This next house we toured was pretty sweet. The owners had just dropped the price nearly $40,000 which suddenly put it within our range. The sellers had already moved out and after having the place on the market for 4 months were quite motivated to sell. And perhaps that fact would motivate us to buy? Let’s meet the house:
THE STATS:
- Age: 1977
- House size: 2,772 square feet
- Lot size: 0.4 acres of land
- Bedrooms: 4
- Bathroom: 2.5
THE PROS:
- Great deal
- Beautiful exterior and landscaping
- Polished details like crown molding, custom window shutters, and exposed beams
- Tons of extras like a Wolf range, two outdoor deck heaters, a car lift in garage, and a full yard irrigation system
- Kitchen needed lots of work (which we like)
THE CONS:
- Felt a bit too “fancy” for us
- Didn’t need much work besides the kitchen
- Schools and location were not ideal
- Still priced at the top of our range even with the drop
- Not as old and much bigger than we’re actually looking for
The funny thing about this house is that it’s actually one of the first we toured on the inside. And it initially wowed us so much that we actually did put in an offer (shocker, we know) – mainly just to see what would happen. We figured with our lowball price (we dropped it another 20K) and our must-sell-our-house-first contingency that we’d get kicked out immediately. They ended up being fine with the contingency but weren’t willing to budge on the price (which is completely understandable given their recent drop) so we walked away. At least it was a good dry run for when we make and offer on a house that we really want. Especially because in hindsight we want waaaay more of a beater than this house. one that’s even older, more modestly sized, and just begging for a makeover. Are you out there perfectly imperfect house?
Kiran says
The house does look good. I can’t wait for you guys to move into a new house and begin remodeling :D Good luck!
Margarita Jramillo says
We are just buying our first house, the closure will be tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. and my history is amazing. I am buying the house that I saw for first time 15 years ago and I get in Love immediately, the house is an Old Florida Style Home in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, needs Central Air conditioning, new windows, paint, finish the 4th room etc., we try to buy other houses, but for different reasons never works (thanks God), I guest because in my heart was always this house: “The perfect, Imperfect House”. We are buying the house for my best friend mother, the house is way too big for her and just three months ago she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Two months ago my friend ask me: go and check my mom’s house: I hope you can buy this house is the perfect house for You, Ray and the kids, my answer was forget about it the house is very big and is not even close to our price range, anyway we went to see the house and I remember live the house crying and told my husband: I wish we can buy this house, and let him know what happen to me 15 years ago when I saw this House for first time in my live. Next I called my friend and let her know that I adore the house, for my amazing her mother drop the price to our price comfort zone and tomorrow we are closing in the house.
If you don’t LOVE the “perfect imperfect house”, don’t even try no matter the size, location or price, the number One think when you are buying a house is to LOVE the house, so keep looking the houseof your dreams is waiting for you!!!!!!
Kisses to Clara and Burger.
YoungHouseLove says
Agreed! We know we’ll just get that overwhelming “this is it” feeling that we had when we found our current house- and we’re waiting for that to strike again! No settling!
xo,
s
Suzanne says
What ended up happening with the problem of getting a mortgage, since you were both self-employed? How did you resolve that? I wonder, because my husband and I are in the same boat, and wondering what our options are, when the time comes.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Suzanne,
We didn’t have any issue getting a mortgage, we just couldn’t support two mortgages (buying a house without selling ours) since we’re self employed and viewed as more “risky” to loan to. That’s still the case, which is why if we find a house we love before selling our own there will be a “contingency” on our offer that says we have to sell our house first in order to pay for the new house and move in. Lot’s of people are in the same boat about needing to sell their current home in order to buy their next one, so we’re confident we’ll be able to juggle things and make it work!
xo,
s
Ashley @ A { Blondes } DIY Life says
Its so much fun to go along with you all on this journey. As I am several years away from doing anything of the kind myself….trying to pay off school loans! Its so fun to dream along with you!
Jessica @ How Sweet says
That house is very pretty! But it’s gotta work for you.
Sarah says
Sherry,
I have followed your blog for a year now and I love it. I was wondering what you would look like with your hair down?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sarah,
Here’s a video with my hair down: https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/08/ride-with-us-to-texas-wont-you/
xo,
s
Stephanie says
Did y’all seriously look into how much it would cost to add additions (or an addition) to your current house? I currently rent an adorable house that I am in love with and hope to purchase when my lease is up. The thing is is that the house is only about 900 square feet (2 br & 1 bth). I think the bare minimum it needs for now is a master suit to make it 3br 2bth but I am not even remotly sure how much that would cost. Did y’all ever get estimates? Good luck with your house hunt!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we thought long and hard about additions before deciding to leave our beloved first house, but for us it still didn’t solve the issues that we had with the house’s current layout. If you love your house’s existing layout and think it would easily benefit from a simple addition (since you love all that’s there and wouldn’t want to move the kitchen across the house for example) than it could be a better solution for you! Maybe call around and get some estimates for a better idea of cost? Good luck!
xo,
s
Khia says
Hi Guys,
I think this is a very cute house! But if it’s already remodeled like you said, maybe you should keep looking. I cant wait to see the results of the new house because all the new looks and new style. Yuppie!
