I found the perfect house
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@Big_Al - The kitchen is my least favorite part of the house also, not only because of the gray color, but because I don't like the layout very much. No upper cabinets, the range hood over the cooktop next to the sink looks awkward, and the frig and the built-in oven/microwave unit are off to the side and not near any counter where you can set things down. So all in all, not the kitchen I would have designed.
OTOH, I am at stage of life when I'm cooking less, so not as fussy about how the kitchen is laid out. And I'm also at the stage of my life where I'm willing to give on design if I like most of the house (which I do), and if it appears to be well-maintained. I like the floor plan and how so many of the views to the outside look out onto a well-designed back yard. This one is a winner for me on many counts.
I wish they had an open house scheduled, but so far I don't see one. It may go quickly.
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@Big_Al - The kitchen is my least favorite part of the house also, not only because of the gray color, but because I don't like the layout very much. No upper cabinets, the range hood over the cooktop next to the sink looks awkward, and the frig and the built-in oven/microwave unit are off to the side and not near any counter where you can set things down. So all in all, not the kitchen I would have designed.
OTOH, I am at stage of life when I'm cooking less, so not as fussy about how the kitchen is laid out. And I'm also at the stage of my life where I'm willing to give on design if I like most of the house (which I do), and if it appears to be well-maintained. I like the floor plan and how so many of the views to the outside look out onto a well-designed back yard. This one is a winner for me on many counts.
I wish they had an open house scheduled, but so far I don't see one. It may go quickly.
@wtg said in I found the perfect house:
I wish they had an open house scheduled, but so far I don't see one.
Too bad! Open houses are basically the easiest way to casual scope someplace out, but otherwise it's not really possible is it!
It may go quickly.
I have the impression that houses with this much cosmetic appeal usually do.
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Nice. Nice enough to check it on Google maps.
I have to ask, what's with the house numbering?
419 is next to 501? And where is 417?
The other side of the road is equally baffling. Seems you have houses backing on to each other ascending in number but on different roads if they are odd or even. And some numbers simply missing.
But looking there is only one 815 no other odd 800's.
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I love it!
Virtually everything in this market is multistory with basements that raise the entry six or eight steps above grade, which makes me wonder what the Victorians did when they got old or broke a leg.
On the plus side, all these stairs may keep us fit longer, but we're pragmatic enough to think about the problem they present. A ramp or wheelchair lift will get us in the house, if need be. Once in, there's a full bath and bedroom on the first floor, so if one of us were disabled on the short term, we could manage pretty easily. If it were both of us, we'd have to farm out the laundry.
If it were long-term, we'd want to be able to access the second floor. There's a spot where one of those new small-footprint elevators will fit if we decide to go maximal. The less maximal approach would be a chair lift on the stairs, which we know will work because we're told that a previous owner had one. That would get us to the laundry and our bedroom. If the time comes when none of these things work, it will be our cue to find some kind of independent or assisted living situation.
The positive aspect of this house in terms of aging is its location. If we can still get around but aren't able to drive, we can walk to the necessities of life and to public transportation. That has the potential to keep us independent longer, and perhaps as importantly, keep us from being too isolated in our old age.
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Under contract. Not surprised.
Oh well, I didn't really want to move anyway....
When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier
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Looks so spacious and lots of storage. Also I love its having a potential live-in's apartment in the basement for home help if needed.
If it's near walkable amenities that's very important too! Makes up for the reduced exercise one gets (without really realizing it) from having stairs. (I'm convinced that makes an important difference, though, yes, the day is apt to come when they would be too dangerous.)
I looked for the ratings on various risks it's susceptible to and that was pretty much perfect! Only flaw is they anticipate worsening air quality.
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Addendum:
Unless I missed it, there's no HOA with fees (excellent), and the only things I'd really wonder about is quality of insulation. (Also history of utility costs - precisely because of the space and number of egresses and windows. )Wonder too, come to think of it, how they are so sure of worsening air quality. Is something industrial in the works?
Would have been super to only have to move half a mile!
(Oh, no! My fears have come true - confusion of using this site. How can I post this?)
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It's somewhat walkable. Grocery store, the downtown area, and the library are a 15 minute walk from this house. No HOAs in these neighborhoods.
I have no idea why it would be labeled as worsening air quality. This isn't an industrial area. The only problem we've had of late is haze from fires that are thousands of miles away from us.
The windows all seem to be new and the house underwent extensive remodeling, so I wouldn't have been concerned about insulation.
If you want to edit a post, just hover your cursor around the lower right hand corner of your post. You should see a smiley face, a curved left arrow (that's Reply), a quote, and three vertical dots. Click on the three vertical dots and you should see Edit and Delete.
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@Bernard said in I found the perfect house:
enfilade
This was not a word I’m familiar with, so I googled.
noun
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a volley of gunfire directed along a line from end to end.
"they were mown down by an enfilade of artillery" -
a suite of rooms with doorways in line with each other.
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@Bernard said in I found the perfect house:
enfilade
This was not a word I’m familiar with, so I googled.
noun
-
a volley of gunfire directed along a line from end to end.
"they were mown down by an enfilade of artillery" -
a suite of rooms with doorways in line with each other.
@ShiroKuro I'm familiar with it due to being a lover of châteaux. If you've ever been in an old château, you'll have experienced the long rows of rooms that all have a doorway--usually without doors--along one wall of the building, allowing one to see from one end to the other.
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@ShiroKuro I'm familiar with it due to being a lover of châteaux. If you've ever been in an old château, you'll have experienced the long rows of rooms that all have a doorway--usually without doors--along one wall of the building, allowing one to see from one end to the other.
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@ShiroKuro I was in Versailles once. That's the only time I've been in one.
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@Bernard said in I found the perfect house:
enfilade
This was not a word I’m familiar with, so I googled.
noun
-
a volley of gunfire directed along a line from end to end.
"they were mown down by an enfilade of artillery" -
a suite of rooms with doorways in line with each other.
@ShiroKuro new word to me too. In Brooklyn we called that a railroad flat.
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@ShiroKuro new word to me too. In Brooklyn we called that a railroad flat.
@rustyfingers I shared more than one railroad apartment in my early years in NY. Not ideal for those who value privacy.
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Same
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@wtg said in I found the perfect house:
Under contract. Not surprised.
Oh well, I didn't really want to move anyway....
Lovely house. Sorry you missed your shot.
Last July I saw a new listing and called the agent. She said I could come see it that moment. It was Saturday. Monday I put in an offer, one of four they got that weekend. There was a ‘best and final’ round, we rebid and won, not on price but on terms (no mortgage contingency).
All this happened before the planned open house the following Sunday.
