Which house would you pick

[dd1204]

My husband and I are not sure which house to make an offer on. Looking at the pictures and info on both home which would be the best value. We would replace the carpet in both home.
s1153.beta.photobucket.com/user/yamiyani49/library/House%202
s1153.beta.photobucket.com/user/yamiyani49/library/House%201

House 2 carpet is better quality. If we pick house 2 it would need no update just paint. The master bath is small and their is nothing that can be done to make it bigger. I would also change the tile over time. I feel the family room feel more crowed then house 1 and the kitchen is smaller. The closets are bigger. Older windows put big back yard. The house was on the marker 3/12 for $199, listing was remove 9/2012 then re-listed for $175. The selling agent is in the same office as my Realtor and told her that the seller did not accept one offer and if we offer not to make a low ball offer that they feel really firm on their price. The CMA our Realtor did shows no house has sold in that area for more than $159 and that house is worth $165 with the updates. If we offer it would be $160 and not more. 

House 1 would need new kitchen cabinets, counter tops and I would do an island. Master bath need to be completely gutted, there's a closet in the upstairs hall that can become part of the master bath which would give me a bigger bath then House 2. The roof is 2 month old, it has insulated windows, and A/C is about 2.5 years old. Backyard is small. The finishes are lower quality. Their is a canal on the side of the home. House was on the market in 3/2012 for $175 lower to $155. It was remove from the market on 8/2012 and put back on 1/26/2013 at $155. My Realtor came up with comps and thinks we should paid around $148-150. 

[nessness]

If neighborhoods are comparable, I would probably go with House 2, since it sounds like the things you don't like about that house are more fixable than the one things you don't like about House 1, unless the small backyard is a big deal for you. Also, dealing with a seller who overvalues their house is a PITA.

I would recommend pricing out the changes you want to make though and deciding if you're willing to either put in that much cash upfront or live with some of the features for a while while you make the changes over time.

[crispnclean]

I think I'm a little bit confused because based on your description, I think the first link is actually going to "House 2"

The yard on House 1 would be a deal breaker for me, but I don't know how you feel about it. It is way too small and too close to that next house for my taste.

I wouldn't buy the house you think is the best value. I'd pick the one you like the best and try to get it for a fair price.

[dd1204]

Jan 31, 2013 8:38:09 GMT -5 nessness said:

If neighborhoods are comparable, I would probably go with House 2, since it sounds like the things you don't like about that house are more fixable than the one things you don't like about House 1, unless the small backyard is a big deal for you. Also, dealing with a seller who overvalues their house is a PITA.

I would recommend pricing out the changes you want to make though and deciding if you're willing to either put in that much cash upfront or live with some of the features for a while while you make the changes over time.

I think you mean house 1. House 2 is the first link and is all updated.

[dd1204]

Jan 31, 2013 8:44:30 GMT -5 crispnclean said:

I think I'm a little bit confused because based on your description, I think the first link is actually going to "House 2"

The yard on House 1 would be a deal breaker for me, but I don't know how you feel about it. It is way too small and too close to that next house for my taste.

I wouldn't buy the house you think is the best value. I'd pick the one you like the best and try to get it for a fair price.

Yeah house 2 is the first link. The yard on house 1 is bigger to the left side. House 2 backyard also has a home in all sides it just has the fence all around and the neighbor can't look in, which is something I'll do to house 1.

[dd1204]

Jan 31, 2013 8:44:30 GMT -5 crispnclean said:

I think I'm a little bit confused because based on your description, I think the first link is actually going to "House 2"

The yard on House 1 would be a deal breaker for me, but I don't know how you feel about it. It is way too small and too close to that next house for my taste.

I wouldn't buy the house you think is the best value. I'd pick the one you like the best and try to get it for a fair price.

Yeah house 2 is the first link. The yard on house 1 is bigger to the left side. House 2 backyard also has a home in all sides it just has the fence all around and the neighbor can't look in, which is something I'll do to house 1.

[tarheels]

I agree with the others that talking about House 2 first and House 1 second is uber-confusing for us. You know the houses but we don't.

House 2's much nicer than House 1. House 2 is attractive with good curb appeal and House 1 just isn't. Bottom line: House 2 is absolutely worth $15-$20k more than House 1.

For an idea of how obnoxiously expensive the updates you're talking about for House 1 are, take a look at the link in my siggy. You'll easily spend the $15-20k difference in trying to do updates, so save yourself the hassle and buy the house that's finished to begin with.

[dd1204]

Jan 31, 2013 9:38:38 GMT -5 tarheels said:

I agree with the others that talking about House 2 first and House 1 second is uber-confusing for us. You know the houses but we don't.

House 2's much nicer than House 1. House 2 is attractive with good curb appeal and House 1 just isn't. Bottom line: House 2 is absolutely worth $15-$20k more than House 1.

