House Hunting Sunday

It was a marathon! We saw six houses in the span of 3 hours, all while E was in a terrible mood. Apologies if the details are fuzzy, they all tend to blend together.

House #1

Location: Pleasant Hills

Stats: Colonial, 4 bed, 1.5 baths

Pros: Nice size, enclosed porch converted into FR, nice traditional layout

Cons: Small tiered yard, one car garage, needs a bit of cosmetic work

This was a repeat visit to the house. We had ranked it very high on our original list and could not remember what we didn't like about it. We realized the yard was a deal-breaker.

Verdict: No.

Major Conclusion: A nice yard is non-negotiable for us.

House #2

Location: Bethel Park

Stats: Ranch, 3 beds, 1.5 baths, 2 car garage, 1/3 acre

Pros: Large common areas, enclosed porch (easy remake into FR), large finished basement, nice woodwork throughout the house (doors, floors, cabinets), fireplaces, nice bedroom sizes, enormous garage with workshop, beautiful yard, nice landscaping, cul de sac street, located with easy access to main roads. This house also includes a security system, brand new kitchen appliances (white), new HWT, newer furnace and roof.

Cons: Needs a lot of cosmetic work including a main bathroom remodel, new kitchen counter (or kitchen remodel), new kitchen floor, new carpeting in basement and two bedrooms. The deck off the kitchen is tiny, so it would need a new larger deck.

We liked this house, but it was almost like it grew on us. We didn't realize how much we liked it until we left it.

Verdict: A repeat visit is needed to know for sure.

Major conclusion: A ranch that is well layed-out can work.

House #3

Location: Upper Saint Clair

Stats: Cape Cod, 4 beds, 2 baths

Pros: School District, spacious

Cons: Layout, Location

This house was on a busier street, which we didn't like. It was also layed out so poorly that, even though it had a lot of square footage (1st floor FR, finished GR), a lot of the space was "weird". The DR was unusable, the kitchen was tucked away, the bedrooms were odd in shape. It made no sense.

Verdict: No

Major Conclusion: Just no

House #4

Location: Upper Saint Clair

Stats: Cape Cod, 3 beds, 1.5 baths

Pros: Had a 1st floor FR and a beautiful deck. All bedrooms were upstairs.

Cons: No garage, the yard was unusable hills, needed cosmetic work

E hated this house before we even walked in. I thought it was cute, but small.

Verdict: Not for us

Major Conclusion: None

House #5

Location: Bethel Park

Stats: Colonial, 4 beds, 1.5 baths, double lot

Pros: Huge eat-in kitchen, formal DR, 1st-floor FR, nice patio, wide driveways, new furnace, roof, HTH and plumbing.

Cons: Lots of cosmetic updates needed, yard was on a hill and unusable. The disclosure listed some items that made us think the yard was sliding. Did not care for the street.

This house had a lot of space and is priced very low, but it is a fixer upper. Had the yard been flat and the street nicer, we could have considered it.

Verdict: Nah

Major Conclusion: Although a yard is non-negotiable, cosmetic updates are something we can deal with.

House #6

Location: Pleasant Hills

Stats: Multi-level, 3 beds, 2 baths, 2-car garage

Pros: Curb Appeal.

Cons: Everything else! The house must have been built as a 70's bachelor pad with 70's wallpaper, old old old carpet, brick back splash in the kitchen, old old old appliances, a man cave in the basement (complete with shag and billiards table), and a Swiss Family Robinson yard.

The Yard: OMFG! The yard was basically a tree-house built in decking wood. From the kitchen, a spiral staircase led you down to the (basement-level) patio with an in-ground pool and slide. Then, there were three more levels of decking (all going down lower) with different balconies, water features, step ladders, spiral staircases, all leading to a gazebo and built-in grill at the lowest level. There was not a single inch of grass or dirt, not a single corner that wasn't covered by wood structures.

Verdict: Hell no!

Major Conclusion: Do I even have to say it? The yard!