House hunting

**stinkbug** · 12-31-2009, 02:01 PM

So, on another board I visit, there was a discussion about picky house hunters. And, I guess that would be me! I mean if I'm paying $$$$ for 15-30 years I'm going to be pretty darn adament about what I get.

What were/are your big deal breakers when house hunting? I always crack up about the women on the real estate shows who need HUGE closets for their shoes! Or people who can't over look colors of rooms???

Ours:
Master on the main level - not negotiable.
3+ car garage due to dh's hobbies and need for storage space
A decent sized lot with privacy (ie: no looking out the window into your neighbor's fence)
Master bath with tub!
Decent laundry area (I had never had a real laundry room)
Overall storage
NO cathedral ceilings!
Good functional/large kitchen
A basement would be nice, but they are not common here.

What we got:
Master on main with large bath with huge tub

4 car drive through garage (+ RV parking on side)
1/2 acre with great property!
Nice laundry room with huge closet and sink
Major storage everywhere
9' ceilings
Huge kitchen with bay windows and 4' x 6' island (no stove or sink in island)

I don't feel like we made any sacrifices. The area is 1.5 miles from our other house....we like this area. We've been here 7 years and I think it is our forever home!!! We have put in a garden shed + greenhouse. I have a clothes line and garden space. It's quiet and in the county - lower taxes (but 10 minutes to everything!)

**Contrary Housewife** · 12-31-2009, 02:43 PM

Aside from structural/safety/location things, the kitchen is a big one for me.

NO tile countertops
cabinets high enough to put appliances under (my breadmaker is tall)
storage for large pots/bakeware
proper lighting for workspaces
storage in general

other things:
office space for DH, sewing room for me
room in the yard for a good size garden
trees (no trees no sale)
big windows/natural light

A big turn off for me is wasted/nonfunctional space. Entry areas are particularly bad for this, they are sometimes large, but not large enough to use as a mudroom, and placing a table for mail and keys can be awkward if there are multiple doorways off the area. I dislike odd shaped spaces at the top of the stairs or in hallways, it just seems there are ten or twenty square feet going to waste which could have been designed better and been a closet or some extra room in a bedroom.

Fireplaces are, except for the one week a decade when we have a bad storm, just a hole in the wall that lets heat out in winter and someplace I can't put furniture. I'd prefer not to have one, but I'll put up with it if there is one.

**frugalfranny** · 12-31-2009, 02:52 PM

I can overlook the colors of the rooms but due to the labor involved in removing, probably could not overlook wallpaper!! And would wonder what 'flaws' it would be covering.

Also, depending on the age of the appliances, could not overlook them if they were new and colored! WHITE please. If not new, then I would negotiate accordingly, if being sold with the house.

Obviously, the kitchen is a 'biggy'.......look at everything there.
I do look at storage and closets but also look and where and what it can be added or space utilized for such.

And like they say.....location, location, location!!! Also, would go at different times of day so I could see how busy the streets are........or how many barking dogs are out!

**Emjo** · 12-31-2009, 03:24 PM

We'll be buying our first home in the next 6 months, so we've been thinking about this a lot. We don't have a big budget (housing is very expensive here) so we can't afford to be too picky. Our must haves are:

-good neighborhood...there are a few places in this city I will NOT live
-3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
-a dishwasher or place to put a dishwasher
-1000 sq feet

And of course up to code plumbing, electrical, etc. We have a lot of "nice to haves" (no carpet on main, 4th bedroom, split level, finished basement) but prices are going back up so we will make do with what we can get.

**IntlMom** · 12-31-2009, 03:36 PM

number one deal breaker for me is a pool......

**madhen** · 12-31-2009, 03:54 PM

I was in a position where I had to weigh lot size to quality of house. I wanted a large property, but obviously, the more you spend on land, the less you have to spend on the structure. I ended up finding a lot I loved (great placement, privacy, view to kill for) and a house I could live with. It doesn't have a lot of the amenities I would like, but it does have the structure to support the addition of those amenities, when I have the money to afford them.

My only deal breaker was the lot size and that I didn't want a mobile home. I wanted no less than five acres (and ultimately settled for my current ten-acre lot).

**brenda67** · 12-31-2009, 03:55 PM

Do to our area and houses tripling in price we were unable to purchase a home for years..I was depressed for years living in a trailer w/ a family of 5 or 6 ( depending if my legally blind little brother lived with us) I was so desperate to actually live in HOUSE that it didn't matter to me as long as I could have more room than what already had..as time went on and the years past I would sit and daydream in what I would love to have for my dream home..the most important was the following..enough room for everyone..a dishwasher..a basement for storing my stockpile and a good size lawn..in the end my dream home ended up being more than I had ever thought we would be able to afford! We bought a stick built home 3 bedroom, 1 bath, good size livingroom..a really good size kitchen( that we remodeled totally that includes a DISHWASHER) a walkin pantry..a mudroom..closets in everyroom..a nice entry area with a closet to hang your coats ...a doorbell..a full size basement that has a woodstove..a full attic that was never used at all..a 2 car garage that is 3/4 the size of our house..and a little under three acres..2 acres of it being a huge lawn. ..appraised at over $300.000 and we purchased it $150.000...I am truly in love with my house! I hate to leave it..LOL.. I know that sounds really weird..but after living in. cramped over crowded cluttered tin box..I have a right to say I really do love my HOUSE! In time when we get rid of the cc dept we will finish the attic with blown insulation and put in a full floor so I will have even more storage room..I would like to put a fireplace in my living(the only thing that didn't come with the house) sorry for rambling on...I just remembered that the garage has a loft in it too..0

