House Hunting... help me out.

[YepBrook]

Ok... house hunting dilemma. Please give me your thoughts...

House #1 is 2,100 sq. feet, huge yard, 2 car garage, big pool, 3 bed + den/office - it's a foreclosure, needs a lot of TLC in pretty much every room and all new flooring. It has a nice kitchen and marble floors (which are damaged and need to be repaired/filled/buffed/sealed), but whoever owned it damaged a lot of things in the house when it foreclosed. Including broken windows, missing doors, and some water damage to the cabinets. It also has a cockroach problem. Which, supposedly the bank is working on... but we'll see.

House #2 is 1,800 sq. feet, 2 car garage, nice pool, small-ish yard, 3 beds - it's nice and remodeled (however, a little sloppy in the details) and needs new flooring throughout the main living space & kitchen. Biggest negative is no dedicated office space. Also, the former owner had cats and the house smells terrible.

House #3 is 1,900 sq. feet, big yard, no garage (converted into a family room), no pool, stone fireplace, 4 beds - it's a foreclosure and needs new grass in the yard, exterior painted & may need a new roof. On a culdesac. It's gorgeous though and has a vaulted wood ceiling with wood beams.

Which house would you pick?

*updated with picture*

[lovely1m]

House #1 if you have it in your budget to fix it up.

[KristinCB]

oohhh it's like our own episode house hunters! you need to show us photos!

[eranslow]

Originally Posted by KristinCB

oohhh it's like our own episode house hunters! you need to show us photos!

This.

[jacinda]

Think about which house you would be most happy to live in once any/all alterations are done. That may take some months or even years, but in the end you have the house you want rather than the house you settle for.

[SeattleSheri]

Do you have to choose one of these houses or can you wait it out until you find something you're in love with? Are they all roughly the same price? It's hard to tell what I'd say without photos or seeing them in person. Based on your description, #1 is a no bueno for me. It's likely to have even more hidden problems you're not aware of (things which may be missed in the inspection). The small amount of extra square footage isn't worth it IMO, but I'm also not super keen on fixer-uppers. I'd probably go with #3 unless a garage (i.e. storage space) is a must-have. I don't know the configuration of the yard, is there a possibility to add a garage at a later time?

[julifish]

I think it would depend on neighborhood to me with young kids. Will there be other kids your kids can play with in the neigborhood? Do you get a good feel in one neighborhood over the other? What about distance to stores you frequent?

If all that was equal and you have the money to fix them all up I'd go with the one with the best layout of living space.

Soley based on what you've told us - #2 if you have the money to pull out all the flooring so the cat smell goes away. I think the pool and all the work you have to do in #1 might be overwhelming. #3 the built out garage would worry me - but if it was done right and you can live without a garage (maybe with a shed in the yard) it sounds like a great option for having kids. Yards aren't too hard to replace. You can do Rye Grass until late spring and then do sod and if you do it yourself (hard, hard work) you'll save a ton.

[LeeAndra]

#3 for sure.

Pools can be a lot of maintenance, and you live in FL, so what do you need a pool for, anyways?! You also have young kids, so you would also need to install a gate, security alarm, etc. around said pool. I realize I'm paranoid abt pools, though, after having written abt at least one child drowning a week in California at my former job.

Ditto for the garage. Although I suppose they might be helpful in a hurricane (??), you live in FL, so you don't really NEED a garage to park your car in to keep it out of the cold/snow. You could always change it back down the road, too, if you really wanted that space back.

New grass & paint would not even be a blip on my radar, but I would make sure to get an inspection for that roof as THOSE can be expensive to repair or replace. That would be my biggest concern aside from the general foreclosure-nes of the situation.

[pewtertm]

Well, #1 would be nice, but I'd definitely have an inspector go over the house with a fine-toothed comb so that you know what kind of money you are looking at.

#2...cat smell can be VERY difficult to get rid of. If a cat was spraying in the house, then it's possible that the sheetrock and baseboards might be soaked in urine and need to be replaced. Carpet as well...and if it is really bad then the concrete slab might need to be bleached. (wish I didn't know this, but I've known 2 that have had to do this, and know of a few more who SHOULD). You can use a blacklight to spot any areas that might need to be targeted.

