I think the buyer of this house needs to love this house and its style. I don't think you are that buyer. I would hate to see it get reno'd trying to make it a different style of house. I love the house. It is so bright and welcoming. Maybe take a look at houzz for decorating ideas that fit both you and this house. If you find a look that you love . . . you might be able to embrace this house and love its style.

It is said over and over to buy the least expensive house in the best neighborhood that you can afford.

i would want to do some changes, but the house looks like it's been well maintained!

one thing i'd probably have done 1st, if you were to buy the home, is maybe remove the front tree... seems awfully close to the house ... so many older trees come down during storms...

Faux68, KSWL, et al,

Yes, conventional wisdom is to buy the least expensive house in the neighborhood. But this house is not. Just looking at the Zillow map and doing some quick numbers.

If you look at the 3 houses to the left and the three to the right, the average of those six houses per Zillow is $428,500. The house is listed for $695,000, or 62% more than its 6 closest neighbors.. The same thing holds if you look at the properties on the other side of the street, which average $456,000.

I just glanced at it but it looks like Forest Lane is the more expensive street, but most of the other properties on the zillow map are significantly less than $695, and in fact the zipcode estimate is $335.

So I don't see this as an example of the least expensive house.

.... All that said, I think that maybe the most important thing is in one of the followup posts, where the OP mentioned that they have been looking for two years. If you are moving for a lifestyle, that's a long time to wait to live the life you'd prefer! I wouldn't want to wait much longer. So, the difference in lifestyle may well be worth a compromise, even a big one!

They say we all become inured to life's big changes, and it is the day to day that makes us happy. Eg, the first few weeks or so of a new car, it makes you happy. Then it just becomes a car. By contrast, a walk to a favorite ice cream shop with the kids, once a week throughout different seasons ... those events and memories are what really make you happier.

In any case, you have two nice choices!

I think there is a (maybe minor) difference between the prominent garage in this house and the pig-snout prominence of the houses that have the garage out front and the entry at the side, where they are essentially oriented sideways down the lot (but still don't have a lot of windows down the side). Sometimes there is about 6 feet of yard in back, too.

This house was built in the car-oriented mid century period but also the house is oriented out the back with all the glass, and there is a large yard toward the back.

I've talked to my builder and he feels that we wouldn't lose anything if we purchased the home. It's the most desirable neighborhood in our town.

kswl - the master is actually on the first floor and is very large. It has the vaulted wood ceiling. Closets in all bedrooms are average. Upstairs has three bedrooms. Also average size - maybe a wee bit smaller than what we have in our home.

busybee - taking out the tree is cost prohibitive. Our town protects it's trees and we would be charged $450/foot penalty to take it down. This is the reason for the brick driveway, as it is the best solution for getting drainage/water to the tree. While this isn't a deal breaker for us - I really don't like the driveway.

When I voiced our concern over "style" of the interior to our builder, he said that it could easily be renovated to reflect a transitional style. We could still add crown mouldings -- they would just be a different profile than what we currently have.

I'm sure some of you may gasp at this estimate, but based on what we want to do - we are looking at a minimum of $200k.

First things first - if we decide to move forward, we must get our house on the market. There are some things we need to deal with (minor repairs), and a lot of de-cluttering. I'll keep you posted!

What are the builder's thoughts on the exterior?

Mtnredux, I know from first hand experience that zillow is the Absolute Worst estimate of house value in a neighborhood that is not a cookie cutter subdivision. It does best (and then not really well unless sales are brisk and posted timely in the county of sale) when houses are new-ish and built within a 5-10 year period at most, have similar lot size, homes of square footage not varying more than a 1000 or so sq ft, at most, and so on. Houses that vary widely in size, style and age have estimates on zillow that can be off by a factor of 100%. The tax appraisal rolls are a more accurate comparative value scale, PROVIDED the county has done an institutional reappraisal of all properties in the past 24 to 36 months. So I wouldn't trust what that site has to say about any area. Recent sales from the tax appraiser site would at least give a market comparison.

The OP said she would be looking at around $1 M for a move in property, I think. That figure, broken down into a working per sq ft price, is what I would judge the finished product by, e.g. sales price + reno cost / area of home. If that figure is lower than the working avg of a move in property per sq foot they are still ahead.

