House Hunting Saturday

Yesterday, E & I went out to look at three homes in the South Hills, two in Bethel Park and one in South Park. After a few wrong turns and the GPS leading us to a closed road, we made it to South Park for the first house in a foul mood. Here's the summary:

House 1

Location: South Park
Stats: 4 Bedrooms, 2.5 Bathrooms, First Floor Family Room

Pros: Room sizes were great, the layout of the house was very nice, closets were large, the yard was beautiful (about 1/3 acre), the deck was huge, huge 2-car garage, master bathroom, great neighborhood, some new windows.
Cons: Needs cosmetic updates: some new carpets, lots of dated wallpaper, kitchen cabinets (not real wood) and counter tops, closet doors. Furnace and AC are original with the house (30 years old). Kitchen appliances are dated. The commute is 28 minutes without traffic. This is 10 minutes more (6 extra miles) than if we moved to Bethel.

Verdict: Loved the house, loved the space. Hated the commute.

This house is priced for a quick sale and will be snatched up within the month. It is being sold by a recent divorcee for only $1K above market value.

Major Conclusion: Although I could handle the commute, it would make for a very cranky E. It is something for us to think about.

House 2

Location: Bethel Park
Stats: 4 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, First Floor FR, In-ground Pool

Pros: The street and neighborhood is fantastic! A cul-de-sac with kids playing on the street, hardly any traffic and loads of trees. The house is spacious with the family room and four bedrooms. It has a nice deck and a large yard. The finished basement is nice.
Cons: Closet space is practically non-existent. The stairs to the second level are enclosed. There are no kitchen appliances. No bathroom on the second floor. The garage is unusable unless the driveway is paved. The driveway is too narrow to shuffle the cars. The yard is tiered and has a lot of overgrown trees, vines and bushes. The pool is extra insurance ($200 a year), extra electric and extra maintenance, plus the fence around the top of the pool is not up to code. The front porch needs to be torn down and re-done and there are some cosmetic updates needed on the house. The furnace is old.

Verdict: Nice house, but we couldn't live with no closets and no driveway. The yard is difficult to maintain. The pool is both a plus and a con. Needs lots of updates.

I think this is a good house, but there are lots of updates needed, and the layout is not ideal for us.

Major conclusion: More bedrooms do not translate to a better house.

House 3

Location: Bethel Park
Stats: 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Over 1/2 Acre Yard

Pros: This is our second time viewing this house. We really like it. It is turn-key with fab new appliances, new wood windows, HW floors, new furnace, new AC and new hot water tank. The room sizes are nice, the closets are huge, the layout is great (traditional and efficient) and the yard is a dream-come-true. There is a deep integral garage, a finished GR in the basement, a huge covered brick porch and nice landscaping.
Cons: The house sits on a busier road. The second full bathroom (brand new) is in the basement. We would have to extend the driveway by about 4 ft in order to be able to shuffle the two cars in and out of the garage.

Verdict: This is a great house, and it has a lot of potential for improvements and additions.

The price of this house was just significantly reduced. It was certainly worth a second look.

Major conclusion: We still love this house, especially for the new price.