The house hunting thread

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29 February 2024, 07:12 PM

ShiroKuro

The house hunting thread

Big Al, thanks so much for this info!!

So, it might be a lot more than I was thinking....

Hmmmm....

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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u

01 March 2024, 12:59 AM

piqué

to do something nice, but not fancy, you should be thinking around $50k. If you insulate with 4" polyiso foam panels you shouldn't need a mini-split for heating but can probably get by with an electric space heater connected to a plug-in thermostat. Wire in a ceiling fan and have cross ventilating windows and you can likely skip the a/c, too. You probably don't want smaller than 120 sq feet, at minimum.

If you only want to spend half that, go with the prefab sheds from a box store and then upgrade them with insulation, sheetrock, and you'll probably want a couple of extra windows.

there are a number of companies selling pre-fab she-sheds/backyard studios that are nicer than the box store sheds. google around.

01 March 2024, 01:04 AM

piqué

these are reasonably priced and nicer than the box store stuff. you can order them with a finished interior, insulation, and an electrical package:

https://design.studio-shed.com/signature

01 March 2024, 05:49 AM

ShiroKuro

Piqué, thanks for the link. That’s fun to play around with!

However, I think this may be more expensive, and time consuming, than I bargained for.

If it’s going to get up closer to $50k, we’re probably better off holding out for something with a basement…

I don’t know, we’ll see how we like this house (going to see it in a few hours) and then go from there.

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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u

01 March 2024, 08:08 AM

ShiroKuro

Well, shoot. I just saw that they closed on the gappy garage house, and it was less than what we were thinking of offering... We totally could have bought that house.

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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u

01 March 2024, 08:17 AM

wtg

I wonder if the price was discounted because of the work that needed to be done to the garage. The buyers may have opted to take a credit and have the work done by a company they choose.

Also, that seems like a pretty fast closing. Around here even a cash deal is usually 30 days. If the sellers needed to move quickly, they might well save money with a quick close and might have accepted less.

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When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier

01 March 2024, 11:17 AM

ShiroKuro

quote:
I wonder if the price was discounted because of the work that needed to be done to the garage.

Yeah, there's a lot we don't know here, so it may have been more repair work than we wanted to take on. But still, I would have felt better if it sold for a lot more than I would have been comfortable paying.

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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u

01 March 2024, 02:46 PM

piqué

there will be other houses.

a house with a basement could cost $50k more. Personally, I prefer to spend my time above ground. The popularity of the finished basement was my bete noir when house hunting--I hate them, and I hate that they are marketed as part of the legitimate square footage of the house.

A walkout basement is acceptable, provided the windows are actually above ground and not inside window wells.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a house I like without a basement if ADUs were legal to put in the back yard.

Check both the zoning regs and the covenants that convey with the property.

01 March 2024, 02:47 PM

piqué

I've seen houses close in 2 weeks. It's a lot faster than it used to be, especially if it's a cash purchase.

01 March 2024, 03:44 PM

ShiroKuro

I don't care if the basement is finished, by which I mean, concrete walls and floors and an open roof is fine. But a walkout, clean and not dark and dank, is preferable...

I just can't decide how important it is here to have somewhere to go during tornado warnings...

As it happens, this house already has at least one offer, so if we want to make an offer, we probably need to do it by tomorrow am, and maybe a little above asking...

Need to think a little more.

it desn't help that I was in meetings all afternoon and my brain is a bit fried now...

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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u