#3...a garage isn't a must for me. I grew up in a house with a converted garage, so I've never had one. That would probably be my pick (assuming it passed inspection).

[catgoddess]

Definitely not #1. The cost to repair marble is ridiculous and you'd be better off taking it out entirely (probably cheaper). On top of all the other repairs and likely neglect, it sounds like a money pit.

If the flooring in #2 is mostly carpet and you replace everything down to the subfloor, the cat smell will likely go away. That sort of odor can stay in carpets. I really hate people who let their animals do whatever on carpets. I've had cats most of my life and we've never, ever had any sort of smell. Seriously.

A garage is nice in Florida, but isn't as essential as having one up North. If you can live without it and it's in a nice area, #3 sounds the best to me. A garage is just one more thing to fall down during a hurricane. lol

That said, it could all change after some photos

[YepBrook]

YAY! This is so fun. Thanks ladies!

All 3 houses are in the same neighborhood. We like the neighborhood & location a lot. Lots of families and kids. Big yards compared to the norm. Nice interesting houses, not too cookie-cutter. I will work on the photos... I don't want to post eighty, so I'll have to make a mini-collage type thing (maybe tomorrow?).

Unfortunately, the foreclosure situation is rampant around here. I've tried to avoid them but there are so many! We have an offer in on house #1... since before Christmas. Just waiting on the bank. The longer I wait the more I am doubting it so we are still looking... hence houses #2&3. We looked at #2 last night and are looking at #3 in the AM. I'll let you know how that one changes after we see it IRL.

[rach3975]

I'd take house #3. House #1 sounds like it will take more time and money than I'd be willing to put into it; there's never enough time or money for everything I want/need to do as it is, and I'd grow to hate any house whose need for TLC constantly got in the way of other things. Houses 2 and 3 both sound fine, but you could add a pool into house #3's big yard if you wanted to more easily than you could add office space into house #2. Also, the lack of a garage in FL wouldn't bother me too much, especially with kids who are past the age of falling asleep in the car all the time. Good luck with whatever you choose!

ETA: I'll add that we've been in our current home for 8 years. When we moved in it was in good shape, but we still had a wishlist of small to medium-sized changes we wanted to make. Eight years (and 2 more kids) later, we're still less than halfway through that list. You'll probably get to things a lot faster than we did, but my bias would be toward a house I'd be happy with even before getting through the wish list.

[misfitinmn]

What are your feelings on the pool? Do you currently have a pool?

So - I personally would honestly consider house #1 IF it had a layout I loved. My husband & I looked at a foreclosure home in very bad repair when we were looking for our first house together, but we ended up not making an offer on it because the layout was not something we could work with - even with necessary repairs. Obviously you'd want to negotiate the price or the repairs (although it might be hard with a foreclosure to negotiate much) - but a yard is kind of a big deal to me, so I'd be inclined to overlook a lot of things in a house. But obviously would have it inspected VERY thoroughly. And the price would have to be majorly right.

Otherwise, I'd probably pick house #3, if a garage wasn't a huge issue, or if you wanted something a little more move-in ready. If you were to have your offer accepted on house #1, would you have time to have repairs made on the bigger things before you moved in?

I am excited to see pictures!

[DawnMarch]

I would go with 1. The cat smell and the lack of a garage are deal-breakers for me.

[Julie Billingsley]

ooh fun! Can't wait to see pics!

You really need to figure out your must have/can live without list. What are your biggest complaints about your current living situation, because looking at those will help you decide your must haves.

For my family, we couldn't get any house needing major repairs unless we planned to hire it out. My husband doesn't have the time/motivation to do repairs, plus he is the least handy person. Sigh. So, think about your husbands/your ability and interest in doing repairs. Or at least factor the cost of hiring the repairs into the house price.

