Please vote on the house you would choose

[floridakat]

Floor plan is SO much more important to me than elevation. I look at the front of my house for two hot minutes twice a day. I'm much more concerned with where the bathrooms are located, how big my closet it and how functional the kitchen is.

[mrsdoe]

Apr 23, 2015 21:01:25 GMT -5 @ygmg said:

1 then 3. I hate 2. I think it's the tiny useless windows that I'm not liking.

I think the windows on all the houses look off proportionally. I picked one but the window over the door seems puny.

[lilac05]

I like both of the homes you just posted better than all three of the first options. The first better than the second. It looks like an actual home.

ETA:  If you haven't bought a lot yet, I think you should look in other neighborhoods.  They'll probably have different builders, too.

[AuntFlo]

Apr 23, 2015 21:33:31 GMT -5 @bigreddog said:

Apr 23, 2015 21:13:03 GMT -5 sofamonkey said:

What are the floor plans like? Or, are you really only interested in the exterior? That's weird.

Right now I'm struggling to find an exterior I like.  Most of the floor plans are decent, open floor plans. I'm trying to find an exterior I like and work from there. Here's two more. 

I like the first pic of this round the best, even better if it were a different color. 

Where will it be (general area) because that influences the style a lot as well.

[killercupcake]

Apr 23, 2015 21:33:31 GMT -5 @bigreddog said:

Apr 23, 2015 21:13:03 GMT -5 sofamonkey said:

What are the floor plans like? Or, are you really only interested in the exterior? That's weird.

Right now I'm struggling to find an exterior I like.  Most of the floor plans are decent, open floor plans. I'm trying to find an exterior I like and work from there. Here's two more. 

I like the first one in this option, but mostly because I love having a front porch. 

[gummybear]

Apr 23, 2015 21:45:28 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

I like both of the homes you just posted better than all three of the first options. The first better than the second. It looks like an actual home.

ETA:  If you haven't bought a lot yet, I think you should look in other neighborhoods.  They'll probably have different builders, too.

I agree with this! I think the first computer generated home is closest to what you want

[sofamonkey]

For someone that hasn't even purchased a lot yet, and hasn't approached a builder either, you are are making a LOT of concessions already. I mean, isn't the point of building instead of buying one that is already assembled is that you get things like you want? Sweet Jesus, I predict a hot mess for you.

[dexteroni]

Apr 23, 2015 21:56:13 GMT -5 @bigreddog said:

Apr 23, 2015 21:52:32 GMT -5 sofamonkey said:

For someone that hasn't even purchased a lot yet, and hasn't approached a builder either, you are are making a LOT of concessions already. I mean, isn't the point of building instead of buying one that is already assembled is that you get things like you want? Sweet Jesus, I predict a hot mess for you.

We are buying into certain neighborhoods. While we would like to get exactly what we want, it's really expensive to do a true custom house. 200+ square foot. You can save a lot by going with an existing spec house and making changes.

But you're buying in a neighborhood that prohibits you from having the house you want. Why not buy in a neighborhood that allows you to build the house you like, the one by a different builder? Or buy an existing house in the style of the one you want? Going through the construction process for a house you don't even like seems futile and wasteful.

To answer your question, I don't really like any of the first three, although I guess 1 is the least bad. Of the second two you posted, I like the first one.

[lilac05]

We looked at building, too. I decided we couldn't afford something we loved in the right neighborhood to justify spending that much money on building. If I'm going to build, I want it all done just how I like. Champagne taste on a beer budget. We decided to keep an eye on the market and buy an existing home. We found an imperfect home on the perfect lot. We've got time now to make it our perfect home (and can spread out the cost). You may want to consider that option, too.

[lilac05]

Are those first 3 homes really 3000 square feet? That's about the size of my new place, and they look about 3 times the size.

Keep looking. Don't make so many compromises so early. You deserve to have something that you love (or know that you will love, with some work). It's not worth the time, money, and STRESS to build a home that you don't absolutely love and are dying to come home to on a daily basis.

[sofamonkey]

Apr 23, 2015 22:02:14 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Ok, I no longer understand care.

There ya go. 

[lilac05]

Apr 23, 2015 22:06:53 GMT -5 @bigreddog said:

Apr 23, 2015 22:01:21 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

We are in this stage now. It's discouraging! I'm looking at existing homes to that fit what we are looking for. The lot size we want limits us so much. 

To be honest, I had my eye on the market for over 3 years before this one came up.  We bought a home that was nice, but not perfect, in the meantime (we relo'd back here).  It was WELL worth the wait.  It was a foreclosure, or it still would have been out of our budget.  Wait, wait, wait, JUMP!

I know waiting sucks.  But compromising that much on that big of an investment sucks even more.

[sofamonkey]

What do you need with an entire acre? Y'all gonna build a llama farm? And typically speaking, if you build outside of the city by a decent distance, you can do what you want on a larger lot. No HOA.

[lilac05]

Apr 23, 2015 22:38:24 GMT -5 @bigreddog said:

Here's a listing that meets some of our requirements... anyone want to weight in on it? I'm not a fan of some of the interior finishes.


www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4904-Creek-Meadow-Cv_Spicewood_TX_78669_M83158-38241?row=3

Go walk through it.  You can't change location.  Layout changes are expensive (but may be possible).  Finishes can almost all be changed relatively easily. 

