March 04, 2017, 10:19:57 PM »
This has always confused me - what is there to "love" (or not) about a house? Setting aside at least semi-quantifiable things like proximity to stuff you want to do, safety of the neighborhood/quality of schools, size, price, condition - what place does emotion have in the purchase?

I don't "love" (or not love), say, a nail gun. I just want to make sure it's safe, reliable, and reasonably priced given the first 2 features. It's not a person so "love" isn't applicable. I guess I could prefer the color or appearance of one over another, but I would never "love" it regardless. It's a THING. Things are mostly interchangeable. There are a ton of people in my life that I love, but I'd never shed a tear over losing any of my possessions. They're just inanimate matter!

The appearance? The layout? What is it? If you don't love a house right away, can you love it after some time? What if you fall out of love with a house that you loved initially? Do other members of your family need to love the house too? Does this mean that if you're just in a bad mood (or an especially good mood) you're going to buy/not buy a house?

Seems insane to me. But I guess if you just can't be happy unless you love the house, then that's all that matters. Keep looking.

-W

That escalated quickly. People love all sorts of "inanimate matter." A home is to many people a keepsake you live in. The color of the walls and the hue of the sun in the windows and the sound of hardwood underfoot and the laughter in hallways that echoed for decades are all the meaning of life wrapped in a box that at once represents safety and security, stress relief after a long day, familiarity and belonging after a long trip...

And it costs truckloads of cash and time.

englishteacheralex

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #18 on: March 05, 2017, 12:09:13 AM »
Everybody's different, I guess.

We bought a concrete condo in a fairly ugly highrise that is entirely without any kind of personality or charm. It was a good deal in the best location we could afford. (We live in Honolulu, which is a pretty intense real estate market.) We wanted a washer/dryer, two parking spaces, and a dishwasher. This place checked all the boxes. Done.

For us, our primary dwelling is not an emotional thing. Totally a business transaction, something we decided was a good idea financially because of our circumstances. As soon as we found something that worked and was in our price range, we were so thrilled we pounced on it immediately.

But hey, a neat house is cool, I guess. People have different priorities. To me, the situation described is a total buy, buy, buy right now. The pros seem pretty great and the cons don't register with me at all.

Hargrove

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #19 on: March 05, 2017, 06:22:17 AM »
I think a lot of home charm is either nostalgia or the expectation of nostalgia.

You generally get back all the nostalgia you put into it, so I'm more practical about looking for a home, too, but for some people it's almost an adoption.

Linea_Norway

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #20 on: March 05, 2017, 09:32:16 AM »
These good bones that many mention are really important. We once didn't buy a house in an amazing location because it was so hopelessly stupidly designed from our point of view. Like having no large windows on the side with the amazing view. Having lots of tiny bedrooms that we didn't need. We concluded that we couldn't make it into a good house for us and therefore didn't buy it.

waltworks

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #21 on: March 05, 2017, 09:52:40 AM »
That escalated quickly. People love all sorts of "inanimate matter." A home is to many people a keepsake you live in. The color of the walls and the hue of the sun in the windows and the sound of hardwood underfoot and the laughter in hallways that echoed for decades are all the meaning of life wrapped in a box that at once represents safety and security, stress relief after a long day, familiarity and belonging after a long trip...

And it costs truckloads of cash and time.

Yes, those things are all great. And are all things that *you* can change or create with any house. Hardwood floors are probably the biggest PITA of all of them, but even that's not very hard. Color of the walls? Really? You aren't going to buy a house because you won't spend $200 on paint and a day of your time?

The kids footsteps for decades things is just silly, since unless you buy a haunted mansion where the kids are instantly devoured, their footsteps will echo in your memory in any house.

For the record: I'm against buying a haunted mansion.

-W

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #22 on: March 05, 2017, 10:22:26 AM »
As a seller, I love buyers who fall in love with a house. Then they overpay!

Hargrove

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #23 on: March 05, 2017, 11:25:36 AM »
Quote
Yes, those things are all great. And are all things that *you* can change or create with any house. Hardwood floors are probably the biggest PITA of all of them, but even that's not very hard. Color of the walls? Really? You aren't going to buy a house because you won't spend $200 on paint and a day of your time?

The kids footsteps for decades things is just silly, since unless you buy a haunted mansion where the kids are instantly devoured, their footsteps will echo in your memory in any house.

