We’ve been casually house hunting for a few weeks now — driving through different neighborhoods, browsing MLS photos, and popping into a few homes here and there — and finally decided to write about the experience. It’s surprising how much time gets eaten up by cleaning the house and scheduling showings, which made blogging about the hunt take a back seat.
Part of the delay was figuring out the best way to share our search. We’d love to show every detail of each home, but we also want to respect the sellers’ privacy — these people didn’t sign up to have their properties scrutinized online like on a TV show.
After some thought, we settled on sharing one slightly edited exterior photo of each house along with a clear, honest rundown of pros and cons and whether we think it could work for our family. First up is the place we nicknamed “The Cottage in the Woods,” a house we stumbled upon while getting lost in a nearby neighborhood. We were instantly smitten from the outside — almost to the point of not needing to see the interior. It really was that charming from the curb.
THE STATS:
- Year built: 1953
- House size: 1,905 square feet
- Lot size: 1.4 acres
- Bedrooms: 3
- Bathrooms: 2
THE PROS:
- Characterful older home that needs some TLC
- Exceptionally private, wooded lot — you drive about 150 feet through trees before you even see the house
- Located in a nice neighborhood with good schools
- Open-feeling living and dining area
THE CONS:
- No en-suite bathroom
- Kitchen is small — roughly half the size of our current one — with no obvious room to expand
- Two bedrooms on the main level and one in the basement
- Basement ceiling is very low, to the point of having to duck
The exterior won us over, but the interior layout didn’t match our vision of an open, airy home. While we usually love taking a compact, compartmentalized house and opening up walls, this plan didn’t lend itself well to that kind of renovation. Having a bedroom located in the low-ceilinged basement — complete with a dehumidifier — was another drawback. We prefer all bedrooms to be above grade and close together so we can be near Clara and any future children during their earlier years.
Ultimately, although the cottage had irresistible curb appeal, the interior compromises made us feel like we’d be settling rather than finding a true fit. So our dream of living in a secluded little cottage in the woods fizzled out — but that’s the nature of house hunting. On to the next one!
Exterior photo altered by us with a little help from Photoshop.
P.S. We’re a bit nervous about our upcoming appearance on The Nate Show this Monday the 25th — fingers crossed we don’t come off as starstruck geeks.