In A Land Far, Far Away!
Hey Bargain Friends! I need your opinion! I am house shopping in a land far far away from my hometown. God has opened many doors for my hubs and I to possibly move. My hubs has to work this week and has sent me to this this far, far away land to go house shopping. In the area we are possibly moving to, the cheapest house is about twice the cost of our current house. That narrows it down to about 4 possibilities. I have really liked two houses that I have seen so far.
House 1: Is adorable, immaculate, beautiful old wood floors but it is smaller, with 2 bedrooms and 900 square feet. On the bright side, I am thinking it might bring our family closer together and I would have less to clean.
House 2: This house has what hubs would call, potential. It has 4 bedrooms but, how should I say it, the kitchen counters are retro orange. By the time we made an offer, we wouldn’t be able to make any changes to the house that weren’t necessary. I am sure I could find great deals on some 70’s motif!
My inner princess wants house #1. I have never lived in a house as beautiful as this.
The bargain shopper in me wants house #2. This house has “potential.”
Either way, I am sure this is a great situation to be in, but I need your help! Would you want house #1 or #2?
We are moving from Texas to the North East!
08 Feb 08
Several years ago we were in your shoes, and I went with the house with potential. We could only afford the house no extra. We thought we would be able to fix it up little by little. Which we did, but it was a long hard row. As it went very slowly fixing up. After two years, some of the pipes burst in the downstairs bathroom, which was a huge blessing because with the money from the insurance company we could fix the bathroom and kitchen up!
Next house I went with one that needed no work! I know if I was in your shoes I would go with the smaller house.
Where are you all moving to?
Jen
08 Feb 08
That’s tough.
At this point, if I had to choose I would go with the smaller home. I think moving is stressful enough, especially to a far away land. But to move into a home you did not love and couldn’t fix right away might do me in.
However, I think you should keep praying. If no house is really ringing you bell then maybe God hasn’t given it to you yet.
Our first home took 9 months to buy with 5 offers that fell through (not due to us) and they were all “okay”. The when our house went on the market it was better than we had dreamed and it was smooth sailing.
I realize that you may not have that kind of time. But God can do anything!
08 Feb 08
I would definitely go for the smaller house, too. If you don’t have the money to fix up the one with “potential”, it has no potential. You will be miserable! You can be happy in a small house if you make sure things are picked up and put in their place. With two boys this can be a challenge, but you can do it.
08 Feb 08
The first house sounds beautiful, but small. I see that you have 2 boys - a 2 bedroom house with 2 kids makes for tight quarters, in my opinion, especially as they get older and want more privacy. The bargain hunter in me, as well as my desire for space, would make me pick the bigger house that has “potential”. I would want my kids to be able to have their own room, plus have an extra room for guests.
Good luck with your house hunting. I am sure the perfect place for you will be revealed.
08 Feb 08
One thing to keep in mind is the value of the home you choose. If you go with the smaller house, you probably won’t stay in it forever. Check out the neighborhood. Is this house like the others? Is it in an established, desirable neighborhood? One rule of thumb is to find the smallest house you can afford in the best neighborhood and the value of the neighborhood will sell the house later. Don’t forget about storage. If you have to rent a storage building to store your Christmas stuff and out of season clothes, factor that price in, too. As for the house with “potential”: I do not believe that I could live in a house while renovations were going on. My husband and I have remodeled several houses to use as rentals and the mess is unbelievable. Not to mention that tempers flare! Maybe you could negotiate with the seller to do some of the upgrades as part of the deal if they are desperate to sell. Some flooring is an inexpensive way to spruce up, if you go with vinyl and carpet. Maybe they would buy the flooring if you will put it in.I understand inflated real estate prices. We live in Western North Carolina-land of high prices. Good luck!
08 Feb 08
I vote for house #2. It know it is hard to wait to be able to fix things up, but buying a house is pretty permanent. Most often you can’t just decide you don’t like it and move!