You are living in (well, in the metro area of) the city that defined true American architecture. The influence and value of Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe are prominent in residential architecture.

You have a chance to take that charming house back to its roots, and undo the inappropriate changes that previous owners have made. So if your goal is to turn it into something else, I think you might want to reconsider choosing it at all.

You can certainly alter the flow and functional spaces of the interior to suit you, but please give serious thought to whether or not you can be happy using forms and materials that are appropriate to the strong design signature of the house. If you can't, then you will be fighting the house every step of the way.

I am voting with those that say you should live in the house undisturbed for the first year, let the house reveal itself to you and grow on you, learn all you can about the Chicago School, and then decide if you want to move on, or what you want to do if you don't.

And that's my twenty-five cents worth. (Inflation, you know...)

We bought a house for location about 8 years ago and planned, as you, to update the interior and remove a wall to open it up more. The estimate from 2 builders was $100k to update. But as the work progressed, we found a wall where there had been a leak (missed by the house inspection) and other areas that needed upgrading when you go from building codes of years ago to current standards. Anyway... final costs were over double the estimate, and then we continued improving beyond that, including redoing the landscaping. When we sold about 6 mos ago, we didn't recoup our expenses, even though everyone told us we made the house 100% better.

Yes, we enjoyed the house while there. Would I do it again? No...I'd level the house and start over (our purchase price was considerably less than yours for the land and included outbuildings) or have bought elsewhere. In the end, it was still considered an old house when we sold, and that detracted from the value I think, even though it looked new. I hope you have better success if you move forward, but thought I'd share my hindsight.

I noticed the baseboard heaters. If the house has hot water heat with a boiler like my MIL had in the house my hubby grew up in, that would be wonderful.

If electric baseboard, not so much. Your electric bills will break the bank.

Does the house have a basement?

I actually think I could live in the house just the way it is for awhile. Love the light!

May I ask what the siding is on the house you own now?

I'm not sure what kind of input you are looking for. If it were me, I would be longing for the homes across the street that you pictured every time I came home. This one looks very ordinary to me and it lacks curb appeal, imo. I'm not sure how much you could do to change that.

The inside appears to be in good and working condition. I can't see spending or see why it needs $200,000 worth of work done to what looks to be perfectly good and new materials, with the exception of the pink jacuzzi that looks like a boat! The cabinetry looks good and can be painted if you don't like stain. Knocking down a wall is one thing, but if you plan to change the layout of the interior, that seems a bit much. Love the big glass windows in the living room, but the houses look close together (huge downside, to me). So, if it's a fishbowl with the neighbors, I would hate that.

If I wanted to change a house that much, I would continue to wait for the right one to come along. (It is not easy to live through a renovation, either.)

This post was edited by snookums2 on Wed, Feb 27, 13 at 12:49

i have to agree with mtn and brownwynsmom's statement about fighting the house every step of the way....i think it is a cool house with a lot of potential.... ultimately i can't get the statement that mtn noted when you said you would never buy this house if it wasn't in your desired neighborhood....that tells me you really do not like the architecture

btw, apropos nothing specific to your house, but i really cannot stand the fisheye photography which creates such distortion of the rooms...grrr

KSWL,

totally agree zillow is fraught with errors ... ESP for any given home... I knew someone would say that and I meant to mention it in my post but forgot

just saying the evidence doesn't support the idea that it is the "least expensive house" in the neighborhood, even if zillow if off by 50 pct

so I suppose it is possible, but I think it's unlikely

Agree with that, completely, only I thought she said that other homes in the area priced lower had much, much more work to be done that would put them out of range financially?

It all comes down to numbers, unless you love either the house or the location. Then all bets are off :-)

For me, personally, a specific neighborhood in the area the OP describes would be more desireable than a bigger or newer house in the suburbs. However, since we live on acreage in the country, my opinion may be a bit biased!

mtnrdredux -

I'm no expert, but it's difficult to look at home values, especially on Zillow --
The house next door closed last May for $517K -- it is tiny @ 1750sf -- quite charming, though.

The house across the street was a tear down @ 280K - tiny lot) The property two doors down @ $340k was also a tear down - now a 1m + home.

