Granted, the land is beautiful. But . . there’s always a big but!
The worst news is still the house. I didn’t take any pictures of the outside. It actually looks like the siding is asbestos shingles, though the realtor assured us they were cedar. Still not sure about that.
I suppose worse than the house is that the owner apparently thinks the house is pretty darned valuable. I could maybe live with the house as a weekend retreat. Despite our original thoughts that the old house might work for the sewing room/guest house, if we were ever going to build and wanted to have a decent view of the lake, the house would have to go.
One thing I would be real glad to see go is this kitchen!
How about that red dishwasher? Or, how about that three section red sink? Good grief! Who puts a sink at the end of the island with no space on either side. Someone either had longer arms than I do or they have a whole different method for rinsing dishes and getting them into the dishwasher and drying the dishes that get washed by hand. And, when you open the dishwasher, it hits the fridge. They have all the paperwork . . all the sales materials from the dishwasher, stovetop, oven . . from when they built or remodeled . . I don’t have a clue how old the house is. The cabinets could be painted but there are tiny little spindles . . it’s not a job I would tackle.
And if the kitchen isn’t enough to win you over, what about the “master bath”?
That’s it . . what you see right there is the bathroom . . no tub, no shower, no sink . . a toilet, a water heater and the blue thing has something to do with the well.
The house is in serious need of updating. It isn’t dirty . . just old and ugly. The house . . not me!
Pat says
Oh, my….I do see there are some “issues” there that I’d be hard-pressed to live with, also. *sigh*
CJ says
Yeah… dozable :). Okay maybe it can be saved, but you are going to spend as much gutting it and remodeling it as if you’d started from scratch. What’s the chance of gutting it, and simply adding on to the entire structure and making it the main house?
Or maybe the land hunt is still on?
Angie says
I agree that is a strange arrangement for the kitchen island. Is there a window in there someplace too? That blue thing is probably a chlorinator for the well water which is not a good sign either.
Judy, when looking for a new place to live really think about what you have at your present home, and if there is anything you could live without in you present comfort zone—because I can honestly tell you, you might think you can “rough it a bit”, but after awhile you are going to regret not having the amenities and comfort you presently have. I don’t know yours or Vince’s ages, but being comfortable and having all the creature comforts PLUS more, is what you will need and want in the future. Not less.
Living in the country is different for sure, and making it comfortable to move around in a home and extended property doing your daily routine is very important as we get older. Hiring people to do things gets very expensive, and finding the right people to come onto your property is sometimes even more difficult.
Linda says
Some very strange design choices in that house…..and those kitchen cabinets look straight out of the ’70s.
peggy says
What a hoot that sink is! And the bathroom. I’m old (!) enough to know I would not like living in a house like that for more than a few days. I do like my creature comforts. Dozing and building first sound like the best options. Or, looking for a different parcel. It always looks so beautiful in your blog photos, I’m sure there is your little corner of Heaven out there somewhere.
Cari Jimison says
I am currently living a remodel as you go house. BIG MISTAKE! A seven and a half year mistake. Love our neighborhood. But we were at the age when we moved in we should have been living and enjoying life more as our children had ventured out . The house has been on going, and going and going.
Start fresh! I would never buy a burden again,
Cari
from No Calif
Evelyn says
Oh my gosh! This is too funny. I really had a good laugh. Maybe if you see a few more houses like this one – you will decide that your place takes the cake. Might be easier/nicer to buy the vacant lot right next to your house – that would prevent close neighbors. So much to think about!
Bessie H says
The blue thing in the master bath looks like the air tank for the water pump. There is a plastic bladder in the tank that fills with water and when the pressure gets to a certain level it kicks off the pump. Then when you turn water on somewhere in the house it uses the water in the tank for a little while until the pressure lowers enough to kick the pump back on. This saves the pump from running every time you get a glass of water. There probably is a submersible pump in a deep well somewhere near. Our tank is in a separate “pump house” a little ways
from the house. This could be moved, although it may cost a pretty penny. Also the little red thing on the side of the tank looks like the cover for where you put compressed air very occasionally to keep the right balance between the bladder and the rest of the tank. We’ve only had to air our’s up once in fifteen years.
Vicki W says
A bulldozer is needed pronto!
pdudgeon says
ummmm, yep, that’s a few too many ‘bad’s’ for me, especially if the present owner is in love with the house.
you would be amazed at how many folk believe that it is possible for people other than themselves to live without a fully equipped bathroom these days. I was on the short end of that rope for a year, and it was not pretty.
i can’t imagine Chad living in those conditions, much less you and Vince.
as pretty as the lake is, i would pass that one by.
Cheryl L says
Amazing that they would save the receipts from the appliances/remodel—-like that’s somehow going to convince you that something that’s old and outdated is somehow worth more if you can prove how much you paid for it—even if it was YEARS ago! That kitchen configuration was clearly designed by someone who’s never spent much time in one!
It’s a dozer for sure, IMO!!!
Christine says
OH dear!
Marla says
Ooh! Run girl run!! I found a dream property like this last year but the house was horrible. It would be cheaper to level it and put in a modular home with all the bells and whistles! Really? No bathtub or shower?
Deputy's Wife says
Oh Judy, that is ugly. And that is a master bath?!?