900 square feet is really small for a family. My family (hubbie and 3 and 4 year old) are temporarily in an apartment that is about 1000 sq feet and two bedrooms. We are ON TOP OF EACH OTHER. I thought the same thing about getting closer as a family, but we all need a little space. It’s really up to your personality and the personality of your hubbie and kids. Can you all handle not having any real private space? Or can you handle the old stuff from the second house? Personally, b/c you are such a bargain shopper, it would excite me to think of the challenge of saving enough and finding good deals on making house #2 a great fixer upper. With the terrible housing market, I’d pray for some crazy good deal on a house. . . but it may just be that the cost of living is much higher where you are going. . . Best of luck!
08 Feb 08
I would go with house #2. A 2 bdrm with 2 kids will grate on your nerves very shortly. A bigger, more comfortable house can be upgraded slowely. As for your orange counter, you can be thrifty and make it a mexican motif and make a mosaic backsplash out of broken plates! I’ve seen pics and they are stunning! I would look at a house with potential and a nice challenge!
08 Feb 08
It all depends on if you and your husband are capable of fixing up stuff! I have to BEG my hubby just to hang a picture on the wall! So number 2 would be a no-go! haha! Best wishes!
08 Feb 08
I have also lived in both. I loved my little 968 sq ft house but I had NO storage space and no garage. We moved in newly wed and had a 4 yr old & 2 yrd old when we moved into the spacious 4 bedroom fixer upper. I am with Windy if your husband is motivated and a natural fixer upper I would choose the extra room. My husband is not and he really thought this house would “change” him but it did not! We lived there 5 years with out doing much except a little paint. There is something to be said for having room though! I don’t think I have been much help at all. So here is my best advice: Pray, Pray, Pray!!
08 Feb 08
I have two boys, three if you count my husband- ha! I think living in 900 square feet might just push me to the edge if not over it.
The noise level with my boys can be tremendous sometimes so its nice for them to be able to go to another part of the house where at least the ruckus is muffled a bit.
Praying for you and your decision.
Susan
08 Feb 08
My vote is on two. The money will eventually come through to fix up the house. It is far more expensive to add on than to improve. I felt the same way when I moved into a bigger house that needed more work but I am much happier in the long run.
08 Feb 08
i would go with the one that is going to cause the least amount of stress b/t the two of you. being in a new city, it will be a great adjustment and it may be nice to just go with the move in ready house. on the otherhand, if the potential house will save money, that may be better with the cost of moving, switching utilities, etc. also look at the tax appraisals on the houses as well as the estimated utility cost. a smaller would be cheaper to heat, but the other may have lower taxes. does either have a fireplace?
now i have just created more questions for you…sorry. i will be praying for the best choice for you and yours.
08 Feb 08
Such a hard decision. I don’t know how many kids you have or if you plan on having more, but that would be a help in your decision. We have two boys in a two bedroom that is about 1200 sq. feet and it has been great nad wonderful. BUT we’re about to add two to our family, so that is why we are moving.
Good luck with your choice!
08 Feb 08
900 sq feet with 4 people tight living quarters. I did that growing up and we were on top of each other all the time. We really didn’t have any privacy.
08 Feb 08
That’s definitely a tough decision. If you and your husband have the talents needed to do the work, then the “potential” house might be the better choice. If you don’t have the talents….or the potential finances that something like that would take…..then you may want to consider how you might feel in two years if things are exactly like they are now. I’m currently living under the notion that less really is more. We are fairly sure we are moving to a far, far, far away land, too…one where the majority of people live in little huts. I’m thinking if I end up with anything remotely the size of 900 sq feet with my husband and two boys, I’ll be a blessed woman. It’s all about perspective. God will guide you…..just ask. And good luck in your new land!
08 Feb 08
Hi I’m new here and getting all into your business! I agree with April VERY much. What about the neighborhood?
It makes me think the little one is in a better hood. Would there be room there to add on one day in the future
if you wanted to or if the next buyers wanted to? I always think about selling when I buy.
