- I really want to renovate the condo and stay put.
- HE wants a single family home with 3BR+, a yard, and more.
For us to buy anything in this crazy housing market makes no sense to me, especially at this point in our lives! But in an effort to move the needle, I am willing to consider all options - yes I am - provided that we take an intentional, concerted approach as clearly defined below:
- I present my list of must haves in order for us to buy a house; he presents his must haves if we are to stay in the condo.
- Both shall explain why each "must have" is important to them so the other party can try and find alternative solutions, if needed.
- Since I want to renovate - I will source the vendors, get quotes, and propose solutions that meet his must haves.
- Since he wants a house - he shall be the one to figure out the math and find properties that meet my must haves.
- Both shall use "The Debate" section to make our pitch(es), explain our rationale, and ask for input or clarification.
- Anyone who fails to do his/her part in a timely manner shall forfeit the right to have a say and not stand in the way of progress.
- And we shall enlist the help of a neutral third party to give us their take, play referee, and keep us moving forward.
Introducing our fearless friends who have agreed to take this on:
Tom is logical and rational. Gleanne is very objective. They have experience buying, renovating, and selling properties in very different markets. We trust them to have our best interests in mind. Most of all, they cannot be bought, bullied, or cajoled, one way or the other. Believe me, I tried.
Comments from others are welcomed, especially if it helps me to WIN.
Let's get this party started, shall we?
I tried to get us on HGTV's Love It Or List It because I am that desperate. But alas, we do not qualify. Thus the alternative solution.
Can I just say 1) how hilarious you two are (okay, probably just Christine) and 2) how if anything, this helps to put EVERYTHING on the table so you can both have an honest discussion on how to move forward on this (although up until now I see a LOT MORE of Christine's voice/opinion in this. Ahem, Ms. Christine. JOEL, I SUPPORT YOUR RIGHT TO HAVE YOUR SAY!! hahaha!). I do have to point out -admittedly watching more than my fair share of LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT - the OG and Vancouver version (insert trademark here) - that many times the MUST HAVES (and the horrible acting that comes with it) are not *that* "must having" at the end of the day so keep an open mind. But I have full confidence that this will turn out well. Actually, more than well. :)
ReplyDeleteTo your point #2, I just want to say - EXACTLY. No more having circular conversations that keep going nowhere!!
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, I am done living in *mediocrity*. Our condo has many things going for it but the kitchen and bathrooms absolutely need to be remodeled. Else we get a house with updated everything. Whatever works. Just no more eyesores.
No one has mentioned the "b" word... Budget? Joel - how much are you willing to fork out for a single family home? Christine - what do you expect to spend on attaining your must haves?
ReplyDeleteI'm working on it as we speak and will post the details in "The Debate" section, since it will inevitably require a separate discussion that would otherwise overwhelm this comment area.
DeleteThe website is amazing and so many valid points. Right now I'm leaning towards renovation as you guys have a prime location and close to your daily activities. With so many parks close by and yummy restaurants.
ReplyDeleteIf you buy, are you open to moving further away for comfort of an extra room and yard? And to readjust to a new lifestyle..possibly new job and new clients further away. Also with a new mortgage would have to budget elsewhere, like less travel and less money for retirement.
Such a hard decision.... Good luck guys!
I must admit I misunderstood the premise of this debate. I thought I was asked what my "must haves" are in defining why I want a house, not "must haves" to stay in the condo. Of course, had I read the opening more carefully, instead of just skipping to the must haves and debate, that would have cleared things up. My apologies for just assuming I knew what was going on.
ReplyDeleteObviously, there is no way to add a yard to our condo unless we move down to the first floor. I am actually not opposed to staying in our condo, at least for the time being, and maybe for the foreseeable future. And actually, I'm not opposed to staying in the condo as is for now.
Gleanne's question above is the most important, I believe, and most forefront in my mind. Budget wise, there's no way we can afford to buy a house in this neighborhood without winning the lottery or benefitting from some other windfall. Along those lines, a renovation that is significant has a cost/benefit ratio that must be considered. I think that a renovation that costs $100K and doesn't address the bathrooms is way too much. I also think that no matter what the real estate person says, the value of our condo is very much related to the value of the others in the building. It’s a mistake to believe that ours will go up in value so significantly when another in the building could sell cheap in the future and bring our value below what we think it is.
But the real question about budget is how much we can afford both now and in the future. My current salary is not guaranteed to stay at this level forever, and is even more questionable for the next few months, at least, because of a leadership change at work. There are more questions, variables and scenarios but I'd rather not put that in a public forum.
I'll address some of the points in the other sections of this website, including some aspects of budget that don't involve my job.