House #2 is the very similar house down the road from House #1, and it ran a close race. Why it's the downgrade is: the bedrooms are smaller; there isn't a huge multi-tiered deck off the back; and it doesn't have a pool.
But that's about it. On the plus side of House #2, the rooms are all nicer (the kitchen is way nicer); it has 3 acres instead of 2 (and still goes to the river); and it's cheaper. As my buddy Rhys so astutely points out (and YES you always have crash space - any place you want), we can build our own decking, and have a pool put in some time down the road if we want one badly enough - although the work and expense of one sometimes makes me wonder. (P.S. - Rhys, Robin plans to start having Roughnecks Training Camps again if we get this place ... plenty of room for ya'll to wreck yourselves for a weekend).
If it were $20,000 cheaper I'd buy it tomorrow. Er, Monday. It's really nice. Very nice hardwood floors. A huge living room. A beautiful 'family room' with a gorgeous brick fireplace, the whole room beautifully paneled in a lovely light wood (not sure what it is). It looks kinda small, but it's deceptive - it's the exact same size of the living room (of which I didn't take a picture, but looks much larger - they are both 24 x 12, the same size as the living room at House #1 and smaller than the family room with fireplace there; it's because this fireplace juts out into the room rather than being flush with the wall, but I am so not complaining - it's a beautiful, beautiful room).
It also has a built-in 'home office' in one end - a work station, shelves, and drawers galore - in matching wood.
The kitchen is to die for, huge, nice, tons of cabinets and space - way larger and nicer than the one in Alleged Dream Home #1. (This is only half of it - it continues on the right)
Upstairs, four bedrooms ... closets everywhere. Downstairs, a fantastic (large, clean, dry) basement with another fireplace. The three acres are at least half wooded (not so much at the other place). Just sweet.
I say "If it were $20,000 cheaper" but not because we're looking at houses we can't afford. Technically it's in our range - that's assuming, based on asking price, that they will come down at least somewhat from that starting point. It's just on the high end of comfortable, is all ... and I'd be much happier with considerably less of a mortgage. So I'm going to line up my ducks, and we're going to make a low-ball offer, and keep looking. *Shrug* Nothing else to do.
But I really like this place, although I am astute enough to realize that I'd probably like almost any house that was so much bigger and nicer than mine, and anywhere within spitting distance of achievable for us just now. So that's why we're going to keep looking - just in case. (And just in case they don't accept our low-ball offer, which is a good bet).
No new knitting news ... too busy house planning.
1 comment:
Hmmmm.....
Would this mean I would have crash space? Of course, that is assuming I ever get off strike coverage and actually am able to reassemble the shattered remains of any social ties I might have left by that time...
BTW, Congrats and good luck with the house hunting. Keep in mind, decks are not too hard to build, I bet even Greggy and Johnny could manage it....well, as long as no inspections were involved anyway. Pools are nice, but there is a good amount of work involved with them too (my parent's have had one since '85.)
((hugs))
Rhys
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