Ky
Sara @ House Bella says
Cute house! But wowsa, is it big! Glad you’re waiting in the wings for the perfect imperfect.
Olives and Daisies says
This house looks cute but I agree you have to buy whats right for you, we bought a house that was 1700 square feet with the thought that we would eventually add on, but now after living in and remodeling almost the entire thing I would never dream of adding on, I love the small size – so I get what your saying about not wanting to clean an huge house!! I 100% agree with you there!! We just finished a major kitchen overhaul and are so happy with the out come – check it out here: http://olivesanddaisies.blogspot.com/
hi-d says
Looks like a beautiful home, but I agree that you guys are smart to keep on looking for one that is more of a fixer upper. :)
Deanna says
I may have missed a post on this – if so, forgive me! What exactly are you guys looking for in a house as far as square footage/bedrooms/bathrooms go? Your current house is 3/1.5, correct? So do you want to stay in a 3 bedroom, just bigger rooms? What exactly made this house too big? Or was it more that this house is too fancy? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Deanna,
Here’s a post with more of that info for you. Basically we’re looking for slightly more space (a four bedroom or a three bedroom house with a separate office would be awesome). And of course we’d love a master bathroom so 3-4 bedrooms with 2 full bathrooms would be great!
xo,
s
Laura (Blogging Over Thyme) says
I would really consider getting a house more closer to this size, than the house you’re currently in. If you’re planning on having more kids and plan on living in the next house when that happens, the space will be much appreciated and IF it ends up being your forever home, your kids will prefer having more space as teenagers and during college (trust me!).
Maintaining a large lot can also add a huge expense. My parents know that too well, we have about 1.7 acres and they have paid so much money in the past upkeeping it, paying for trees that have randomly fallen down, etc. Just a thing to keep in mind!
Amanda says
Hey Guys,
I LOVE the costumes! My two year old asked me if he could be a stop light! So, we made him a stop light! You can see it here!
http://amandabmorrow.wordpress.com/
I have really been enjoying your blog! I hope your house hunting comes to a happy end soon! Our house has been on the market for a long time now and it is tough!
Thanks for all the inspiration,
Amanda
Angela says
First I want to thank you for taking us along on your house hunting adventure. A weekend ritual of mine is to check out the MLS listings in our area so I’m loving this.
Second, in your response to john (5th post from the top) I noticed you signed it xo, s but doesn’t John have the big family? Do you sometimes sign it s, when it’s actually John responding?
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, that’s me! I grew up with three younger boys in the house (two of them were my cousins and one of them was my brother- my aunt is handicapped so she lived with my mom and my stepdad along with me and three boys, which made us a family of 7).
xo,
s
Jennifer says
My selfish request is that you buy a small fixer-upper! The #1 reason why I read your blog is for the budget DIY makeovers that look amazing. I like seeing how you use one room for several uses, convert a dining room into a bedroom, etc. If you have a bigger house and unlimited rooms to work on, I think there might be a disconnect between you guys and your readers. Maybe not? You need to buy the house that will make you happy….but let’s just say I am nervous!
YoungHouseLove says
We agree! We also just don’t want to clean a big house! We’re lazy like that. Haha. We’re definitely just looking for one or two more rooms for our family to grow into- but we promise that we’ll still implement a ton of multifunctional ideas in many multitasking spaces (they’ll have to work even harder as our family grows). Not to worry!
xo,
s
Emily says
That place looks gorgeous! And, just a note from personal experience. Do NOT buy before selling your old place. Even if you find your dream home. We moved out of state and have had our old house up for sale for over TWO years. Handling 2 mortgages is not fun. Happy hunting! I hope you find your perfectly imperfect palace! :)
Bryanna S says
holy wow that is a huge house! Although I think that of all the houses you look at bahaha. We are minimalists who believe in living simply. We’ll probably never live in a house bigger than 1500sqft. this one DID sound very nice though! definitely too fancy for me too :P
YoungHouseLove says
Plus it looked even bigger because it had a two car garage attached (and built to look like part of the front of the house). It was giant!