For the record: I'm against buying a haunted mansion.

-W

Lol well, I'm not really a person who needs to fall in love with a house... I figure that happens automagically if you bought a decent house. Color of the walls can matter depending on accents, moulding, finishes (or lack thereof for wood panels and such), materials used... no, if you're just painting sheetrock with flat moulding, it would not be wise to even think about the color when buying. Also, sure, you could change bigger things like hardwood yourself, but realistically, a lot won't, so for them it would be extremely expensive to do so. And some people are really intense about the setting of all those nice memories. I mean, you asked. :p

The trick to not overpaying, if you're one of those people, is to be prepared to offer whatever you were prepared to offer for your ideal house (determined before seeing any houses). You should have a good, excellent, and perfect house price in mind. You can actually even use that to negotiate. And if you set the rule up before hand, you're more likely to stick to it, than to go wide-eyed and imagine how to (over)pay for a "perfect" house.

But while you or I would find it silly to spend heavily on the backdrop of your life before arranging your money around your actual life, the wrong house can be a big disappointment for a lot of people. If you come home, and the home itself contributes to your happiness, hey, enjoy that happiness. It's probably the most expensive "thing" you'll ever have to pay for, so hating it and living in it surely isn't a winning recipe, but being less tied up in it might be healthier.
« Last Edit: March 05, 2017, 11:28:44 AM by Hargrove »

waltworks

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #24 on: March 05, 2017, 11:38:33 AM »
Even hardwood floors aren't very expensive, really (in the context of a house purchase), even if you don't want to DIY.

The only physical characteristics that can't easily be changed are the layout/size (certainly important) and the location. Really everything else can (usually for a pretty reasonable price) be changed to be whatever you want.

I will echo Cowboy and Indian, too. I have sold 4 houses in the last few years (as their values got too high to make sense as rentals) and I *loved* it when some nut-job decided the crappy fake columns on the front porch justified offering an extra $5k. Hey, you can put those on any porch you want for like $100 plus paint, but whatever - OMG what a cute house!

-W

Hargrove

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #25 on: March 05, 2017, 11:51:32 AM »
Haha, ouch.

Yeah, I think the only feature I want in a house (to the extent it could significantly affect my price) is location. And maybe a porch. I would like a rocking chair on a porch. I'll put the hammock there too if I can't fit one in the yard. And lemonade. And...

Wait, nevermind, this has nothing to do with the house at all anymore.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #26 on: March 05, 2017, 02:06:34 PM »

The only physical characteristics that can't easily be changed are the layout/size (certainly important) and the location. Really everything else can (usually for a pretty reasonable price) be changed to be whatever you want.


Remember the 4 rules of real estate
  • Location
  • Location
  • Location
  • Layout/Size


ltt

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #27 on: March 05, 2017, 02:36:48 PM »
I didn't love our home when we bought it; my husband did.  He said it would make a great retirement home.  There was an inordinate amount of yard work, ponds with filters and all that stuff that I knew nothing about, trees everywhere.  We bought it; it has grown on me over the years.  It still is not my ideal house; but it is our home.  It's where we've raised our kids, so a home does have an emotional attachment whether people think so or not.   

You can buy a home you love, and the day you move into it, it can start having problems. 

But you mentioned location---1/2 block to the elementary school and walkable to the MS/HS.  That's a great bonus!!!!  You just can't beat that.  And who knows, maybe years down the road, the MS/HS has a larger population and the school district ends up building a new school somewhere else.

If you can live with it and make changes suitable to your needs, then I would buy it.  Do you have room to build a garage?

Lmoot

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #28 on: March 05, 2017, 03:19:06 PM »
2 story 1920s and mid century ranch would be waaaay too different for me to compromise on, personally. For 1, the 1920's would likely require more upkeep and maintenance (and possibly reno). Compounded on that, it's 2 stories, and those are notoriously more expensive to service than 1 story homes, even for the more basic things like plumbing; also the second story is usually of lesser quality than the bottom story, again possibly costing more to maintain, and is more easily wearable and tearable. Also, I may hate 2 story homes unless they are all concrete block or bungalows, or split levels (which I oddly like for some reason).

MayDay

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #29 on: March 05, 2017, 05:47:04 PM »
Update:

We saw it a second time and liked it a lot more.  But while we were viewing it they signed another offer.

