It's pretty rural so they didn't pipe in gas. They have three fireplaces. We did ask for utility bill info. Not ready to run away yet, but good info from you, thanks!
at all that yard work. I hate yard work. Kitchen needs to be gutted. Appliances don't match. Heating and cooling bills will be astronomical, but you've probably already budgeted for that expense. Overall, very nice. It looks like a great place to raise a family. Good luck.
and basic home layout inside. Not a fan of those kitchen cabinets and counter. They need a serious upgrade. Kitchen is also small for the overall square footage of the home. In fact, I dont see a kitchen table in there. Agree on the electric heat comments. Pool looks like it could be an expensive situation for you moving forward. From the photo it seems older with an older liner. The home itself on that corner lot is not positioned well. Your pool is so close to the property line and for me (a personal thing) I just do not like having so much property that is not usable in a corner lot like that. Really nice crown molding throughout the house.
My recommendation is to keep this listing in your back pocket but keep looking. Future re-sale may be compromised with the electric heat, small kitchen, pool situation and also having the laundry on the first floor when the bedrooms are on the 2nd.
Also, electric heat can actually save money if you room by room baseboards. Plus, heat pump is the most cost efficient for a climate like VA. To me, this is a non-issue.
Brick house that looks stately rather than vulgar like a lot of the new McMansions.
True, its 40 years old but I don't see any sag and it has nice old growth trees that again enhance the house's stature.
So I give it a huge thumbs up. I think you will be very happy in that house.
Let me commend your wife for her suggestion to bring the matter to BBI. I bring all my more important decisions here and it's always served me well.
Tough to say about the house. It sure looks nice. Things like electric heat can be easily, if not cheaply, remedied. Don't know anything about the location and that's really the most importantant thing. Our buddies here on BBI will agree on this point, location is to real estate as the offensive line is to pro football. Can't hide a poor offensive line and you can't hide a poor house location.
after watching House Hunters on HGTV, I would guess that you are a 25 year old data entry clerk, and your wife is a 25 year old part time yoga instructor. You also have two dogs that you refer to as "your children". Am I close?
and your wife have many years to make upgrades and changes as you see fit without breaking the bank. Just hire a reputable, experienced home inspector pre-closing (no family or acquaintances). Don't be afraid of the age if the structure and building envelope are in good condition and if it was properly maintained
Man how times have changed. I grew up in Fairfax County when everything out there was so desolate. Crazy to think how much home prices have shot up in that area. I guess I can somewhat understand the prices for inside the beltway but out in Gainesville ...
it is nowhere as bad as everyone claims it is. You can control heat room by room. I don't pay a ton of money in the peak cold months. It's still cheaper than oil. It does help if you supplement with a pellet stove.
so you must be doing well. I just find it hard to understand why you would need BBI's collective wisdom to decide. :)
Hire a contractor to inspect the home, not a 'home inspector' a real contractor. Someone you can trust, if possible. See what he says. For a couple hundred bucks it may be well be worth it.
Septic doesn't bother me if it is in good condition, again inspect it. Insist on an open pit inspection. Check with the town to see if they have plans for sewerage. I'm going through that now. Cost estimates around 25k. At least with septic you save the $800-1000 on yearly charges. In general, septic systems should last 30-40 years.
Well water also is no issue depending on your surroundings. Have it tested and if you buy the house ask you dentist about fluoride treatments for any kids.
Beautiful house, truly. One concern I see is no fence separating the house from the pool which is very close to the porch. You should check to see what safety regulations exist and check if they are present and acceptable to you and your wife. If you have kids/grandkids you may want to factor in the cost for any changes that are needed or desired.
Lord, sometimes I'm really jealous of what you can get houses for
Similar to Long Island comment, that house would be double the price in Bergen County, NJ, and cost you 25K in taxes. So to me, it looks like a great value.
Obviously, check into utilities issue, and especially into the septic. Replacing that can cost big money if its not in good shape. Have the inspector do a full inspection on it, open pit if possible. Or, find out if there is sewer available. When I bought my current home, it had septic, but it was a holdover after they put sewer in the neighborhood. The original owner didn't want to pay to connect. I gladly paid to have it connected after I bought.