Even if you hate it, you'll have a better idea of what you do/don't like and what homes in your budget really look like.

[pagas]

Apr 23, 2015 22:38:24 GMT -5 @bigreddog said:

Here's a listing that meets some of our requirements... anyone want to weight in on it? I'm not a fan of some of the interior finishes.


www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4904-Creek-Meadow-Cv_Spicewood_TX_78669_M83158-38241?row=3

That seems very Texas Hill Country-ish, if that is the look you are going for.  

And yes, Texas puts that damn star wherever they can.

[auntie]

Apr 23, 2015 21:04:35 GMT -5 @stilljustash said:

1 looks like a fancy community clubhouse.

i vote 3.

Or a set of 4 townhouses.

#2 looks well on it's way to becoming very dated looking. The front door sort of reminds me of Wilderness Lodge in WDW. And swapping out the long windows for a big one with shutters isn't a viable solution. Shutters need to match their windows- 15" shutters stacked along a picture window are just silly.

I vote 3 if your neighborhood typically includes this style.

[wambam]

Apr 23, 2015 20:59:17 GMT -5 @bigreddog said:

Apr 23, 2015 20:58:16 GMT -5 wambam said:

This is a bragplaint if I've ever seen one. Number one.

Where's the 'plaint?  It's also texas! Houses are LCOL than most places. 

Help me! I don't know which beautiful, ENORMOUS house I should build and I can afford them all!

[underwaterrhymes]

Apr 24, 2015 8:12:28 GMT -5 wambam said:

Apr 23, 2015 20:59:17 GMT -5 @bigreddog said:

Where's the 'plaint?  It's also texas! Houses are LCOL than most places. 

Help me! I don't know which beautiful, ENORMOUS house I should build and I can afford them all!

LOL! You just bought a beautiful house, didn't you?

Sure, she's bragging a bit especially since she's not a reg, but since I also just bought a lovely house (and posted about it here) I can't throw any stones.

[wambam]

Apr 24, 2015 8:17:16 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Apr 24, 2015 8:12:28 GMT -5 wambam said:

Help me! I don't know which beautiful, ENORMOUS house I should build and I can afford them all!

LOL! You just bought a beautiful house, didn't you?

Sure, she's bragging a bit especially since she's not a reg, but since I also just bought a lovely house (and posted about it here) I can't throw any stones.

I did.

I'm mostly joking

[underwaterrhymes]

Apr 24, 2015 8:22:14 GMT -5 wambam said:

Apr 24, 2015 8:17:16 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

LOL! You just bought a beautiful house, didn't you?

Sure, she's bragging a bit especially since she's not a reg, but since I also just bought a lovely house (and posted about it here) I can't throw any stones.

I did.

I'm mostly joking

There is no question it's a good problem to have. But COL is no joke. That's a lot of house for the cost.

You couldn't pay me to live in TX, though.

[papie]

Apr 24, 2015 8:15:16 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

Also, are these really that big? They look like about 3,500 sq feet, right? That's not huge.

In what world is that not huge? Lol America!

[wambam]

LOL at 3500sqft not being huge.

[underwaterrhymes]

I agree. 3,500 square feet is a huge house.

[BaliHai]

If those were my only options and I had to pick one, I'd pick the second. The first one is boring and now I can't stop seeing an Olive Garden sign out front of the third.

[knx9211]

Apr 23, 2015 22:38:24 GMT -5 @bigreddog said:

Here's a listing that meets some of our requirements... anyone want to weight in on it? I'm not a fan of some of the interior finishes.


www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4904-Creek-Meadow-Cv_Spicewood_TX_78669_M83158-38241?row=3

I like it. And I would be way happier changing some things inside than choosing a house I didn't like on the outside.

[rugbywife]

All I know is that I watch Fixer Upper on HGTV and I can't believe what you can buy for less than 200k in Waco. I couldn't buy a delapidated one bedroom condo here for that.

Of those three pics I like #2.

[jlt19]

I like the house you posted save a few things: the kitchen is too outdated for a $450k+ house. Who has a mini bar in a hallway on their second floor? Do they manually put the fake peacock's tail feathers up and down?

[Jalapeñomel]

They are all too manufactured for my taste.

[beefcheeks]

Apr 24, 2015 8:16:34 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

Apr 23, 2015 22:38:24 GMT -5 @bigreddog said:

Here's a listing that meets some of our requirements... anyone want to weight in on it? I'm not a fan of some of the interior finishes.


www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4904-Creek-Meadow-Cv_Spicewood_TX_78669_M83158-38241?row=3

I like this one quite a bit.

Me too. Love the decks and porches.  Looks like a beautiful lot.  Finishes can be changed. 

[Deleted]

Apr 23, 2015 21:27:23 GMT -5 sofamonkey said:

Apr 23, 2015 21:20:20 GMT -5 @bigreddog said:

 It has to be be 100% masonry as per the HOA. I am also confused at 1 and 2 but they are listed as possible models for the neighborhood. 

This is the house I would like to build, 1 story about 3000 square feet. 

You sure that's one story?

This I love.