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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Mar 22, 2018 16:36:28 GMT -5
Our house was built in 1911 and most of the houses in my area are from the early 20th century or earlier. Not to sound like an old person, but they sure don't make 'em like they used to! We have the original hardwood floors in our house. 😍😍😍😍😍 We have original quarter-sawn oak floors in a 1959 house. The original owners raised two active children here and the floors have been refinished once. I pay extra to provide replacement cost insurance coverage for the floors because I adore them. And my roof decking is original too, 1 X 12 tongue-in-groove fir. That's why the roof doesn't budge during hurricane. The shingles may leave but the decking stays put. My dad’s house (built in the 1950s) has original hardwood too. My dad carpeted over it as my grandmother was moving in and he thought if she fell, the carpet would be softer. My stepmother’s son wants to refinish the floors, and while I think it will be good for the resale value of the house, my stepmother is getting old and I now worry about her falling. |
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bobosensei
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Joined: Dec 21, 2010 11:32:49 GMT -5
Posts: 1,561
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Post by bobosensei on Mar 22, 2018 17:47:26 GMT -5
Thanks for all the feedback y'all. I'll try to answer the big questions. I want to try to find a home in the next month, my lease is up at the end of May but I can go stay with my sister as long as I need if I am still looking. We get along well so this wouldn't be an issue. Before I met the realtor I looked at 3-4 open houses in new neighborhoods, but did not like houses so close together and knew I needed a yard for my dogs. With my realtor I've asked to see 20 homes so far, but typically a third to half of what I want to see is gone before I can get out to see it. So some of the ten or so homes I will have seen by the end of the day are not ones that I actually wanted to see but we went because we were in the area. I do want to own a home, but the timing wasn't right the last 10 years due to ex's army career and living overseas then our divorce. I'm ready to settle into a home. I like being at home (I'm an introvert), and I want to have a huge garden which I haven't been able to do while renting. And I love relaxing outside with my dogs. I also see a paid off home as an important part of retirement. As far as cosmetic stuff my only concern is for resale later on, and maybe I am thinking of it the wrong way as in if I pay x, y has to be replaced due to regular maintenance, and I have to put z into the house to make it sell later on am I better off with a different house? I guess part of that is a crap shoot though. There really isn't a way to know what I'll have to put into a house and what return I might get if I have to sell later. My biggest requirement is a big back yard preferably already fenced. Because of the yard I want I know I am looking at an older home. I want a gas stove, but have accepted I may need to take an electric and run a gas line later on. I have money for repairs saved up, and I'm looking into a first time homebuyer mortgage where I can put 3% down and the lender pays the PMI. The interest rate is about .5% higher, and it really sort of works out to be the same as if I paid PMI but I want to have all the extra money in my savings and investment accounts. Since I'm single again it makes me feel better to have this for emergencies. I am just worried I am going to continue to put off making a decision, and I only have one more vacation day I am willing to split up and use for house hunting during the week. So at some point I'll be back to only going out on weekends. I don't know why I thought the process of finding the house I want was going to be fun. The bolded text really stuck out to me. Where I live it's very common for the good properties (well priced properties in good locations) to go on the market on Friday and be under contract by Sunday afternoon. A property that looks nice and has had some updating? Gets multiple offers. Can you talk to your realtor to find out why you are missing out on even viewing the properties that you have identified? Is it your schedule? Is it hers? Is there a reason why you aren't getting to see these places before they go under contract? It's my schedule. I work full time and was trying to see things on the weekend. Found out quickly that won't do for the price range I'm at in this area. Some of the other stuff had been on the market a while, but I hadn't broadened my search far enough out to be able to catch it when it first came out. Now I'm casting a wide net, but really only want to split one more vacation day to see things during the work day. Of the 4 homes I saw today, and love the one I saw with the huge back yard. The layout is similar to the first one I wrote about, and I can eventually change things as/if I want. I'm going to look at comps tonight, and thinking of making an offer on the house today and if the inspection does not pan out I might make an offer on the first one. The first one has been on the market 83 days now so I'm not concerned about it being gone, and if that happens it happens. Other homes are continuing to come on the market so I'm keeping an eye out for that too. |
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tskeeter
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Joined: Mar 20, 2011 19:37:45 GMT -5
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Post by tskeeter on Mar 22, 2018 20:04:39 GMT -5
Bobosensei, some house hunting suggestions. First, focus on things that can’t be, or are very difficult/ expensive to have changed. The location, the size and terrain of the yard, the number and size of rooms on the house, the garage, and the like. Then focus on mechanical systems, roof, etc. Look up some appliance life tables so you have a sense for how long things such as water heaters and furnaces generally last. If these items are close to the end of their expected life, that should be factored in when you negotiate the price. Finally, look at the more cosmetic things. Decorating, carpet, window treatments, etc. It costs money, sometimes quite a bit of money, but, in the big picture, these types of things are relatively easy to change. If you are considering a home more than about 20 years old, bear in mind that building materials change over time. Sometimes the materials generally available today won’t fit to replace an old installation, don’t match, or are no longer available. My brother found this out when he needed to replace the shower faucet in his 45 year old house. Modern faucets would not fit as a direct replacement. Vintage faucets were not available. The only way to replace the faucet was to replumb the shower to take a modern faucet. That would require tearing out a good section of the shower tile. Which matched tile that ran throughout the rest of the bathroom. In that case, replacing the faucet would pretty much necessitate a complete bathroom remodel. Tskeeter,
You pointed out some really good tips which I agree with.
