LIFamilies.com - Long Island, NY


RSS
Articles Business Directory Blog Real Estate Community Forum Shop My Family Contests

Log In Chat Index Search Rules Lingo Create Account

Quick navigation:   

You must be a logged in user to report a bad post!

Did you walk in and instantly fall in love with your first home?

Forum Opinion Poll
Yes, it was love at first sight and no other would do. 25 47.17%
Eh, not really, it took us a while to warm up to it. 8 15.09%
Nope, but we saw the potential and love it now that we've done the work. 12 22.64%
Other, just because.... 8 15.09%
 

How many of you just knew that your first home was the "one"?

Posted By Message
Pages: 1 [2]

k-diggity
stay classy.......

Member since 6/08

1332 total posts

Name:
: )

Re: How many of you just knew that your first home was the "one"?

I needed a house that did not need a ton of work that was in my price range and in a good neighborhood. To me there are too many variables to love the house completely -- it's a gradual process

Posted 7/1/09 10:37 AM
 

Ambersmom
Straight up nasty

Member since 5/05

7740 total posts

Name:
Sharon

Re: How many of you just knew that your first home was the "one"?

My 1st home was a real crap box when we bought it. But when we 1st pulled up (and I had been looking at homes since I was 18), I literally heard angels singing. I LOVED my house, but I didn't love my home..thus, that's why I have home #2. This isn't my dream house by any stretch, but it's "home". It melts my heart when my daughter announces "Mommy this is OUR HOME" when she sees it.

Posted 7/1/09 12:59 PM
 

cappy421
LIF Infant

Member since 4/09

371 total posts

Name:
Danielle

Re: How many of you just knew that your first home was the "one"?

We looked at a bunch of houses and out of all of them we knew this one was "the one" but we looked more at the potential it had rather then the cosmetic appeal. We loved the layout of the house and it has plenty of room for us to start a family and not worry about it being too small for us. It had all the things we were looking for. Of course we did major renovations to it but I am happy in a way that I got to make it my own. It is a lot of work which seems to never endChat Icon Chat Icon but in the end I am very happy with our home. We have done more then we thought we would be able to and it is nice to be able to say we did it ourselves. There are also things we didnt think we had to do but wound up doing. We put up a fence in the yard but we werent planning on re-doing the whole thing and now we are in the process of having pavers and new deck steps done. I think with a house there is always something but if you look at the potential I think you will be very happy.Chat Icon

Posted 7/1/09 1:17 PM
 

mandasue
LIF Adolescent

Member since 3/09

772 total posts

Name:
Amanda

Re: How many of you just knew that your first home was the "one"?

we owe our house 100% to our Realtor.....we were looking in the vicinity of this house but not the exact town, so she pulled it out 1 day after we looked at 2 other houses and she asked us to just do her the favor of looking at 1 more even though it was in a town we had given her, it was literally the next town east so we said ok.....

so we walk in and loved it, it did need some work but all doable stuff and loads of potential which is what is the best part....we moved in last weekend and have started the updates one step at time and when we r done it will be all ours and our dream home


if you can see the potential and love the area, then maybe it is the 1, but you need to look past whats there now to what will be when u move in....

Good luck

Posted 7/1/09 1:33 PM
 

freckles
Love My Little Man!

Member since 5/07

1825 total posts

Name:

Re: How many of you just knew that your first home was the "one"?

Posted by evenedan

When we first saw our house, we loved and hated it, if that makes any sense. We loved the neighborhood, the charming street and the layout of the house. (The layout was very important to me because I wanted big, open rooms and all bedrooms upstairs.) But I hated the condition it was in. BEYOND DISGUSTING. OVERWHELMINGLY DISGUSTING! We left the house feeling physically ill that a human being could live in such filth, but at the same time we kept talking about how much we loved the "bones" of the house. We went back a few more times and got some estimates on what it would cost to renovate it. We also looked at every house for sale in Nassau County, but kept coming back to our beloved dump.

We decided to make an offer. The condition of the place worked to our advantage and we got a good price.

It came down to these factors...

The layout was perfect.

We love the area.

Everything in our price range needed updating, so why be deterred by a bathroom that looked like it was in a prison or a carpeted kitchen that had 8 layers of filth caked all over it? We factored in the cost of renovations into our offer and got the house for a price MUCH lower than anything else in the area.

We are in the process of renovating now, but already LOVE the place and feel so thrilled with our decision! The house is going to be FANTASTIC! Some day.

So, I guess we did have a "this is it" feeling, but it was mixed with a heavy dose of "are we crazy?" If the issues you have with your house are cosmetic—wallpaper, dated kitchen etc.—I wouldn't let that get in the way. Focus on the location and the layout.

Good luck with your decision!




Couldn't have said this better myself. Great response!