It’s hard to sell a 2 bedroom. It’s also hard to sell a big house that is ugly. Since I don’t
know you at all I have no idea if you have the desire to make something cute or not. Some people
just don’t want to deal with that! {I usually wish I was one of those people!!} Would you
have to move walls in the big house or just cosmetic things like floors and counters? Paint can work wondersbb
but, if you have to replace every window and door that’s a huge deal!
I didn’t help at all! I think you will be happy either place and no matter what you choose
you will probably wonder ‘What If…” How fun!
Enjoy the process!
08 Feb 08
4 bedrooms sounds like a dream! Extra space is worth the bad kitchen.
08 Feb 08
I would pick number 2. There is nothing worse than living in small quarters. The house I live in is nice, but small and I’m not as happy as I could be. You can slowing fix up the house a little at a time. I need room.
Good Luck in whatever you choose!
08 Feb 08
I think I would pick # 2. Your two boys will love the extra space.
08 Feb 08
My hubby, 3 kids and I are living in a 108 year old Victorian dream house that backs up to the house Grandma and Grandpa owned when I was a kid. I love this house! We are constantly upgrading. That’s okay!
Now, our first renovation was our kitchen. Ours was last renovated the decade before your second choice house. We had pink and gold counters, a pepto pink sink, and shiny pink bathroom tiles for the backsplash. My VERY boyish boys wouldn’t even go in there to get a glass of water!
I had saved a ton of my My Points points, and ended up with a couple of hundred dollars worth of Home Depot gift cards. We had also received one as a housewarming gift. We headed to Home Depot, and found a countertop we LOVED for $700. We paid the $25 to have them come out and measure. They messed it up, and gave us another 50% off, and our countertop was less than $400 in the end. We went for an upper price range counter top, so don’t let my numbers concern you. My husband tiled the kitchen (people ALWAYS comment on the deigner look) and we got good NEW appliances for next to nothing (although frankly, I considered spray painting them with the appliance paint you can get CHEAP at Sears–we had done it before and it looked phenomenal).
There are often places where you can purchase home renovation items at builder’s prices. Even better when you can find remnants that fit your home. We put wood flooring into an old home for less than $75, because of a pile of leftover remnants we spent 2 hours pouring through. It was worth it, and added $5,000 to our house offer when we sold!
If it were me, I would do the 2nd house for the size, and look at the renovations as an adventure. But…you need to consider that God hasn’t shown you YOUR house yet, either. This wasn’t our first house that we considered. We actually put an offer down on another house, that we later found out needed $75,000 worth of work just to pass inspection!
08 Feb 08
We moved into a 70’s house 4 years ago and remodeled most of it while living with my parents, then did the rest while living here. I’d go with #2! It’s hard to have an expanding family in a small house. We’re expecting baby #4 in June and we’re busting at the seams in our 1600 sq ft house. Make the most of the orange countertops and the avacodo green bathrooms (if they exist) until you can afford to fix things up. We spent every Saturday at Lowe’s purusing the clearance aisles. We decorated/remodeled around our bargain finds - ceramic tile for the floor, beautiful countertops for the bathrooms, lamps, etc.
08 Feb 08
we are 3 weeks from moving into our 3rd house with “potential”…not easy, but yesterday as my husb and i were out on our deck (that i love and hate to leave for a house with dirt, weeds and lots of random concrete in the backyard) refinishing door knobs and faceplates, well, i was just very grateful that #1 God is allowing us this opportunity again, each time, more space #2 it is an economical purchase/re-do considering what resale will be #3 it is my lame part of being environmentally correct–salvaging all we can as opposed to buying all new. having said all of that…
ikea has great butcher block countertops for very cheap!!!!
Seek His leading…Acts says that He has anointed the times and places for us to live!
08 Feb 08
I have done it both ways before. Right now we live in a house with only 884 sq. feet. There are five of us. (I have 2 boys and a girl.) I love love love love LOVE it and will never go back to a large house ever again!
Where in the NE are you moving to?
