Stay put or move for a cul-de-sac and woods?

[Mama2Three]

Background: We moved about a year ago and we love our neighborhood. Recently we became aware of a house in our neighborhood that will be going on the market. Now we are wondering if we want to stay in our current home, or jump ship and move. We'd have to sell first, but we could likely work out an arrangement with the current owners, so that we may go under contract with them, have time to sell our home, and then close (they did the same thing, moved from within the neighborhood when they bought it).

 

Options:

1. Stay. We really like the size and layout of our current house, but it has a smaller usable yard, is on a hill, has a one-car carport, and will need work over the years (original kitchen and baths). It's too difficult for our kids to ride their bikes on the hill, and the darn basketball keeps rolling down the hill. That said, we could save up to do the improvements over time in our own way, meaning bigger/nicer kitchen, screened porch, etc. Our current house has a larger basement rec room area with more light and the possibility of a 5th bedroom. Financially, we'd save money in the shorter term, but in the long run it might end up costing us more (cost of improvements/repairs and lesser appreciation because the lot isn't as favorable).

 

2. Move. The other house is on a cul-de-sac, backs to woods, and has a 2-car garage. It really is one of the nicest lots in the neighborhood. The house been improved over the years, so even though everything might not be quite to our tastes, it's mainly move-in ready. However, it does NOT have an open floor plan (can't be opened up because the garage is in the way), and we couldn't spend much to update things. Financially, we would need to go from a 20-year mortgage to a 30-year and use some of our reserve fund -- plus since we'd want to pay off the mortgage sooner, there are opportunity costs, like nicer vacations and saving more for college. In the long run, we might pay more for the improvements to our current house, but we could do it in our own time and keep our shorter mortgage.

 

So, WWYD? Should we stay or should we go now? ... if we stay it could be trouble, but if we move it could be double.... :tongue_smilie:

 

ETA: To give the other house a fair shake, it has a larger kitchen with a better work triangle (not in the walk-through path) and a nice eat-in area. Beside the kitchen is a larger laundry/mud room. The bedrooms are all at least a little bigger, MBR has a sitting room, and there are many built-ins in the bedrooms and family room. The basement rec area is overall smaller, but it has a nice workshop and 3rd full bath. The outside is a very nice traditional colonial style, flagstone walkway, professional landscaping. All these are things that our current home does not have. I didn't mention them at first because they aren't driving the decision, just lots of nice cherries on top of the sundae. We'd really be moving for the outside space, the lack of which has always bothered me about choosing this house.

Edited February 27, 2011 by Mama2Three

[AngelBee]

Not sure. Praying for you.

[katilac]

I'd probably stay put. Too costly. Sounds like the new house has some advantages but still, is not one you LOVE and have to have.

[Sherry in OH]

Who owns the woods? Unless the woods are part of the property or are designated parkland, you have no guarantee they would stay wooded.

 

I vote for staying in current house. Start saving money so that you can jump when your dream house comes along.

[JudoMom]

I think I would stay. It sounds like you like the house you are in better than the one you'd move to.

[Mama2Three]

Who owns the woods? Unless the woods are part of the property or are designated parkland, you have no guarantee they would stay wooded.

 

I vote for staying in current house. Start saving money so that you can jump when your dream house comes along.

 

It is county parkland.

[Cera]

I would move if possible. You can change almost anything about the house but it is impossible to change the outside space.

[Mama2Three]

I think I would stay. It sounds like you like the house you are in better than the one you'd move to.

 

I updated my posting with more info to give a more complete picture of what we could get. I focused the original post on the outside because that's what would drive our decision. We could be perfectly fine in our current house, but I think that the yard is always going to be a point of contention for me.

[JFSinIL]

Who owns the woods? Unless the woods are part of the property or are designated parkland, you have no guarantee they would stay wooded.

 

I vote for staying in current house. Start saving money so that you can jump when your dream house comes along.

 

I agree.

The grass is always greener.....

[RoughCollie]

If I could afford it and I planned to live in the house for a decade or more, I would move.

 

I don't know how old the houses are or where you live, so some things that would drive my decision may not apply to you.

 

Before I took such a giant step, I would make sure the other house was well-insulated (including the windows), had a newer roof, and that the furnace, air conditioner, plumbing, foundation, and siding were in great shape.

 

Our former home was purchased by someone who flipped it. They essentially slapped paint all over the inside, put in new floors in two rooms, replaced the new cabinets in the kitchen, bought a stove and refrigerator, and converted one room back into a garage for a second car. Then it was sold for $220K more than they bought it for.

 

That's great for them, but the new owners are in for a shock. All that paint masked huge future expenditures that will have to be done to the house. By now, they have discovered that it costs $1300+ every month just to heat the house to 55-65 degrees for 6 months in the winter. They will have stood in room doorways or come down the stairs, and felt distinct breezes of cold air. They will have counted the windows and discovered that it will cost at least $40,000 to replace them with insulated windows. They may realize that the house has virtually no insulation and that the quality of the original construction was shoddy. There is a lot more that needs to be done to the house, which will cost tens of thousands of dollars, but you get the idea.

Edited February 27, 2011 by RoughCollie

[JudoMom]

I updated my posting with more info to give a more complete picture of what we could get. I focused the original post on the outside because that's what would drive our decision. We could be perfectly fine in our current house, but I think that the yard is always going to be a point of contention for me.

