https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 09 May 2026 10:40:32 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2273012 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 15:58:52 +0000 My Only Sunshine 2273012@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with @Mamaof2: - keep looking! It's such a big purchase, I wouldn't settle if you're feeling blah about it.</p> <p>We had an actual handwritten list we carried around to showings with us. It had our musts and our "would be nice"es.</p> <p>Our musts were our price range, a certain school district, relatively short commute, four bedrooms, and at least 2 full bathrooms. We actually told our realtor not to bother showing us houses that didn't meet our must list.</p> <p>Our "would be nice" were being on a cul-de-sac (got it and love it), a sunroom (did get), finished basement (didn't get but it has a big basement), updated kitchen and bathrooms (SO did not get). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272996 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 15:40:02 +0000 3gems1fish 2272996@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When we bought our house, we found it really useful to think about what our "must haves" were and what our "deal breakers" were. Once we had that list, it made our search much easier, but it also really narrowed the pool of homes. For us that was fine - less options, less stress!<br /> Think about what is important to you and your family - your needs for this house as your life evolves. Our agent also advised us that taking a risk on a house that might not be our forever house was fine as long as the resale value of the house was comparable to what we paid - like if we ended up wanting something bigger in 10 years, would the market still be hot for a property like this?<br /> You aren't being fussy. You're thinking longterm and that's the best thing to do with a major decision like this. Best of luck to you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272979 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 15:27:58 +0000 californiadreams 2272979@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i compromised on having a garage for the car, which was HUGE for me. And I only did it because the house had an inground pool which was my childhood dream. I would NOT compromise on having a master bedroom big enough to fit a king size bed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272969 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 15:17:41 +0000 snowjewelz 2272969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>- Not having a master ensuite (but most houses we looked at, it was so small that it wasn't even worth it)<br /> - Exterior needs work (want to change siding at some point; also want to re-do walkway/stairs/driveway<br /> - Yard is big but not well kept so every year so far we've been putting a lot of work into beautifying it </p> <p>Our must is the town/school district, and price point. We did a complete renovation, so the house just has to have a good layout. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272963 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 15:08:06 +0000 wrkbrk 2272963@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@illumina: the non negotiable for me is commute to work. i am just not willing to drive 30+ miles each way and add that much time onto my work day. for proximity i will take a smaller house! our house right now is 1900 square feet and we could go down to 1500 and still be happy! we are looking to move in about 2 years ... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272958 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 15:01:29 +0000 Mamaof2 2272958@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@illumina: I say keep looking! 2 house is nothing!</p> <p>I remember teller my realtor I was never going to find a house I liked until I walked into our current home - I was instantly enamored with it all!</p> <p>I think you need to look at 8-10 more houses - the perfect house might be out there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272949 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 14:54:49 +0000 Bluebonnet 2272949@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Like others have said, no house is perfect. Figure out what is most important to you and what is a deal breaker.</p> <p>For us, we wanted good schools, good neighborhood, open living room/kitchen, right number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and a pool. Some of the finishes in this house aren't exactly what we want. We changed some of the small things and plan to upgrade the bathrooms at a later date. We are walking distance to a fantastic elementary school and park and that was a definate plus. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272943 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 14:48:52 +0000 Modern Daisy 2272943@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We compromised on everything except 1) quiet/residential street, 2) big flat backyard, and 3) large finished basement. I wanted my son to have tons of room in good and bad weather to runaround and play without having to get in the car to take him somewhere. Our house only has 3 bedrooms and no master bath, but it's also in the best school district in our state and tons of property to add on as we desire. