I have nothing to add to the conversation about specific features of the house. I just want to address the "how do I know" question. Gut-check is so important when it comes to real estate. Can you really see yourself living there? Do you get visions of your kid running around the space when he's older? Picture nights on which he has teenaged friends over while you hang out in the kitchen or somewhere else in the house? Can you see yourself driving up to this house day after day when you come home from work or elsewhere? Does the idea of being in that space make you happy? Are you fixated on specific things you don't like about the house that aren't easy to change?
I'm trying to come up with questions to frame around feelings I've had about places we've lived, but I didn't really go in with a list of questions. I just got "omg, no, never" vibes and "yes, the life I want to live can take place within these walls" vibes. My spider-sense has gotten honed over years of living in different places and moving a bunch and the last three places we've lived, I just knew as soon as I walked in that I had stepped into my new home.
What's with the 300k price jump in the property history? It was fully renovated.
Are you okay with the kitchen? I think it's beautiful but it is a pain not having enough space and for a 3k sqft home I'd expect a larger kitchen for the area. I think it's an efficient use of space. I would love a bigger kitchen, but for this price in this neighborhood there aren't a ton of huge kitchens along with other things we're looking for.
Are you okay not having an enclosed garage? I see the carports quite a bit in the country, but I don't think I'd like it in the city. I'd want to have it enclosed. We would prefer an enclosed garage, but I think we're ok compromising on this. We've been parking outside for the past ten years, so it's just not that big of a deal. This neighborhood was developed in the 60s, when ranches with carports were the norm.
Lot size is a big deal for us, but I know where you're looking that it comes at premium. So with that said what about the street? Is it busy? Can your kids ride bikes? Just things to think about...since you are talking about a forever home.
It's a very quiet dead-end street that's two blocks from a main road. What we particularly like is that you can walk down neighborhood streets to get to restaurants and the elementary school. All the neighborhood streets are connected.
I have nothing to add to the conversation about specific features of the house. I just want to address the "how do I know" question. Gut-check is so important when it comes to real estate. Can you really see yourself living there? Do you get visions of your kid running around the space when he's older? Picture nights on which he has teenaged friends over while you hang out in the kitchen or somewhere else in the house? Can you see yourself driving up to this house day after day when you come home from work or elsewhere? Does the idea of being in that space make you happy? Are you fixated on specific things you don't like about the house that aren't easy to change?
I'm trying to come up with questions to frame around feelings I've had about places we've lived, but I didn't really go in with a list of questions. I just got "omg, no, never" vibes and "yes, the life I want to live can take place within these walls" vibes. My spider-sense has gotten honed over years of living in different places and moving a bunch and the last three places we've lived, I just knew as soon as I walked in that I had stepped into my new home.
Ha, my spidey sense is lacking. It is hard to picture what our needs will be down the road, particularly since we've been living in condos our entire adult lives.
I never got much of a "feeling" about other things people said I was supposed to, either. Oops. But these are helpful things to think about!
This is a great area, we have a lot of friends near here, it isn't too far from us either. We went to a great preschool near here that is turning into a full day school this Fall (it is Reggio if interested, off Clairmont). It's a cute house on the inside, I don't love the outside but I think you could change it with some yard work even. Generally good schools (Coralwood is amazing, but very difficult to get into), Oak Grove is a good school and Lakeside is a good high school. I haven't really heard anything about the middle but I truly loathe middle school and think they suck everywhere, since kids those ages suck, so there you go I agree on enclosing the carport if you can.
Post by curbsideprophet on Mar 1, 2016 16:02:21 GMT -5
It sounds like it is a flip so that would make me a little more cautious. It also looks professionally staged. Try to image it with your furniture and things inside.
@mrsbecky, I graduated in 99 but we moved so I graduated from HS in Maryland. I was in the magnet program at Chamblee, so if your friend was my year in the magnet program, i probably knew him!
If you've walked through twice and still aren't sure, I think I would keep looking esp. since new listings will increase soon.
Man, I pride myself on being a decisive person (I bought my wedding dress from the first place I looked). But a $600K decision is hard to pull the trigger!
@mrsbecky , I graduated in 99 but we moved so I graduated from HS in Maryland. I was in the magnet program at Chamblee, so if your friend was my year in the magnet program, i probably knew him!
If you've walked through twice and still aren't sure, I think I would keep looking esp. since new listings will increase soon.
Man, I pride myself on being a decisive person (I bought my wedding dress from the first place I looked). But a $600K decision is hard to pull the trigger!
It is! If it were me, and I wasn't totally sold, I'd want to wait and see what the spring listings are like since they will be popping up so soon. But you have to go with your gut. If you love this house, then maybe this is it.
The layout with the living room, sitting room and smallish kitchen would be a deal breaker for me. Way too open and the furniture layout would be wonky.