[Bluegoat]

So my dh and I went and snooped around the property we are interested in. The real estate agent hasn't got back to us yet so we didn't see inside at all.

We love the property itself, the area, the neighbors. The community is lovely. The house is cool but in bad shape. We are currently selling a piece of land we don't want to live on, and were planning to pay off debt. We could use it to buy the house tough, with some left to start renovations. I don't think we'd get a mortgage. It's pretty close to some family and the schools are supposed to be really good. It also abuts on crown land.

The house was converted from a barn, and is suffering from not being lived in and heated. I think there might be a furnace, there is an oil stove in the kitchen and a fireplace and chimney that look in very good shape. Part of the roof really needs to be redone, and the windows could stand to be replaced, also steps and railings and so on.

The barn has a hole in the roof and the decking in the loft needs to be replaced but the structure and foundation are solid, and huge. It's a nice sized barn, and you can walk right into the loft from the hill.

There is a small amount of woods and a field of about 45 acres, in surprisingly good shape.

I don't know yet how the well is though it's dug, or the septic. We would be willing to buy a composting toilet right away though if required.

Has anyone lived in a place while renovating? What order do people usually attack thing's like this in? We'd have some cash for immediate repairs but then it would be a bit at a time.

I'm excited but also hesitant, it would be a big commitment.

 

[MidnightCommando]

I would hire a building inspector to take a look at all the building before anything else. You'd know exactly what really needs to be done, if it's worth it, and you can get a good idea of what it's going to cost.

Sounds like a lovely place, but you want to know exactly what you're getting into and if the places are structurally sound.

good luck!

 

[confustication]

We're renovating the place we're living in... it had also been unused for some time and needed a great deal of repair to make it habitable. We focused first on a new subfloor and floor. I still have to put down new flooring in my kitchen and bedroom, but the living area and my daughter's room (where new subfloor was necessary) were done. Also, while we would LOVE to replace the crappy paneling, it wasn't in the budget for now, so to save my sanity (dark places are bad bad bad for me) we primed and painted it a pretty blue shade. Ultimately perfect? No, but enough to make it tolerable for me!

Bringing the woodstove up to code was a must, and we had to replumb much of the place, but really it wasn't too awful.

There's still a LONG way to go. The outside makes me cinge when we drive up, but in a year or so it should be a lot better. Now that the 'musts' are done, I'm learning what I want to change most next.

Maybe by the time the kids move out I'll have it almost ready to be 'pretty'!

 

[1jooj]

I our renovations have been perhaps less extensive than yours, and we've been working on things over the past two years, while living here. I'll be the first to say it's hard, and I remember the infuriating looks of pity I got from friends who would stop in while projects were ongoing, before we got the upstairs done.

For me, in your shoes, it sounds like the biggest concern would be just how much the barn repairs and house repairs will cost. Our barn is in really good shape; if it hadn't been, I don't think I could have stomached the house repairs. And we were just shooting for habitable, yk? We still have a chimney to fix and a roof to replace--and then we can decide whether to replace the downstairs windows, and then refinish floors and fix up the bathroom...

How OK are you with living long-term in a construction zone, and the inevitable dust and mess and extra people around, and the noises that accompany the work? How long will you tolerate putting all your extra money toward fixing stuff? Is the renovation work mostly stuff that can be done in the cold seasons when the outside work is minimized? This helps us. We did house projects Dec-Mar, so that spring through autumn, we're focused on the outside. (This year, though, the roof will be a summer project.)

Will the renovations force you to put off other projects that are important to you?

It could very well be that you are just the family this house needs...but it's up to you to figure that out.

 

[Bluegoat]

I'm so sad, the property we were looking at has sold.

I know there are others out there, but I feel like a whole bunch of possibilities have been shut down.

 

[1jooj]

Aw, Bluegoat

When dh and I began our search for farms--in fact, before we began--we decided that the right place would find us, and that any property that was not right for us would not be made available. I know it sounds kooky, but it got us through the ups and downs. When a place would sell, we told ourselves that it was being taken off our list of possibilities because of some incompatibility with our needs and abilities.

Eventually, our place found us (and it was an afterthought to come and look at it). And so far, we seem to be providing what it needs, and vice-versa.

You'll find it!

 

[Bluegoat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1jooj Aw, Bluegoat When dh and I began our search for farms--in fact, before we began--we decided that the right place would find us, and that any property that was not right for us would not be made available. I know it sounds kooky, but it got us through the ups and downs. When a place would sell, we told ourselves that it was being taken off our list of possibilities because of some incompatibility with our needs and abilities. Eventually, our place found us (and it was an afterthought to come and look at it). And so far, we seem to be providing what it needs, and vice-versa. You'll find it!

Thanks, I think I see it that way too, although it makes me feel a bit flakey.

My dh has been waiting to hear about a job he applied for, and we had decided not to make a decision till then, anyway. He'd be three weeks at a time on Sable Island, so we'd likely want a smaller place, and the one that sold would be too big, too much work, too far away.

Even if he doesn't get the job, we can still keep looking.

 

[MamaMonica]

I'm so sorry! Even it it wasn't the perfect place, it's still disappointing when that happens. Hang in there and I hope you find your place soon.