https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 12 Apr 2026 23:17:57 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2480111 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 13:58:03 +0000 MaryM 2480111@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think you have to prioritize your "wants" vs. your non-negotiables and only you can decide if it's worth it or not. Layout and land are two things that would be really hard to change. But can you live with it for the time being? Is the location a good enough trade off to put up with those inconveniences? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479939 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 12:25:00 +0000 gingerbebe 2479939@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We bought a house last year that we knew wasn't our forever house but it was right on budget and honestly, it was a big load off stress wise because not everything had to be PERFECT. We bought it thinking it was more a 3-5 year house, BUT a house we could live in for up to 10 years if we had to for financial reasons. </p> <p>Having that mindset really made the decisionmaking process easier in terms of how much to offer, how much we were willing to bend on a counteroffer, and what kind of renovations we'd be willing to pony up for. Because we're also planning on selling in a few years, we bought a moderately priced stainless fridge with the idea that we can slowly replace the rest of the dated appliances to match for a lower price point than our dream house appliances. We also make it a point not to put off maintenance on the house and try to routinely budget to spruce up something bigger each year. So this year, we'll probably look at doing some modest renovations to the master bathroom or have the exterior repainted.</p> <p>I'm happy with our neighborhood and location, I'm happy with the school options for my kids, our neighbors are nice, and while the house is smaller than I want and its not somewhere I want to live forever, we're comfortable here, we're not stretched financially, and the type of renovations we need to do to keep up with the market aren't these HUGE projects. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479908 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 12:12:10 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 2479908@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That's a hard one. We are planning on selling our home and moving this year, so we've been looking at real estate as well. This home would be a 5-7 year home for us, lIke you, so I am open to not get everything I want.</p> <p>If it was in the right neighborhood, fed into the best schools, and had enough bedrooms for my family, I would probably do it. Especially if it's at the lower end of your budget. You could do small things to spiff it up and make it your own.</p> <p>If it has a small yard--are there any nice parks that are in shirt walkable distance l? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479904 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 12:10:36 +0000 looch 2479904@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did this. I don't love my actual house, but it has a pool and it's in walking distance to the local elementary school, so I am dealing with it for the next 6 or so years. </p> <p>It's an older home (50 years) and it has older home issues, like small closets, small windows, etc, but it's so far, worked out fine. I feel good about not doing many upgrades to it either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479899 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 12:08:37 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2479899@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Aimed121: I know some houses just plain have bad layouts and that is why they sit on the market or have a lower price. But if thats just not what you envisioned, think hard about if you could make it work. It sounds like the 4th bedroom down could be the perfect nursery. What else dont you like about the layout?</p> <p>A small yard has pros/cons. Assuming you still have space and privacy, it can mean less maintenance! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479887 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 12:04:06 +0000 lamariniere 2479887@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wouldn't. Feeling good at home and liking my living space is super important to me. I would not want to always feel frustrated with my home. 5-7 years is still a long time, and you just never know what could happen. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479885 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 12:02:53 +0000 LindsayLou 2479885@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did this. We bought our first house in 2011, great house, great yard, not the perfect area. I loved that house. After 4 years, we were ready to move, and had a specific area in mind. Our house sold in 3 days, and we scrambled to find something in a competitive, high priced market. </p> <p>We found a so-so house in our ideal location. The town and neighborhood we wanted, walking distance to awesome schools. Our house is small (1000 sqf), and our yard is small, but we're happy we made the move. Well worth it, and hopefully we're able to move again in 4 or 5 years, to something bigger. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479859 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 11:53:42 +0000 Aimed121 2479859@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for the input ladies! It helps!<br /> @winniebee: About a 6? It is about 40K under budget which is significant, it is not low for the neighborhood, it is a starter home neighborhood where the homes are smaller with smaller yards.