I've bolded the one bit I don't agree with. I've been in a similar situation. Many tiles are discontinued within a year or two but that doesn't mean you have to replace everything. I had a side sprayer pipe fail in the condo as well as the shower cartridge. I couldn't match the existing wall tile but I could match the shower floor tile. So I ran a stripe of the floor tile (penny round) up the one side. Everyone liked it as it still maintained the cool 60s vintage look.
Sometimes you just need to get a little creative... 
yes, creativity can be key. Unfortunately, in this case the old tile was an unusual color. There wasn’t anything for contrasting or complementary colors that looked like a design feature rather than bad patch job. Unless, of course, you could find someone to make custom tiles to make the repair. Why oh why couldn’t they have just used a standard white, or beige, tile? |
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bobosensei
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Joined: Dec 21, 2010 11:32:49 GMT -5
Posts: 1,561
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Post by bobosensei on Mar 22, 2018 20:53:59 GMT -5
yes, creativity can be key. Unfortunately, in this case the old tile was an unusual color. There wasn’t anything for contrasting or complementary colors that looked like a design feature rather than bad patch job. Unless, of course, you could find someone to make custom tiles to make the repair. Why oh why couldn’t they have just used a standard white, or beige, tile? Because they only used pink or teal in the 70s. In Germany it happened to be peach  30 years from now people are going to talk about you for using standard white and beige My BIL reminded me of this a few hours ago. He said the only things that don't go out of style are square feet and acres. Everything else is subject to an update. Supposedly you can paint tile now. I don't necessarily believe that...but pintrest or other websites claim it is so. |
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bobosensei
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Joined: Dec 21, 2010 11:32:49 GMT -5
Posts: 1,561
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Post by bobosensei on Mar 22, 2018 20:54:56 GMT -5
PS I want to thank EVERYONE that responded. I appreciate all the input, truly I do!
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countrygirl2
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Post by countrygirl2 on Mar 22, 2018 22:45:42 GMT -5
Well you could do like our son. He didn't want to go through the hassle so he sent wife with MIL and FIL house hunting. We had almost given up and on the last day back to the hotel, walla! A for sale by owner, I says oh lets stop, hubs did a U turn and back we went. DIL was in love, had an acre, had what they both wanted. Son wanted waterfront, but son had no idea the budget for that, he learned. We lucked out and though it is 13 years old was gutted and redone as a foreclosure. Flipper, we don't like flipper but this one was a former builder and he was a perfectionist, hubs was VERY impressed. We got a good deal, kids are still happy, son was thrilled, he didn't have to do the work, the paperwork, the hunting, the haggling. Just kidding. I would take my time, I am reading though housing construction is slowing and interest rates are rising, is it possible for you to lock in a rate, guess you have to have a contract, not sure, we pay cash. But I'm reading in desirable areas there are bidding wars starting up. Not sure where you are, but I wouldn't get rushed into something you cannot live with. You will have that house for a long time.