Posted 7/1/09 3:09 PM
 

JessInCA
live laugh love

Member since 8/06

5082 total posts

Name:
Jess

Re: How many of you just knew that your first home was the "one"?

I chose "other." Choice A doesn't really fit my situation, but your other choices didn't either. I didn't have to warm up to our house, because I liked it a lot right off the bat, and it wasn't a matter of seeing the potential, because it wasn't a fixer upper.

When we were deciding to buy our house, I did not "just know" it would be perfect or feel that it was "the one" above all others. But that's me... I didn't feel that way about my wedding dress either, KWIM? Doesn't mean it wasn't a good choice, doesn't mean I wasn't thrilled that I chose it - I just am not a person who gets that feeling of certainty.

I liked the house a lot, and I thought I would be happy living there. I also liked other houses we'd seen, and could have been happy in those too. The ultimate deciding factor ended up being the price on this one, but it could've been any number of other things depending on what our priorities were. So, I didn't have any hesitation (other than the shock of "OMG, we're seriously about to spend this much money?!"), but I wasn't all, "This is my dream house!" either.

Think about it - as others have said, this is a huge investment. You say you wouldn't be settling, and that's good, but then you say it's not ideal. Is that only due to the renovations that are needed, or is there something else bugging you about it? If you feel hesitant (and not just because it's a huge purchase), maybe you should hold off and keep looking. But if you're sure you guys would be happy living there and you're just concerned that you haven't had a cosmic revelation that it's "the one", IMO, just go for it. Chat Icon

Posted 7/1/09 5:08 PM
 

tray831
Dee-licious!

Member since 3/06

5355 total posts

Name:
His Baby

Re: How many of you just knew that your first home was the "one"?

Posted by GoldenRod

I think potential is more important than being "the one". SIL had her "dream house" built, but didn't plan for the future, just what she felt she needed at the moment. Over the years, she's had several complaints about the house.

Needs and wants change. What could be "the one" today, may not be what you need in 1 year, or 5 years. If you don't have the ability to modify the house, you may wind up resenting it.

Our house was "OK" when we bought it. Great neighborhood, good SD, had what we needed at the time, but also had enough of a yard so we could expand. Now that we've totally redone almost the entire house, it is currently "the one". I designed the layout myself, and I hope I took into account most of what we'll encounter over the next 20-30 years, but if not, hopefully I can modify the house again.



This is so true and could've wrote this myself. DH knew our house was the one......while, me on the other hand, didn't feel it. That's b/c he was looking for something totally different than me.....So we bought our "potential" house....gutted it.....DH designed and renovated it in its entirety.........and made it the house we wanted. Chat Icon Chat Icon

Posted 7/1/09 6:00 PM
 

lakadema
LIF Adult

Member since 5/08

1180 total posts

Name:
Danielle

Re: How many of you just knew that your first home was the "one"?

We just bought our house and I have to say I am far from in love with the house, but the property it is on is unbelievable. We can change the house, but not the location.

After we saw the backyard, we were sold.

Posted 7/1/09 6:55 PM
 

saraH
happy birthday sweet kate!

Member since 5/05

16555 total posts

Name:
I know that God exsists, I held her in my arms...

Re: How many of you just knew that your first home was the "one"?

I did not fall in love with our house when we saw it. DH loved it. I still don't "love" our house now. I love what we have done with it, but I loved other houses we saw more then the one we bought.

I feel like this is DH's house and when and if we ever upgrade, that will be "my" house.

Chat Icon

Posted 7/1/09 7:38 PM
 
Pages: 1 [2]
 

Potentially Related Topics:

Topic Posted By Started Replies Forum
First time home buyer programs? SweetTooth 7/7/06 12 Home
Besides saving money what is your first step in buying a home? LuckyMe 6/30/06 7 Home
What is the first thing you do when you get home from work? MrsPornStar 6/21/06 70 Families Helping Families ™
Breaks for First Time Home Buyers MrsA 6/2/06 4 Home
I got my first offer on my co-op - home equity question DjPiLL 9/14/05 19 Home
so whats the first thing everyone did when they got the keys to their new home Bebalina 9/12/05 46 Home
 
Quick navigation:   
Currently 640741 users on the LIFamilies.com Chat
New Businesses
1 More Rep
Carleton Hall of East Islip
J&A Building Services
LaraMae Health Coaching
Sonic Wellness
Julbaby Photography LLC
Ideal Uniforms
Teresa Geraghty Photography
Camelot Dream Homes
Long Island Wedding Boutique
MB Febus- Rodan & Fields
Camp Harbor
Market America-Shop.com
ACM Basement Waterproofing
Travel Tom

      Follow LIWeddings on Facebook

      Follow LIFamilies on Twitter
Long Island Bridal Shows