The only way you can find out for sure is to put an offer in with a home inspection contingency. The location close to the university is a huge plus. You will not have that resale value with the younger building solely because of the location away from the uni. Has the interior been updated? Does it have original plumbing/electrical? If you put an offer in with the inspection contingency, then you can still get out of it if problems are discovered. I wouldn't have a problem with the age if I was looking for something in that age group.

That is true. You can install theses at any time see "GE 7250269 Emergency Switch Flashing Light Activator". They could be located for as low as $3.

Thanks everyone - much more to ponder here. @roarah, I think almost any sofa direction is going to entail a big ottoman. I've avoided it to date because the kids use the coffee table for so much coloring/lego building/etc (which explains why it needs replacing) but if I replace the sectional with anything other than another sectional, I'll definitely want to try a big cushy ottoman. @Beverly27 and @bac717, I like this idea and need to play with it some more. The difficulty is that there is a 4ft wide window on that wall. There would still be enough space to place the TV between the window and the door, but there tends to be a pretty bright glare from the window itself. (That may change within the next few weeks, when the house under construction next door gets its upper floors, sigh.) It's worth shifting the furniture around to see if it might work! My husband is out of town for the next couple of days - time for some experimentation! @suero - the U-shaped sectional is a really interesting idea. I need to hunt around the web to see if I can find something like that...it would eliminate all the battles for prime TV watching seats. @jlc712, I realize I hadn't posted a proper diagram or clear photos; all these are old blurry cell shots in my photobucket library. I'll try for something better after work, but the entry to the dining room is on the same wall where the TV/"fireplace" is currently situated - directly opposite the exterior door. @kidrowlam, the one thing that is staying in the room for the foreseeable future is the Persian rug - it was a wedding gift from my MIL (and we have no other place for it!) The faux fireplace is in the first photo in my first post, under the TV. I'm totally ready to junk it if I can improve the space.... Thanks everyone - I'll try some of these ideas tonight/tomorrow!

Spent foundry sand once was used as "topsoil" mostly because it was black and "topsoil" is black. Spent foundry sand has several problems, all related to sand in general. It does not hold nutrients and moisture at all well, they flow out really rapidly. The only advantage sand has is that plant roots can move around pretty freely, and they have to in search of both nutrients and moisture. Sand needs a lot of organic material added to it so the moisture and nutrients plants need to grow are held in the root zone. Keep in mind that all of those require a soil that holds moisture quite well and the soil pH for each one is different, Blueberries require a fairly acidic (4.5 to 5.5) soil while Strawberries need soil a bit closer to neutral (5.8 to 6.2) and Raspberries much prefer a more neutral (6.0 to 6.5) soil. Good hefty amounts of organic matter may be needed to help hold the necessary moisture in that soil. So in addition to a good reliable soil test, your University of Wisconsin does that, http://uwlab.soils.wisc.edu/ perhaps these simple soil test may be of some help. 1) Soil test for organic material. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains’ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell, to a point. Too much organic matter can be bad as well. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. Many people will state that soil testing is not needed and that they have never had one done and their plants grow very well. However a good reliable soil test can save money by showing there is no need to spread some fertilizer, or that some might be needed and can help guide the gardener to the right soil pH for what is to be growing in that space, important to know since plant nutrients are more easily available if the soil pH is nearly where the plant likes it. kimmq is kimmsr