Only two houses viewed this weekend.
The first, on Saturday, was very close to where we're living now, next door to a house I'd already looked at (and dismissed, based on how much they wanted which was ridiculously overpriced). The bedrooms were nice, and it was pleasant to walk into a house with even floors! The garden had a lot of potential. But the kitchen was cheap and nasty and the bathroom needed redoing- and possibly had a leak issue.
I spoke to the agent- who is the friend of a friend who stopped me from wasting money on the falling-down-house before- and the vendor wanted $45k over RV! For what I'd consider to be an unfinished house! You'd spend $20k at LEAST to do up the kitchen and bathroom, and that would be on the cheap. So $65k over RV to make it a decent house? No thank you!
So I was feeling quite despondent when we went to look at the second house on Saturday. It had been on the market for a couple of weeks, and I must have dismissed it for some reason, or missed it. It's in my ideal suburb so I'm not sure how I missed it!
Well. It was very quiet. One couple was leaving as we arrived and, 10 minutes later as we left, another couple turned up. Very different from the 15-40 people we've had to contend with at other house. I wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not! The house is a back section, which a lot of people don't like. But I'm not opposed to it. It comes with a ridiculous amount of land, which is laughable for me since I have the opposite of a green thumb! Apparently there's a nearby farmer who grazes his sheep on the land- and it's only 15 minutes to the city! The house itself was wonderfully looked after- well decorated and warm and dry. Not a spot of mould. The bathroom wasn't to my taste, and the kitchen/dining/lounge was probably smaller than at our rental place. Two doubles, and one single bedroom. And considering the size of the land, not the biggest usable garden, since most of it's on the side of the hill.
And yet. I loved it. I walked away thinking about how our furniture would fit into it.
Then I purposely didn't think about it for the rest of the weekend. This morning I woke up and thought "I hope no one else has snapped up that house!". And still, I took it slow. I didn't rush to call the agent. I've just done that, and it's 4pm. I left a message and am waiting for her to get back to me so I can go and have a second look tomorrow with a trusty friend who knows about houses. I'm hoping she gets back to me soon!
The asking price is $14k above RV and, despite not liking the bathroom, the only thing that really needs doing is redecorating to my tastes and the garden!
I'm hoping that it's too small for most people- for me and my bestfriend/flat mate, and my parents to visit, and 6 budgies and whatever other pets we'd accumulate, it's big enough! The usable garden is a little small for people with children, and being a back section is apparently very unpopular! I quite like the way it felt rural, without actually being rural!
So. Here we go again, maybe. Wish me luck!
The first, on Saturday, was very close to where we're living now, next door to a house I'd already looked at (and dismissed, based on how much they wanted which was ridiculously overpriced). The bedrooms were nice, and it was pleasant to walk into a house with even floors! The garden had a lot of potential. But the kitchen was cheap and nasty and the bathroom needed redoing- and possibly had a leak issue.
I spoke to the agent- who is the friend of a friend who stopped me from wasting money on the falling-down-house before- and the vendor wanted $45k over RV! For what I'd consider to be an unfinished house! You'd spend $20k at LEAST to do up the kitchen and bathroom, and that would be on the cheap. So $65k over RV to make it a decent house? No thank you!
So I was feeling quite despondent when we went to look at the second house on Saturday. It had been on the market for a couple of weeks, and I must have dismissed it for some reason, or missed it. It's in my ideal suburb so I'm not sure how I missed it!
Well. It was very quiet. One couple was leaving as we arrived and, 10 minutes later as we left, another couple turned up. Very different from the 15-40 people we've had to contend with at other house. I wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not! The house is a back section, which a lot of people don't like. But I'm not opposed to it. It comes with a ridiculous amount of land, which is laughable for me since I have the opposite of a green thumb! Apparently there's a nearby farmer who grazes his sheep on the land- and it's only 15 minutes to the city! The house itself was wonderfully looked after- well decorated and warm and dry. Not a spot of mould. The bathroom wasn't to my taste, and the kitchen/dining/lounge was probably smaller than at our rental place. Two doubles, and one single bedroom. And considering the size of the land, not the biggest usable garden, since most of it's on the side of the hill.
And yet. I loved it. I walked away thinking about how our furniture would fit into it.
Then I purposely didn't think about it for the rest of the weekend. This morning I woke up and thought "I hope no one else has snapped up that house!". And still, I took it slow. I didn't rush to call the agent. I've just done that, and it's 4pm. I left a message and am waiting for her to get back to me so I can go and have a second look tomorrow with a trusty friend who knows about houses. I'm hoping she gets back to me soon!
The asking price is $14k above RV and, despite not liking the bathroom, the only thing that really needs doing is redecorating to my tastes and the garden!
I'm hoping that it's too small for most people- for me and my bestfriend/flat mate, and my parents to visit, and 6 budgies and whatever other pets we'd accumulate, it's big enough! The usable garden is a little small for people with children, and being a back section is apparently very unpopular! I quite like the way it felt rural, without actually being rural!
So. Here we go again, maybe. Wish me luck!
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