For an idea of how obnoxiously expensive the updates you're talking about for House 1 are, take a look at the link in my siggy. You'll easily spend the $15-20k difference in trying to do updates, so save yourself the hassle and buy the house that's finished to begin with.

My husband thinks the same as you except that we feel that House 1 has better curb appeal. Almost every house in house 2 look exactly the same. I know the updates are not going to be cheap but we plan to do it our selves and not over time. Also I feel in house 1 the floor plan downstairs is better more spread out. With house 1 I can update it to my liking.

[julygal]

You seem to be arguing for house 1, so I think your mind is made up.

Personally I would go with house 2 for the price difference. DH and I don't like renovations and avoid them, as we feel they always end up costing more than anticipated. However, if that is what you are looking for, then house 1 is the way to go.

[tarheels]

Jan 31, 2013 9:58:38 GMT -5 dd1204 said:

Jan 31, 2013 9:38:38 GMT -5 tarheels said:

I agree with the others that talking about House 2 first and House 1 second is uber-confusing for us. You know the houses but we don't.

House 2's much nicer than House 1. House 2 is attractive with good curb appeal and House 1 just isn't. Bottom line: House 2 is absolutely worth $15-$20k more than House 1.

For an idea of how obnoxiously expensive the updates you're talking about for House 1 are, take a look at the link in my siggy. You'll easily spend the $15-20k difference in trying to do updates, so save yourself the hassle and buy the house that's finished to begin with.

My husband thinks the same as you except that we feel that House 1 has better curb appeal. Almost every house in house 2 look exactly the same. I know the updates are not going to be cheap but we plan to do it our selves and not over time. Also I feel in house 1 the floor plan downstairs is better more spread out. With house 1 I can update it to my liking.

I'm with julygal. If you want House 1, get House 1. Doesn't matter to me, I'm just a stranger on the internet. I'm just answering your question - I've been there, done that, and will never do it again.  Renovations are not fun, not enjoyable.  Wanting a new car or a vacation and not being able to because you've got to spend $8k on some home improvement is not cute.

[dd1204]

Thanks everyone. I'm really am arguing for house 1 because I wanted to purchase a home that I can update, my husband on the other hand doesn't want to deal with that. We are going to both houses tonight and see which we decide for.

[dd1204]

Jan 31, 2013 10:46:53 GMT -5 tarheels said:

Jan 31, 2013 9:58:38 GMT -5 dd1204 said:

My husband thinks the same as you except that we feel that House 1 has better curb appeal. Almost every house in house 2 look exactly the same. I know the updates are not going to be cheap but we plan to do it our selves and not over time. Also I feel in house 1 the floor plan downstairs is better more spread out. With house 1 I can update it to my liking.

I'm with julygal. If you want House 1, get House 1. Doesn't matter to me, I'm just a stranger on the internet. I'm just answering your question - I've been there, done that, and will never do it again.  Renovations are not fun, not enjoyable.  Wanting a new car or a vacation and not being able to because you've got to spend $8k on some home improvement is not cute.

Um ok. Thanks

[pitterwoo]

The better value appears to be House 2 because House 1 needs more updating that will quickly exceed the slightly lower purchase price.

If I were buying a house that needed work I would want to be getting it at a steep discount.

Get the house that has the majority of permanent features that you want: yard size, location, appearance, basic floor plan.

[minniebee]

I would buy house 2. House 1 would take way too much time and money to update, and house 2 has a better yard, which you'll never get with house 1.

[sailorgray]

House #2 definitely. I find it much more attractive. Also, the fact that House 1 is on a canal would be a deal breaker for me. With two little kids, I'd always be worried.

[sailorgray]

Jan 31, 2013 9:31:35 GMT -5 dd1204 said:

Jan 31, 2013 8:44:30 GMT -5 crispnclean said:

I think I'm a little bit confused because based on your description, I think the first link is actually going to "House 2"

The yard on House 1 would be a deal breaker for me, but I don't know how you feel about it. It is way too small and too close to that next house for my taste.

I wouldn't buy the house you think is the best value. I'd pick the one you like the best and try to get it for a fair price.

Yeah house 2 is the first link. The yard on house 1 is bigger to the left side. House 2 backyard also has a home in all sides it just has the fence all around and the neighbor can't look in, which is something I'll do to house 1.

Are you planning on putting a privacy fence in, too?  I just wanted to make sure that if you are, you know how much that will cost. It is pretty pricey.

I see so many people go into fixer uppers with such dreams only for them to be dashed b/c they always cost more than expected. Is this your first house? I wish you the best of luck!!