08 Feb 08
Could you afford the cheapest new countertop at Home Depot for house number 2? What is your storage like in house 1? I live in a 1,100 sq. ft house (which includes the finished attic) with 3 small bedrooms and one less person than you and we are squished. The lack of closets is our biggest problem. I underestimated how annoying that would be. But there is a lot to be said for having a beautiful home!
08 Feb 08
Thanks for helping! I love reading your stories!
One neat thing about both houses is that they both have a basement the same size as the house. So even the small house could have a 300 sq ft playroom in the basement and tons of storage.
We are going to look at two more houses that came up today so maybe we will find something “in the middle” of the two houses that we have liked so far.
08 Feb 08
There are strong points to either. A house all put together (with less to clean) is most definitely appealing. BUT a house with work to be done could mean an increase in equity with a little effort on your part. Kitchens and bathrooms sell a house. If you and your man are “handy”, you could make money should you ever have to move. However, if he’s going to be super busy in his new position, do you want to sacrifice every bit of your down time/family time to renovations? All said, pray, pray, pray!!! God has a place for you…it may not even be one of these 2! My family and I are relocating to China next month…I’m doing the internet shopping thing, too….ultimately, I have to rely on what God provides when we arrive. We have moved many times, and each move has brought great favor in the housing department. Have faith!
08 Feb 08
Three years ago we were in the exact same situation as you. We were moving to a new area and were trying to decide between the smaller, newly remodeled home and the bigger, ugly house with the big yard. We went with the bigger house, and today, I am so glad that we did. We have slowly but surely, been working at making it our own. I now love this house!(and I hated it in when we moved in.) We still need to do some major remodeling, but until we can afford to do that, we have painted, torn up carpets, ripped out a wall, made flowerbeds, and painted some more. And in the process we have discovered that we love fixing up this house! It has become a hobby for us.
Whatever you decide, I hope it is best for you. I just wanted to share our house story.
And welcome to the Northeast!
08 Feb 08
I would choose #2. I am always thinking about the resale of real estate. If you were able to “fix up” this house, there would be potential for you to make more money in the long run. This doesn’t mean that you would start the weekend that you moved in, but as you could afford it. We recently moved into our house which was retro 70’s with gray interior as well as exterior (talk about boring!!!!!). We now know how to lay ceramic tile, paint as well as alot of other small things. It really could turn into a hobby that you never knew interested you. AND, you could make house #2, your style!!!!
Good luck on your choice and of course, just lay it into God’s hands and he will pick the best place for you and your family.
08 Feb 08
House 1
08 Feb 08
Since I don’t know your family — I’d have to go on mine — we couldn’t fit in 2 bedrooms - so I’d have to go with the 4 br — unless I could add on a room or two the little one.
08 Feb 08
Pray about it. God will tell you what to do. He always knows
08 Feb 08
House #2. We were in the same position a few years ago. We went with the big house that needed lots of updating. We have tackled one project at a time (and still have many, many, many more to go). But we have never regretted our decision. We have plenty of room for our growing family (we plan to never move again as long as we’re in this area) and the house has become “ours” since all of the renovations/improvements were made by us!
08 Feb 08
Gosh, I would really pray about it because your options are one extreme to another. Obviously, the beautiful 900 sq ft home is wonderful to envision living in such a “dream” home but eventually that dream could turn into a nightmare because of space limitations, location, etc. I do like the idea of the extra storage space in the basement. That would help. On the flip side the larger home sounds like potential but could start out as a nightmare if you have to really spend time, money, effort to fix her up. Really take the time to think through this and not make a hasty decision. I believe that God will lead you to the right home for your family. If you are having any doubts about any of the homes, that may be God’s way of telling you to wait.
09 Feb 08
Lori, good to know you will have good storage in both houses with a basement. I’m praying that God will give you much wisdom and favor!
09 Feb 08
i know God will show you what to do because you seek Him! when He gives you that peace about a house, it will be the most wonderful feeling….
19 Feb 08
I would go with the 4 bedroom! You will appreciate the space and I know you could do something with the exciting counters!
That’s my two cents! 
I want to know what you choose! Do you have pics?