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272898 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 14:21:51 +0000 alphagam84 2272898@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think my husband and I really settled when we bought our first house. We had a small list of wants though: big backyard (my want), 2 car garage, and a master with a master bathroom. Now that we've lived in the house for a few years we have decided on things we really want in our next house: big backyard but with more privacy-I don't use ours much since there's so little privacy and I'm not crazy about our neighbor, walk in pantry, more natural light-I hate how dark our house is and it's not something I even thought about when we bought our house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272861 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 13:55:26 +0000 gingerbebe 2272861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@illumina: I think you and your husband need to ask yourself what your "house personality" is - how much you're interested in doing work on your house, how much disruption you're willing to handle, the amount of money you're willing to dump into your house, etc. We went from renting an older home that needed work to buying our first home this spring and so we had a chance to gut check what we thought we could handle in terms of home care. </p> <p>The first thing we did was set a rock-solid budget (i.e. how much our total monthly payment would be) and limited our search to that budget, which kicked us into a specific area of the town we were looking into. This budget was inclusive of any bonds on the land, dues, fees, taxes, etc. We even researched the utility costs, gardeners, etc.</p> <p>For us, our non-negotiables were very simple to figure out: what are the things I absolutely MUST have in ANY home I live in - rent or buy. For us, we needed a a quiet street, a 3 bedroom + den or a 4 bedroom and 2 bathrooms, a single story home, close enough to highways for our jobs, and a house that is basically done. Meaning, it doesn't have to be our taste or perfect, but it doesn't need drastic or expensive work - especially things like roof, new windows, central A/C, and landscaping. Fixtures and paint were fine, but gutting a place wasn't our speed, especially with a baby. So in your situation, the older historical home would definitely NOT be for us.</p> <p>Then we made a list of "really wants" - which are highly affected by how long you intend to stay in a home, but basically they were things I STRONGLY prefer a house I buy to have. We were looking at a 5 year home, so for us, these were being near a park, having a covered patio, close grocery shopping, and adequate storage in the home. And a kitchen that wasn't super cruddy.</p> <p>We ended up with a 17 year old house that we bought from the original owners who built it new construction back in '97 as their retirement home. My parents always had this joke when I was growing up that you should only buy used cars and homes from old retirees because they take such good care them and that's basically what happened here. The carpet and paint was even in impeccable shape for being that old. They had granite put in the kitchen and a whole new HVAC system put in the last few year, the house came with a 40 year roof, and the landscaping was totally done even though it wasn't exactly the way I'd want it. </p> <p>All in all, we are pretty happy. We got our non-negotiables and just about all of our "really wants." The house is quiet, one street over from an awesome park, near the highway, lots of shopping, its an established neighborhood so we don't have to pay the 30-year bonds that the the new construction developments a few blocks away are stuck with, and while the house needs work, it was totally move-in ready and we've knocked out little things here and there on the weekends. (All the fixtures were gold/brass, the linoleum in the bathroom and laundry room were dated, and the bathroom sinks needed to be replaced). But we also ended up with a bonus 3-car garage which gave us tons of storage and space for a freezer and second fridge. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272814 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 13:18:56 +0000 Mrs.KMM 2272814@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Honestly, the only thing I consider to be a compromise with our first house is the yard. It is really small, and the backyard is a giant very steep hill. So there's not really good yard space for a little kid to play. </p> <p> But we do back up the Army Corps of Engineers land, so there are big beautiful trees behind us which is nice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272812 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 13:18:47 +0000 Mamasig 2272812@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just remember no house will ever be perfect. Even if you think it is, it won't be once you move in! And your needs will also change over time. </p> <p>We liked the bones of our house and it's on an acre and felt right when we toured it. That being said, it was my 3rd house purchase so I wasn't very picky because I already knew nothing was going to be perfect. But it felt right. And sure there are lots of things I'd like to change but over time it's totally doable. </p> <p>With my 1st purchase I had a small budget so my options were more limited. But I knew I wanted new construction because at the time I was single and living alone. No fixer uppers for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272800 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 13:11:48 +0000 illumina 2272800@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BadgerMom: Haha, not condescending at all...I know what you mean though, it's kind of ridiculous! I will try and write a list of priorities :)</p> <p>@looch: That sounds awesome... I totally get you on the not wanting them to have to take a bus to school. I walked, with friends, and it was super convenient...Dh keeps trying to tell me that the bus is fine, most people take it, but I'm not sure! </p> <p>@catlady: I think we're at that point, where there's not a lot of choice in the area we're in...but because we're not being forced to choose something right now, I'm more comfortable hoping the perfect house will come along lol! I said to Dh that if we were going to be evicted and had to pick something right now I'm sure we would find it easlier to pick! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272797 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 13:09:58 +0000 Greentea 2272797@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Location for me is n.1. I also like fresh and new, so currently we are in a new highrise. It is all windows and I love the natural light.