The comments about loving it basically came down to layout. I can't change it from a two story to a one story, I can't make the kitchen not be a hallway to the basement, I can't make it have an eat in kitchen instead of a seperate dining room (well, I can probably do that last one with enough $$$$ as it "just" involves removal of a load bearing wall.

Our current ~100 year old house is a disaster of a floor plan so I need to love the floor plan to love the house.

From what we could see it was in superb shape but with that age of house it still made us a tad nervous that if nothing else the insulation may be crap compared to a newer house.


Linea_Norway

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #30 on: March 05, 2017, 11:25:51 PM »
Update:

We saw it a second time and liked it a lot more.  But while we were viewing it they signed another offer.

The comments about loving it basically came down to layout. I can't change it from a two story to a one story, I can't make the kitchen not be a hallway to the basement, I can't make it have an eat in kitchen instead of a seperate dining room (well, I can probably do that last one with enough $$$$ as it "just" involves removal of a load bearing wall.

Our current ~100 year old house is a disaster of a floor plan so I need to love the floor plan to love the house.

From what we could see it was in superb shape but with that age of house it still made us a tad nervous that if nothing else the insulation may be crap compared to a newer house.

It sounds like a good decision not to buy it.

The insulation IS crap compared to a newer house. Even if they would have replaced the windows with modern windows, the walls are still very narrow. Modern houses probably have 3x as thick insulation in them. Old houses also have a tendency to not be completely tight. This causes leaking of warmth and mice entering the house. Modern houses are better in many practical ways. Old houses may be charming, though.

Something else I have been wondering about... What would be the maximum age of a house? You should of course always put maintenance in a house to make it keep it's value. But when does it become not worth buying a house of a certain age? There must be a point when it becomes unattractive to do upgrades compared to replacing the whole house with a new one. Like when the walls are so thin that insulating the house requires building an thicker wall on the outside, replacing all the plumbing and electricity becomes an expensive post, replacing the roof, etcetera.
« Last Edit: March 05, 2017, 11:31:42 PM by Linda_Norway »

nottoolatetostart

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #31 on: March 06, 2017, 04:55:20 AM »
Interesting. We lived in a 2001 house. While there was insulation, you could hear  our conversations from the street and every sound outside (DH often reported this when he was out walking dog).. It was terrible for sleeping and general annoyance the rest of the time.

We now live in a (real, not the faux stuff made today) brick ranch and it is whisper quiet. It is peaceful. All noises are muffled and we live near a couple busy streets). I doubt there is much insulation but my home is not drafty, maybe due to plaster walls.

I think you made right decision Mayday. I love ranches too and would not consider 2 story again (we owned 2 before).

Cassie

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #32 on: March 06, 2017, 12:18:25 PM »
When we were young we lived in a 200 yo home and had no problem selling it when we relocated for work. I think the key is whether the home has been maintained or not. The right home will come around Mayday.

historienne

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #33 on: March 06, 2017, 12:20:29 PM »
As a fellow ranch lover, I think it's probably for the best that you didn't buy the house.  We are facing the fact that there are zero ranch houses in our preferred area, so we will have to compromise.  If they existed, though, we would definitely hold out for one.

gipsygrrl

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #34 on: March 06, 2017, 03:08:30 PM »
For many of us, loving some aspect of our homes is extremely important. I can rank each house I've lived in according to how much I've loved it, and that's a key consideration moving forward. That doesn't mean my emotional connection to a house has clouded my financial judgement in any way (Horrors! Emotions getting in the way of clear-headed financial decisions! How weak and... feminine!), however. A home is a big value judgement... some people will weight its importance higher than others. And those "4 walls and a roof - what else do you need?" people? Bully for them. I assume they have other parts of their lives that they value more. Or maybe they're robots.

But I vote in favor of listening to your instinct and waiting for a house with a spark.

robartsd

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #35 on: March 11, 2017, 07:45:19 PM »
I don't think there is an age that is too old. Many older homes are quite a bit better quality than some newer tract homes. If the foundation and structure were well built and the exterior is reasonably well maintained a house should last a very long time.

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Dicey

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Re: WWYD: house buying- great location, don't love it.
« Reply #36 on: March 12, 2017, 01:51:26 AM »
Okay, lemmee see...so far i have purchased seven houses, all of which I loved...eventually.

My first answer is "Trust your gut."

My alternate answer is "Flip a coin."

I see that this is a moot point for the house in question, but my advice stands.