Here is the street view from summertime. It sits off of a highway (not a huge one, but still a highway) so it is nice that it sits far back and has big trees in front.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Google Street/Maps
Here is the street view from summertime. It sits off of a highway (not a huge one, but still a highway) so it is nice that it sits far back and has big trees in front.
So we're FINALLY going to buy a house...
As it goes anytime you do a renovation, you always wish that you would have documented the process so you could go back and really see where you started. Ashley and I are finally in a place where we are able to purchase our first home, so I wanted to make sure that we documented the process, especially for our family who is not close by to see. Welcome to our home blog! Here we will document the house hunt process (which hopefully we've already completed????) as well as all of the renovation projects to come.
The house we're looking at is located about 10 minutes west of Columbus, NE where I work and about 30 minutes total from where we currently live (Leigh, NE). The house was built in 1920 and originally resided in Columbus until it was moved to it's current location in the 1960's. It sits on .39 acres of land, which is pretty mature with trees and shrubs.
The first thing to note is that it is owned by an elderly couple. We suspect they've owned it since AT LEAST when it was moved to where it currently sits. The housband is no longer around and the daughter is the power of attorney. We suspect that they have a lot of emotional attachment to the house, which is why they're asking nearly $25k more than it is worth.
The house has a two car detached garage. The driveway appears to be gravel/dirt and needs to be graded. As it sits the water is flowing into the garage. Additionally (we don't have any pictures to show) the entire yard needs to be graded so that water flows away from the house instead of right up to it. Like I mentioned, it currently doesn't have water damage but if it isn't fixed this summer, they will.
The above beauty is the start of our pictures we did take. As you can see here, all of the concrete/dirt around the house slopes towards the house. It all needs to be torn out and fixed. Emma fell victim to thise lovely puddle.
This is the laundry room, located right off of the enclosed mudroom on the back of the house. If you refer to that picture, it is the single window on the back of the house. This room really needs the walls resurfaced, a tile floor and new electrical. It is currently configured for a gas dryer (scary!).
This picture is taken from the center of the kitchen. The door to the right is off of the laundry room pictured above and goes into the enclosed back porch. This nook is for a eat-in kitchen, but more than likely we would turn it into a computer area. The lovely wallpaper and carpet would have to go. A new light put it. Other than that, it is good to go.
Also the kitchen, but taken standing in the area seen above. This shows one set of sairs to go to the upstairs/foyer(which we would use as a dining room.) The door you see is to the basement.
The cabinets could be saved, as they're solid wood and in decent shape. Otherwise, new appliances, tile floor, counters and sink are in order. Not to mention a new ceiling fan.
Shot of the kitchen from the nook. Laundry room to the left. Fridge and stove come with it, but are nas-tay. Cabinets aren't amazing, but could be nice if painted white.
Standing by kitchen sink looking into hallway. Door is to the basement, next to these cabinets is the fridge.
Emma and Micah were brought to count the steps (for carpet quotes.) (Note Emma isn't wearing shoes thanks to that puddle.)
This would be what you would see standing by the front door in the foyer/dining room. Looking into the square hallway of the house. To the right are stairs to go upstairs. To the right is livingroom #1. Straight is a powder room. New carpet or if the hardwoods look nice, are in order. New light fixture, too.
Power room on the main floor. Yank out the sink and replace it with the pedistool sink from upstairs. New toilet. If we can make the green tile work, that would be cool. Tile the floor.
The above five pictures are of the "foyer" which we would use as a dining room. Remove the carpet and redo the hardwood floors, recarpet the stairs, take down the painted paneling on the walls, new light fixture. It is too big to use as just a foyer, but it is too small to turn it into a livingroom of sorts. It would be the perfect size for a dining room. I wish we would've gotten a better picture of the front door. It is original to the house, solid wood with a full length window in it. It even locks with a skeleton key. :)
Picture of livingroom.
Another of livingroom. This window looks at the front porch. Where I am standing is right next to a coat closet and the front door. That would be the dining room. This room would have a couch, TV and just be a place for the kids to hang out and play.
This is the actual dining room, but Ashley and I would use it as the REAL livingroom. We picture it a nice gray color with white trim, hardwood floors, a sectional and my beloved TV mounted to the wall. Replace the light fixture with a ceiling fan.
Another shot of the stairs going up front the kitchen. You go up three or four steps, there is a landing and you either turn left and go upstairs or you go down two steps to a landing and then turn left down a couple more steps to the dining room/foyer.
From the landing looking upstairs. Rafiki!!!