A window issue, could be bad if its leaked down into the framing and caused rot in the frame or baseplate. A replaced roof could be a positive if done correctly, is there a warranty that is transferable? The electric panel, wow, you would definitely need an inspection, might be of concern. If you have the money to fix or change cosmetics not a big concern to me. Its structural defects, rot issues, termites, and things you can't change. I mean most anything can be fixed if you want to throw enough money at it. VERY VERY important, stay out of FLOOD PLAINS. Ask,they have to tell you what Zone its in. Especially somewhere like Houston, big big problem down there. If you get it for a good price, have a contingency of so many dollars of repairs you won't go over,that gives you an opt out. Just remember never decide that is the ONLY house in the world for you no matter what. Do not lose your prospective. Have a good realtor that is working for YOU and not the seller. |
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Bonny
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Joined: Nov 17, 2013 10:54:37 GMT -5
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Location: No Place Like Home!
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Post by Bonny on Mar 23, 2018 9:55:52 GMT -5
yes, creativity can be key. Unfortunately, in this case the old tile was an unusual color. There wasn’t anything for contrasting or complementary colors that looked like a design feature rather than bad patch job. Unless, of course, you could find someone to make custom tiles to make the repair. Why oh why couldn’t they have just used a standard white, or beige, tile? Because they only used pink or teal in the 70s. In Germany it happened to be peach 30 years from now people are going to talk about you for using standard white and beige My BIL reminded me of this a few hours ago. He said the only things that don't go out of style are square feet and acres. Everything else is subject to an update. Supposedly you can paint tile now. I don't necessarily believe that...but pintrest or other websites claim it is so. Well, Germany is a special animal in that the tenants were expected to provide their own kitchens and baths.  I always thought that was a little crazy as a landlord. I would not want someone ripping out stuff off my walls every couple of years. But tenants in Germany tend to stay put (I think I heard the average was 10 years) so maybe it makes sense for some. With a 3 year horizon for us we didn't want to spend the money.
We rented a house built in 1911 whereby the owner remodeled in about 1980 and had a downstairs dishwasher about that old!
Don't forget that things come back in style too. Mid-Century Modern is very hot right now with the pink, teal and black tiles from the '50s.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Mar 23, 2018 10:45:07 GMT -5
Because they only used pink or teal in the 70s. In Germany it happened to be peach 30 years from now people are going to talk about you for using standard white and beige My BIL reminded me of this a few hours ago. He said the only things that don't go out of style are square feet and acres. Everything else is subject to an update. Supposedly you can paint tile now. I don't necessarily believe that...but pintrest or other websites claim it is so. Well, Germany is a special animal in that the tenants were expected to provide their own kitchens and baths. I always thought that was a little crazy as a landlord. I would not want someone ripping out stuff off my walls every couple of years. But tenants in Germany tend to stay put (I think I heard the average was 10 years) so maybe it makes sense for some. With a 3 year horizon for us we didn't want to spend the money.
We rented a house built in 1911 whereby the owner remodeled in about 1980 and had a downstairs dishwasher about that old!
Don't forget that things come back in style too. Mid-Century Modern is very hot right now with the pink, teal and black tiles from the '50s.
God NO! This house was built when SW was popular. It was overloaded with peach and teal. I have finally depeachified it, but it has taken me 7 years. No peach remains at all, and the only teal is the glass in the border tile in the bathroom. |
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alabamagal
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 23, 2010 11:30:29 GMT -5
Posts: 8,140
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Post by alabamagal on Mar 23, 2018 12:16:51 GMT -5
Well, Germany is a special animal in that the tenants were expected to provide their own kitchens and baths. I always thought that was a little crazy as a landlord. I would not want someone ripping out stuff off my walls every couple of years. But tenants in Germany tend to stay put (I think I heard the average was 10 years) so maybe it makes sense for some. With a 3 year horizon for us we didn't want to spend the money.
We rented a house built in 1911 whereby the owner remodeled in about 1980 and had a downstairs dishwasher about that old!
Don't forget that things come back in style too. Mid-Century Modern is very hot right now with the pink, teal and black tiles from the '50s.
