House built on old golf course - yes or no ?

I moved house 11 years ago and it was no picnic. I also helped (as best as I was able) to clear out a friends house last year. It is very time consuming and exhausting.

If I were you I would start by doing as though you 'might' be moving; don't spend precious energy on actual house hunting though. Instead work your way through each room and declutter/sort stuff out at your own pace; maybe if you have rooms to spare, put things (eg bits of furniture) you are not sure about in one room and forget about it for the time being.

Then you can draw up a list of all the things that need fixing and start by getting the smaller/inexpensive things done, or get one thing fixed at a time.
 
Valentijn said:
Another option could be a ground floor condo, or the ground floor of a over-under duplex.


I think she's probably right. If you have more space then you need and can take care of, perhaps you could rent out a room at a reduced rate to a young relative or similar in exchange for a bit of help with upkeep.
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Condo is a great idea but I have 2 small dogs who are my life companions and I cannot take them outside many times a day. i need to open the door, let them do their business and not pick up (they’re both very small so it naturally dissolves into the soil after a while). If not, a condo would definitely be my first choice.

This whole thing is quite an adventure. I change my mind everyday, I get so much adrenalin from trying to make a decision and looking at houses that I lose a lot of sleep over it.

My thinking is making it clearer and clearer : I really do want and need the change and the thought of renovating is not appealing at all to me. I’ve made a list of priorities and necessary budget and I just don’t « feel » it. I know myself and when I’m like this, there’s not much I can do. I want to move so bad I have to do it. I feel rejuvanated at the idea.

I started selling stuff and I feel I am headed in the right direction. What I’m selling right now has to go no matter what I decide. i’ve also found a place to give away the good stuff that can be useful to less fortunate people.

Tomorrow I’m going to see a house. It looks great in pictures, so we’ll see. My daughter is coming with me, she will bring me back to earth if I get carried away, like I often do. It’s not a new house but it’s fully renovated. i spoke to the owner and he is the type of guy who does it all and very meticulous. He takes pride in his house and made sure to keep everything A-1. It’s a little over my budget but I’ve seen so many that I now know that getting all at want will need a little extra budget. All I would have to do is get rid of the pool and sand/varnish 4 rooms. The paint is pretty fresh, so many a few patches to fix that’s all.

I’ll let you know how it goes.
 
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Sly Saint said:
I moved house 11 years ago and it was no picnic. I also helped (as best as I was able) to clear out a friends house last year. It is very time consuming and exhausting.

If I were you I would start by doing as though you 'might' be moving; don't spend precious energy on actual house hunting though. Instead work your way through each room and declutter/sort stuff out at your own pace; maybe if you have rooms to spare, put things (eg bits of furniture) you are not sure about in one room and forget about it for the time being.

Then you can draw up a list of all the things that need fixing and start by getting the smaller/inexpensive things done, or get one thing fixed at a time.
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Funny, that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m starting to declutter and sell stuff, very slowly. Except I’m also looking, mostly online.

The thing with my house is that it’s so big and I live alone now, mu kids are gone. I only use my bedroom, living room, and kitchen / bathroom. On the first floor I have 3 bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen and full bath and the basement is finished and has 2 bedrooms, full bathrooms, big utility room (unfinished), and 2 part huge family room. Plus 6000 square foot yard, with 14 foot cedar trees and mature trees. Way too much for a single woman with a disability who can’t do much. I’m looking at something at least 30%-40% smaller.
 
Dechi said:
Condo is a great idea but I have 2 small dogs who are my life companions and I cannot take them outside many times a day. i need to open the door, let them do their business and not pick up (they’re both very small so it naturally dissolves into the soil after a while). If not, a condomwould definitely be my first choice.
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Typically the condos which have balconies on the upper floors will also have a smallish amount of private garden for the owners on the ground floor. Though then you have to deal with neighbors, HOA, etc. Indoor noise shouldn't be a problem with newer ones, unless cheaply constructed.
 
Dechi said:
i need to open the door, let them do their business and not pick up (they’re both very small so it naturally dissolves into the soil after a while). If not, a condomwould definitely be my first choice.
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I'll be very impressed if you can get your two little dogs to do their business into a condom. Do you want to edit? :laugh:

Decluttering takes a lot of energy - it's good that you're making the headway you are with it.

With a condo you'll have to pay ongoing maintainance fees that you don't have with a house, but then you have that responsibility taken from you. Very different from your current situation. Is that attractive to you?
 
Skycloud said:
I'll be very impressed if you can get your two little dogs to do their business into a condom. Do you want to edit? :laugh:

Decluttering takes a lot of energy - it's good that you're making the headway you are with it.

With a condo you'll have to pay ongoing maintainance fees that you don't have with a house, but then you have that responsibility taken from you. Very different from your current situation. Is that attractive to you?
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Ha Ha Ha ! They’re small, but not that small...

Yes, as a matter of fact I would much rather pay for a fixed amount every month then deal with what life brings you to fix with a house. But there’s also a price to pay for that, the intimacy isn’t the same in a condo as a house. I’ve lived in houses all of my life, except for my student years and I really appreciate it.

I think those dogs will be my last, and my next house, in 15 years, will be a condo.
 
Dechi said:
@Alvin if you want to move to Canada, I’m your girl !

About the windows, I’m no expert but here in Canada windows don’t condensate and if they do, there is something wrong. They are made for very harsh winters, sometimes lower than -40F. The humidity in winter is very low, probably somewhere between 40-45.