Knowing what we know about the area - any of those surrounding homes would go on the market for double the home value that is shown. (this is not the case for my neighborhood - while still desirable, and only 1.2 miles away)

Talked to our builder again and he said that two clients approached him about the house we are considering and were contemplating tearing it down. Basically willing to pay $650k for a lot.

Obviously, we need to be the ones to make the final decision and weigh out all the pros and cons.

To answer some other questions:

1) Yes, it's true - that this is not the style of home that I would be attracted to. However... I do see a ton of potential and there are many, many things I like about the property. There are actually more checks in the Pro column than in the Con column.

2) Builder agrees with updating the exterior - door, garage door siding.

3) Can we live in the house for an extended period of time before we do anything? Absolutely. Would we be happy about it. Probably not. Our current home is lovely with lots of character and many upgrades. We would definitely want to make changes to the new home sooner than later. I honestly could not wait a year to start doing renovations.

* We would not change any windows.
* I'm not crazy about honey colored flooring, so would opt for a different stain.
* Master bath would be a complete gut - as would the upstairs bath.
* And I am in the kitchen all the time - and love to cook - so redoing the kitchen is non-negiotable.

4) We currently live on a narrow, deep lot -- 50x170. (although we own the vacant lot next door) - so living close to the neighbors is a non-issue. This lot is actually wider & with an overall sf that is larger than our current lot.

5) The heat is hot water w. boiler. These are radiators, not electric. It was really nice and warm when we were there and it was a 30 degree snowy day yesterday.

6) Yes - the house has a good size basement with full bathroom and fireplace. Lots of storage too.

7) Siding on our home is cedar shake.

8) This would not be the least expensive house in the neighborhood. But with renovations and updating coupled with the square feet (3200) compared to many of the neighboring homes, we would be in a good position.

I'm strongly leaning toward getting our house ready for market. We can't make an offer until we have a contract on our home.

I stand by what I said above. If you've looked for two years and this is the first time you have been serious, than you know a ton more than we do about the tradeoffs available between location and house in your area. I think you have put off the enjoyment of a new lifestyle long enough, and lifestyle trumps curb appeal. If it didn't, all of us in overpriced real estate markets would sell our homes and buy $100 sqft monstrosities in (insert whatever undesirable cheap housing market you dislike here).

By the same token, you alos know a ton more than we do about values and even if it isn't the cheapest house on the block, you have done the homework and know that it should be a sound investment even if you remodel extensively.

I agree, you should think about getting your home ready and see what happens! Even if you end up not selling almost all of us could use a little sprucing up anyway...

Thanks for the encouraging words. It's a big decision. I've already redecorated the entire first floor - fresh paint, some accents. So we just need to make a few minor repairs and remove the clutter. Sounds easy on paper - I just hope I can handle the stress of it all. :-)

Janice, I apologize for saying this was the least expensive house in the neighborhood. I don't know what made me think that. It isn't the house. I love it. I really think you should go for it. The location is exactly what you want. You have a contractor ready to go. I can't wait to see what you do with the kitchen! Are the floors the type you can sand and stain in place? If so, that will be an easy change.

And, I don't envy you for moving. It is so much work. We just did it. It is emotional and take so much time. Will you be able to wait to sell your current house while you are doing renovations? That will help. And renovations on top of moving doesn't help with the process. It will be worth it in the end.

I just re-read everything in the thread.

Now, my concern is the business about people looking at it to tear it down.

Do you want to make this investment of money, time, and heart into a house whose resale value is as a tear-down? If that's the primary market for it, is big renovation a good use of your resources?

Your responses to the comments seem to indicate that you really do want to do this. Sort of like flipping a coin, and then if you are disappointed in the outcome, you know you want to do the other thing ...

You're clearly a thoughtful person, and I'm sure that if you sit quietly with all the aspects of this decision, I think you will know the right thing to do. Just be sure you are considering everything.

I am going to be very honest because you are talking about a big decision, and for these kinds of decisions most of the people you know will tell you what they think you want to hear, at least that is my experience.

Your starting point had two interesting facts - that it was that it was a neighborhood of homes mostly over a million, and that you were unsure because it was a house you would never otherwise consider.

