But it's official: We bought a house.
Remember this house?
Well, we didn't buy it. We thought about it. And thought some more. It's a great house - built in 1899, it has 4,800 sf, four fireplaces, and lots of space. It also has a bad roof and significant gutter damage (which has resulted in damage to interior walls and ceilings). It needs a new furnace, and the garage needs some attention. The bathrooms and kitchen need updating. The carpet on the third floor is awful - dated, ugly, and worn. All the wallpaper is out of date and worn.
We were thinking Money Pit. Which might have been OK, if the sellers had been willing to negotiate on price. We made a low offer - accompanying the offer with a letter detailing the $100,000-plus that this house will require in repairs/restoration. The sellers countered back at barely less than their asking price.
It was time to say No, thanks - not in this market. The house has been on the market for a year - the owners are deluded. So we switched gears, and we bought this house:
We liked it all along - built in 1880, the house has 3,800 sf, four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, three fireplaces, lots of nice built-ins, a lovely third-floor game room, and a lovely backyard, with a pool.
The photos do not do it justice - it is much more attractive in person. I saw the photos and wasn't all that excited, but at least three people told me it was lovely and I needed to see it. And they were so right - the photos just do not capture how lovely it really is. It isn't white - it is a taupe color with the blue trim. And inside, the angles of the photos just don't capture the character of the rooms.
Downstairs has a living room (small - you know, the kind where you keep the piano and put up the Christmas tree ... and little else). There is also a much larger family room, dining room, and room that will likely become our office. Too much carpet, but that is an easy fix.
The master bedroom is a three-room suite, with a little dressing room, study/sitting room with fireplace, and bedroom. No ensuite bathroom ... but never fear, as that can be changed.
The backyard is lovely. The pool is in the side yard. But behind the house is a redwood deck and a paver patio - very nice. We'll have a place for the swingset, and the garage is in the back, off the alley - parking for at least two extra cars, plus a basketball area. Perfect!
The kitchen needs work - it isn't dirty or unusable, but it is very outdated (think old, painted cabinets and outdated appliances). I knew all along we could do a kitchen remodel, but making it bigger is an issue. We thought maybe we'd break into the room that could be the office. Until Gary said (wise man that he is): We'll just add on. And with that, all my doubts vanished. An addition solves all our problems - maybe it will be a two-story addition. And we'll end up with the ensuite master bath.
I am very pleased. It won't be in our old neighborhood, but it's just across the street, with my very dear friend just doors away ... it will be perfect.
So now we are really getting geared up to move!
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