Today is Chris's first day at his new job in Idaho and we never expected I'd be here with him. We thought for sure Greta and I would still be in Utah prepping our house for listing later this month. But with the surprisingly quick sale, we accompanied Chris to search for a new house because, in a couple weeks, we'll be homeless. Fortunately, both of our parents currently live in Idaho, so when I say "homeless" I don't mean on the streets, just without a place to call our own, or maybe more importantly, a place to put our stuff. So the race is on. By the end of this week we hope to be under contract and on our way to closing on a new house.
On the drive up (and during a short family reunion with Chris's family--so fun), we made a list of must-haves and would-be-nice-to-haves so that our scope would be more narrow, since we're short on time. Plus, we're really excited about this new adventure and all we can talk about is house-hunting. Here's what we came up with:
Must-haves
- A big kitchen--This one is for Chris. He deserves it.
- 3 bedrooms--We always thought we needed 4 bedrooms, but turns out--we'd be okay with three. Any more is just bonus.
- Mature trees--aka shade
- At least .25 acre yard--our current home has 1/3 of an acre, but Charly's previous house had 1/4. So at least that for Charly is a must-have.
- Not a new build/cookie cutter home--In Utah/Idaho (and maybe other places?) there are a plethora of new homes being built and they all look the same. We are avoiding them like the plague.
- Not a split-level--Our current house is a split-level or multi-level. The levels are kind of broken up into different spaces and sizes with stairs everywhere. We made it work, but it isn't my favorite layout and we're ready for something new.
- Dining room space--We really enjoy having people over for dinner and would love a big dining space to entertain in.
- Adequate storage/closets--I think this is one of those things that is easy to miss when you are house hunting, so I jotted this down to make sure I specifically check out how much space is behind closed doors.
- Equity potential--Like our current house, we are really on the hunt for a home that needs work, priced low for the area its in. The ugly duckling, if you will. We want it.
- Lots of natural light--One thing our current house has is a lot of large windows and we can't imagine it any other way. The more, the merrier.
Would be nice
- Inside city limits--while we are moving to rural Idaho, for sure, inside city limits is a little more appealing to us than the surrounding, more country areas
- Fenced in yard-- we need a fenced in backyard, so if a house already has one, that would be great!
- East/west facing home--Our current house faces North/South and I never thought much about it until we started living there and then suddenly I missed getting up with the sun. Not to mention paint colors are a little more tricky in a North/South house.
- A deck--who doesn't want a deck?!
- Fireplace--Idaho gets co-old. A part of the deal in moving here is I get to get a new coat and new boots and, well, a fireplace to accompany those would be nice.
- Hardwood floors--as the saying goes: mo' rugs, mo' problems.
- An office on the main floor--This is an interesting would be nice that we would really, really love. A place for our computers and mail and printing and shipping all on the main floor so it is really convenient to use.
- Smooth walls--this is basically unheard of out here, but untextured walls would be bliss. Maybe I'm getting picky.
I am meeting up with our realtor this morning and we're seeing 10 or so homes today. I am trying not to entertain the thoughts that keep entering my mind, that we might not find one. Chris and I haven't really talked about that scenario. Everything else has gone so smoothly, we're hopeful the trend will continue. I am not sure how much I'll be posting this week, but make sure you follow me on instagram (@chrislovesjulia) as I'll be instagramming the crap out of this house hunt.
What do you think?
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Good luck! I found house hunting to be the most exciting and simultaneously the most frustrating thing I've ever done. Yet for some reason I'm always talking about doing it again...
Just an FYI
1/3 is larger than .25 (which is 1/4) so basically if you have 1/3 acre now that is bigger than the .25 acre you are wanting
Yup! Did my wording mess you up? I just re-read what I wrote and it may have come off a little confusing: "At least .25 acre yard--our current home has 1/3 of an acre, but Charly's previous house had 1/4. So at least that for Charly is a must-have." While we currently have 1/3 acre, Charly previously had 1/4 and did fine so, although it's smaller, that would work for her too.
It was so much fun watching your house hunt yesterday! Yay #4! Would have never guessed that textured walls were so popular.
I loved following yesterday's instagram hunt. I hope #4 works-- it was my favorite by far!
Loved the pics you shared! Thank you!!
:)
I'm pressing my thumbs for you (which is how we say it in German ;)! Having that list is a good idea. by now, you have enough experience to know what is essential, but in the heat of the moment it's still ahrd to keep it all in mind.
I think you could split your "would be nice"-list up and have a category for in between the musts and the nices. Like a "want"-section. Because the main-floor office and the east/west direction (and I agree with Patty, I'd include a guest bathroom there) seem like things that you actually want quite a lot and wouldn't be just nice, even if they aren't total deal breakers. They are different from the fence or the hardwood-floors (which you can take care of after the fact anyway).
It's exiting to follow along, I hope your smooth ride continues!
I think house #4 has great curb appeal and a big kitchen. #FavoriteSoFar
Where in Idaho? I'm originally from Boise/Twin Falls/Pocatello. Congrats on the new adventure!
I am so freakin' excited to follow your search on Instagram! I love house hunting and since I'm not quite ready to move, will be living vicariously through you. And you guys are smart to think about a house's lighting/orientation in advance - that was probably one of my top three requirements for our current house and love the west facing view every single day. Good luck!
House hunting is so fun! Good luck! I'm sure you will find something awesome!
Haha, I laughed when you said you'd get a new coat and boots for the colder weather. Here's my biggest tip for you (that has nothing to do with house hunting): rather than buy cheap boots every year or two, invest in 3 great pairs: Hunters (for rain), Sorels (for COLD!) and Frye for fall/spring/everyday. After going through crappy cheaper boots for YEARS, 3 years ago, I finally ponied up the cash for 3 great pairs, and not once in those 3 years have I needed (or wanted) new boots.
The end.
Yay! So exciting. I love house hunting and am keeping my eyes peeled on instagram. :)
I am definitely adding these to the list! Although, A/C isn't common in this area--so maybe not that one. But everything else I'm writing down. Especially about the bathroom.
Other things to check:
Water pressure. Turn on some faucets while walking through the houses.
Neighbors. The people don't matter... but do they have a dog that barks and barks and barks? Might bug Charly.
Bathroom on main level. Your house now has that and I always loved not feeling like I was invading personal space. Some houses don't have that "guest bathroom" or "Barb's bathroom" ready. Is that something you want?
Sprinkler systems and A/C or A/C hookup. Would be nice, no?
Ack, storage! I somehow bought a house that has no closets on the main floor -- like, not even a little coat closet or a broom cupboard. Seriously?
Good luck! Deep breaths and stay hydrated!
Hahaha. Water bottle in hand.
Storage was definitely one of those things I didn't think about when house hunting. Then once we moved everything in I realized we didn't even have a linen closet upstairs. So all the towels are stuffed under the sinks in the hall bathroom and each bedroom has sheets shoved under the bed. Not ideal.
Good luck! I can't wait to read about your search. Your must-haves are perfectly reasonable, and you're good at seeing the potential in things. Just keep living by your mantra, and who knows what might come next!
-Katie at AdventuringAtHome