I understand the points that have been made about Zillow, but even with its shortcomings, given the listing you sent it doesn't really seem as though this is a $695 house in a neighborhood of 1mn+ homes, as first stated. I am not being mean, but nothing I see seems to support that statement. It's important because it was a justification for the house as an investment.

I know that many times in desirable areas people pay far more than $695 for teardowns, but I don't believe it just because some realtor said "someone was thinking of it". Also, why would this be worth $695 as a teardown when two doors down the teardown was for $340? Makes no sense to me. That is a very big difference. Just a reality check.

And a new kitchen, and two new baths? If you are in a market of $1mn homes, I think a kitchen and two baths is $200 right there. Then you have to do the exterior too (which of course a builder says you should do, why wouldn't he?).

Also, you have totally flip flopped about liking the house. You have gone from "we would never have looked at it" all the way to "more pros than cons". That seems odd.
I think Bronysmom is right, you want to be talked into this.

In my opinion, you just really want to move to this neighborhood. The house is not a compelling value, and, to you, not a compelling house. But you want to move there. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. But I do think you shouldn't, needn't, talk yourself into any other reasons.

Who doesn't compromise on something when you buy a house? No matter the budget, no house is perfect. You might even come to like it for what it is. Especially on the coasts, a lot of people would prefer the MCM to the "house they grew up in ". You might find it fun to move away from your comfort zone of style!

Maybe you could make an offer with the consideration of all that you want to do and see if they would take it? It's been on the market a long time and they might entertain an offer for much lower than asking, though I do notice it has been reduced by 20K already. That would be my answer. I know I would want to tackle those bathrooms first and then the kitchen and then the cosmetic things last. Location and good neighbors mean everything to me followed by stable area and no rental or at least very low rentals around. Transient areas are out for me, although nowadays, we seem to have more of that than ever before.

Well?

I keep looking to see what’s up and wonder what’s happening. I’m not going to make any comments on if you should or shouldn’t as this is a crazy time in some places for real estate. I too am looking in a neighborhood where houses are being torn down for new builds. The area I’m looking has multi million dollar homes on the intra coastal waterway with a few scatterings of modest non-water mid 1960’s homes. Very few of the modest homes have two car garages and the near 1,800 sf with pool that I seek. When I find it I’m prepared to make all sorts of tradeoffs and compromises because it is such a lovely area. I know we will have to do extensive remodeling as well. If I sell my house it’s the only area I can see myself living in happily. Best of luck on your decision!

I think in certain markets the value of the house as a teardown or not is in the eyes of the beholder.

A client of mine lives in a neighborhood where a number of the smallish 1950s tract houses have been torn down or remodeled beyond recognition. In the mid-2000s she torn down her own house, because she was told the value was in the property and built a house more than twice the size. She got divorced, 2008 happened, then she sold the house at a loss. And bought the identical house to the one she tore down, next door. She bought it in a private cash sale because the bank said the house was worthless and the value was in the property (and the homeowner had been living without a furnace(?) so the house was not habitable, technically).
She spent a fair amount of money (not a lot) rehabbing it--not enlarging it, and has had two knock on the door offers to buy it--both by people interested in IT, not in the lot. In that particular neighborhood there are coexisting trends to do both-it depends on the buyer and why they want to live in the neighborhood.

Greetings....

Let me begin by stating that we are still discussing this and trying to make a thoughtful, non-emotional decision. Your input and two-sense has helped us tremendously -- as one can easily start seeing things through rose colored glasses.

kitchy - as far as this house as a teardown vs. the other homes that were sold as teardowns, it comes to lot size as well as supply and demand. The home across the street was tiny, as was the lot. This particular lot is larger compared to many lots in the neighborhood. Our town has strict guidelines as to the footprint of a home in relation to lot size. If someone wants new construction, is looking for a lot to build, and has a lot of money - well then $650k is reasonable.

-- this speaks to what Pal is saying.

Also, as far as the price of the home vs. other homes in the area (zillow) -- you are correct that it doesn't appear that this is a neighborhood of 1m homes. It is an interesting area - as you will find a modest brick georgian next to a stunning, oversized foursquare, next to a ranch, next to a beautifully rehabbed tudor.

If this home were on the street I'm on now - lot size the same - it would easily be $100k less. So yes, location is key.

