House Searcho Dramaderio

The post title is what I would name this house search if it was an opera. Because, after the last two days, it is definitely a drama.

We saw two houses on Saturday and one house today. Well, I saw two houses on Saturday. Bronchitis required Shawn and our children to remain home while I ventured out with my parents.

So, let's fill in the next chapter of this constantly unfolding drama.

House #1 - County Highway 110

For some reason, I knew this house wasn't going to be the one before we even went. I don't know why. Maybe because it has tenants in it, maybe because I know the guy who owns it. I don't know what it was. But as soon as we pulled into the driveway and saw the various pets, many children, and large number of random items in the yard, I was positive that we would not be living here.

This house was a disaster. Of course, it was dirty and smelled awful. But it also had a terrible layout, with two bedrooms downstairs and two upstairs, which won't work for us at all. Our tour, including talking with one of the tenants who we knew from back in the day, took fifteen minutes. I almost peeled out of the driveway.

House #2 - County Highway 155

This house was sooo exciting to me because I have always loved it. It's just adorable. It was built in 1936, and it always looked so neat and tidy. Inside, it held true to this external appearance. It was obvious that, though cosmetically in need of updates, it had been cared for very well.

The problem was that this house is very small. It also has a very large full bathroom located in the middle (literally) of the downstairs floor plan, and the walls impose on all of the other rooms. It is labeled a three bedroom, but this is a misnomer. The third bedroom is really a large, open room at the top of the stairs that holds the doors to the other two bedrooms. I do not think this could be made into an actual room. It would be too small.

This house will be a great place for another family. Just not us. On the plus side, the agent who showed us this house was super, super nice and we had a great time with him. We were there for an hour.

House #3 - Colyer Road

I will be honest. I was not super excited to see this house. I had google mapped it and was disappointed to see that there were three houses directly across the road from this one, basically blocking the view of a beautiful creek (really a small river). Even though this is a dead end road, and there is only one other house past this one, I really thought that it would be quite busy and much noisier than I wanted. But, we had the appointment, so we went anyway.

I. Am. In. Love. Seriously in love. I am actually scared about how much I like this house. First of all, in quite a distressing turn of events, the three houses that had been there are no longer there. They were apparently quite badly damaged during the last big flood and now there is just open land and a beautiful, unobstructed view of Schoharie Creek. Secondly, you would not believe how quiet it is here. Even though you can see the road that leads to this one, including the bridge that goes over the creek, no traffic noise can be heard. All you hear when you're outside is the rushing of the creek. It's incredible.

The house itself has everything I have ever wanted. Wide plank floors. Four bedrooms (so the extra can be used as a playroom/office/guest room). Two full bathrooms. Original woodwork. A mantle. A big, eat-in kitchen. A big dining room. A barn that is actually in good shape. A smaller building for a workshop or whatever. Lots of windows. Two acres. It's amazing.

Is it perfect? No. It is not in pristine condition. Some of the upstairs bedrooms have carpet (not a fan). They also made many questionable wallpaper choices. The kitchen is almost a disaster. It can be used, but it is so strangely laid out that we would have to start from scratch at some point and completely rework it. I mean completely.

Allie was in her glory. She was playing on the floor, going through all of the rooms. And outside? Forget it. She didn't care that it was cold and drizzly. She was running around the yard, playing with rocks, running up and down the hill. She would have stayed out there for the rest of the afternoon, ignoring her red nose and cold hands.

But, a few unfortunate facts remain. One of these is the location. While it is amazing in and of itself, it is far from church and my parents. Also the grocery store. Another of these is the taxes. $4700. Yeah. For where we live, that is high. We currently pay $1900. So that is more than twice our current taxes. That hurts. Thirdly, the flood issue is a concern. The basement is set for it: everything is raised, including the furnace, and it's obvious that if it floods, the house is ready. But we don't want a house that floods all the time.

So, basically, now I am torn. What is the next step? Are we insane for even considering a house that is sort of in the middle of nowhere? It has everything on my "list." Everything. I could see our children growing up here, running in the yard without fear of cars or noise. It's the perfect place to home school them, to have their birthday parties, to make Christmas memories and to play in the leaves and plant a garden.

But I don't want to fall in love with this house. Every time I do, they fall through. My dreams disintegrate and my heart is broken. I don't want that again. So, for now, I guess we sit and wait and see what comes down the road. And pray. Pray a lot for God's will and guidance. Because there is one thing that I absolutely, without a doubt, 100% know: the only place I want to be is where He wants us.