[pitterwoo]

Jan 31, 2013 9:58:38 GMT -5 dd1204 said:

My husband thinks the same as you except that we feel that House 1 has better curb appeal. Almost every house in house 2 look exactly the same. I know the updates are not going to be cheap but we plan to do it our selves and not over time. Also I feel in house 1 the floor plan downstairs is better more spread out. With house 1 I can update it to my liking.

If you are still seriously considering both homes, you should try to map out the time and money you would want to spend on either of them for updates.  I don't think I understand when you say you will DIY, but not over time.  DIY, by it's very nature will take a long time.  After work, on the weekends, the steep learning curve for new skills has made our projects drag on.  Unless you are saying that you and your H and basically at the contractor level and were planning on taking time off to just do your house.  In that case I could see you making significant progress in a year.

For us, basically each room we've gutted has taken 6 months.  Add other projects like pointing, roof, garage doors, landscaping, etc and I think it will be 10 years to update the house to our liking.

[dd1204]

Jan 31, 2013 18:42:40 GMT -5 sailorgray said:

Jan 31, 2013 9:31:35 GMT -5 dd1204 said:

Yeah house 2 is the first link. The yard on house 1 is bigger to the left side. House 2 backyard also has a home in all sides it just has the fence all around and the neighbor can't look in, which is something I'll do to house 1.

Are you planning on putting a privacy fence in, too?  I just wanted to make sure that if you are, you know how much that will cost. It is pretty pricey.

I see so many people go into fixer uppers with such dreams only for them to be dashed b/c they always cost more than expected. Is this your first house? I wish you the best of luck!!

Yes, we would put a privacy fence. Is our first house and I think i'm getting to caught up in the excitement of renovating. House 2 is also on the top of our price. 

[dd1204]

Jan 31, 2013 18:42:49 GMT -5 pitterwoo said:

Jan 31, 2013 9:58:38 GMT -5 dd1204 said:

My husband thinks the same as you except that we feel that House 1 has better curb appeal. Almost every house in house 2 look exactly the same. I know the updates are not going to be cheap but we plan to do it our selves and not over time. Also I feel in house 1 the floor plan downstairs is better more spread out. With house 1 I can update it to my liking.

If you are still seriously considering both homes, you should try to map out the time and money you would want to spend on either of them for updates.  I don't think I understand when you say you will DIY, but not over time.  DIY, by it's very nature will take a long time.  After work, on the weekends, the steep learning curve for new skills has made our projects drag on.  Unless you are saying that you and your H and basically at the contractor level and were planning on taking time off to just do your house.  In that case I could see you making significant progress in a year.

For us, basically each room we've gutted has taken 6 months.  Add other projects like pointing, roof, garage doors, landscaping, etc and I think it will be 10 years to update the house to our liking.

I was typing from my phone, we would DIY everything but over time. The only thing we'll do right away is remove the carpet. My kids have bad allergies and don't do well in carpet. The way I was looking at house 1 was if it takes us a couple of years to do the updates it would be fine. But like I said I think i'm not really thinking of how expensive remodels can get and just of doing things the way I like. 

[TBM]

You can't really change the floor plan/flow of the house without great expense, so that should be a consideration. It has to work for the way you live, or you won't enjoy living there.

You also can't change the location...is one better than the other?

[pitterwoo]

ok, that makes sense. It's easy to look at houses and imagine what you would do to make them nice, but if you actually have to be living there, make sure you have a realistic plan.

My house has pretty much crushed my spirit. I remember on our honeymoon sitting there talking about what order we would do projects in. lol, our timeline was so far off.

[dd1204]

Jan 31, 2013 18:38:31 GMT -5 sailorgray said:

House #2 definitely. I find it much more attractive. Also, the fact that House 1 is on a canal would be a deal breaker for me. With two little kids, I'd always be worried.

Is a drainage canal and there's privacy fence already on that side of the home plus the city has like 10 foot wire fence. There would be no way for my kids to get to it.

[dd1204]

Jan 31, 2013 19:14:32 GMT -5 pitterwoo said:

ok, that makes sense. It's easy to look at houses and imagine what you would do to make them nice, but if you actually have to be living there, make sure you have a realistic plan.

My house has pretty much crushed my spirit. I remember on our honeymoon sitting there talking about what order we would do projects in. lol, our timeline was so far off.

You are so right! I'm looking at house 1 and picturing everything I can do to it. Also would it make a different that house 1 has a new roof, new A/C system, and insulated windows? Something that house 2 doesn't have, and we'll change over time. The A/C in House 2 is pretty old and the roof never been touch. I also like that house 1 has a better layout.

[pitterwoo]

The layout can't be helped no matter how much D&R you do, so that would give me the most pause. Even with needing a roof and A/C I think you will find that house 2 is still further ahead, but again if the floor plan is never going to suit you then you really need to consider if it just isn't the right fit for you.