I believe my feelings have flipped about this house, rather than flip-flopped. Kind of like seeing a dress on a hanger and then trying it on. Might never have given it a second thought - but once you see it on, it's fabulous.

We walked through a second time yesterday and it has the open floor plan that we love. When I say that it has amazing potential - I am certain of this. And quite frankly, I'd hate to see this home torn down.

We just really need to decide what we are willing to compromise on coupled with how badly we want to be in this neighborhood.

We are not in a power position - as we will need a contract on our home first before we can make an offer. And even if the house is still there when offers come in on our home, we need a solid stance on what we'll be willing to accept on our home in order to be in the place to make an offer. It's a slippery, slippery slope.... and although I'm pretty level-headed, it is very likely that I will end up an emotional wreck.

Although time is not on our side, we decided to take a step back and take the weekend to sort it out. We got very excited and fired up about this very quickly. And as many of you have stated - it appears that I want to be talked into this. I'm not ashamed to say that there is truth to that. Just need proceed with a practical thought process.

In the meantime, I'll be posting some before and after photos of my living room re-do. If we end up listing our house, at least it will look fabulous!

Why not make an offer contingent on the sale of your old house?

It isn't fair to a buyer for you to place your house on the market, get an offer and then back out because you can't reach an agreement on the new house.

What if you sell your house and the new house gets snapped up at the last minute?

Emotional rollercoaster, indeed! Good luck.

Discussed this with our realtor and she advised against a contingency. As she explained, all that will do is cause us to pay more for the house. We'd have to come in with a solid offer - close to asking price. Not much room for negotiation.
With such a contingency, the sellers will retain the right to accept other offers for the property until the contingency is satisfied or removed. No one in today's market would write up a contract any other way. So, it really doesn't do us any good to enter into a contingency, since they can entertain other offers.
Assuming we get an offer on our house - we would need to start negotiating immediately with the sellers. Our realtor said that this will be the most delicate time because we do not want to anger the prospective buyers should our negotiations become delayed due to what goes on with the other offer.

And as far as your other scenario? Yes - we have talked about this as well. There is a chance, albeit small, but still a chance that we could be homeless.

All these factors make the whole business of moving forward a very, very difficult decision.

Dealing with the "style" of the house seems very trite when you consider all of this.

chispa - Every area of the country has its own little micro-climate of real estate realities and in Janice742 's area, contingencies are practically unheard of at this time so I understand how they are proceeding. A buyer can always make an offer with a contingency but sellers here usually kick them out immediately and even if they take it initially, it will be based on keeping the house on the market and still showing. The agency will disclose that the offer has a sales contingency so if a new offer comes in without one Janice742 will have to take theirs out or lose the house - I'm sure you already know all this. It is possible to *list* a house with a contingency, though that has it's own set of kick-outs and can be a turnoff to potential buyers. We did it successfully but that was 20 years ago and times have changed. It's a tough market around here - not a lot of good inventory, little pockets of hot sales to buyers with either financial flexibility or nerves of steel.

While your current house has charm, the house you are interested in has much more of a real "identity".

Your current house is neo-eclectic and generally appealing to a lot of people who want new builds, but the midcentury house has a style that both originated in its period and is of its period. Your current house has its origins in many periods and is a mutt of sorts. The house you are considering will have more divided opinions, people who will love it and people who will hate it -- because it makes a stronger statement.

Janice, I'm late to this thread, but wanted to wish you luck with your deliberations this weekend. You've received lots of great advice here. I faced a similar dilemma three years ago, and I asked similar questions. I know now that for me at least location definitely trumps the house.

I only caution you to be realistic about renovation costs. There are always surprises and the amount of work you are looking at is significant. We thought our house would need $200-250k in work, we've put in close to 400k. But out house is nearly 150 years old, it needed a new foundation and we moved all sorts of load walls. But you should add 50 percent to your reno estimate I think.

PS, the garage is a problem, but as others said, you can improve on it a bit. But don't forget about landscaping. Lose some if that immense driveway if you can. Some clever landscaping could draw the eye from the garage and greatly improve curb appeal.