</p> <p>The houses in our downtown location are old or 2million, so if we purchase we may go for a condo or a small renovated home with a nice yard. SF doesn't matter to me as much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272787 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 13:03:17 +0000 Mae 2272787@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We gave up character to get a new house and not have to deal with a lot of home repairs (totally worth it). </p> <p>We got cheap flooring and upgraded laminate countertops. We've since replaced floors with nice carpeting and engineered hardwood. Countertops I don't care enough to fix. NBD for the right house. </p> <p>We gave up a bigger yard. Don't care at all. Mowing takes like 20 min. Win. </p> <p>We gave up a patio/fenced yard. This I miss ALL THE TIME. I really wish we had a patio and a fenced yard but even though our yard is small, the type of fencing required by our HOA is really expensive. It will prob cost us almost 10k to do a patio and fence so we haven't done it, but I hope to do so in the next year or two because I think it would make our yard a lot more usable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272780 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 12:59:20 +0000 Foodnerd81 2272780@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Right now we prioritized location and DH's commute- we are still in the city and he can walk the &lt;2 miles to work or take the train and be home in less than half an hour. Parking was also non negotiable- we live in one of those neighborhoods that makes national news over how awful parking is in the winter. But we know we will only be in this condo for a few years. </p> <p>When we are ready to buy a house in the next few years, schools will be a priority since that will be where C and baby sister start school (and hopefully even if we move up t will be within a school district). Everything else we will have to see what we can get for what we can spend and go from there... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272759 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 12:40:34 +0000 NavyRN2012 2272759@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The only non-negtioables for me are location and size/bedrooms. Everything else can be changed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272754 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 12:35:08 +0000 SugarplumsMom 2272754@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I compromised on the one thing I prioritized the most - the kitchen. In exchange, I got a house with good bones in a beautiful location with an en suite bathroom (which is extremely rare around these parts). It also has a decently sized yard, which I wanted.</p> <p>I don't regret our decision at all. In fact, I think we got lucky. However, if I knew we'd only stay for 5-10 years, I'd much prefer a house we don't have to renovate. It just makes things so much easier! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272750 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 12:29:23 +0000 ShootingStar 2272750@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We love our house, but we still had to compromise on some things. For one, I wanted the garage and the main level of the house to be on the same floor and they're not, we have to walk up a flight of stairs from the garage. I also wanted a tub in the master bathroom, but instead we have a large 2 person shower. There are some other things about the layout that I do love and wish were different.</p> <p>But when we saw houses that had these things, they didn't have other things that were more important to us. Like a decent sized backyard, laundry on the same floor as the bedrooms, all the bedrooms on the same level, finished basement, and a room that can be a playroom.</p> <p>Location was also important, as was the number of bedrooms. My absolute must have list was location, bedrooms, at least 2 car garage, and AC. Everything else was up for negotiation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272741 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 12:23:43 +0000 catlady 2272741@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ours was all about location and availability. We live in an expensive city with a hot market and there were very few properties for sale within our budget. We got the major things that we wanted: two bedrooms, two full baths, and a townhouse style (and even getting these "basics" was hard in our market). We compromised on pretty much everything else, such as the heating system (old and terrible), parking (none), kitchen (tiny), and general layout (weird with small rooms).</p> <p>Prior to looking in our current city, we were looking in the suburbs where we had alot more choices and I felt like I was paralyzed by all the options. Once we chose to look in our current location, the slim pickings make it harder to be choosy. It helped that we knew ahead of time that we'd probably only stay 5 years or so. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272736 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 12:20:16 +0000 Meowkers 2272736@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>our must have list was items that could not be changed or would be difficult/costly to change:<br /> general neighborhood, size of street, size of house, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, layout of the house.</p> <p>Things that were easy or reasonable to change were up for compromise:<br /> finishes, flooring, closets, cosmetic issues. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272719 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 12:07:19 +0000 FancyGem 2272719@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We purchased our second home last year. Location was important because my husband didn't want an hour commute. We were persistent about getting a large master bed room, formal dining, study, game room, and media room. Luckily most neighborhoods in the area were new builds or under construction, so it was more about having enough money.