Thursday, August 16, 2012

The House We Chose Was...

Welcome back!!
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-

1 comment:

  1. 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:)

    ReplyDelete

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