House Hunting

We’re house hunting! We’re selling our current home and looking for a new one. Find out what we’re looking for and our must haves!

We’re on the hunt for a new house!

When we bought our current home, we knew going into it that it was not a forever home. It was definitely a starter place but it was a great way to buy a home in a great area that we wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise. Of course, we got it on the cheap (it was the cheapest house in the entire city when we bought it!) because it needed so much work but frankly, I enjoyed that part of it.

One of the things I love the most about this little house is that it has been fixed up 100% to our taste. It was nice to come into a house that wasn’t fixed up and get to change things. It would have been a lot harder coming into a house and changing things that were already nice but just didn’t fit in with our personal preferences.

This little ol’ house also turned out to be a good little investment! It’s currently on the market for 35% over what we paid which is a pretty good return in three years if you ask me.

I don’t know if the next house will be “forever” either and honestly, it probably won’t be because the nature of life is the only constant is change. But I am definitely looking to find something much more long term. Some day I’d like to have kids and part of that is having some more room!

There are a few things in our current house that don’t work for us anymore:

Small // It’s only two bedrooms and it’s also small at 1070 sq ft. The backyard is really small as well with just a patio and a small patch of grass.

No driveway // Parking here is not fun! You can’t park on the street and unfortunately we don’t have a drive way so one of us has to park outside the neighborhood every day. We park our other car and the trailer in the garage.

Closed off Kitchen // It’s no secret I love to cook and entertain and the way the current layout is doesn’t encourage this much. When I’m in the kitchen during a party or with friends over, I often feel secluded. I’d like for the kitchen to be the center of the home and the place everyone congregates.

This house has really been a great learning process and will definitely influence what we choose next! It’s shown me not only the things that I love in a home but also things that I don’t like and that don’t work for me.

With that said, here’s what we’re looking for in our next place!

Must Haves

Single Story
2,000+ sq ft (but prefer 2,500)
4 bedroom (or 3 bedroom + den)
Large Lot (enough for pool, garden, dogs)
Large Great Room (Kitchen open to living room)
Three Car Garage
Dedicated Laundry Room (not in garage)
In the city we’ve chosen (we’re only looking in one city in Southern California)

Nice to Haves

Pool
Covered Patio
Slider or door in master bedroom to backyard
Dining Room
RV Parking
Landscaping
Outdoor Kitchen
Courtyard
Cul-de-sac
No HOA

As you can see, we’re somewhat picky. Fortunately, since we’ve started looking (about two months ago), we’ve found a few houses that fit the bill! Unfortunately, we’ve lost out on two houses that we liked to other buyers.

Truthfully, it can be really disheartening losing out on a house you’ve made an offer on. Once I like a house, I already start planning out spaces and making to do lists for the house as if we own it, so it’s a bit of a dream crusher when we don’t get it.

I have to remind myself that the right house will come along and be even better than the ones we’ve missed out on! Fortunately for us, there’s no rush and we’re in no hurry (ok, I’m in a little bit of a hurry, only because I’m so excited to get started) and we’re just enjoying living in our house that’s currently finished to exactly our taste!

I am looking forward to the next adventure of home ownership and can’t wait to get my hands on a new house to renovate and love! I hope to share the journey with all of you so expect to see some posts about buying a home, renovating a home and fun before and afters as well!