<br /> If our situation was different we wouldn't gone with the house with the best location, yard, and potential to give us what we wanted. You can always add things to your home to make it perfect. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272711 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 12:00:47 +0000 ChitownRo 2272711@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For us - things we can't change: location (commute, neighborhood) and overall size/square feet</p> <p>Otherwise, everything else was negotiable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272710 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 12:00:36 +0000 MamaCate 2272710@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think there are some non-negotiables/must-haves but that list should be short. We moved in May and our must-haves were: air conditioning (we live in a very hot place), garage, 4 bedrooms. The nice to have list was longer. We ended up with a smaller house in a better location and actually in a 3 bedroom with a den that we enclosed to make a 4th bedroom. I was nervous at the time but we love our neighborhood and the fact that we are steps from the community pool and a public walking trail and convenient to work and daycare. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272702 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 11:56:59 +0000 rachiecakes 2272702@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For us, location. Good neighborhood/schools, easy commuter access.<br /> I'm not an outdoorsy/garden person so yard/land doesn't affect what I would purchase.<br /> My DH is not handy at all so I would have to consider the cost of cosmetic things.<br /> If we were considering a 5 year home, I'd look for something that would also allow us to save money. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272700 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 11:56:46 +0000 looch 2272700@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There are two reasons why we bought the house we live in now:</p> <p>1. It's on the same street as the elementary school and I can literally stand on my front lawn and watch my son walk to school. This is important because I don't want him on the bus nor do I wish to deal with the car drop off lines.</p> <p>2. There is an ingrained pool, fully fenced, heated, the works. We use it so much during the summer and we don't have to go anywhere if we don't want to. It's seriously fantastic.</p> <p>My house is a builder basic from 1963. It has it's issues, but we are only the third owner and everything that was done to it is documented. I didn't want a house that had changed owners a lot. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272695 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 11:54:49 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2272695@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For us right now, we dont have a lot of extra cash for renovations/fixes. So something that is all rolled into the mortgage would be great. </p> <p>We wish our current house had more natural light too. But I try to remember the downside of natural light often means high utility bills! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272693 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 11:53:58 +0000 BadgerMom 2272693@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't mean this condescending, so I hope you don't take it that way. I always chuckle when first time home buyers talk about "non-negotiable" items. In home buying, everything is negotiable. You hardly ever find a house with everything you want just the way you want it. You pretty much always have to compromise, but you pick the house that has the least amount of compromise or the most compromises on the less important stuff. Instead of focusing on a "non-negoitable" list, I'd try to focus on a want list, maybe even in order of importance. That will then guide you to figure out which house would be the best fit. But chances are, you're going to have to compromise. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272690 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 11:51:36 +0000 Mrs D 2272690@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We originally were looking at a newer (&lt;5 yr build) slightly further outside of "town". We ended up buying a 50 yr old house in the best school district in our state that was a fixer upper. Think "Property Brothers" style - we gutted the whole thing. This was settling my nerves of financially risk adverse (much less risky to create equity - if you are smart - then buy it).</p> <p>As far as what we compromised on...the biggest items were the garage and basement. DH wants a 3 car garage, our house only has 2. And the basement is only 7 ft cielings (now that its finished) as opposed to the 8 or 9 ft we'd have in a newer build. The ceiling height cant be changed (well it could but not for a reasonable amount of money and would be a poor investment so not an option) but the garage situation could. </p> <p>We basically said - if this ends up being our forever home we can change the garage and some of the renovation decisions we made. If not we know this house is a solid investment so we felt comfortable with it.</p> <p>Remember - cosmetic things are not worth worrying too much about (unless you are talking major things like kitchen cabs), I'd focus on the structure/lot items as those are more difficult/impossible to change! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-compromise-on-when-buying-a-house#post-2272688 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 11:51:18 +0000 agold 2272688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Great neighborhood is always top of my list. I'd take a nice yard and accept small bedrooms. So I'd take the beautiful home you mentioned. My current issue with looking for a home is layout of the living room, and size of yard (medium size vs. small but with view), and length of driveway. Oh its always tough but I think if you get 8 out of 10 things you want then you're golden. Good luck! </p>