House Hunters International
Aberdeen - Buisson Style
When we saw the Holburn house on day
one, we both automatically fell in love with it. It reminded us of a home in
the Garden District of New Orleans which we dream to own one day. The house had
character, the kitchen was wonderful, the utility room was unique, the outdoor
space was perfect and it had lots of space for the things we are bringing plus
extra storage space. When we saw the Stanley home just a few viewings later, we
both really liked it as well. It had two bathrooms, and it was in a great
location – much closer to the office than the Holburn home. Stanley felt just a bit too small, but Holburn felt just a bit too large. What a dilemma! We still had
Holburn on the top of the list, but Stanley was a very close second. After day
one, it was going to be either Stanley or Holburn, but we were still hoping to
view a home that was a mix of the two. The Beaconsfield home was our first
viewing on day two. We really liked this home as well – the location was the
best yet! It had an extra-large living space, the bathroom was on the main
floor, and it had three bedrooms plus a storage room. After viewing the
Beaconsfield home, we decided that Holburn and Beaconsfield were tying for
number one and Stanley number three.
That evening, we HAD to make a choice, so
we could put in an offer the next morning. Available homes get scooped up
pretty quickly here. So we weighed the pros and cons. Holburn was way too far from
the office – Luke would not be able to walk to work, so I would have to drive
him in the morning if I needed the car that day (which could be every day). It
was also at the top of our price range. Beaconsfield did not have the outdoor
space, but it was at the bottom of our price range. We felt that Beaconsfield
made sense for everything that we needed and wanted, but we really loved the
Holburn home. We could not stop picturing that kitchen and that outdoor space.
We had to decide: Should we go with what our hearts tell us (which will cost us
more money) or should we go with what our brains tell us (where we won’t have
outdoor space)? It was such a tough decision!
And the house we chose was Beaconsfield! BUT that is not the house we got. Wouldn't this have made a great episode of House Hunters International? Such drama!
The
day after we put in an offer, the owner decided that he did not want a
long-term lease and he plans to sell soon. So frustrating! After feeling like time was wasted,
we had to go back through the homes we viewed. At this point, we had already decided that
even though we loved the Holburn home, it was too far. We felt that none of
them were near as good as Beaconsfield. But we pretty much had to start over,
and we were now comparing homes from a different angle. I was still very much bothered
by the distance Holburn was to the office and bothered by the fact that it is at the
top of our price range. On the other hand, I was still bothered by the size of Stanley because it
was a bit too small with a smaller second bedroom and there was no place to
store our bikes. Stanley had two bathrooms, though - a major bonus! Luke
and I debated, discussed and finally came to an agreement.
And the house we chose was Holburn! Like I originally said, we really,
really loved the house! Yes, it is farther from the office than we want, but in
the long run, we would have regretted not choosing it. When we made our choice
for Beaconsfield, both of us were still picturing the Holburn home. So the
major issue was and still is the distance… Luke will try to bike to work as much as he can.
In the winter, it will be too cold, windy, icy and snowy for him to bike, so he
will take the car. On the days I need the car, I will drive him to and from
work. We have other friends who are in the same situation, so at least we know
we are not alone.
In our offer, we made a few requests
which will all be met. One bedroom had bright blue carpet and a black wall (whose idea was it to put a black wall in a home that has 7 hours of daylight?). They will be changing the carpet to a neutral color and painting the wall
white. We have also asked for them to leave the BBQ gas grill we saw in the storage
basement since we donated ours before we moved. They will be removing the
couches in the living room, so we can use the couches we brought with us. The
carpet on the stairs may be a little bit odd, but we thought it gave the home
more character, so that is staying. We also did not like the wall paper in the
master bedroom, but we did not want to ask for too much, so that is not
changing either.
We are super thrilled to have a home
like this! After waiting weeks for the paperwork to process, the home is ready for us
on August 28th. Our sea shipment will be delivered on the 29th,
and then we will finally begin to settle in to our new city. We hope that you
will visit our home at some point while we are here - we will have beds for at least 8 of you!
RANDOM FACT:
Homes that have access directly from outdoors
(meaning not apartment homes) have an initial entry door and then second door
that goes into the foyer. I am assuming because the second door stays closed in
the winter to prevent indoor heat from escaping??
-Debbie-
I simply cannot wait to see your new home in person. It looks so charming. I love all of the character details, especially the fireplace. And I kind of like the carpet on the stairs:)
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