**rudypoo98** · 12-31-2009, 04:13 PM

I've lived here over 20 yrs.loved this house when walked in it,had looked at houses here for 6 yrs.before this one was put on market.It has big kitchen and livingroom,four bedrooms,one down which I use for computer room.Three upstairs with half bath,full bath downstairs,laundry mud room combined ,closets everywhere.I'm now only one living here except grandkids stay with me alot since they live four blocks from me.I know it's a big house for just me now but they'll have to haul me out on a stretcher.By paying double ,triple and more each month got it paid off in a little over four years.

**2ndGenGranola** · 12-31-2009, 04:39 PM

- it must be in a good neighborhood
- it must have good wiring/pipes
- it must be sound structurally

I actually find it a challenge to work with cosmetic flaws. In fact while we live in a beautiful newer home, I greatly miss the house we called the "dog house" that we rented when we first came here. It was greatly eccentric but it was so fun trying to decorate and live in. If I had the opportunity I would move into another eccentric house like that again.

**sunshine** · 12-31-2009, 05:19 PM

The things that were deal breakers for us when we purchased this place:

- all on one level, due to hubby's disease

- doors wide enough to accomodate a wheel chair

- entrance doors needed to able to add a wheel chair ramp easily, and cheaply

- kids needed outdoor space to play

What we got - 50+ year old house on 2.5 acres - hard wood floors, crystal door knobs, barn, grainery, some mature nut trees(black walnut, pecan, hickory) - new roof, new central air/heat, new porches that were easy to add a wheelchair ramp to the end.

**frugalwarrior2** · 12-31-2009, 06:46 PM

If I could do it all again-
Not near anyones pool
updated large kitchen
usable,dry bsmt
first floor laundry
more space between neighbors w/ more acreage (but not mowable)
A huge pantry
An office over the garage or a seperate sm. building for DH (in the bsmt. now.
no fireplace but maybe a woodstove

**Backtoreality** · 12-31-2009, 10:34 PM

We looked for years because of the deal breakers. We had to have 4 bedrooms, at least 2 baths, 2 car garage, and a large lot!!! It took many weekends looking - I think I have been in every house in this county!! LOL But just when we thought we would have to build - my dream house was put on the market by owner. So we ended up with 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, 2 kitchens, a mudd/laundry area, one story 1800 sq ft, finished basement, 2+garage, extra garage on 2 acres!!! Can you tell I loved it then and still do? I want to retire here - debt free!!

**Lora88** · 12-31-2009, 11:01 PM

the major dealbreaker for me was close neighbors and I hate basements. Also must have a master bath I dont share . other than that I cousld deal with anything. New house is on 3 acres cant even see the neighbors we back to the woods no basement.The house needs alot of cosmetic work but I enjoy that and it does have a master bath so Im good This is my dream house its in a very rural horsey area and it was the find of a lifetime

**jamie79** · 12-31-2009, 11:10 PM

Well I have owned 2 homes but my circumstances are different then yours as we are military and we know we wont live in the forever so my list is shorter and different

The most important factor for us was school for the kids. We wanted the boys to go to the best rated school whereever we lived.
The house itself was not as important to us other then it has to have more then one bathroom, and a decent size kitchen and it can not be falling apart. I loved the first house we owned even though it was small. We were lucky and lived in it for 6 yrs which is hard to do in the military
The house I live in now we bought because of 3 things. It has more the one bathroom, its kitchen is huge and it has a duel heating system in it. Dh leaves in a few days and I am staying as yds is a senior in hs so I dont want to move him now. But I dont love this house. There are things I like and things I dont but since its not my permant house I can live with the things I dont. Once yds goes off to college and the Army decides if dh is staying in Utah or going to Kentucky then I will know what todo with this house. I am waiting for the day when I get my final house and then I will be more picky

**MomToTwoBoys** · 12-31-2009, 11:13 PM

I'm extremely picky:

large kitchen
large yard
three bedrooms
close to school

DH says that all I need is a backyard with a kitchen in it. I won't even look at the rest of the house if there isn't a huge kitchen or huge yard with it. Once I get past the huge kitchen and huge yard, I look for the following:

three bedrooms
1 and a half baths (this is non-negotiable)
dining room separate from the kitchen
dishwasher (because doing dishes 4x a day really makes my skin dry and cracked)
garage (has to be at least a double-car garage - for van and extra storage)
good neighbors
close to shopping and schools

After that, it's pretty easy for me to pick a house.