xo,
s
Shea S says
Have you considered buying land and building? Wouldn’t that be the ultimate fixer-upper?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Shea,
We briefly thought about building but decided we love working with what we have, finding creative solutions, and saving something that needs serious help more than building something custom that’s “to order.” I guess we like a challenge! Haha. Not that building a house isn’t a challenge… John’s sister designed and built her house and with permits and setbacks it took nearly two years from start to finish! Maybe we’re not that patient either. Ha.
xo,
s
cristina says
I began reading your blog when I started my house hunt & was too excited to know that there was hope when I was touring fixer uppers. I’m still searching for the perfect first home (there’s no big rush lol) so I love that now your blog REALLY hits home with me. It is the most exciting-frustrating-heartbreaking-warming-confusing adventure my beau and I have taken on. Good luck on the search!
Also, when you & J bought your first home was he into a fixer upper to DIY it or did he take some convincing? If so, give me tips! :D
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Cristina,
Yes! With zero experience or knowledge for some reason we were both drawn to that idea strongly. We saw a house that was completely finished and perfect (the previous owners had done it) and it wasn’t enticing at all to us (which surprised us at the time). Now looking back it all happened for a reason- fixing up our current house has been such a good time!
xo,
s
Tara says
You are more than welcome to my perfectly imperfect house:~) I wish I enjoyed project houses as much as you guys.
(before) http://tarainwonderland.typepad.com/tara-in-wonderland/2010/06/in-the-beginning.html
(after) http://tarainwonderland.typepad.com/tara-in-wonderland/2010/06/finished-for-the-most-part.html
Deidre says
Just bought a 3,000+ square foot home. You are right about the cleaning. It is really hard to keep up! Best of luck with your house hunt. Its an exciting time!!
gena says
As someone who is much older – as in old enough to be your mom LOL – can I say that you should reconsider a bigger house. Kids GROW and with that comes more stuff and bigger stuff !
Moving is expensive, so get a house you can grow into. Although, on that gorgeous piece of property you have right now, I’d just add a second floor and you’d have your dream house plus all the DIY projects you could ever dream up !!!!
gena
who recently added 2400 sq ft to her house !
Christy says
That house is gorgeous!!! I hope I can one day find one that is very similar. I don’t think it is very big either, but I live in Texas. It’s pretty much the perfect family home.
Victoria says
Well, my goodness, you would just LOVE the house that my husband and I are about to buy! I wish I could bring you both to California to tell us what to do with our (almost our) 1956 ranch house in PERFECT functional condition with NO UPDATES AT ALL. It still has the original popcorn ceiling, the original blue toilet and bath, the original scallops on the kitchen window and the front porch pediment, the original turned post and half-wall separating the family room from the front door… you get the picture! It has been owned and cherished by the same lovely sweet people for 45 years and we are lucky enough to be next. I want to update it and make it “mine” while still maintaining the beautiful and meticulous care that has been taken of the house for longer than I have been alive.
Melody says
Looks like a great house. I’m sure it’ll be snatched up before too long. Can’t wait for you to find a place you love!
Rebecca says
Go for the house with the excellent school district, for SO MANY reasons. I would NOT compromise that “pro” for ANY house. You won’t regret it!
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah that’s how we feel too! Clara first!
xo,
s
Michelle says
This is so much fun! My husband and I aren’t ready to buy yet (but we’re saving a TON) so I’m living vicariously through you two! I can’t wait to see what’s next!! I wonder if you’ve already found “the one” but are just waiting to share…..
Jennifer says
Everyone’s definition of small vs. big is different! Our current house is 600sf. We are signing papers TODAY to own a 1080sf house and I couldn’t be more excited for my new “huge” house. I bet most people would never even consider buying a house that small! Haha. We are getting two extra bedrooms (we have one now) and an extra half bath (we have one full bath now). I can’t wait! Closing date is 11/30. Woohoo!
YoungHouseLove says
So true! We were moving from tiny apartments in NYC so our current house felt giant at 1300 square feet! Now with a baby, a dog, a large extended family who comes to stay, and two people who work from home, it’s definitely feeling more “filled up” if you know what I mean!
