Would you buy this house?

amother

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 12:18 pm

Would you take this house?

Pros: right out of frum area with stores nearby and a frum person next door, on an acre of land, 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, laundry room, walk in closet in master, dining room living room area, trees behind the house, nice amount of storage space in small garage

Cons: No Pantry, No coat closet, ranch style house with master right off the kitchen and rest of bedrooms down the hallway, Master has a low ceiling, septic tank, not a lot of closet space on a whole just in each room + a small linen closet

Should I think of it as paying for the property and I can eventually redo it? Right now in no position to do that but the house is at a very good price....

amother

Wheat

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 12:23 pm

No I wouldn’t. I don’t like ranches or bedrooms off the kitchen. The no pantry or coat closet would be doable you can get stand alone closets. But it just doesn’t sound appealing overall. I had a rough time with a small budget and it felt scary at times but I’m glad I didn’t just take a house that wouldn’t be a great living situation.

amother

Vanilla

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 12:25 pm

How desirable is the location?
How large are the rooms? Closets can be fairly cheap to add. Look online for ideas on how people add ikea style closets to look like built in as well.

amother

Mintcream

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 12:27 pm

How does this compare to other houses in the area? Does what you are looking for exist in many other houses? Are septic tanks common in the area or is this unusual?

It sounds like most of your concerns could be fixed other than the septic tank. Unless you are wealthy, most people do not get to move into a dream house where everything is exactly as you want it. Having potential is a great thing. Being affordable is also a great thing.

amother

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 12:36 pm

amother Mintcream wrote:

Septic tank is common in older houses
Location is good

I would need to add another sink, paint, scrape the floors, put in more lighting, change the counters because it might not be kasherable
I would want to put in custom closets

Cheiny

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 12:57 pm

amother OP wrote:

If you’re getting it for a decent price, I’d definitely take it and just do the work I preferred gradually… most houses won’t have everything you’d like or need, but if the price gives you what to work with, that’s something strong to consider… and location is a big thing too…

teachkids

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 1:00 pm

If your main complaints are the master and the storage, can you make a different room the master and turn the master into storage for everything- coat closet, linen closet, off season clothes for everyone, etc

amother

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 1:07 pm

Its not a house thats love at first sight. my main concern is that its a small house and that its a ranch style. the kitchen is small with very little room to move things around
the other bedroom are smallish but good for a kids room/play room. the master is right off the kitchen so I would have to have a monitor to hear if a kid is crying

Ideally I would look at other houses first and then if interested come back to this one but I dont think the house will be waiting for me.

Also Theres mostly non jewish neighbors that will prob take a while to build up

amother

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 1:10 pm

teachkids wrote:

Sounds like you really don't like it. Unless you need to move now, skip it

I dont love the house but I hate the apartment we live in now and were busting out of it
My husband is looking at it as potential and convincing me to just take it

Cheiny

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 1:12 pm

amother OP wrote:

I learned that a specific house is “bashert” for people just as a zivug is… if it’s meant for you to have it you’ll decide to get it and you will … if it falls through or you decide against it that means it wasn’t meant for you,

Cheiny

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 1:13 pm

amother OP wrote:

I dont love the house but I hate the apartment we live in now and were busting out of it
My husband is looking at it as potential and convincing me to just take it

Housing prices right now are pretty high so I guess I’d just keep looking for a little while and see what else is available and affordable, and if not much is, I’d take this one.

amother

Rainbow

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 1:14 pm

Can you afford the "better" houses on the market? Or Is this the best house available in your price range?
If this is what you can afford and the location you want then take it.

amother

Fern

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 1:16 pm

Can afford anything else?
This house plus whatever construction you want including gutting the kitchen might still be less than another house with more desirable features.

amother

Sienna

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 1:16 pm

How many kids do u hv?
I did something like this with 1 2yr old. It was a real steal ( our mortgage w/ taxes was $1400/mth) & 10 yrs later built new when we grew out of it.

Smartest thing we did.

lamplighter

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 1:25 pm

I don't hear any pluses except that it exists, you can afford it and you hate your apartment.

Yes people buy houses they don't love just for the property but their plan is to build up or out or knock it down and build it from scratch. There's only potential in a property if there's what to work with property wise and finances wise.

Most people without tons of cash buy homes that have some things they don't like, but this doesn't sound like that. You sound like you don't like it, it's not practical and your trying to figure out if you can be convinced to just go for it.

I'm voting skip.

amother

Natural

Fri, Apr 19 2024, 1:34 pm

amother OP wrote:

I mamash have this layout!
No pantry and few closets, but LOVE my house. Was total love at first sight.We work with what we have, adjusted some things and eventually will do more (like closets iy’H).