<br /> @T.H.O.U.: It has resale potential - it's not what I envisioned. it has the master down which is really common here but I am not crazy about it. But there is a downstairs room that is a 4th bedroom/study so we could be on the same floor as LO for a while at least. @SugarplumsMom: I know that it would be a smart financial move and we are so $$ conservative but I don't want to 'settle' either if that makes sense.<br /> @catgirl: You are so right - the is no 'perfect' house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479752 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 10:58:27 +0000 catlady 2479752@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is a tough situation to be in. We went through this a few years back (really hot market, limited inventory, and most homes in our area are small/old so they all have some weirdness). I think you really need to just figure out what is a deal breaker and what is not. We ended up with a place that was at the top of our budget, with a weird layout, a bad heating system, a tiny kitchen, and no dedicated parking spot. However, I don't regret it because the location has been perfect for us, we have made it work with the layout (it took a couple years but we finally have something figured out), and the market has continued to go up super fast so when we sell, we will make quite a bit of money.</p> <p>If the prices in your area aren't rising too fast, it might be good to wait for something you like more. But in a hot market, you might end up missing out. A year after we bought our house, the prices in our area went up 10-20% and we wouldn't have been able to afford the house we have now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479742 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 10:53:58 +0000 catgirl 2479742@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are under contract on our first place. I really, really like it but I don't love it. I personally don't think any house will be 100% perfect. We tried to keep a realistic requirement list when house hunting and focus on the things that were truly non negotiable. Even though I don't love the house I think that it will work for our family and we will be very happy there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479729 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 10:49:51 +0000 SugarplumsMom 2479729@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd buy it without hesitating. If you only intend to live there for 5-7 years, it'll save you money, and it's in your preferred school district, then it sounds as if everything is covered. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479725 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 10:47:14 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2479725@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Very tough.</p> <p>We currently are in this situation in a location we love but a layout we can't change. </p> <p>Honestly though since it works ok for us now, I'm glad we bought and have had it for a while. But moving, even every 5-7 years can be tough. Not only do we now have to deal with finding a house in a "hot" market, we also have to figure out how to sell our house at the same time. So think about how clunky the layout is. Does it have resale potential, or is it just not what you envisioned. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479715 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 10:43:01 +0000 ValentineMommy 2479715@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Since it's on the bottom of your budget, can you spend the leftover money in changing the layout?</p> <p>I compromised when I bought my house. I wanted/needed a 4 bedroom. I bought a 3 bedroom and the next year, put a master suite on (which is now my favorite part of the house). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479714 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 10:42:59 +0000 MediaNaranja 2479714@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just did this. We bough a townhouse that we didn't *love* but worked well enough for what we needed at this point. The fact was that there were very few options in the area we wanted that were in our price range. It's not perfect, but we'll make it work for the next 5 years or so. I'm sure we'll grow to love it in time! We *have* only been living there a week or so :P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479705 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 10:40:28 +0000 winniebee 2479705@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is tough! We house hunted for over a year and made a few offers on homes we did not LOVE that were at the bottom of our budget, but we didn't end up buying them (like you, we are in a HOT market and there are bidding wars over every decent property). For the top of our budget we wanted a home that we really, really liked. One finally came along and we are really happy we waited because we do love it (and because we have moved several times in the past 5 years and I don't want to move again for awhile). On a scale of 1-10 how much do you like it? How much under budget would you be? Is it a low price point for the neighbhorhood? If you made improvements do you think you could recoup them? These are all things I would consider. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479695 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 10:36:24 +0000 youboots 2479695@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Gosh that is a tough one. Since it is at the bottom of your market that's a plus.</p> <p>In 06 we bought a house we did not love then the market tanked and we sold it at a loss 10 years later. The current market reminds me of when we bought. I'd be cautious </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-house-you-dont-love#post-2479687 Tue, 01 Mar 2016 10:33:40 +0000 Aimed121 2479687@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have been house searching for what feels like forever! The town we want to move to is a very hot market and has been for the past few years - houses typically sell within 24 hours to 3 days.