Is an office a big deal for your family? I had thought it was when we purchased our house. I converted a bedroom into an office, but eventually ended up putting my computer in our family room instead so I could be near my family. LOL

As for garages, living in Florida, maybe a garage isn't a big deal. I love having ours because we live in such a wet, rainy area. But I also like it for the extra storage room it offers. So any house without a garage would need some great storage.

Having never had a pool, I wouldn't know if that's needed or not! Is that something you enjoy doing?

As for smells, that can be fixed. My previous house had cat smell and fleas. I paid for the super scrub professional carpet cleaner and he got it all out. Have a carpet cleaner give you an estimate, maybe the damage isn't all the way down to the padding.

I wish you all the luck in finding a great house for your family!! Getting a new house is so exciting!! I love house hunting and moving in and all. I'd move all the time if my husband would let me. LOL

[MamaBee]

wow... this is exciting! I love helping others spend their money! haha

Not having a garage is a foreign concept to me... haha... as is not having a basement... that is what I get for living in the North my whole life.

For me it's all about layout... does it make sense... is the kitchen on the other side of the house that when I bring in groceries I have to walk a mile to get them delivered? Where are the bedrooms - together or opposite ends of the house...

Second, based on my binge watching of all homes improvement shows and property wars, etc... if they trashed the house in a foreclosure, it's going to end up costing you more to fix it because there will be other thing they probably did to it that you might not see upfront. Plus I would LOVE to live on a culdusac with having kids... as given Florida - you don't have to worry on what side of the sac you are on... in WI, you don't want to be on the left side because of snow blowing - all the snow lands in your yard... DH's house before we were married had this.

So, I would pick #3... number one could just be a headache to fix and if it was me and DH - we wouldn't get to fixing everything a the get go and then 10 years later, it still wouldn't be done. #2 is missing the office space... and with a smallish yard, it's not like you can add on space and if you were me, it would bother me with a "If only this house had one more room..." and with the cat smell... even if you get rid of it, there will always be a part of you that will think, do I still smell that? Plus it would be a deal breaker for my family, anyway - DH and I are highly allergic to cats...

Good luck!! I love watching house hunting shows and hearing about other people doing it... but I loathe house buying!!

[Nettio]

Well without pictures, I'd probably lean toward #3 although not having a garage would be a real negative for us. Not so much for parking cars but for storing all that messy type stuff you don't want in the house. Is there room for a shed or something instead?

#2 would definitely be out for me with the cat smell. While it might be a quick fix, you wouldn't know for sure until you were already stuck and a house isn't something I'd want to be stuck with. Our last rental house was only a year old but it had a wet dog smell they told us was because the carpets had just been cleaned. Nope, that smell never went away and nothing we tried short of tearing out the carpet worked on it. So smells are a no go for me.

[bexy]

without seeing pictures, all i would say is #2 is out. but yay that you have 3 to choose from!!

[taracotta7]

I am leaning towards #3. My second choice would be #1 I think. I have had a house with a pool though......lots of maintenance and safety to think about. We had to have all kinds of fencing and safety around it just to INSURE our home here in Oklahoma. We spent thousands getting it "safe". So that is something to think about. I don't know the insurance laws in FL but I would double check that.

I can't wait to see pictures!

[YepBrook]

Ok, just saw #3 this morning... making a little picture board for you all. Even though I'm pretty sure which one we will go with.

[nesser1981]

1 or 3 for me.

No garage, in Florida, who cares. I grew up in Florida with no garage or pool. LOL! Although we did live a block from the gulf, so I could swim anytime. We have a 1 car garage here in Michigan, and don't park in it. My next house, that is a must for here, but I wouldn't worry about it there.

Honestly, which one I could get in the quickest would be a big part of it for me.

We looked at a lot of foreclosures when we bought our house, the one we bought, wasn't one, and we got in it in 30 days, but we completely redid the kitchen before we moved in.

[YepBrook]

Note:
The pool in house #1 in now crystal clear. The birds eye view shows the size of the yard.

