Back in the saddle, again

[rkold]

So we sort of have another bid in on a house. The seller wants us to go higher. I can't decide if we should. Pluses on the house, amazing yard (it's only 1 acre but a mostly flat and sunny 1 acre), good (to me) property taxes, nice flow to the rooms, beautifully updated kitchen and decently updated bathrooms, decent location, and plenty of room (holy heck 1800 sq feet can go really far when well designed!) Negatives are: it's more than I wanted to spend and I am worried my desire to get out of here is coloring me, If I wait maybe I will find something better, but if I wait maybe I won't.. And teh husband wants to do some of the work we would do fixing a place up ourselves which would mean it would take forever vs this is all ready to go...

Edit: I just want to clarify, to a normal person the stairs to the lower level/basement are perfectly normal. If you wanted to spend the money you could carpet them because they are full stairs, not the type with the open back like our old basement stairs, I'm just anti-stairs right now because I worry about them with the toddler. Right now she couldn't access them because she can't open doors, but it is something I need to think about since laundry is currently down there.

So...

What would you do, fair reader?

[Poll #1869043]

Comments

[reynardine.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, that's hard to tell since the market up there is so different than ours in the Midwest. The only advice I do have is that it is still a buyer's market right now--so if that price isn't what you want, argue them down or find another place.

Oh, and the place we have now have steep basement steps and they get really old, really fast.

So I'm not sure how to vote....!

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Ahahah, I guess I should be fair, I see all steps as a negative right now because I have a toddler. The steps I am 99% sure do have a bannister and if not are completely enclosed so it would be easy to get one, and are not very steep. They're just wooden steps and I don't want to carpet steps to the basement and I worry about Adina falling down them. For now, she can't open doors, but that wont always be the case and I have to figure out where it would make sense to have a gate.

The problem with other places is it is really really hard to find flat and sunny land. This house has one of the best yards I've seen, possibly the best.

[twotone]

How bad are the basement steps?

[rkold.livejournal.com]

They're wood and have no carpeting. I just worry about all steps since Adina has tumbled down ours now 2 or 3 times and this is a longer flight and not carpeted. Ideally, Adina won't be going down to the basement with me much, it's just that is where the laundry currently is.

[twotone]

Totally understandable... wooden steps can be scary. My grandma's house in Japan had steep narrow wooden stairs that were, IIRC, incredibly slippery and terrifying. I went up them maybe once or twice in all the summers I spent there.

It sounds like the other aspects of this house are really good, though, especially the yard! I hope you're able to negotiate for a lower price. I can totally understand how eager you must be to have your own place.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Overall as steps to a basement goes they're great. They're completely solid and I guess if we really wanted to we could carpet them. They're not steep or anything, I'm just leery of steps. One fall Adina really clonked her head on the tile floor but her more recent fall her landing was cushioned by my purse. >>; By the time she is 5 the stairs will no longer be an issue I would imagine, I just will probably worry a lot between 2-3

It's a lovely amount of space. If we get it you'll have to come for an open house! :D

[chocolate_chip.livejournal.com]

You could be firm on your offer, and if they don't sell, take that as a sign it wasn't the right house? IDK, you know how bad I am at making decisions. Also, imagine that you got a call right now saying the house was taken off the market, and think about how you'd feel.