I think if you left the brick in just the driveway area (where cars will drive in and out) and took it out from the tree over and back to the street and then up to the front door and then used a totally different material for the area leading to the front door the garage would not seem so prominent. I hope that made sense?? Trimming down that large expanse of brick-work would make the entry more defined.

dlm2000 - yes, I know all of those buying/selling details. The house has been listed for nearly 3 months, with one price reduction ... not what I consider a hot property! I have buying/selling experience in the NJ, Boston and Los Angeles markets, so I have some exposure to hot/crazy markets.

Before the crazy RE bubble, the home sale contingency was the normal way to buy a house. Just doesn't seem worth it to go through all the preparation to list the house and then not be able to buy the new house. With the low inventory in many parts of the country, ending up "homeless" is a very real potential outcome.

I agree with Sochi, our addition/remodeling ended up costing twice as much as our initial estimate.

Coming from somebody who nearly ended up homeless after selling a house so we wouldnt have to make a contingent offer, it is a very real concern. We also had a desirable small neighborhood in mind near (or as my REA called it....walk a block and spit) million dollar homes and the reality is that inventory is low. And the market is changing. In my market, now that "spring" is coming houses that have been on the market since before the holidays are getting snatched up (quoted since we have 2 ft of snow on the ground). And the very few new listings go under contract quickly. We thought we knew that being homeless was a possibility when we accepted a contract on our house, but I didn't realize exactly how much of a possibility it was!!!!

Just somehing else to think about...not that it wouldn't be worth it. I have no doubt that once I am moved in and enjoying all the location pluses that it sounds as if this house will also offer to you, I will say it was worth it. But just wanted to let you know that the "small possibility" may be bigger than you expect.

Although we are talking two different cities

Curb appeal also means the street, trees, lawns, homes...not just your home. I'd imagine most would prefer to own the lesst attractive house on the prettiest street than vice versa. I surely would. We live Inside our homes. For me, a more crucial element to loving a house is not its exterior charm, but rather the views through the windows. In a cold climate where much time is spent indoors, this takes on an even greater importance. Im guessing it's beautiful in seasons of leafy green and autumn colors. That sunporch will be a lovely place to dine in every season..... all that glass and the trees outside.
My taste runs very true traditional, but i could love living in that house. Cozy it up with tons of books and beautuful area rugs and little else( jk, kind of). I hope it works out. Try to keep it on the Back Burner of your brain while going to town on all you must do to make it happen. Tall order, for sure!

Curb appeal also means the street, trees, lawns, homes...not just your home. I'd imagine most would prefer to own the lesst attractive house on the prettiest street than vice versa. I surely would. We live Inside our homes. For me, a more crucial element to loving a house is not its exterior charm, but rather the views through the windows. In a cold climate where much time is spent indoors, this takes on an even greater importance. Im guessing it's beautiful in seasons of leafy green and autumn colors. That sunporch will be a lovely place to dine in every season..... all that glass and the trees outside.
My taste runs very true traditional, but i could love living in that house. Cozy it up with tons of books and beautuful area rugs and little else( jk, kind of). I hope it works out. Try to keep it on the Back Burner of your brain while going to town on all you must do to make it happen. Tall order, for sure!

", a more crucial element to loving a house is not its exterior charm, but rather the views through the windows"

There was an article in Chicago about long-term residents of the John Hancock Center. One of the residents was a woman who was a vociferous opponent of the building and had organized against its construction.

When asked why she moved into a building she had hated to see built she said that it was the only place in the city that she couldn't see the @*&$% ugly thing from.

(I like this house though)

I had a message set to go about two hours ago, but my boys got on the computer, and poof.... it is gone.

So now, I will try to re-create - with an update from an after-dinner chat with DH.

I've been mulling it over all day. Scenarios going from this way to that.

Pal - I am with you... I see this as an opportunity to own something really special. I believe it is a hidden gem with an amazing chance to shine.

Sochi - thanks for stopping by and commenting. The reno budget is certainly a tricky figure to zero in on. After adding up numbers, cushioning and cushioning some more, we ended up at $250k (which is really $300k).

Martinca - Yes - this is so true. We are lucky where we are now in that we have a lovely yard to look out on (albeit small). I am indoors roughly 6 months of the year - so the view from inside - out is an important consideration. This home will present an opportunity to do some pretty landscaping out back to be able to enjoy from the inside.

