OT: House hunting! Advice?

[Cees]

My husband and I have lived in our very tiny townhome for nearly 4 years now. It was fine when we moved in, as we only had one 3 month old baby, but now that we have three children it's like a prison! So tiny and crowded. We're bursting at the seams.

He will finally be done with school this spring and his boss has promised him a very big raise once he gets that Bachelor's degree. So we will be able to afford a bigger house. I've been to the grocery store and picked up lots of big fat real estate catalogs showing thousands of ads for new and used houses in all price ranges, conditions, and types. We've also driven around several Saturdays and looked at model homes.

We have found a builder we really like, Ivory Homes, and a floor plan we also like. (We tend to like two-story houses best.) They don't have any models of it but the realtor got us a key to one just barely finished and we're off to look at it today.

Anyway, to my question: do any of you have any advice for us? Things we should look out for in dealing with builders, real estate people, contracts, etc.? Opinions on which direction the house should face, and what to look for in a potential neighborhood? Or anything else helpful?

Some of my relatives are of the opinion that we should buy an already-built used house, but all the ads I've looked at I don't like as well as the floor plan of this builder. We've already been to the neighborhood where the houses are being built that are in our price range and close to my husband's work-- it's a cute area.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments or advice!

[Lorenzo]

Cees...I was a General Contractor for years, and have built a lot (about 60) custom homes. I just got through building myself a house (BTW you can save about $30-50,000 doing most of it yourself, if you can!).

I like a house that sits up just a little and back off the street, I like the back long side to face south...lots of light and sun through the windows (winter, spring, fall). Interior should be done to suit anyone...for resale value, high ceilings are nice and spacious (cooler in summer), and be aware of prevailing wind and weather. Concentrate the extras in the kitchen and bathrooms, and around the porch for attractiveness.

Contractors...be sure and get 3 bids (and references). The contract is usually geared for the builders interpretation. Be specific, right down the color, the brands, type of attachment (nail, screw, glue, reinforcement in the cement), include a closing date and penalty for delay, no idle days (they love excuses like "had to finish up another job"). Allow for change orders or no change orders...this drives the builder nuts.

It's true that already built houses might save you some $$$$. There's sales tax on all materials and labor (in most states), and often the land is included for much less. Nowadays, I mostly buy older classic homes and restore them...a good investment.

There's a ton of other stuff...feel free to email me off C&F.

[Paul]

My wife's Chinese Feng shui house positioning advice:

The house should face south or southeast. you get sun all the time. It makes you healthier.

No great big tree directly in front of the front door. It can block money (or good fortune) from coming in.

Cul-de-sacs are great (preferable in fact)but it's best if your front door doesn't face directly up the street that comes off the cul-de-sac. Money can wash down the street.

House should be street level or higher unless the back is well open like to a meadow, water or something like that.

We do this analysis every time we buy a house. The real-estate agents love it. LOLL

good luck!
-Paul

[Redwolf]

My best advice is to find a realtor you like and trust. One who is a buyer's agent specifically...in other words, she or he works for you, with your wants and needs at the forefront. A good realtor can walk you through all the details and get answers for all your questions...and will go to bat for you in negotiations.

When we bought our first home, in NC, we lucked upon a wonderful agent. She patiently walked us through every home in Durham that met our criteria (plus a few others that she thought we might like, after spending quite a lot of time getting to know us). When we finally found one we loved (but was a little out of our price range), she patiently walked us through making our first bid, bolstered our spirits when that bid was rejected, gave us suggestions about hiring a building inspector, helped us negotiate a second bid (still within our price range) that included necessary repairs to the house, gave us good suggestions as to where to look for the best loan and where to find a good escrow attorney, and basically held our hand right through the close of escrow. She knew which neighborhoods had the highest rate of resident satisfaction, she knew which area contractors had good or bad reputations, she knew where all the flood plains were, and she was totally committed to getting us into a house that we'd like. With someone like that in your camp, it's hard to go too wrong.

If you know people in your area who have recently bought homes, they can be an excellent resource for finding a good agent. Your local Better Business Bureau can be a good resource too.