At the top of the steps looking to the left. You can see the pretty floors. That will be the quest room (for Meme and Papaw..)
Looking straight forward from the top of the steps. This will be Emma and Micah's room and then Emma and Maisy's room when Maisy is old enough to share.
Hall closet in all it's glory.
That beautiful wallpapered room is the master. The pink carpet is the bathroom (oh, just wait..)
Master, bathroom, doorknob you see there is the doorway to the attic.
Door to the attic on the left, doorway on the left is to what would be Maisy's room. Pink carpet is the bathroom.
Stairway looking down. Wood shutters on the window.
Guestroom. Paneling will be sanded and painted white.
Guestroom again. Walls will be painted white.
Guestroom again.
This is what would be Emma and Micah's room. It is quite large.
Emma and Micah's room, looking into the hallway.
What would be Maisy's nursery. That door is to the deck, seen on the picture of the back of the house. It doesn't look real safe, so that door would be sealed off.
Another shot.
Master bedroom.. which is HUGE.
Master bedroom.
The gem of a bathroom. First mistake: it has carpet. Second mistake, they put a shower in a tub that wasn't designed for one. If you look to the right of the tub, you see a cabinet. Yes, there is a wood cabinet that their showerhead is hanging off of. Yes, there is a full window in the shower. Yes, there is no tile on the walls. All of that would have to be torn out as it is rotten.
Rotten wood.
Fix shower/window/drywall issue. Install tile. That sink will go downstairs and be replaced with one with storage. New toilet.
Yeah, those are outside porch lights on the bathroom wall. Gotta love OLD PEOPLE.
Well that is all we have for pictures. As you can see, it needs some TLC. There are some things that need to be fixed ASAP before big problems arise. Additionally, the septic system in the backyard is too close to the well water system (they must be 100 feet away) so the owner is required to fix that which will tear up the yard, but that is OK since we will need to grade all of it. The porch needs to be fixed ASAP, too. If we went ahead with this house, our financing would require that we blow R38 insulation into the attic (will cost about $600 for me and Ashley to do) and put R19 foam boards on the walls in the basement. Other than that, is just asthetics that Ashley and I want to change. We'll probably split off the heating and air so there is a furnace for the main floor and another for the upstairs (which will not take too much work) since the propane currently costs about $3000 a winter to heat (yikes!). Our realtor (who is a awesome) told us that houes in this town generally go for about $60,000 but she said she just sold one in town that was listed at $69,900 for $45,000. This house is listed at $83,000 (way over price) and appraised for $66,000 so if we put in an offer, it will be for closer to that, if not under it because of the necessities.
The house we're looking at is located about 10 minutes west of Columbus, NE where I work and about 30 minutes total from where we currently live (Leigh, NE). The house was built in 1920 and originally resided in Columbus until it was moved to it's current location in the 1960's. It sits on .39 acres of land, which is pretty mature with trees and shrubs.
The first thing to note is that it is owned by an elderly couple. We suspect they've owned it since AT LEAST when it was moved to where it currently sits. The housband is no longer around and the daughter is the power of attorney. We suspect that they have a lot of emotional attachment to the house, which is why they're asking nearly $25k more than it is worth.
We didn't take this picture. It is from the listing.
It has an awesome front porch. Again, we didn't take this picture.
The front porch is where the first "major" issue with the house resides. The porch foundation is not original to the house. It is a poured concrete slab sitting on sand, which was not properly reinforced. With that said, water pools on the porch, which has settled about 2 inches lower in the middle than either side. There currently isn't any water damage but unless this is fixed, there will be.
Well that is all we have for pictures. As you can see, it needs some TLC. There are some things that need to be fixed ASAP before big problems arise. Additionally, the septic system in the backyard is too close to the well water system (they must be 100 feet away) so the owner is required to fix that which will tear up the yard, but that is OK since we will need to grade all of it. The porch needs to be fixed ASAP, too. If we went ahead with this house, our financing would require that we blow R38 insulation into the attic (will cost about $600 for me and Ashley to do) and put R19 foam boards on the walls in the basement. Other than that, is just asthetics that Ashley and I want to change. We'll probably split off the heating and air so there is a furnace for the main floor and another for the upstairs (which will not take too much work) since the propane currently costs about $3000 a winter to heat (yikes!). Our realtor (who is a awesome) told us that houes in this town generally go for about $60,000 but she said she just sold one in town that was listed at $69,900 for $45,000. This house is listed at $83,000 (way over price) and appraised for $66,000 so if we put in an offer, it will be for closer to that, if not under it because of the necessities.
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