xo,
s
T. says
I have to say, as someone else almost old enough to be your mother, I think you should consider Gena’s advice about adding a second floor to your existing home. If your current house is in the location and school district you love, adding on may be smarter than spending the time and money looking for a different house that is only slightly larger than the one you are currently in. Is it really going to be worth the expense and upheaval of moving just to get another 300 square feet?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey T,
We definitely considered staying right where we are and adding on a million times (both as a second floor and as a same-level addition)! We love this house, got married here, brought our daughter home here, and just generally have a ton of love for our current place but the layout just doesn’t make sense to keep with a growing family and the fact that we both work from home now (it’s very inflexible so the only part we could really change would be the addition). We both agreed that starting from scratch would get us a lot more function and more projects (which we love- we’re so bad at being “done”) and it’s a great time to buy because interest rates are very low and other homes are extremely well priced (so even though we might sell a bit low, we can get more house for less while we’re buying as well). We definitely won’t sacrifice location or school district when we move since they’re at the top of our list- and we know the perfectly imperfect house is out there somewhere!
xo,
s
susan says
Huge house- wow. Yes, your house is out there. BTW, I used your tutorial on how to hang drapes. My dining room looks awesome. As I writed this hubby is installing a new drapery rod, high and wide, for the living room. Thanks for the help I find daily on your blog. Susan
laura says
Just a thought to keep in mind. Houses built before 1978 could have lead paint in them and the EPA just released a mandate for contractors doing repairs to take very serious precautions. Luckily our house was built exactly in 1978 otherwise, I few contractors and real estate agents I spoke with said they are either 1) running away from doing work on these houses, especially if they have young children or pregnant women or 2) charging at a premium. Something to consider now that you have a little one.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the suggestion! We’re definitely up to date on our lead paint knowledge! When I was pregnant we did tons of research and have always treated every wall, ceiling, and even tile as if it potentially has lead in it and taken the appropriate precautions. Better safe than sorry!
xo,
s
Emily B. says
Just wondering….have you guys ever used zillow.com for your house hunt? It is the site my hubby and I used to find the house we are in now. Not sure if it is for you, but even after we bought of ranch fixer-upper in Hamptons Roads we still continue to look around at houses for sale around us, houses that sold around us and that we looked, and etc. Either way, it is a fun site…I suggest you check it out even if it is just for fun!
YoungHouseLove says
We do use zillow (we have an app for it on my iphone)! We’ve heard from some other readers that sometimes the info is questionable or even downright wrong, but as long as you don’t use zillow alone to (and rely on other sites like realtor.com or mls to check things) we find it’s a fun little tool.
xo,
s
ashley says
Wowza! That is one BEAUtiful house! I love it, but also love the fact that it’s not beaten up enough for you guys. You are too funny! Love it! If they knew who they were showing it to, I am sure they would have uglied it up for you. ha!
Megan says
We just moved from 900 sqft to 3500 sqft, and our biggest challenge is filling it with furniture without breaking the bank! Hooray for Craigslist! We also have tons of DIY projects lined up, thanks to the previous owners’ bad decisions. I still can’t figure out why they hung the bathroom pendant lights at face-level, but I’m sure tired of bonking my head when washing my face!
Y’all should come move in with us. There’s plenty of room, and I’m a great cook. Just kidding. Sort of. :) I won’t make you clean.
Alyssa says
Have you guys gotten to the point with selling your house that you’ve needed any contract forms? If so, where did you get yours? And if you haven’t got to that point yet, do you know where you plan on getting such forms when you do need them? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Alyssa,
We figure we’ll either get an offer from a buyer’s agent if the buyer is using one (many of the ones who tour our house are) or just draft up a simple letter of intent between us and the potential buyers and then take that to our closing attorney who would draft up the formal contract for us (which we would both sign). As for things like the lead paint disclosure and the residential property disclosure, we googled around for those so we have them at the ready. We’ll be posting about the process in a lot more detail if and when we snag a sale! Fingers crossed…
xo,
s
Amy says
Have the two of you ever thought of flipping houses as a side business? You guys could make bank! Your sense of style is impecable!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amy,
We don’t have what it takes for that! We love slowly working on something for at least a few years while we live there- just like we did with our current house over the last four and a half years. We can’t imagine rushing the process and trying to make major changes in just a few months! But someday we would love to have some rental properties (that we lovingly fix up and then rent out like John’s dad did to pay for all four of his kids’ college educations). Of course it’s nothing we could do anytime soon though- houses are expensive!
xo,
s
shelia says
Hey, Sherry,
Could you possible tell us how much the house is? I love it!
Shelia
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Shelia,
We actually have never discussed how much we paid for our current house (although we mention it was quite inexpensive since it was such a fixer upper) so we’re not comfortable talking about how much our new house will be either (I guess we have to draw the TMI line somewhere right?). Therefore we figure we shouldn’t share what the cost of this house was since we mentioned it was at the top of our price range, which would pretty much explain how much we’re looking to spend on our next house (or at least give everyone a serious clue about the range). I hope you don’t take our desire to keep some things out of the public eye the wrong way- thanks for understanding!
xo,
s
bfish says
Good for you for passing on that house (or coming to your senses after initially being seduced by the super deal — yeah, most of had such experiences in almost buying something!). It really doesn’t look like your style at all. I visualize you buying something much less cookie-cutter than that one — and I mean that as a compliment!
