4/25 House Hunting: House 1

I forgot to do a write up of the houses we saw on 4/25, but a friend who lived near a couple of the listings asked me to do one now, so I will.

House 1: $400,000, 3 bed / 1.75 bath / 1,400 square feet / 6,300 square foot lot / 2 car carport

The Good:

The price/location combination on this house was great. Right in the neighborhoods we want to be in at a price that is less than most other listings. Plus, it was VERY near some friends of ours. The low price meant that we would have plenty of money after the sale to do some of our own upgrades.

Minimal work would need to be done to the back yard fencing to make the yard doggie door ready. And the back yard is nice, big, and level.

The deck off the dining room expands the public space nicely (at least on sunny days) and the paved area underneath could easily have a hot tub added to it.

The public areas have a nice flow. The kitchen has been given a basic update, nothing super fancy, but still decent. And while there is not a lot of counter space, it is open enough that it does not feel small or confined.

The two upstairs bedrooms are similar sized and would make great kid rooms.

There is already a bathroom with shower in the basement and one finished bedroom, but not really of the size to be a master. Still, there is another space that could quickly and easily be finished to be a master.

The Bad:

While there is a finished room in the basement (arguably 2), it is not a finished basement, so we would need to spend money there to make it what we want.

The basement bathroom/shower is tiny.

The kitchen is small.

Heat is forced air, but electric (with a heat pump, but still electric).

As is, there is no family space that is not public space.

The Verdict:

Contender. While the house is not perfect, at the price, we have plenty of money for renovations, and see quite a bit of potential. Take the larger half finished room in the basement and turn it into the master. Knock down the wall between the current finished room and the bathroom to expand the bathroom (add a claw foot tub), and create good closet space.