Brand new homes can be nice, but I find I prefer a house that's been lived in for a while. All new homes have "bugs"...minor (or sometimes major!) issues that need to be worked out, and it's rather nice to let a family or two go before you to work them out before you take up residence. Just my 2 cents...your mileage may vary .

Redwolf

[Walden]

The first thing to do, if you want to hunt houses, is to get a house call.

It would also help if you had a good house dog, to sniff them out. Once he gets the house treed, you'll have a nice tree house.

[Redwolf]

Couple of other things:

House should face south/southeast UNLESS YOU HAVE A REVERSE FLOOR PLAN! If your living room, big windows, etc., are in the back of the house, you want THOSE to face south. Particularly avoid an east/west orientation, unless you really like the sun glaring full-tilt into your windows in the morning or evening.

Mature hardwoods on the property are a real asset. They help keep the house cool in summer and let the sunlight in to help warm it in winter. They also provide you with tons of free gardening mulch! That's another advantage to buying an established home rather than a new one, unless the contractor left mature trees standing on the property. Conifers are not such an asset...they tend to keep things rather dark summer and winter, and their needles acidify the soil, which can be problematic if you want a garden.

A fenced yard is a huge asset with kids (especially if you also have pets, or plan to get some). Fencing the yard yourself can cost you big time.

I don't know if you have septic systems in your area, but if you do and a house you like has one, find out how old it is and get all the info you can on its maintenance records (they should be available at your local department of health). Having a septic system isn't necessarily a bad thing (we have one), but an old or poorly maintained system can be both a health hazard and a financial disaster.

Avoid homeowner's associations, if possible. My experience is that they're more hassle than they're worth (I can tell you horror stories about the fights some of our friends have had with their HOAs!...everything from having to repaint their newly painted house because the paint dried a shade lighter than the HOA had approved to getting fined for putting up a clothesline in the back yard!).

Redwolf

[Sunnywindo]

Good for you Cees! Having a house is fun. I would reccommend however that you:

Read all the paperwork you sign carefully. If you have questions, ask. Some lenders are honsest, and some are not so honest. Some will slip things in there right at the last minute, change something to benifit them, not you, with the hopes that you will sign the papers anyhow instead of having to wait longer and go through even more paperwork. It might be something small that only costs you a little, or it may be something that will end up costing you a lot. Just use caution, be on top of that paperwork, your credit report, etc. so you are aware of what it going on and how it's going to effect your pocketbook and your new home.

Happy house hunting! BTW... where abouts are you looking at?

[Doc Jones]

Howdy Cees,

My wife and I have bought and sold and re-modeled lots of houses over the years.

My advice in general would be to avoid construction at all costs.

You will get more house for the buck and far fewer headaches if it's built already.

Just my two bits

Also, I wouldn't even consider a house that doesn't have a good whistle storage area. With all that extra dough coming it's best to plan ahead for your inevitable attack of WhOA.

Doc

[Redwolf]

Also, I wouldn't even consider a house that doesn't have a good whistle storage area. With all that extra dough coming it's best to plan ahead for your inevitable attack of WhOA.

Doc

Good idea! Actually, it's not a bad idea to get one more bedroom than you think you'll need, if you can afford it. It can do double duty as a study, music room, playroom, or storage area for extra books and toys when it's not being used as a guest room.

Redwolf

[Bretton]

We just "discovered" that we've got a third offspring on the way and this has us looking for our first house as well.

Thanks for the suggestions people have posted so far...you're helping multiple people.

[Lorenzo]

One of the fastest, cheapest designs that transcends all times is the Cape Cod house.
With few corners (add about $7500 for every inside/ouside corner beyond 6, and crazy hips and valleys in the roof). This simple design is made to add-on, include or not include and upstairs, and has a variety of possible looks from the outside.

Storage space...yes! Very important. Most people can't even park in their garage, it's so full. I always make the garage 6-8' longer with with either a storage room at the front with and additional outside entrance to the room.

There's no need to jam closets full of junk, or attics hard to get to.

A media-libray room/den is also very important...I mean isn't that where y'all are right now, or would like to be?