Also, I admire your continuing energy for DIY. After a major overhaul of a 19th century house, my ex and I wimped out and bought an almost new, albeit pretty cool, house when we moved to VA. After remarrying it was so great to go back to living in and working on old, fixer-upper houses!
Amanda says
We’re dead set in a cheap house, but want the most house for our dollar. We’ve been looking at a lot of tore up foreclosures, but we’ve been rethinking, so much, that we took our current house off the market. To be continued…
But, furthermore, I can’t wait to see the house you will eventually buy. I know you guys are going to knock it out of the ballpark.
Do you have any favorite projects you’d like to carry over into a new to you home?
YoungHouseLove says
Good question, Amanda. There are lots of projects we want to repeat in the new house but with a slightly different twist. Like I’m equally dreading and looking forward to doing another bathroom, but we won’t use the exact same colors or materials. But we’re also hoping our new house has opportunities to try new projects that we couldn’t take on here. Building a deck perhaps? Time will tell…
-John
Kristen says
Hey guys! Is this house in Reeds Landing in Midlothian? Looks just like a house in my parents neighborhood. I live in DC now but went to HS in Midlo right by Bon Air. Love your blog!:)
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, there must be a twin house over there. Too funny!
xo,
s
Connie says
Okay, I just had to share this thought with you. I’m up pulling the kids costumes out for thier Halloween fun this evening. Everyone’s sleeping in, except me “I’m Super Mommy”. So I decided to get on the computer to clear pictures off the digital to prepare for this weekends activities. Since the house is quiet I decided to read your blog in peace “without my glasses”. I saw this post and I thought it said “House Haunting” instead of “House Hunting” I did a double take, and laughed at myself. Isn’t that hilarious!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s pretty funny. And appropriate given the season.
xo,
s
Jo in NZ says
Sherry, John
First time commenter, and wishing you well in the search for a new home. I enjoy being along for the ride!
(May I ask: do you ever lose your patience behind the scenes when readers don’t actually read a post, then ask a question in the comments which the post itself answered? Or give you superfluous advice — say, “you should definitely build your own’ when you’ve just carefully explained why building wouldn’t be your thing?
Just want to say how much I admire the grace that is in evidence when you are both responding. It is truly an inspiration in life for me!)
YoungHouseLove says
Nah, we figure there are so many comments to go through that saying the same things a few times is fine with us. It only takes a moment so we don’t mind at all. Honestly we’re just happy people care to read and add to the comment convo.
xo,
s
Jo in NZ says
Thanks for responding!
Kat says
Love this house. It’s beautiful. I miss houses like this (and yards like this). Since it’s practically in my old neighborhood, it reminds me of home and make me miss it tremendously.
Have you checked into Woodmont or Cambridge?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! One of our family members actually lives in Woodmont so we’re definitely looking there- and Cambridge too.
xo,
s
Alyssa says
Hi! It’s me again (I asked you a question on 10/29 of this post). I’m back to share what I’ve learned. If your selling your house FSBO, In Indiana (thought I’m sure it’s something that varies by state) a title company can provide you with all the necessary documents (free of charge) and make everything legal! No lawyer needed! And all we’re out are the normal closing costs (which around here are typically $525 for the seller & $150 for the buyer). I think it’s looking into and hope this helps someone else!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Alyssa,
Great info! Thanks so much for sharing it!
xo,
s
Nicole says
Hi YHL,
I have been a devoted follower of your blog for almost a year, but have yet to comment. But I finally have a burning question: Were you two a little heartbroken when you offer on this place wasn’t accepted? I know you could not be more thrilled with your new place (and I agree that it is the perfect fit for your four), but I was wondering if you felt like you were missing out on “the one” when this house didn’t work out.
My husband and I are house hunting for our first home, and we were the runners up on our first-ever offer. I keep wistfully thinking about the house we missed out on and all the upgrades we could have done, but my wise hubby keeps reminding me that our house is out there. Any sage advice? Love your blog, BTW!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Nicole,
Not even a little! We kind of panicked after putting in our offer (at which point we realized for many reasons that it so wasn’t the house for us) that they might just say ok and we’d be contractually obligated. It was such a relief when we didn’t get it, and even more of a relief when we realized that it didn’t come close to giving us the same holy-cow-this-is-it feeling that the house we ended up buying did. Everything happens for a reason, so just wait and see how much more you love the house you end up with!
xo,
s