My search for the perfect home for Kev and myself took a mere month, but it felt like an eternity. I viewed three homes from the interior and exterior, and two more from the exterior only. Considering the options available, I believe that $950 for what I chose is the biggest bang for my buck. Yes, I could have chosen a cheaper, smaller, less desirable option, and then been unhappy about my choice and miserable living in the home.
Yesterday I scheduled myself to view four homes, and promised myself before 1930 I would have a home for the next year. The search and the unknowing was becoming quite stressful; after all, I’ve been almost completely packed for a few months now. It was getting to the point where I either needed to find a place or stay where I am.
The first place I viewed yesterday is the one I chose. Actually, I’d be more honest if I say it chose me. Its like that perfect outfit that you see in the store and you know it was meant for you. This home was calling my name, loud and clear. I’ve described it in great detail in Our New Home.
Upon leaving the first home, I decided to take a short detour and drive by two of the places that I was to view later in the day. And I am so very happy that I did that! They were both places I chose not to tour based on various concerns. The first one was an 800 square foot ‘cottage’ near the Frantz Motor Inn. The yard was messy, even through the snow, and the area itself seemed generally untidy. From the road I could see that there was cardboard placed in some of the windows, either for warmth or for curtains. Either way, that did not present a good image. I imagined the house, exposed to the elements from all four sides, and visibly an older home, would be cost a small fortune in heating, and quite possibly could be a prime breeding ground for mice. I turned around as quickly as I could and headed down Main Street for the next location. In my mind I already had a location for the 2nd place and I was absolutely correct!!! In my younger years it was known as welfare housing. Now it is apparently known as the whorehouse. Apparently all the women that live there are single mothers and have a continual parade of men in and out of their homes. Wow. So glad I passed on that one! I would have been stereotyped right along with the other women, and that is something I’m happy to have avoided.
The other home, a bilevel in Mitchell, was actually a close contender and choosing one or the other actually caused me fifteen minutes of complete decision making paralysis. The drawback of the Mitchell property was its extremely small square footage and the three microscopic bedrooms on the bottom level. The positive aspects, such as good location and a gorgeous exterior just were ultimately not enough to overcome its downfalls. The owner wanted me to start paying rent on February 1 and begin moving in immediately, which was really not convenient financially or logistically. Plus, tell me how you would feel if you approached a potential home with the driveway buried under two feet of snow and the bald headed owner (sporting a magnificent mullet) said “Looks like you’ve got some shoveling to do!”
Other prospective renters may have made a different choice based on individual criteria. I based my choice on which home best suited my needs and, I’m not gonna lie, my choice was also based on wants.
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