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August 2011 Moms
ladybugpjb
member
House-hunting WWYD (last one - I promise!!!!)
ladybugpjb
member
OK. This is the last time I post one of these. I promise promise promise that my next post about house-hunting will be "I signed a lease!"
Current situation: I have a contract waiting to be signed on the quirky house. It's electronic, so it's just sitting in my email inbox waiting for DH and I to sign it electronically. I've talked to the actual owners (not just the property mangager), and all of my hesitations (paying by money order, making sure repairs get done since they are out of state) have been alleviated.
Is it still ethically okay to back out at this point? I haven't given any indication of hesitation about signing it, so I feel really guilty even considering it.
These are the two homes:
1. Older home (1960s): It's quirky, but not unbearably so. The yard is BEAUTIFUL and it has a great patio in the back with an orange tree. I like it. It has plenty of space for our stuff. I like the neighborhood (lots of trees, well kept up, close to nature trails where DH can run and I can walk). There are a few parks (I'd probably have to drive to them, though.)
My hesitations: I FEEL like the neighborhood is safe, but the room I want to use as the master has a wall of windows - a sliding glass door, then a huge window. That kind of freaks me out. I woke up in my hotel room this morning thinking about how it would feel to sleep there - DH would be further away, all of those windows... I'll be ALONE there with two babies next year when DH deploys. I've never been alone for that long, and I'm sure I'd be more comfortable by then, but I don't know. It's also our MAX rent budget. I'm also having trouble figuring out how to arrange our stuff. It has a lot of space, but now I think a lot of it would be wasted. Our room (whether I use the *actual* master (which is tiny) or the den (the room with all the windows)), we'd be on the opposite side of the house than the babies. I can't really describe the layout well - I'm just having trouble figuring out how we'd put everything, which room we'd use for DS, which for LO2, etc. The Master bedroom really is tiny, so I can't see us in that one.
2. Newer townhome (<10 yrs old): It's newer, well-kept up, 2 storey, in a NICE new area with trails, restaurants, and some shopping. It has a great little patio where DS could play and I could put a little playground. The complex isn't too cramped - we'd have a full driveway (which we'd be allowed to park in) and a 2-car garage. There is a pool, playground, and BBQ facilities we could use. It's enough below max rent budget - that's what made me stop and consider it afterall. I'd feel VERY safe in the area, and all of the bedrooms are upstairs and close together.
My hesitations: I REALLY didn't want 2 storey. (Worried about having an RCS and having to deal with stairs, a toddler, and a newborn. Also, I suck at vacuuming, especially lugging the vacuum cleaner upstairs.) DS's room was downstairs at our last house, so it wasn't a big deal - he could play in his room while I cooked. We didn't have to keep toys in the living room. In this home, we'd HAVE to, because I'm not OK with DS playing upstairs while I cook. There isn't a bonus room (the other house has a den), and it's a little smaller than we've been accustomed to. It's further away than the first house - I'd have to drive further to get to some of the bigger shopping areas, and DH would have a LITTLE further to drive for work. It's further from the hospital where I'll be delivering LO2, and I think that there is more traffic in the area at rush hour. (That's an assumption, though. According to the current tenants, commute time to DH's work is pretty much the same as for house #1. Also, DH won't even BE there for large stretches of time, so his commute time is really a moot point.)
So to sum up:
1. Older, quirky, bigger, GORGEOUS YARD, available NOW. One storey (my preference). Top of price range. Awkward layout, despite all the great space
2. Newer, nicer area, cozier, community ammenities. BUT I'd be in a hotel for 2 MORE WEEKS (ugh), and it's 2 storey. Major bonus: We'd save a few hundred a month on rent.
Help me! I can't stall much longer on signing the lease.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: House-hunting WWYD (last one - I promise!!!!)
I think it's okay to back out. You don't want to pay for something you just don't love.
I would go with the older, quirky home. We spend the majority of our time outside and I'm a sucker for character.
Throw a penny in the air and decide based on the good ol' heads or tails trick. You will know what you really want as soon as the penny is in the air.
Olivia June BFP 12/26/10 EDD 09/01/11 Birthday 08/02/11
BFP 12/25/12 EDD 09/06/13 M/C, 01/02/13
BFP 01/28/13 EDD 10/08/13 STICK BABY!
"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." Romans 12:12
Tough call.
For me, option 1 would be out. I HAVE to be comfortable with the layout of the bedrooms. That's too bad, because that backyard does sound gorgeous, but layout>backyard for me.
So it would be between your "current" house and option 2.
The 2-storey vs 1 wouldn't be a deal breaker for me. In fact, I prefer to keep the bedrooms for sleeping and have the kids play in the living room. It makes it easier for me to check on them from the kitchen when they're in the LR. But that's my personal preference.
Right now, one of my main criteria in house hunting is I want to be able to have my kids play outside without me needing to stand there with them the whole time (as is currently the case with our condo). Not sure if that's important to you or not, but I thought I'd throw it out there.
Based on what you've told us so far, I think I would stick with your "current" house, because of the extra space.
I also want to add that if you do decide to go with either option 1 or 2, you shouldn't feel bad about the first house. It's a business transaction, and as a client, you have the right to change your mind. The end.
Hmmm it's a tough one. I don't think you feel bad if you back out of the already prepared lease though.
I agree with ljsmom. Flip a coin. You'll know the answer you want as soon as it's in the air. Rationally though, I don't think I'd go for new option 2. I know it's saving money, but sounds like that is for a reason (no bonus room, distance, etc). For me, the bonus room is a big deal. We don't have one now and I wish we did. As it stands our house would not be one we could be in when our kids are teens. It's open concept and the only place away from the central house that they could go with their boyfriend/girlfriend is their bedroom and that's not happening.
Despite the awkward layout for new option 1, I think I might go with that one - or the original choice. FWIW DD's room and LO 2s room are across the house from ours and I don't find it to be a problem. Outdoor space would trump layout for me. Sleeping arrangements are for sleeping whereas as outdoor space is for living, entertaining, etc.
See...we had stairs in our last two houses and I hated them, especially lugging the vacuum down/up.
buy another vacuum- lol. But I have basement bedrooms and main floor living area. DS is rarely downstairs execpt for sleeping or when I do laundry.
The only part I didn't like in the begining was 2 diaper stations, one in the basement bedroom and one on the main floor. The basement station was only used for middle of the night changings.
That's us! Though to be fair, upstairs is carpet and the rest of the condo is laminate flooring, so we kind of need the two vacuums anyways. Still, if all you have upstairs are bedrooms and a bathroom, it's not like you would need a super heavy duty vacuum. I'd get like a $50 one and just stash it in one of the closets. And you could just sweep/swiffer the stairs.
If you haven't signed anything, you can back out. Don't feel bad for the property owners, you have to find the best place for you!
I'd pick #1. We spend a ton of time outdoors in nice weather, and not so much time in our bedrooms. Also, as the kids accumulate more "stuff," you're sure to grow into the extra space. We had "too much" space for a couple years. We simply closed off rooms that we didn't use and didn't spend any $$ to furnish them until we needed them for babies.
As for the security concerns, does the house have ample outdoor lighting around the first floor? That is generallya huge deterrent to would-be burglars.
My final decision on #1 is that, personally, I couldn't see us downgrading to less space than we currently have, especially with another baby on the way. #2's amenities sound awesome, but I don't think that would trump having more space and the great yard right out back.