The windows probably wouldn't be a big deal to me. I'd first make sure the rest of the house was well insulated and stop air leaks and drafts before worrying about the difference between the types of glass. For example, in our house the attic have very little insulation in the attic and it old and compacted. For about the price of one new window we laid all new pink panther in a double layer and reduced our heating bill by about 35% with just that one change.

[sailorgray]

Feb 1, 2013 7:44:05 GMT -5 dd1204 said:

Jan 31, 2013 18:38:31 GMT -5 sailorgray said:

House #2 definitely. I find it much more attractive. Also, the fact that House 1 is on a canal would be a deal breaker for me. With two little kids, I'd always be worried.

Is a drainage canal and there's privacy fence already on that side of the home plus the city has like 10 foot wire fence. There would be no way for my kids to get to it.

Ok, that makes a difference. For some reason, we keep finding houses with pools. Living in PA, where swimming is not year round and having relatives with pools we can use, I do not want a pool. I'd be worried the whole time that one of my guys wold sneak out. Shudder.

Does your H like the house you want? I only ask b/c it may put a strain on you guys if he really wants the other one and you want the fixer upper and all of your spare time is working on the house.  Unless he is totally on-board, I'd probably keep looking until you found a place you both liked.  House hunting is so much fun and a total PITA.

[kitty]

Is the lack of yard on House 1 something that concerns you? How does the square footage compare between the two? Same number of beds and baths?

I see the appeal of something you could "make your own" but I feel like you would have to get House 1 for a lower price to make it worthwhile. The kitchen alone will be big bucks to redo.

[dd1204]

Feb 1, 2013 8:31:32 GMT -5 sailorgray said:

Feb 1, 2013 7:44:05 GMT -5 dd1204 said:

Is a drainage canal and there's privacy fence already on that side of the home plus the city has like 10 foot wire fence. There would be no way for my kids to get to it.

Ok, that makes a difference. For some reason, we keep finding houses with pools. Living in PA, where swimming is not year round and having relatives with pools we can use, I do not want a pool. I'd be worried the whole time that one of my guys wold sneak out. Shudder.

Does your H like the house you want? I only ask b/c it may put a strain on you guys if he really wants the other one and you want the fixer upper and all of your spare time is working on the house.  Unless he is totally on-board, I'd probably keep looking until you found a place you both liked.  House hunting is so much fun and a total PITA.

My H like house 2. We first saw that house in September but the sellers weren't entertaining anything but full price offer. I think we'll keep looking.

[dd1204]

Feb 1, 2013 10:09:27 GMT -5 kitty said:

Is the lack of yard on House 1 something that concerns you? How does the square footage compare between the two? Same number of beds and baths?

I see the appeal of something you could "make your own" but I feel like you would have to get House 1 for a lower price to make it worthwhile. The kitchen alone will be big bucks to redo.

House 2 is 100 sq ft more. The yard doesn't concern me put it does my husband, the yard in house 1 is bigger then it seems because is on the side. My husband feels to go with house 1 the price should be $130-135, they are asking $155. Is funny I though house hunting was going to be fun nop is giving my headache

[sailorgray]

Feb 1, 2013 11:16:33 GMT -5 dd1204 said:

Feb 1, 2013 10:09:27 GMT -5 kitty said:

Is the lack of yard on House 1 something that concerns you? How does the square footage compare between the two? Same number of beds and baths?

I see the appeal of something you could "make your own" but I feel like you would have to get House 1 for a lower price to make it worthwhile. The kitchen alone will be big bucks to redo.

House 2 is 100 sq ft more. The yard doesn't concern me put it does my husband, the yard in house 1 is bigger then it seems because is on the side. My husband feels to go with house 1 the price should be $130-135, they are asking $155. Is funny I though house hunting was going to be fun nop is giving my headache

Just wait until you get into the loan stuff. I LOVED looking at houses, but the underwriting part was so stressful.  They tore us apart. Since it was our first place, they were interviewing past landlords. If we deposited large sums of $ into our acct, they needed to know what it was, etc. This was 2008 and I am hoping things are different now. 

[kitty]

Feb 1, 2013 11:16:33 GMT -5 dd1204 said:

Feb 1, 2013 10:09:27 GMT -5 kitty said:

Is the lack of yard on House 1 something that concerns you? How does the square footage compare between the two? Same number of beds and baths?

I see the appeal of something you could "make your own" but I feel like you would have to get House 1 for a lower price to make it worthwhile. The kitchen alone will be big bucks to redo.

House 2 is 100 sq ft more. The yard doesn't concern me put it does my husband, the yard in house 1 is bigger then it seems because is on the side. My husband feels to go with house 1 the price should be $130-135, they are asking $155. Is funny I though house hunting was going to be fun nop is giving my headache

House hunting was so not fun.  It look us 18 months to find our house.  That is a lot of wasted weekends going to see crap.