God NO! This house was built when SW was popular. It was overloaded with peach and teal. I have finally depeachified it, but it has taken me 7 years. No peach remains at all, and the only teal is the glass in the border tile in the bathroom. Well I am dreading the return of 1970s colors - bright orange, avocado green, yellow/gold, UGGHHH. Actually in my previous house I did paint my kitchen a green that was close to avocado green, but it was a more "modern" color. And I have 2 wall hangings from MIL in my kitchen that are from the 70s, and I actually like them. OH NO, Maybe it is happening already. Isn't the cycle on these type of things 50 years? |
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Mar 23, 2018 13:18:03 GMT -5
God NO! This house was built when SW was popular. It was overloaded with peach and teal. I have finally depeachified it, but it has taken me 7 years. No peach remains at all, and the only teal is the glass in the border tile in the bathroom. Well I am dreading the return of 1970s colors - bright orange, avocado green, yellow/gold, UGGHHH. Actually in my previous house I did paint my kitchen a green that was close to avocado green, but it was a more "modern" color. And I have 2 wall hangings from MIL in my kitchen that are from the 70s, and I actually like them. OH NO, Maybe it is happening already. Isn't the cycle on these type of things 50 years? I have a friend who bought a house built in the 1970s. I remember when pulling up to it commenting that it looked like the Brady Bunch house. Anyway, there were 3 bathrooms in the house and each bath had different colored fixtures. One was harvest gold, one was avocado and the third was pepto pink. They’ve been in the house about 15 years and have just this year gotten rid of the last bathroom with the harvest gold fixtures. |
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Bonny
Junior Associate
Joined: Nov 17, 2013 10:54:37 GMT -5
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Location: No Place Like Home!
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Post by Bonny on Mar 23, 2018 13:48:43 GMT -5
Well, Germany is a special animal in that the tenants were expected to provide their own kitchens and baths. I always thought that was a little crazy as a landlord. I would not want someone ripping out stuff off my walls every couple of years. But tenants in Germany tend to stay put (I think I heard the average was 10 years) so maybe it makes sense for some. With a 3 year horizon for us we didn't want to spend the money.
We rented a house built in 1911 whereby the owner remodeled in about 1980 and had a downstairs dishwasher about that old!
Don't forget that things come back in style too. Mid-Century Modern is very hot right now with the pink, teal and black tiles from the '50s.
God NO! This house was built when SW was popular. It was overloaded with peach and teal. I have finally depeachified it, but it has taken me 7 years. No peach remains at all, and the only teal is the glass in the border tile in the bathroom. Lol, my FIL remodeled the cabin in 1994. Master bedroom and bath were painted peach with peach tile around the vanity, peach grout for the white floor tile in both bath and kitchen, peach tile (4" squares) for the kitchen counter tops. And bleached oak cabinets of course!
I painted over the peach paint and the grout in the kitchen floor has stained dark brown over the years (except under the fridge!). We'll be getting rid of the countertop tile and flooring in the kitchen at some point as it has cracked and chipped over the years. I can live with the peach tile in the bath as it actually warms the place up. It can be a little dark on that side of the house. And white kitchens are back so I'll keep those bleached oak cabinets. 
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alabamagal
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Joined: Dec 23, 2010 11:30:29 GMT -5
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Post by alabamagal on Mar 23, 2018 16:52:16 GMT -5
Well I am dreading the return of 1970s colors - bright orange, avocado green, yellow/gold, UGGHHH. Actually in my previous house I did paint my kitchen a green that was close to avocado green, but it was a more "modern" color. And I have 2 wall hangings from MIL in my kitchen that are from the 70s, and I actually like them. OH NO, Maybe it is happening already. Isn't the cycle on these type of things 50 years? I have a friend who bought a house built in the 1970s. I remember when pulling up to it commenting that it looked like the Brady Bunch house. Anyway, there were 3 bathrooms in the house and each bath had different colored fixtures. One was harvest gold, one was avocado and the third was pepto pink. They’ve been in the house about 15 years and have just this year gotten rid of the last bathroom with the harvest gold fixtures. I saw a house on one of the HGTV remodel shows and it had pastel fixtures (maybe 1950s?) Each bathroom had a toilet and matching sink, one bathroom was pink, one blue and one purple...lol My current house was built in 1970s, but was flipped before we bought it. I think the whole bedroom wing was reconfigured because I have 3 large bedrooms (my 2nd bedroom is larger than most masters) and 2 large bathrooms with current layout and style. The only 70s remnant is that I have paneling in my family room, but it has been painted over with neutral paint. I actually like it better than sheetrock walls. |
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