I'm not freaked out about all electric. Mine only kicks in to gas under 40 degrees. Not much of the year all things considered. Get a good inspector. Really nice house
I've lived a long time and in four different houses. WIth a family. And I found that we rarely spent time in the front. It's a beautiful lawn, but practically, what purpose does it serve to a family except as wonderful curb appeal. Where would you go to enjoy your family, picnic, have the kids sleep in a tent, etc ... chances are it's behind the house. That's where I would want my acreage. In a neighborhood like where the house is, do you see neighbors out front except to do yard work or ride around in their mower? You wouldn't have a barbecue out front -- I doubt if the neighborhood would tolerate that -- it disrupts the admitedly beauty of the area.
I realize this is my PERSONAL feeling about ANY house, not just this one. Ask yourself, HOW DO YOU LIVE your home life? I'm assuming you have kids. In the front of a house or the back? Anyway, that's just my observation on family living in general. For what it's worth. Whatever, good luck and be happy.
it's a bit dated, but looks like it was kept up very well. I would like a more open floor plan. But I Love colonials. The yard is also very nice. I would guess they have it professionally done. The best part is the little shed. You should buy it because then we would all know where you live and we can drop by :)
I've lived a long time and in four different houses. WIth a family. And I found that we rarely spent time in the front. It's a beautiful lawn, but practically, what purpose does it serve to a family except as wonderful curb appeal. Where would you go to enjoy your family, picnic, have the kids sleep in a tent, etc ... chances are it's behind the house. That's where I would want my acreage. In a neighborhood like where the house is, do you see neighbors out front except to do yard work or ride around in their mower? You wouldn't have a barbecue out front -- I doubt if the neighborhood would tolerate that -- it disrupts the admitedly beauty of the area.
I realize this is my PERSONAL feeling about ANY house, not just this one. Ask yourself, HOW DO YOU LIVE your home life? I'm assuming you have kids. In the front of a house or the back? Anyway, that's just my observation on family living in general. For what it's worth. Whatever, good luck and be happy.
I agree 100% that having a big back yard is awesome for families to enjoy.
However I think this house has that but they just didn't photograph it well. It's on a one acre lot and while yes it is a nice size that front yard isn't close to an acre by itself. You can see in one picture that off to the side from the outbuilding is what looks to be a large back yard as well. It's just off to the side of the pool area and not photographed properly by the listing agent.
huh...I've lived in VA most of my life and never heard of Gainesville
but the house seems pretty small to justify the price point. That house in the Charlotte market is probably $240K, and while I know real estate is more expensive in parts of Virginia, you are still pretty rural.
My biggest concerns would be with the septic and well situation, but if you're comfortable with the maintenance needed, then that's up for you to decide.
is not a selling point, you need your inspector to do a blower test to see how much they leak then adjust your offer to account for the fact that they never upgraded
...Which brings up the key point about the location: It's Redskins country. Why would anyone choose to associate with that trash? Nice house, though, and I think the size is fine for most families. Kids don't need huge bedrooms with en-suite baths.
A steal. A home that size across the street from me
but the house seems pretty small to justify the price point. That house in the Charlotte market is probably $240K, and while I know real estate is more expensive in parts of Virginia, you are still pretty rural.
My biggest concerns would be with the septic and well situation, but if you're comfortable with the maintenance needed, then that's up for you to decide.
Good luck.
My recommendation is to keep this listing in your back pocket but keep looking. Future re-sale may be compromised with the electric heat, small kitchen, pool situation and also having the laundry on the first floor when the bedrooms are on the 2nd.
Also, electric heat can actually save money if you room by room baseboards. Plus, heat pump is the most cost efficient for a climate like VA. To me, this is a non-issue.
Brick house that looks stately rather than vulgar like a lot of the new McMansions.
True, its 40 years old but I don't see any sag and it has nice old growth trees that again enhance the house's stature.
So I give it a huge thumbs up. I think you will be very happy in that house.
Make sure you have a good inspector and look closely at the sellers disclosure statement. I wouldn't buy a house that old, but that's just how I am.
Tough to say about the house. It sure looks nice. Things like electric heat can be easily, if not cheaply, remedied. Don't know anything about the location and that's really the most importantant thing. Our buddies here on BBI will agree on this point, location is to real estate as the offensive line is to pro football. Can't hide a poor offensive line and you can't hide a poor house location.