Thank you for the great advice, it will be very useful !
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I already live in Canada, though in Ontario :woot:

Dechi said:
But still risky I find. i wonder if a good building inspector car really estimate the risk of flooding.
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Not really, flooding depends on precipitation or water flow, if your land is lower elevation then nearby land then the right conditions can cause flooding :(
That said floodplains and areas that have received flooding in the past are riskier.

Sorry for the very delayed reply, i'm finally catching up on watched posts
 
Zoubidou bizous... lol !

Uodate : after 3-4 weeks of looking for a 1 story house with no stairs and much disappointment, here are the news.

I got rid of my real estate broker, she was putting too much pressure on me. I was feeling her frustration at me because I wasn’t liking the houses she was showing me. This is the last house I buy and I want it to be just what I want or I won’t buy. I don’t want to make a hasty decision because of her pressure.

My anxiety rose very fast and I had to tell her it wasn’t working and I needed a break. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to quit altogether or just working with her. Turns out she was my problem. So good riddance. I might get back to her, or find someone else, when I'm ready.

So, back to house hunting. Since it’s very, very hard to find a nice 1 story house that doesn’t have flooding potential or very humid basement (in my town, lots of houses used to be cottages that were transformed into houses), I have decided to go back to semi-detached or town houses, which are 2 stories. I will add a chair lift to the house and my stair problem will ne solved. I’ve talked to a good cie today and all I need is to make sure that the stairs are at least 28 inches wide and as straight as possible (it can cost a lot more if the stairs are not straight, because the chair lift has to be custom made).

Tomorrow I have some appointments, and wednesday as well. I’m very, very tired and shaky but I figure once I’ve seen everything on the market (maybe 7-8 max) then there will only be maybe 1 new house per week, max, to see.

Hoping to have good news soon. The worse will be selling my house, this will be horrible pressure and anxiety, to make sure it sells fast enough. It’s not on the market yet, I have to decide if I want a new agent or not.
 
I would like to know what you think. Sometimes I tend to get carried away too fast and I need to come back down to earth.

I have found a semi-detached house that I really, really like. I’ve seens tons of houses now so I know this one is the good stuff. It’s the perfect size, it has been well maintained over the years (the only changes needed will be mostly aesthetics), it’s well within my budget and it’s in my favorite neigborhood. I will have a chair lift installed to get me up to the second floor so I don’t burn what little energy I have to go up the stairs. The stairs are straight, which is perfect for this purpose. So this house is as close as possible to a perfect 10.

But... There is no private parking space in front of the house. In summer, from the end of april to december, you can park your car right in front of the house, on the street. Which is fine. But in winter, you have to park in a common parking lot behind the house. The house is actually attached to 2 other houses, and the parking has 6 side by side parking spots, 2 for each house. Snow removal is part of a common contract for the 3 houses, so no need to shovel to get to your car.

Drawbacks from this situation : I can’t have a temporary car shelter installed so I will have to shovel my car, which is extenuating (but having a car shelter means I have to get the snow off it, which is 10 times worse. I can’ t really do it so I have to find someone who will). And, I will have an additional walk from the parking spot to to house, probably around a 100 feet.

I am moving to save money and make my life easier, but this is counter-productive. Or maybe I should think that I don’t go out much anyways (2-3 times a week + appointments) and not think about it too much ?

Sigh...
 
Dechi said:
I would like to know what you think. . . . I will have a chair lift installed to get me up to the second floor so I don’t burn what little energy I have to go up the stairs.

Drawbacks from this situation : I can’t have a temporary car shelter installed so I will have to shovel my car, . . . I can’ t really do it so I have to find someone who will). And, I will have an additional walk from the parking spot to to house, probably around a 100 feet.

I am moving to save money and make my life easier, but this is counter-productive. . . .Sigh...
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@Dechi Perhaps you already know the answer, based on the above, but here's what I think.

For me, there are two disadvantages to the home you are considering -- the requirement for a chair lift, and the outdoor parking situation. Although I would consider installing a lift in a home I already own, I wouldn't purchase a new home with this requirement. For me, this daily reminder of my functional limitations would not lift my spirits, which I understand is one of the reasons you are considering moving. I'd have no problem with requiring a lift to get into the home, but not to move from one level to another multiple times throughout the day. This might become annoying very quickly, especially if you're currently able to easily navigate your one-level home.

Prior to moving to a standalone bungalow that sounds very much like your existing property, we lived in a two-story townhouse (plus basement) with no garage. Although using the stairs was not an issue, the need to clear my car in the winter was a real disadvantage. It wasn't just the snow, but also the frost (and occasionally ice), which for me was impossible to scrape. How likely is it that you'd be able to find someone able, and willing, to clear your car before every outing? You may end up spending a lot more time at home than you currently are -- not a good situation, if avoidable.

I realize housing choices vary across the country, but does your area have any bungalow-style townhouses? Small, attached bungalows with garages are fairly common in our location -- often in quiet complexes that are age-restricted (eg. 55+). This is the type of accommodation we would consider moving to if/when our current home and garden become unmanageable.

Good luck with your decision -- it's a tough one, I know.
 
@Dechi, have you looked into what the laws are regarding disabled people in your country?
There are often exceptions made on things like car shelter/curbside parking for disabled and simply require a letter from your doctor.
Sometimes it comes down to getting the design approved by the home owner's association.
 
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