Difference between COMPROMISE and SETTLING on a home

What would you say makes the difference b/w COMPROMISING on what want in a home (since almost no home will be perfect) and foolishly settling (to the point that you may regret the purchase)?

So how can I figure out what the difference is? Anyone have any thoughts or insight? I don't know which is which anymore.

Message edited 8/15/2010 12:51:21 PM.

Re: Different between COMPROMISE and SETTLING on a home

When we were searching for our home we eventually came up with a Things You Can Not Change List and that is what we used to draw the line.

Our list consisted of:
The big one obviously is location, we also had property size, either a basement or a garage - preferably both, and price.

After the above criteria were met we moved on to the Wants List
At least 3 bedrooms
eat in kitchen
2 baths
family room
dining room
finished basement
We took price into consideration as we reviewed out wants list.

Re: Different between COMPROMISE and SETTLING on a home

I feel like compromising is something like saying you want 2 full baths, but your house has 1.5 baths.

Settling would be more like, we want 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths and it has to have a basement. BUT the house you buy has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and no basement.

Does that make sense?

Re: Different between COMPROMISE and SETTLING on a home

I think there is a difference if you can change what you "compromise" on. As in, MBR is on the small side - but there is the possibility for expansion down the road. Or no master bathroom - but it CAN be added.

Location, I think should never be compromised or settled on.

Property size - depends if you just wanted something huge, and big can still keep you happy.

Basement and garage. We compromised and didn't get a house with a basement - OK with it now, but we've had to add to the house to make up for it, and kind of happy we don't have to deal with potential basement problems. I wouldn't give up both - you need one or the other, I think - unless the house is huge.

I know you're getting frustrating - I would spend more time looking at the bones of a house. Focus on your desired area and see what you can do with what the area offers. You might be surprised to see how a house you would normally scratch off your list can really fit the bill if you make it your own.

Good luck!

Re: Different between COMPROMISE and SETTLING on a home

I think compromising is when the house has most of your wants (especially location) and you really like or love the house, even though it wasn't exactly what you imagined. Settling would be if the house doesn't have everything you want and you're only buying it because you're tired of looking and just want to own a house already.

I compromised because I really wanted a fireplace and my house doesn't have one, but when I walked into the house for the first time I knew I wanted it anyway. It also only had one bath and I wanted at least 1.5 (and the one bath needed to be redone) but I still knew it was my house. I think that's the difference between compromising and settling.

Re: Different between COMPROMISE and SETTLING on a home

I think there are certain things you can compromise on, but certain you can't...like location, and style of home....we live in a split now and we would not look at any other splits bc we didn't like it for US...we would only look at colonials and splanches....as for compromising..we wanted 5 bedrooms, ended up with 4 but could expand and make a 5th later on

Re: Difference between COMPROMISE and SETTLING on a home

easy. its totally going to be different for your individual wants in a house-, but compromise are things that arent quite what you were originally looking for, but you can live with them without being too upset.
settling is taking things that you didnt want and it still upsets you every time you see it, deal with it, think about it,etc.

good luck!

Re: Difference between COMPROMISE and SETTLING on a home

I wanted a formal dining room and would have been happy with a living room that doubled as a den. I have no formal dining room, but I do have a living room and a den. I considered THAT compromise.

I wanted 3 big bedrooms. I got 4 small ones - another compromise.

I wanted a big open kitchen. I got a narrow one.

There are plenty of things about my home that I overlooked for one BIG reason. The school district. The house was in our price range, with VERY doable taxes and one of the best districts on the island, in the state and in the country. We simply could not walk away because there was no dining room. It would have been a huge mistake for us.

Re: Difference between COMPROMISE and SETTLING on a home

bought our first house-- all that really mattered for us was location and school district. WE did not budge on that..

We comprimised with buying a house with no basement, no central air just units and, 1 car garage... We loved it and at that time we had no kids.. We also new this would probably be our starter home..

With our second house purchase that we will be moving into in 2 weeks. We new exactly what we were were looking for and for us WE basically got it: Great school district and location,
WE got 5 bedrooms and a 3 bath house, everything was redone so not that much work, 1 acre of land, 2 car garage, central air. The only thing we comprimised on was that the house had a full basement but was not finished. We will be finishing it in the next couple of years adding another bedroom and bathroom.

I will say it did not come overnight, It took us about 7 months to find it after lots of research and looking at alot of different homes.

I know you want to find that perfect house and it will come, i know it!!!

Re: Difference between COMPROMISE and SETTLING on a home

For me - there are things that a home must have and things I would like. If I were to buy a home without the things I have decided that I "must" have then I would be settling and would probably end up moving down the line. Then there are things I would like and, for those things, if I LOVED everything else about the house and loved the house enough that those things didn't matter anymore (and I think you will know this when it is the right house) then I feel it is a compromise and not settling - does this make sense?

For ex. we want a house with 4 bedrooms (or the ability to easily add a bedroom onto a 3 br house), a decent backyard for the kids to play and a nice size family room that is easily accessible from the kitchen and living room. These things I view as non-negotiable. Things like the garage issue we have discussed, the condition of the home and how much work is necessary, the particular area of the town we are looking (all the areas are nice though just some more convenient)- I view as a compromise. HTH!

Re: Difference between COMPROMISE and SETTLING on a home

We wanted 3 bedrooms and 1.5 baths.

we compromised and got 2 very large bedrooms and one very large bathroom.

Re: Difference between COMPROMISE and SETTLING on a home

Location for us is a must and non-negotiable. We have thought about moving from the area we really want and for us we are not willing to settle on that.

We MUST have 1.5 bath--ideally 2+ but to me 1.5 would be a compromise I am willing to do.

We want a large kitchen--but if the house was in the area we want I *might* compromise on this.

Land is not uber important, but our in our area getting a decent sized lot can be a challenge--but it is important to my DH that we have some room to play sports with our kids.

Settling to me=knowing you will have to move in the future.

Compromise=altering your wants for the pluses that the the home has that you feel outweighs the wants it does not

Re: Difference between COMPROMISE and SETTLING on a home

Posted by DiamondGirl
Settling to me=knowing you will have to move in the future.

Compromise=altering your wants for the pluses that the the home has that you feel outweighs the wants it does not