It sounds like you haven't even toured this house yet...slow down and decide if you even want it first.

With it being a sellers market, I can see you wanting a jump on things.

I agree though with mxk3, you need to actually see it.

Psst, it's still paneling. :) Nothing wrong with paneling.

Go check out the house!

Oh trust me I agree we need to see it but houses are going so fast if I don’t have some opinion on if it can be improved with out putting more than 50,000 into it then I will walk

And thanks for the info on the paneling. Here is the description in the Zillow ad

Here is the description

You do know those MLS photos are stretched quite a bit. I'll be surprised if you love it as much after seeing it in person. Probably pretty small I'd guess. If you still love it in person, take more pix and share here (don't stretch them please) for some input on what you might do.

Looks like it has a lot of potential. It's all about location and overall functionality. If you can fix it to what you want, then go for it!

I was wondering if it was stretched and that may be good since I feel the rooms look too big. Thanks for the information though and I will do that tomorrow.

It's 3000 square feet, 1500 above ground and 1300 or so below. Plenty big enough for a 4/3. I love the style of it and it's probably built better than anything built in the last 30 years. I'd be most concerned about the electrical and condition of the bathrooms. You could spend a good chunk of your budget just updating the kitchen counters, sink, appliances, and pullouts and things for the cabinets. If electrical and bathrooms need to be redone, cha-ching! However, with the appropriate contingencies, I'd totally be game. Love it.

Are you a first time home buyer?

You should be able to weight the pros and cons when you see in person; do the advantages outweigh the required updates and costs. What is something you couldn’t live with and would it cost too much to change. Remember as well, you can spread things out over time.

I‘d focus on location, the property, size of rooms and flow, schools, neighbourhood and if price is in line with the other homes, including what you will be putting in for changes.

In the end, your heart and pocketbook will help you decide. Good luck.

If the house is to your taste, and in good shape, think about it.

I wonder if the wood of the kitchen cabinets was originally the same as the wood in the dining area, but the kitchen cabinets got darker because they got dirty from lack of proper ventilation.

I do like a more closed kitchen that the older homes have, but I do think this kitchen could use some updates in the way of proper venting over a cooktop.

It's not simply a matter of keeping the cabinet's clean, it might save you from a fire too, I think.

And speaking of those cabinets, I sure learned something here a few weeks ago.

Much to my chagrin, I learned that new cabinets these days are not made of wood!

If yours of made of solid wood, why get rid of them?

Can you just have them cleaned well?

I wonder what is under the living room wall-to wall carpet.

I wouldn't get excited about a 2005 roof. In Minnesota, depending on what the roof is made of, you may need to replace that roof in less than 5 years!

I also wonder what shape that chimney is in. Did they get the chimney sweep in every year? What is the masonry like on the chimney? If you need to re-point or worse, rebuild that thing, that is beaucoup bucks.

Many people want different things nowadays.

Such as a mudroom. Or a whole separate laundry room.

That house may not have these.

Will you miss it?

Do you need two ovens?

Do you need to remodel the kitchen substantially to get what you want in the there?

That alone is a lot of $$$$

Is this the first house you've seen?

At the risk of sounding impertinent, may I suggest dating a few more houses before making a commitment?

I just found the Zillow listing. Zillow is sometimes misleading but it appears to have not been sold anytime recently so that's probably why it's in such great original condition. Bathrooms are vintage and appear to be in good shape. Def needs some cosmetic updates - replacing carpets, removing wallpaper from ceiling (!) and borders from bathrooms - not major but it's a LOT of carpet! Maybe there are original wood floors and/or tile underneath!!

The devil's in the details and you can't see that on real estate photos. Really look at the details...

Removing wallpaper, oh goodness, the old fashioned type is just a bear. Maybe they have newer stuff to use nowadays? I remember using something like a triple rotary wheel, then spraying and steam and lots of scraping, and it was a long time ago, and oh wow, it was a lot of work. I will never, ever do that again. I will sell something important to pay someone else to do that.

You want your husband to love a house he hasn't even seen yet. Remember it will also be his house. You BOTH have to love it.

@loobab - Just need to know what type of roofing material are you talking about that doesn't last more than 5 years even in Minnesota weather.

In older homes, it’s infrastructure that eats your lunch not cosmetics. Plumbing, electrical s, insulation, HVAC. All will have to be brought up to code if you make any changes that involve those systems. If you decide to make an offer, make it contingent on inspecting these major systems. Then when you get reports, you renegotiate price. Also, know exactly how much the comparables have sold for nearby so you can set your buying cost limit. Always be ready to walk if things go beyond that limit. You are very emotional on this right now because of your initial impressions but be careful. Do your due diligence. Good luck. 1500 sq ft on main floor is tight from my perspective so don’t rely on the lower level. As we age, stairs become a real problem.

A 2005 roof is 16 years old already, and will be 21 years old in 5 more years. I can't speak to typical roof lifetimes in Minnesota.

The description says forced air heat, but I think I see electric baseboard heat in the living room.

consider all the 'unique' aspects you see in this house and decide if you like them if in your own house. that flooring is err-eh; There's never just one house, Whats this ones main competition? If most of the new house will renovation anyway.. wait for space in a totally lo-fi ,low price deal and spend the rest making your castle. s.. but even if it is personally quirky in a good way... a 1956 build is going to test you later in life,, The utility upgrades are primary and inevitable.

@Loobab - thank you - it has been a long day at work and I think I misread what you were saying - 5 more years - yes. I thought you were saying that depending on material roofs don't last more than 5 years total in Minnesota. I knew I was missing something - couldn't imagine replacing your roof every 5 years.

Oh my - I think I will call it an early night tonight.

Flo Mangan has it right - your money will be going to upgrading/repairing the mechanicals. With that being said, WOW, that house is an absolute gem of a time capsule. I do hope whoever buys it appreciates what a stunning example it is and doesn’t ruin it by painting everything white or covering those nifty floors with LVP. Good luck!

Debra, if this is your first home and you have a typical first time home buyers budget there is going to be a lot of compromise. Most of us don't get everything we want in our first home, and sometimes we never own our "dream home". The important thing is that being able to buy your first home puts you in the game.

Try to find a home that is in a decent neighborhood that has good bones and won't need a ton of updates to be comfortable.

The kitchen may have wood cabinets and you may prefer white, but more important - are there enough cabinets to hold your dishes and are they in decent shape. You can live with wood, but you can't live with cabinets that are falling off the walls or have shelves that bow in the middle.

Making sure the home has been maintained and the roof, HVAC, plumbing, foundation, windows and doors are in good shape is important.

You can improve the colors and make things pretty, but as long as it functions well that can come in time.

Find your home, move in, live there for a year, figure out how your budget is working with the added expense of home ownership. Keep a journal of the things that work and don't work for how you live. Plan a renovation budget and tackle the biggest pain points first. This is a marathon and you have many years to accomplish you goals.