Tomorrow afternoon we are going to look at a house. I don’t really imagine this is going to be “the” house but we are intrigued as the price is really very excellent and we thought it might be time to get our feet wet and start talking to people and looking through the houses we are interested in. But you know, who knows. This house is priced very reasonably which probably means there is something wrong with it, but… My curiosity begs me to look closer.
We’ve been “imaginary house hunting” for a couple years now. It’s something I do out of habit and I think it helps me to understand the market and develop an idea of what we want in our future home. We’ve looked in a lot of areas, in several price brackets and have changed our mind a couple times just in the past six months about what are deal breakers and what aren’t. So I’m curious…
What are the first things you’d look for if you were house hunting?
What “criteria” would the house NEED to have and what things would you just really, really love?
Our “ideal house” would have a large kitchen with lots of counter space, a fenced in back yard and a small porch in the front yard or at least room to put a bench near the door.
It has got to have a kitchen we feel comfortable working in – there’s no specific shape that’s mandatory, just room to work around each other and plenty of prep room. And of course it should not be a sty. It needs to be move-in ready. I’d prefer a single family but in our price range I’m willing to look at duplexes – and on that note, I’d like to not hate the people on the other half of that duplex.
Kailani @ An Island Life takes it easy on Fridays by posting a simple question for you to answer – and she invites you to do the same. Just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!
Mommablogsalot 
12 responses to “aloha friday: imaginary house hunting”
Right now I would just love green. As in green grass & trees that loose their leaves when they are supposed to. Oh & not a green pool! Right now between the odd trees & the green pool, that’s the green I see.
Make sure you always do a homeowners inspection w/ a licensed, qualified (I prefer someone who has building experience because anybody can become a licensed home inspector) inspector who is thorough. Your agent should be able to help w/ that but make sure it’s someone experienced.
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We seem to move every few years…so we know what we are looking for in a house. At this point, 1 story is preferable to 2. A fenced-in backyard is a must because of pets. Decent-sized bedrooms are fairly important, as are a minimum of 2 full bathrooms. A luxury is a pantry 🙂
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Storage space…..guess I didn’t pay attention to this when I bought my house. We have absolutely no linen closets or medicine cabinets……storage is a huge problem.
One nice perk…..we have a deal where when you open any closet, the light inside automatically turns on. Love it!
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I wanted a nice fenced backyard, 2 bathrooms ,3 bedrooms, a fireplace in the livingroom, and a decent kitchen.
I would have LOVED a walk-in closet and master bathroom too…but those options were well out of our price range!
Happy hunting!
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You don’t want to be on a busy street. Definitely an open kitchen/family room. Look at the house’s bones/structure…everything else is cosmetic that you can fix/change. Have fun and don’t settle.
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My ideal house would be spacious, (not necessarily big though) especially the kitchen. I also need lots of storage space. Move-in ready is definitely important, although I can do some of the smaller things myself. Garage and yard are a must. And then there’s the location…. I am picky!
If you have time, come check out My Aloha Friday. Have a great weekend!
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My next house MUST have 3 bedrooms and at least two baths, a fenced in yard and NOT be a fixer upper… I am DONE with fixer uppers!
Good luck on the house hunting, remember, it’s a buyers market right now…go get em!
Sarah, Ohana Mama
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The front porch isn’t a requirement for me, more of a nice to have. I also require an attached garage (prior to having one of these, just a garage was enough, but now I’m spoiled), at least 2 bathrooms, a full basement (not partial, but it doesn’t have to be finished), central air, and a master bathroom (also something I didn’t know I needed until I had it!).
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Actually, don’t write this house off yet because of price – the market is pretty depressed right now and if you have right down payment / credit, you could probably land a pretty sweet deal right now. But go in with your eyes wide open. (Don’t bite off more than you can chew – a common malady with first-time home buyers, I think).
For me, space. The house itself doesn’t have to be big (ours isn’t), but the rooms need to be open, large and airy (which ours are). The floor plan must also be spacious, I don’t like a house where all you have to do is turn around and *POOF*, you’re IN the next room.
In addition, there must be longer than an arm’s length distance between us and our neighbors, i.e. a decent-sized yard. Again, I just don’t like I’m being stuffed into a sausage subdivision.
Good luck and have fun shopping! Remember, take your time and really weigh your pros and cons before making a decision. Don’t let a realtor pressure you into anything. This is a BIG investment.
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I will just call it fantasy house looking…. and say a beach in my front yard LOL.
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Outside of what you’ve mentioned…we have to have an attached 2.5+ garage, a basement, and at least 2 bathrooms, and central air.
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Move-in ready is definitely criteria for me. It takes us an ice age to complete projects and I’m tired of living in a house half-done. I’d also want an attached garage and a mud room. Also, I don’t want to live on a cut-through street or on the same side of a street with parked cars – it just makes pulling out a headache.
Good luck tomorrow and on your search! I hope you have fun and find the house of your dreams!
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