Rob/sochi -
I looked into the tree issue (with regard to the driveway) and we would be able to take it down - but due to our village's strict tree preservation guidelines, new trees would need to be planted (of a certain size) - which is not a problem -- or we would incur a fine of $400 per one-inch diameter required for each tree taken down. This is actually good news.

Funnily enough, as much as the curb appeal has been the bane of this home -- especially the garage -- what bothers me more is the INSIDE of the garage. There is space for only two cars - nothing more. And I truly mean nothing. (when we went back to see it yesterday, the owners had two cars parked inside - so we could totally see for ourselves...)
We are a family of four - with 4 bikes, a lawnmower, snowblower, yard tools, trash cans, soccer gear, what else am I missing???..... and I'm not a fan of the shed in the backyard. Not that it's a deal breaker..... but it's just not ideal.

Finally, DH is becoming cool to the whole thing. While you may call him a bit shortsighted ("what will this process do to our family? -- you will be a crazy, hormonal person going through all of this and for what... just to be 1 mile from where we are now???") It goes without saying that we both need to be onboard - 100%. He wants to walk through with our friend/builder next week.

Stay tuned....

This post was edited by Janice742 on Thu, Feb 28, 13 at 23:33

I just wanted to comment on how much I love the house that you are considering. I see so much potential and the layout is great.

I hope you go for it and keep us updated!

A backyard shed can be a charming focal point in your landscaped backyard. If most of the houses have rear access/alley garages they have to get all their garden stuff out from the back too, so you'd be doing it anyway if you moved into another home in that neighborhood, right?

I get your husband's hesitation. The truth is that the process is much worse than we anticipate--- at least, it has been for me. And takes longer, and is more costly. But I've rarely spoken with anyone who wasn't glad to have done it, for the results. One or two wished they'd waited for a "move in ready" home in the same area. The stark truth, though, is that if you are a regular GWer there is no such thing as a move in ready house for you!

We bought our house for $600k mid renovation. To date, we've spent close to $300k on renovations---- and a good bit of that we will NEVER see back. You're lucky to be in an area where the dollars you put into the house will still be there at resale.

It's a huge decision, and I wish you the gift and power of discernment while making it.

Thanks kswl & ak

Yes - we could make a shed work; we had them in both our homes when we lived in NJ - for some reason they were very common there. I don't know why - but there are just very few sheds around here!

Just another expense added to the long list of expenses (hence the "come up with your budget and add 50%")

DH and I have pretty high standards and like things nice, clean and well-organized. We epoxy coated our garage floor and put in beautiful locker storage and a wall slat system. We'd want to do the same thing here (minus the locker storage since there isn't room for that). I often feel like I'm channeling my Polish grandmother when I find myself with the leaf blower clearing out the dust, leaves and gravel that finds it's way into the garage. She would even sweep the sidewalk and curb. (sometimes you'll find DH doing that) :-)

And with the addition of a shed, we'd want to add hardscape to create a path from the back yard running along the side of the house to the driveway.

Of course, these things can all be done in time... and we just need to wrap our heads around that.

It is the journey, not the destination after all.

Lol, I would have to disagree with that---- in home renovation, the journey is but a means to the end of a comfortable, well- designed home that reflects your taste and lifestyle. The journey itself can be awful!

Janice, I just wanted to add my 2 cents: The home you are considering is very much not my style of home, and we live in a totally opposite kind of area (rural on acreage). But I can *so* see myself in that home! It has great bones, and the neighborhood sounds fantastic! I would be excited to live in it even in its present condition. Not even the master bath would dissuade me!

Regarding it being only 1 mile away, that one mile can make a huge difference in lifestyle, home values, the "feel" of the neighborhood, etc. I think I would think about how you would feel if it doesn't work out (by you not going for it -- there's always the possibility that it will be snatched up first). Will you be kicking yourself down the road wishing for "the one that got away" or will you feel relieved that you didn't have to go through the stress of moving, financing, etc.? Maybe you won't know until/if that happens, but you could possibly try to put yourself in that frame of mind to see how you might feel.

