Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Non-Negotiable

Over the past couple months some things have transpired and I have been distracted to say the least. Let's start back in February when I found my dream house. The owner had passed and we knew it would go on the market soon. To some people this would be far from a dream house. Maybe 2500 sq. feet, no walk in closets, a itty bitty kitchen with a 60's oven but to me it was the end all be all. What it lacked in size and updated appliances, it made up for in charm.

I had big dreams...
that included wallpapering bedrooms,
 and remodeling a forever kitchen.


Needless to say, the dream house fell through within 30 seconds of walking in the door.  I was definitely disappointed but I am a true believer that things work out for the best. All of this moving business really got me thinking. What are your non negotiables? With our first house I had very few standards- in our price range, not falling down, had a roof. Looking for something more permanent I feel like Doug and I have a laundry list that seems impossible to find.

12 comments:

  1. Oh I'm so sorry the house fell through, but you're right--things really do work out for the best. We bought our house in shambles out of foreclosure and our list was very short...good location, big enough to grow into, and a place that we would never have to move from. Your dream house is out there...keep looking!! :)

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    1. Those are the top things on my list :) I know it will pop up when we are least expecting.

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  2. It totally works out for the best. Our house hunt took 6 months and several that fell through. But I absolutely LOVE the house we wound up with and see myself there forever unless we have so many kids that we outgrow 4 bedrooms (god, I hope not). There's work to do, but it's a labor of love. n-e-waaayz, my non-negotiables are a fireplace (ours has TWO) and hardwood floors. REAL hardwoods, none of that engineered mess. Beyond that I can look through most things to see potential. Or at least I like to think I can.

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  3. Oh I agree an old house with charm that I could remodel really would be a dream for me too! Hopefully you find that dream in another house soon! We have a new, big suburban home with plenty of space and storage for our hopefully one day growing family that is beautiful...but looks like so many others. So it's practical, doesn't have a lot of things that need fixing up, and hopefully we will live here a long time. My biggest must have was a pool! I got it, and I LOVE it. I spend a lot of summer days in our backyard the whole day. I guess a charming fixer-uppper might never be in my cards, but I hope I get to live through you!! Best wishes on your house hunt.

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  4. omg. that house. upon moving multiple times...there is ALWAYS a house out there if the one you think you love doesn't work out. i am already thinking of moving. i mean, the matchbox has basically been customized to our liking but it is just beyond small. my non-negotiables when we bought this house sound ludicrous, but include 2 full bathrooms and a dishwasher. that was it. and guess what...i have no dishwasher. tearing out so much of the kitchen we couldn't lose more cabinet space. i would say going forward they would include a detached garage, a dishwasher haha, closet space because size does matter, and after getting a new kitchen with new appliances...yeah i want that forever and always. so WHY HAVE YOU BEEN SO DISTRACTED??????
    xoxo summer :)

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  5. Ugh. The Raleigh market is so hard right now - especially inside the beltline. It seems like there's nothing available and what is available is just insanely priced. At this point, the non-negotiables might end up being not twice our budget and more than one bathroom.

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  6. Sorry it didn't work out but as a former real estate agent I believe everything happens for a reason!! Now that I have kids I think two must haves for me would be a flat backyard and driveway and the washer and dryer on the same level as the bedrooms! Not that glamourous but practical! You can always update bathrooms and kitchens

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  7. We had a few non-negotiable: A playroom that would make the (future) kids want to come and hangout at our house, plenty of storage, kitchen large enough to entertain, backyard to entertain in (we originally wanted a screened in porch but what we have now is perfect), Older home. Funny to look back and see we got it all.

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  8. I TOTALLY understand your frustrations.. we just moved into our house but it was a stressful process. I wanted an older home so badly but we ended up buying new construction which was a total 180 for us. I would say my advice would be.. know what you want and the area your want to be in. But be open to change when it comes your way. You never know what will happen! Good luck and you'll find "The One"!
    xoxo,
    Nikki at www.bedazzlesafterdark.com

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  9. That just plain sucks. I'm so sorry. I've had a few real estate let downs in my life as well so I can sympathize. You've got a great attitude about it though, and I think you are right - something even better is waiting for you!

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  10. We had a contract on a house for 5 long months that I thought was perfect. The owners never found another house and so the contract fell apart. I was completely devastated! As you know, we ended up in a house that was quite the project and it couldn't have all worked out more perfectly. Something else even better will come along for you and Doug! For me the non-negotiables / wish list - good bones, old charm, desirable location, good flow for entertaining including ability to add outdoor entertaining spot. I really wanted something that needed a full renovation so we could do the finishes we wanted at a more reasonable price. I'll keep my eyes and ears open to try and find something before it goes on the market!
    Good luck! XO

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