Also, that's nice looking house!
the price point without all electric. We are thinking on. It
Hire a contractor to inspect the home, not a 'home inspector' a real contractor. Someone you can trust, if possible. See what he says. For a couple hundred bucks it may be well be worth it.
Septic doesn't bother me if it is in good condition, again inspect it. Insist on an open pit inspection. Check with the town to see if they have plans for sewerage. I'm going through that now. Cost estimates around 25k. At least with septic you save the $800-1000 on yearly charges. In general, septic systems should last 30-40 years.
Well water also is no issue depending on your surroundings. Have it tested and if you buy the house ask you dentist about fluoride treatments for any kids.
Beautiful house, truly. One concern I see is no fence separating the house from the pool which is very close to the porch. You should check to see what safety regulations exist and check if they are present and acceptable to you and your wife. If you have kids/grandkids you may want to factor in the cost for any changes that are needed or desired.
you may eventually redo kitchen or just replace appliances, but doesn't look like you need to do that anytime soon.
looks like a gem.
if it's electric baseboard, what are the vents in the ceilings of the bedrooms? forced hot air? AC?
Funny thing is where I live That house linked is really pricey. You get midwest and 500K buys twice that house
Obviously, check into utilities issue, and especially into the septic. Replacing that can cost big money if its not in good shape. Have the inspector do a full inspection on it, open pit if possible. Or, find out if there is sewer available. When I bought my current home, it had septic, but it was a holdover after they put sewer in the neighborhood. The original owner didn't want to pay to connect. I gladly paid to have it connected after I bought.
all it needs is a Giants flag out front
I've lived a long time and in four different houses. WIth a family. And I found that we rarely spent time in the front. It's a beautiful lawn, but practically, what purpose does it serve to a family except as wonderful curb appeal. Where would you go to enjoy your family, picnic, have the kids sleep in a tent, etc ... chances are it's behind the house. That's where I would want my acreage. In a neighborhood like where the house is, do you see neighbors out front except to do yard work or ride around in their mower? You wouldn't have a barbecue out front -- I doubt if the neighborhood would tolerate that -- it disrupts the admitedly beauty of the area.
I realize this is my PERSONAL feeling about ANY house, not just this one. Ask yourself, HOW DO YOU LIVE your home life? I'm assuming you have kids. In the front of a house or the back? Anyway, that's just my observation on family living in general. For what it's worth. Whatever, good luck and be happy.
Love the brick and the pool in the back and the big lot. As you said looks like it has nice bones. Good luck
I've lived a long time and in four different houses. WIth a family. And I found that we rarely spent time in the front. It's a beautiful lawn, but practically, what purpose does it serve to a family except as wonderful curb appeal. Where would you go to enjoy your family, picnic, have the kids sleep in a tent, etc ... chances are it's behind the house. That's where I would want my acreage. In a neighborhood like where the house is, do you see neighbors out front except to do yard work or ride around in their mower? You wouldn't have a barbecue out front -- I doubt if the neighborhood would tolerate that -- it disrupts the admitedly beauty of the area.
I realize this is my PERSONAL feeling about ANY house, not just this one. Ask yourself, HOW DO YOU LIVE your home life? I'm assuming you have kids. In the front of a house or the back? Anyway, that's just my observation on family living in general. For what it's worth. Whatever, good luck and be happy.
I agree 100% that having a big back yard is awesome for families to enjoy.
However I think this house has that but they just didn't photograph it well. It's on a one acre lot and while yes it is a nice size that front yard isn't close to an acre by itself. You can see in one picture that off to the side from the outbuilding is what looks to be a large back yard as well. It's just off to the side of the pool area and not photographed properly by the listing agent.
My biggest concerns would be with the septic and well situation, but if you're comfortable with the maintenance needed, then that's up for you to decide.
all it needs is a Giants flag out front
...Which brings up the key point about the location: It's Redskins country. Why would anyone choose to associate with that trash? Nice house, though, and I think the size is fine for most families. Kids don't need huge bedrooms with en-suite baths.
My biggest concerns would be with the septic and well situation, but if you're comfortable with the maintenance needed, then that's up for you to decide.
I need to find a job in Charlotte....