 

If you moved, would you plan on living there forever?

[2cents]

I live on a dul-de-sac and we like being able to see up both street entrances and we have more parking space in front and the back lots are larger. If you can swing it and the price is a good deal, it would be very tempting. When the economy is on an upswing, you might be really glad you did. :D

[SnowWhite]

Don't forget to count the "cost" of moving. My dh was moved hither and yon throughout his childhood and he regrets it mightily. The upheaval was hard for him and his mother. (she has health issues due to it).

 

Otherwise- I would be in favor of the change if it is financially feasible. A two car garage (we have one) is a wonderful thing, a cul de sac (we live on a dead end) is fabulous, accessible outdoor space (we are next to a school playground and park) is unbelievably helpful. We have only a small yard and I feel your pain on the lack of space. Our yard is taken up by a trampoline, a picnic table, and an above ground pool. If it were not for the dead end street and the playground next door we would not have room to breathe!

 

We have a floor plan I don't love (MBR and laundry on a lower floor than kitchen and living area), but it is not a deal breaker here (meaning I don't long for a better one).

[Mama2Three]

If I could afford it and I planned to live in the house for a decade or more, I would move.

 

I don't know how old the houses are or where you live, so some things that would drive my decision may not apply to you.

 

Before I took such a giant step, I would make sure the other house was well-insulated (including the windows), had a newer roof, and that the furnace, air conditioner, plumbing, foundation, and siding were in great shape.

 

Our former home was purchased by someone who flipped it. They essentially slapped paint all over the inside, put in new floors in two rooms, replaced the new cabinets in the kitchen, bought a stove and refrigerator, and converted one room back into a garage for a second car. Then it was sold for $220K more than they bought it for.

 

That's great for them, but the new owners are in for a shock. All that paint masked huge future expenditures that will have to be done to the house. By now, they have discovered that it costs $1300+ every month just to heat the house to 55-65 degrees for 6 months in the winter. They will have stood in room doorways or come down the stairs, and felt distinct breezes of cold air. They will have counted the windows and discovered that it will cost at least $40,000 to replace them with insulated windows. They may realize that the house has virtually no insulation and that the quality of the original construction was shoddy. There is a lot more that needs to be done to the house, which will cost tens of thousands of dollars, but you get the idea.

 

Thanks for your input. Our current house had the paint trick done to it, and we've had much higher outlay for repairs than anticipated. So we are definitely more savvy shoppers the second time around. The other house has been greatly improved over the years -- all baths updated (I asked for the name of the company, and they are reputed to do good work), kitchen updated about 10 years ago (all white which works for me), newer windows, brand new siding, new driveway, and HVAC isn't too old (still need to check the date). Lovely couple who really seem to have loved the house and have taken good care of it. Only big outlay that I can see is that it might need a roof, probably in about 5 years.

[Mama2Three]

Don't forget to count the "cost" of moving. My dh was moved hither and yon throughout his childhood and he regrets it mightily. The upheaval was hard for him and his mother. (she has health issues due to it).

 

 

 

To clarify something, we would be in the same neighborhood, which means a 10-15 min walk between houses (about 5 minutes if you cut through the woods). We would be at a different bus stop, but friends could stay the same although we would need to call for playdates rather than just bump into them outside. That said, I hear that there are LOTS of children on the cul-de-sac, so new friends to be made, too.

[Mama2Three]

If you moved, would you plan on living there forever?

 

15+, and maybe a lot longer. Unless something unexpected happened.

[JudoMom]

15+, and maybe a lot longer. Unless something unexpected happened.

 

In that case, I'd say move.

[klmama]

You dc are very young. If you can swing it, move. You'll have the outdoor space you want for them now, and the bigger indoor space you'll need when they grow bigger.

[Mama2Three]

Thanks for the responses! Much to think about...

[unsinkable]

If I could afford it and I planned to live in the house for a decade or more, I would move.

 

I don't know how old the houses are or where you live, so some things that would drive my decision may not apply to you.

 

Before I took such a giant step, I would make sure the other house was well-insulated (including the windows), had a newer roof, and that the furnace, air conditioner, plumbing, foundation, and siding were in great shape.

 

Our former home was purchased by someone who flipped it. They essentially slapped paint all over the inside, put in new floors in two rooms, replaced the new cabinets in the kitchen, bought a stove and refrigerator, and converted one room back into a garage for a second car. Then it was sold for $220K more than they bought it for.

 

That's great for them, but the new owners are in for a shock. All that paint masked huge future expenditures that will have to be done to the house. By now, they have discovered that it costs $1300+ every month just to heat the house to 55-65 degrees for 6 months in the winter. They will have stood in room doorways or come down the stairs, and felt distinct breezes of cold air. They will have counted the windows and discovered that it will cost at least $40,000 to replace them with insulated windows. They may realize that the house has virtually no insulation and that the quality of the original construction was shoddy. There is a lot more that needs to be done to the house, which will cost tens of thousands of dollars, but you get the idea.

 

Was this your house from before your move to PA? I had no idea there were still parts of the country where you could flip a house and get that much profit!

 

Or was this from years and years ago?