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Location: Finally the house is done and we are in Port St. Lucie!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by soccer5girl
My husband and I found the perfect house! The location is a gem. It is on a private driveway up a hill and the 3 acre property overlooks farm land. 12 minutes to his job, right near town, near the highway, A+ school district. Our max budget was 325 MOVE IN READY...this house is 350.
The house was built in the 70's...and the entire house has not been updated since the 70's! The appliances are from the 70's, the layout, the doors...everything!
If we could get the property for 325...it would take at least 5-10 years to be able to afford all the renovations and updates needed...even if we take it one project at a time...I feel like it would be a never ending project...
Is it worth it? What do you do in a situation like this? My gut is telling me no...but the property has exceeded our expectations! Thanks so much in advance for your wisdom and guidance!
I keep going back and looking at the photos of the place. It may need updating but the place looks remarkably clean and well kept. The paint looks fairly new as does the carpeting.
It really doesn't look all that bad. Yes the linoleum is outdated but it looks amazing for as old as it is! Someone cared for this home. They just never updated it.
Let us know what you decide and what happens! Good luck
About the price. You said your agent didn't show it to you, you found it yourself. What is your agreement with any buyer agent now?
I believe you were looking in Va at one time. So if this is in Va, there are areas of beautiful fields and meadows slated for pipelines and in the midst of great neighbor controversy. Have you looked into whether any of this will effect your lovely view here?
Check with the city/county as far as plans for the future for the land with that magnificent view. I have a friend who bought a few months ago a nice mini ranch next to a large property of land. When he went recently for a permit for something he wanted on his ranch he found out then that the land beside his is now going to be either condos or rental apts...multi units anyway. He's actually flexible and will go with the flow. He feels when he tires of a mini ranch for mini animals he will sell his own land to another developer. But now all are that flexible.
As far as your thoughts on living in the 70s. First, a home inspection will tell you how much work the house needs.
If all is okay with you after that, white and cream paint will cover the browns. In the one pic, the kitchen floor looks fine, as does the carpet in the room with the rafters.
But that's the thing. The OP is focused solely on simple cosmetic things, which are the least important things to consider when buying a home. Right now there's no reason to believe any of the major systems are in need of updating. Certainly that roof doesn't look 40 years old.
If the major systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and roof+windows) are fine, then the house is fine (assuming the OP can dicker the price down to something closer to her budget). No house NEEDS a "total reno" just because the appliances are old and the toilet is pink. Those features can be changed later, at leisure.
The OP has to decide just how high the budget can be safely stretched, and what matters most to her: perfect location, or perfect appearance.
I totally agree. I'm the type of person who'd be more concerned with the seal UNDER a toilet than the color of a toilet but not everyone can ignore cosmetics.
I bought my condo with every color I'd never paint but the owners did such a beautiful job - nobody knows I don't like living in blue LOL.
Once I offered a brand new sofa to a coworker's daughter who had NOTHING and was moving into an apartment. She came over and said "But I don't like green". I said "just don't tell anybody that - pretend you love it - the thing is brand NEW."
Well, make an offer for $325K to see what happens.
I don't really understand how you claim to have found the perfect house, but want to change everything about it. That house is great the way it is. It might not be updated to the latest fad, but was done with quality and has been taken care of.
BTW, if you buy a house new with all the latest, it'd be outdated in 10 years or less, so you'll be back to square one if cosmetics is that important to you.
BTW, if you buy a house new with all the latest, it'd be outdated in 10 years or less, so you'll be back to square one if cosmetics is that important to you.
Exactly. In the real world (unlike HGTV Land) no one remodels their kitchen and all the bathrooms and completely redoes all the paint, floor coverings, and fixtures every 10 years, which is what would be required to keep up with the latest home fashion trends. That money gets spent on more important things, like replacing the furnace, and the water heater, and the roof... Almost every home on the market is going to be dated in some way. The usual pattern is that Owner A updates the place to his satisfaction and then just lives in the house until it's time to sell it, then new Owner B moves in and updates the place to his satisfaction and lives there until he needs to sell it, etc. The only way the OP is likely to get a completely updated home is to buy new, which both costs more and limits the possible locations.
My husband and I found the perfect house! The location is a gem. It is on a private driveway up a hill and the 3 acre property overlooks farm land. 12 minutes to his job, right near town, near the highway, A+ school district. Our max budget was 325 MOVE IN READY...this house is 350.
The house was built in the 70's...and the entire house has not been updated since the 70's! The appliances are from the 70's, the layout, the doors...everything!
If we could get the property for 325...it would take at least 5-10 years to be able to afford all the renovations and updates needed...even if we take it one project at a time...I feel like it would be a never ending project...
Is it worth it? What do you do in a situation like this? My gut is telling me no...but the property has exceeded our expectations! Thanks so much in advance for your wisdom and guidance!
Do you want champagne taste on a champagne budget, or beer taste on a beer budget?
you can never change location and school districts but you can change the inside of a house. if it is your forever home and youre not planning to move for a long time, get in and make changes slowly over time, if it doesnt bother you-that is.
we on the other hand bought an awesome place in a nice, neighbourhood, not our perfect location tho, becuz i wanted move in ready. there is no correct answer-its whether you can live with spending money over time or not.
I'd do it. As long as you will be there a long time, and realize the renos will take time. Do as much as you can yourself. Some of the cosmetic stuff is cheap. The difference between a 325 and 350K mortgage is nothing.
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It looks beige to me. 