<br /> We saw a house last night that is at the lower end of our budget and feeds to the schools that we really want, it is on a nice street with lots of families and has some nice finishes - perfect right? Not really, I just don't love it - it has a clunky layout and a tiny backyard. But part of me feels that I just may have to compromise to a clunky layout and tiny garden as there is so little inventory with our preferred schools and this would allow us to save $$ aggressively which is always a good thing :grin: So what would you do - hold out for perfect? (could take forever!) or just bite the bullet?<br /> ETA: This isn't a forever home - its more a 5 to 7 year home, plus we are currently renting so we really want to get on the ladder. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-super-small-home/page/2#post-1279513 Fri, 13 Dec 2013 11:14:20 +0000 LalaYes 1279513@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think buying in a neighborhood you like is important. Hubby and I were ready for house number two and we picked to buy something smaller in a better neighborhood, but it's still bigger than our first home.</p> <p>I am super pro-buying a house. If you want to stay in the area where you live, buying is definitely they way to go. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-super-small-home/page/2#post-1279065 Fri, 13 Dec 2013 09:17:19 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1279065@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lokki: Sounds like you have really thought about a lot!</p> <p>I would think about your necessities list. Things like a vacuum cleaner, broom, mop, where would those be stored. If you have christmas decorations, could you store and put those up? What if you wanted to have friends over for dinner? Is there enough counter space for a coffee maker or is there storage for one in a cabinet. </p> <p>I agree that I would rather have 700 well laid out sq feet then get 800 bad layout </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-super-small-home/page/2#post-1279051 Fri, 13 Dec 2013 09:12:16 +0000 LovelyPlum 1279051@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lokki: Well if you technically do have a second bedroom, that is a plus. Also, if they updated the listing, maybe that means they haven't gotten many offers, and you might be able to get a good deal. Ultimately, you have to go with your gut, but it could be a good experience! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-super-small-home/page/2#post-1278977 Fri, 13 Dec 2013 08:50:32 +0000 skipra 1278977@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't vote because its really a personal decision. We bought our first house which was just under 700 sq ft and loved it. It was 2 br and no dining room and without much yard. It did have a large unfinished basement for laundry and storage and that was probably the only reason it did work. I'll be honest that it was tough once DS was born. With a place so small we had to be really quiet when he was sleeping. Couldn't do the dishes or flush the toilet, etc because his room was right off the kitchen and bathroom. Company after 7pm became unheard of and having overnight guests was really tough. We were definitely able to make it work though and would have stayed there longer if I hadn't gotten pregnant again. No way it would work with 2 kids. I think if you're willing to deal with the drawbacks it can be worthwhile. Our mortgage and utilities were so affordable and we were able to save quite a bit of money so I could stay home with DS. That alone made it worth it for me. I will never regret buying our first small house! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-super-small-home/page/2#post-1278700 Fri, 13 Dec 2013 00:41:10 +0000 dolphin 1278700@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@rattles: that is exactly my situation now! Haha! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-super-small-home/page/2#post-1278696 Fri, 13 Dec 2013 00:38:33 +0000 dolphin 1278696@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I vote no. I think you will outgrow the space sooner than you think, especially with a kid. We live in a 800 sq one bedroom and we are looking for bigger house. It was manageable in the beginning but now that DD is more mobile we are desperate for more space! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-super-small-home/page/2#post-1278654 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 23:53:20 +0000 lokki 1278654@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The real estate listing was updated to list a 2 bedroom 1 bath. It is a very small and rectangular second bedroom, but LO could have a seperate bedroom, and there is a small front and back fenced yard. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-super-small-home/page/2#post-1278602 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 23:15:06 +0000 lokki 1278602@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow I can't believe how many great, thoughtful comments you ladies have left! </p> <p>I still need to talk to DH, but I think I will show him this thread. </p> <p>We would buy with the assumption we would rent, not resell. The rental market for downtown is very strong, and the monthly even with property taxes and insurance is very close to what we could recoup. With a rental the tax deductions for any maintenance etc, would likley be a huge plus. </p> <p>The space is really well laid out, so I really question whether even at its small sq footage whether it really would be better to add a hundred square feet if it wasn't so well laid out. </p> <p>There are two fairly decent sized closets, and room in the master for a "wall closet," e.g. built in space along one wall where we could put additional clothes-hanging and dresser space. </p> <p>The seperate laundry room seems like such a luxury and has room that if we did a stackable washer dryer we could build a small closet or add shelving. </p> <p>I