You are so right, that it is the journey, not the destination! I hope that you have a great journey, whichever road you take! Good luck and try to have fun with the process if you do take the leap!

Sorry I just put an offer on your house...

Just kidding, but how did that thought make you feel? Your gut reaction represents how much, or little, you want this house:) But I do believe that if this house is meant to be yours than waiting will not hurt. If it were to sell while you were weighing your options than it was not meant to be and another house more suited for your family and budget will appear:) So it is ok to take your time on such a big decision!

Very few sheds = a population that pays somebody else do do all the yard work!

In a ridiculously long sentence, this is what I think now.

In a market such as you describe, where protecting yourself with a contingency can be a deal breaker; with your combination of enthusiasm and misgiving, and with a realtor who clearly is more interested in protecting the sale than protecting you, I think you should seriously consider taking a deep breath, concentrating on reducing the debt load on your house so that you won't need a contingency to be safe, and waiting for a less risky set of conditions.

If you aren't sure whether you like the 1960's style, you should look at the website retrorenovation.com. Lots of ideas for decorating in a way that respects the original look of your home. You may learn to appreciate the style of this home, and not feel the need to do so much renovation. You'll see some homes that are purely vintage, and others that are a mix of retro and modern.
Personally, I think it would be a shame to add crown molding and other details that turn your house into something halfway between what you want and what you have to work with. For example, the previous owners put in the 1980's bath and it really doesn't fit with the rest of the house.
Also, I love the sunporch with the skylight and grill. Unlike the rest of us in the Chicago area, you can get your vitamin D year-round!

Bronwynsmom makes some good and interesting points, imo.

I had to do a double take when your current house was called a mutt and this one had an "identity". I had thought this one was a mutt, with a second story that now appears to be the house behind it! So just wanted to say that the house has much more curb appeal than I'd originally thought (if you can switch styles internally to live there). It will also look so much better when someone takes the driveway off the front lawn and makes the garage area more attractive somehow. (Just a thought. Could there be a drainage problem being masked with all the paving?)

Just want to add that it's telling to me how many of us are interested and *invested* in your process about this house. I think that speaks to the house itself because it seems to resonate deeply with many of us. Not that you aren't a lovely person and worthy of our interest aside from the house, but you know what I mean!!!

There is something about that house and location that speaks volumes about how one would live within its walls - pal's comment about mutts and true identity is right on IMO.

That said, it may or may not be the right house for you based on style or timing and roarah's 'if it's meant to be' comment is my thought, too. I hate throwing life choices into the fate category but sometimes that's all we have.

jakabedy - LOL! You're right!!

Hoosier - I know...and I can see myself in both situations -- and just don't know which one I'd have stronger feelings/emotions about.

roarah - this is how DH feels. Not that this should matter, but we are going to Italy in 3 weeks. He doesn't want this to be a distraction during out trip (might be short-sighted, but it's simply how he feels) He is leaning toward getting taking the next three weeks to slowly get our house ready for market (kind of like a pre-spring cleaning) and see where everything stands after we return. He has the "if it's meant to be..." attitude.

jakabedy - so, so true

cabinbuilder - I agree about the crown. The more I've looked at homes coming from this era and style, I understand the "look" that we would want to preserve.

snookums -- From what I understand, the pavers were likely installed to save the tree - draining for the tree. If you were to keep the tree and pave around it, you'd run the risk of cracking, lifting, etc.

dlm - thank you... I'm actually quite surprised by the response to my post. And I didn't even think it belonged here! This thread has been helpful, cathartic and eye-opening for me.

I don't want to be emotional, but I'm most apprehensive about negotiating our house (assuming an offer comes in and Homewood is still available) while simultaneously negotiating Homewood and then waiting (and getting an ulcer in the process) for everything to come together (or not).

oh.. and I almost forgot -
Bronwynsmom - point well taken.

We had the lot next to us on the market but decided to remove it for the quality of life that it affords us
#1. not to have a house next door = yard for soccer, baseball catches, frisbee tosses, trampoline (our lots in this neighborhood are 50' wide)
#2. no house next door

Supply and demand around here - established neighborhoods, few available vacant lots. Older, little homes are purchased by builders, torn down = new builds.

If we were to sell it - we'd have more wiggle room (cash). But I can't even go there right now.