[Nanohedron]

Oops. Thought this was about horse hunting and was just about to call PeTA...

FWIW, I'd definitely want a music room, and enough space for in-home sessions. The ability to control your humidity is important, too, esp. if you keep wooden instruments on hand.

N, just my 2 cents worth

[Redwolf]

A few other things to think about:

1) Two-story houses look nice, but you usually get smaller rooms for the same square footage (and often the space is shaved from areas where you'd really like MORE space...for example, the children's bedrooms, the kitchen, the laundry room, etc.). You MIGHT get more bang for your buck if you consider something on one level. A single-level is also a bit more adaptable...for example, if you or a family member is ever injured and confined to a wheelchair (either temporarily or otherwise), that second story could quickly become a liability. Also look at how the rooms are configured...if you have a young baby, for example, do you really want a house where the master bedroom is upstairs and the extra bedrooms are downstairs? Work is a consideration too...vacuuming or sweeping stairs can be a major hassle. Not wanting to turn you off two stories if that's your dream home, but just some things to keep in mind.

2) When you look at a house, try to picture your family actually living in it. Are the bedrooms big enough? What about the laundry facilities? The kitchen? When we were looking at houses, we were surprised at how many really unsuitable places there are out there. We saw a lot of what we came to call "rich bachelor pads"...very pretty homes with large, dramatic living, dining and master bedrooms, lots of decks, nicely landscaped yard, etc. When you looked at the auxiliary rooms, however, they left much to be desired. the kitchens were tiny galleys with hardly any counter space. The laundry facilities were often no more than laundry closets, often inconveniently located. And the spare bedrooms...oy! One place we looked at had a master bedroom big enough to house a small family, but the spare bedrooms were so tiny you could barely fit a twin bed and a small dresser in them. Children tend to live in their bedrooms, especially as they get older, so that's a major consideration.

3) If you have a choice in flooring, tile is much easier to care for than carpet or linoleum (I've never had wood floors, so can't speak for those). Having had all three in various rooms, I intend to have all the floors in my home (except for in the bedrooms) tiled as soon as I can afford it. Look at things like kitchen counters too...tile, corian, etc., are infinitely preferable to laminate.

4) Count the electrical outlets. Most houses don't seem to have nearly enough, especially given today's "electronic" lifestyle.

5) Look closely at the yard. Is it level enough and large enough for what you want to do with it? Will it take a swingset? Is there space for gardening? Room to play ball? If it isn't fenced, can it be fenced easily? Will it be hard to water or mow? Having a bit of land to call your own is a major advantage to home ownership, but having a yard that doesn't suit your lifestyle is almost worse than having none at all...you still have to keep it up, but you don't get much use out of it.

6) Most important...don't "settle" for something that really doesn't suit you in the hopes that you can make it "fit" later. Renovations and add-ons are expensive. It's nice to have a house you CAN add on to or remodel, if you want to later on, but you don't want one you HAVE to remodel or add on to in order to make it a great place to live NOW.

Redwolf

[spittin_in_the_wind]

Three suggestions: sidewalks, cul-de-sacs, fenced yard. The floor plan isn't as important as those, IMO.

Robin

[Cees]

Wow, guys, great suggestions and info! Thanks a lot and keep it coming, if anyone has more to add!

Whistle storage area! Great idea! I need a way to store my low whistles in an attractive stand...any ideas? The "living room" area of the house we're considering we would use as a music room, since we only have one set of couches and they will be in the much larger "family room."

Sarah,
We are looking at a community in West Valley City...around 7000 West and 4000 South. It's not too far from our house here, in fact. We wanted something close to my husband's work.

Redwolf,
I see your point about shaving space off in bedrooms...this house plan we like has fairly small bedrooms (except the master). However, if we were to do something like a rambler, it takes up a whole lot more of the yard than a two-story house does. That's fine if you have a lot of yard but in Salt Lake City land is scarce and doesn't come in big quantities without big bucks.

What to do, what to do...it's hard to decide, especially as this will determine where we live, play, make friends and have important life experiences for the next few years!





<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Cees on 2003-02-21 19:27 ]</font>