actually wonder if the sq footage does not include the back porch since it doesn't seem as small as 800 sq feet. It has been really cold here so if we decide to move forward I want to go see how much cooler the back is, but I know the last tenants used it as a child's bedroom so I think it must be warm enough, but we would have to check that. </p> <p>The second bedroom is too narrow for anything but a twin bed, so DH and I could not give the master over to kids unless we put a bed in the dining alcove (would have to measure but might just fit). </p> <p>I don't know if we could build vertically--the city has set back restrctions that they typically only waive if you apply for a variance and to have the best chance of approval you typically want to add parking (which I don't think there is room for even with a curb cut and front lawn usage). Also, the home is older and likley would need a reinforced foundation/walls, and adding up as opposed to out can cost three times as much. </p> <p>We could likely add a small entry way which would add storage and a bit of extra space. </p> <p>Lots to think about. With interest rates going up I could easily see a situation where there is downward pressure on prices, but that with the higher interest rate our monthly expense would remain the same as a lower price/higher rate scenerio. While this would hurt our resale chances, it would mean our rental prospects would remain unchanged. </p> <p>I think the biggest reason to say no at this point is the fact that we would have to part with a sizeable chunk of change for our down payment and closing costs, and would reduce our savings cushion to 10k. Any other thoughts? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-super-small-home/page/2#post-1276353 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 12:37:49 +0000 looch 1276353@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Could you build vertically? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-super-small-home/page/2#post-1276013 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 11:21:12 +0000 rattles 1276013@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We owned a 1br/1ba 750 sq. ft. home and made it work until LO was mobile. I definitely think you can do it if you want, but the two things we had issues with once LO was out of the newborn stage were sleep and baby proofing. Our LO was a terrible sleeper, and once she could sit up and see us, she wouldn't put herself to sleep during midnight wakings. Also, once she was mobile, it was hard to give her adequate play space because it was hard to baby proof everything. In that small of a space, every square foot is strategically used for storage or function. I had a hard time figuring out how to keep things out of her reach or give her room to roam/explore. I loved our location and our home, but the questions I would suggest considering are: 1) Would there be a way to have a separate sleep space for a potential LO? 2) Would there be safe/adequate play area for an LO (so would there be storage for everything you need out of reach)? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-super-small-home#post-1275861 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 10:45:40 +0000 plantains 1275861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hmm, even though I grew up in London, now live in NYC and am very accustomed to living in small spaces, my vote is no on this one. I wouldn't do it. DH and I used to live in 370sq ft apartment when we first moved in together. Then we moved into a 670sq ft 1bd, 1 bath apt when I got preganant and we all lived there with DD until she was about 10 months old. By the end of our stay there, we had given her the bedroom and we were dragging our mattress out into the living room every night. It was so incredibly unsettled and the only reason we were able to do it was because we knew it was temporary.</p> <p>We now have 2 actual bedrooms and it is a game changer. I would happily have up to 3 kids in our current apt with no problem. I don't believe you need a huge amount of space or stuff, but I do think that 2 actual bedrooms is critical for the sanity of everyone and the health of your marriage. It is one thing to rent a 1 bdr short term to save some money, but quite another to buy one - especially such a small one - with the intention of having two kids there.</p> <p>It puts an extraordinary amount of pressure on what can already be a trying time in a young marriage. For us, it was great sleeping in the same room with DD, but as time went on, we realised that in order for us to have any kind of spontaneity in our sex life, and for her to get truly restful sleep, we needed seperate sleeping quarters. That is my two cents, it sounds like an incredibly risky purchase, and I wouldn't be comfortable having to cover closing costs etc knowing full well that I would need to sell in 3-4 years. The timeline is just way too short. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-super-small-home#post-1275749 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 10:19:41 +0000 LovelyPlum 1275749@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>PS: I also agree with @Greentea: I think your answer is in your post :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/buying-a-super-small-home#post-1275743 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 10:17:06 +0000 LovelyPlum 1275743@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We live in 725 sq. feet, and I think it's very do-able, especially with the right vision, the right furniture, and the right attitude. We don't have a lot of storage, but we are renting a climate controlled storage locker for all of the stuff that we don't want to get rid of but don't need on a daily basis (decorations, off-season clothes, etc). If the layout is great and the kitchen/bathroom are nice, I would be inclined to seriously consider it! Having outside space in walking distance makes a huge difference, too! </p>