Though that view is wonderful. Unfortunately, most people believe their houses are worth far more than they actually are. Heck, I think my house is worth a fortune, but I bet someone else would tell me different!
Laurel says
Looks like an opportunity for a complete redesign — should you be in the right frame of mind to do so.
I know you’re further south than I am, but I looked at that beautiful lane and thought, boy, won’t that be a B***H when it snows. And the pond floods it when there’s too much water for the culvert to handle.
Good luck with your search!
Sibyl says
Judy
With what you have been spoiled with, this might look bad. Now if you were to ever see my kitchen, I would die for the kitchen in this house. It has room to move around. I could learn to do with the sink. The colors, well to me they are fine. As you see my kitchen the floor is 4 ft x 6 ft, I have room for myself in the kitchen, and no one else. I have room to put my drain board out for doing dishes, and not much more. I have to move it, to do prep work, then clean that up, to use the electric skillet, or crock pot. Would I love that kitchen, in a heart beat. Will I ever get one, no way. I have lived in our home our entire marriage, it has been 30 years now. I dream of a kitchen, but I know it won’t come to be. So be thankful for what you have. If you absolutely love the land, Work around the house. Make it work. That is my opinion. I would love to live in the country, but we live in the city, no chickens.
Maria Stahl says
LOL looks like I’m the only person who looked at the picture and said to herself, “Hey!! Is that a RED SINK? How cool!”
Patty says
Maria you’re not alone. I love the red sink but not where it’s placed. It would look pretty cool in my house. But they can keep that bathroom. Yuccccck.
Lynne in Hawaii says
Hideous…does that sound like the term to use??? I couldn’t live with the red myself. The ‘master bath’ looks like a utility closet. Yuk! Yep…tear it down and start with your own plans.
Karen L says
Well it needs a little work……especially the master toilet area……thats quite unique……and it seems like there are way to many cabinet doors in the kitchen……………..it needs leveling. We leveled our old home after we built our new one and that day I think I was the main cheerleader for the backhoe, some things are better off buried so they can rest in peace!!!!
Karen
Nan says
Everybody’s got a different idea of what constitutes a “good” house. As long as it is warm/cool and dry, that is enough for some folks…others not so much. My brother told us that we should “remodel with a grenade at each corner of the house”, or get the local Fire Dept to burn it as a training exercise! Neither happened, but the house is a LOT of work, and will take a long time to make our house the way I want it (if ever). I still love living here, though – and I’m really glad we got our farm!
Judy says
Holler if you want to borrow the bulldozer. It’s parked out behind the shop and I’m sure will do the job just fine. I don’t know about getting it there though. 😉
I love the sink, don’t love the location of the sink. And having lived in this house for 34 years with one bathroom and a family of 6, I’d be happy with that master bath!!
Jerzydeb says
Looks like the master bath was added as an after-afterthought. Perhaps toilets were on clearance that day at Home Depot and it was the only place they could fit it?
Honestly – you’ll find exactly what your looking for, with a house that you can actually move right in and live comfortably in – with all you do – you deserve it !
Julianne says
Judy
All I can say is WOW….. I guess it could be remodeled, depending on what the rest of the house was like. You could put new fronts on the cabinets and I think just scrap the island for a new one that fits..LOL The master bath well I don’t know It might make a closet….but who wants a closet like that off the master??? Not me.
Some of these old farm houses have some interesting features. LOL
dee says
Thanks for showing this Judy. I thought my out-dated kitchen was bad. Now it looks beautiful. That island is an eyesore-what a lot of wasted space and the red…well…speechless. I think I’ll return once a day just to feel better about my golden oak and beige. As I’ve gotten older, polishing wood is a pain I would like to do without. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I think I would like much more modern cabinets that don’t require so much work and look bright and clean.
Anyway, thanks for the looksee-that’s some (ahem) bathroom.
Cherie Moore says
OMG….a red GIGANTIC sink with no counter top on either side of it!!! Yowza.
Cindy says
I showed the pictures to Joe and he said #1, it’s built on a slab. #2, I can see water damage on the ceiling. Both of those are big “Huh-uh’s for him.
The thing is, the land, with the pond and that view… Even if the house magically burns to the ground, they aren’t going to lower the price that much.
Natalie says
maybe the lack of tub/shower in the master bath explains WHY there is such a strange sink setup. . . maybe the third section is for bathing??? (gross!)
Maria Stahl says
I keep thinking about this.
An ugly kitchen and nonexistent bathroom are not good enough reasons to bulldoze a house. If the bones are good (and that’s debatable), then it’s worth saving.
Personally, if I had the budget, I would love to gut a place like this and redo it. The kitchen is a decent size if you pull everything out and just go back to the walls and floor. It definitely has possibilities. If the lavatory is near the kitchen, you might even be able to steal some space from the kitchen to make a decent, though smallish, bathroom and separate utility closet.
But since the sellers think it’s a palace, the price probably won’t be right anyway. I just love that view. I’d put up with an awful lot for that view!
Maria Stahl says
Oh, and the dishwasher is not red. It’s just the removable front panels that are red. They are very easy to swap out for something else. Stainless, even.
ruth anne shorter says
I think there could be possibilities, here. Just do the pro and con chart. I am praying for wisdom for you guys.