The patched up hole where the garage door was on house #3 is crumbling and was framed incorrectly. There is a lot of damage & wear on the exterior of the house (crumbling stucco, rotting beams and roof). The inside is nice, although feels small. They do have a very large shed on the side yard for storage & bikes, etc. Although it is a long walk to the kitchen from the driveway. Rainy days (we live in a tropical climate) and grocery days would be annoying.

The smell in house #2 is truly pungent... we peeked in at it again today and I even had a bit of an asthma reaction from it. There is a lot of uneven problems with the floor... it's not level.

I am trying to remind myself that no house is *perfect*. To get a move-ineady house we would be spending 30k more and sacrificing size or location. So, I'm trying to stay positive.

[NeverendingJen]

I think as long as you have room in your budget to redo house #1 and can get a solid house inspection so there are no surprises...House 1

[Jengerbread88]

House 1 is BEAUTIFUL! But just for the sake of less work, I'd go with house 3.

[fifilur]

I'd go with the one with the most potential as a finished house. From the pictures that looks like #1 to me.

[YepBrook]

Originally Posted by Jengerbread88

House 1 is BEAUTIFUL! But just for the sake of less work, I'd go with house 3.

Unfortunately, after seeing it today, house #3 is MUCH more work. Although it is exterior work as compared to more interior work in house #1.

After seeing them all we are fairly sure house #1 is still our house. We are just continuing to wait to hear from the bank. Then we will inspect it with a fine toothed comb!!!

[taracotta7]

I am glad you went back in and looked. Sometime fresh eyes and a new day make it all come together for you. Sounds like you have yours picked out! Hopefully the bank starts moving the papers faster so you can get a better idea of WHEN this is all taking place.

[yari]

I think I would go with house #3. Love a white kitchen, love the stone fireplace, love the 4 bedrooms, nice backyard, and my most fave part is the ceilings. Those babies are amazing!

[yari]

Originally Posted by YepBrook

Unfortunately, after seeing it today, house #3 is MUCH more work. Although it is exterior work as compared to more interior work in house #1.

After seeing them all we are fairly sure house #1 is still our house. We are just continuing to wait to hear from the bank. Then we will inspect it with a fine toothed comb!!!

Oh hahaha didn't read this.

[YepBrook]

Originally Posted by yari

I think I would go with house #3. Love a white kitchen, love the stone fireplace, love the 4 bedrooms, nice backyard, and my most fave part is the ceilings. Those babies are amazing!

I agree!!! #3 appeals to me in so many ways. Especially that ceiling!!! But, there were so many issues. It's definitely out.

[Shawna Clingerman]

I say house 1!! Even if you have to fix it up slowly, it is SO worth it to move into a place with lots of potential!

Our house is far from perfect but man it is so fun fixing it up! Also, having a pool in florida would be amazing!

I hope all of the stuff with the bank goes smoothly! So exciting!!

Seriously don't regret moving into our "money pit" of a home because when i look around i see everything i dream for it, new floors and counters can wait as long as you can put in windows and working appliances and some serious elbow grease!

[catgoddess]

I'd say house #3 as well, but house #1 looks a lot better in pictures than the description. House #2 looks gloomy compared to the other two choices. It sounds like you couldn't go wrong with #1 or #3 (just more/less work), so if #1 doesn't happen, you may have a solid second choice.

Hope you find out either way very soon!

[kim21673]

#2 is OUT....no way would I purchase a house that smelled like cat pee. We totally turned down a house when we were looking for that reason (and I didn't like the bathrooms LOL)

I couldn't live without a garage....and a pool wouldn't bother me either way....

I think IF I had the money to do repairs and knew someone that could do them, I would pick #1.



When we went through this 2.5 years ago....we had our top 3 house and went back through them 4 times I think!

[junebug]

house #1......all because of that double shower!! hell yah, that's nice. we've always wanted a big shower like that lol

[NatalieKW]

I would chose house number one. We bought a foreclosure and loved fixing it up and making it our own. You can get so much more house for your money. I think it's way more important that the structure is good than the cosmetic stuff. Plus it's so fun to customize everything and pick out the flooring and paint and everything.