Itchy Fingers

HandyMan and I went to see another house today (surprise, surprise). This one was a semi near Bayview & Eglinton. It was sweet little reno... the owners did quite a number on this Tudor. Handy as we are, we couldn't find much that we'd want to change. And therein lies the problem. When you get down to it, HandyMan and I are renovators at heart. After moving into a new place, unpacking our boxes, and settling in... we'd quickly find ourselves bored. We'd start looking for something, anything, that needed to be fix. While this house was a beauty, I could just see us twidling our thumbs in about a month saying "Okay, sooooo... now what?" I don't think you should feel that way about a place you just dropped 500 Grand on. Thanks, but we'll pass.

When one door closes, a window opens...

Losing out on the home of our dreams (to this point, anyway), I've been kinda bummed that HandyMan and I won't get to realize any of the fab renos we were envisioning. The place would have been stunning... white risers with black treads on the stairs, slate tiles set in a brick pattern from the front door all the way through to the back porch, painted wainscoting contrasting against the dark wooden floors. My inner Sarah Richardson needs to be let out!

Luckily, that's about to happen. One of my friends, let's call her TigerLily, is moving to her own first home next month. Another of our friends, the Contessa, had the brilliant idea of getting some of us to go in together and give TigerLily a gift of a "kitchen makeover" -- how cool is that! And I, decorator wanna-be, having come off the successful reno of HandyMan's condo, have been asked to provide 'kitchen consultation services'. It'll be so fun... if I can't make my own design dreams come true just yet, I might as well help someone with theirs.

Strike 1

It had to happen at some point. So we didn't have the winning bid on the house. There were 8 - 8! - offers on the house when all was said and done. We went in at 6.25% over asking which I thought was a good solid bid. Boy, were we way off. The house eventually sold for 14% above asking. Despite the great location and the terrific potential, I think that's slightly overpriced when you factor in the needed renovations.

The exercise wasn't a total loss. HandyMan and I learned a few good things that we'll have in our "bidding back pocket" for next time:

1. Get the home inspection done before the bid. That way, its not on the table when you’re negotiating. In this market, even the smallest thing will get you knocked out of the running
2. When there’s more than 2 bids, go big or go home
3. Have your agent present your bid in person as opposed to fax. It definitely makes a difference.
4. Wait until at least the 2nd or 3rd sunny weekend of the spring has passed. People are itching to buy and they jump on the first things out on the market!
5. Troll the realtor websites. Sometimes, you'll find about listings before they even hit mls.

Its still a seller's market out there so I think most things will come down to the $$$, no matter how much you strategize and theorize. So I'll tuck the home decor magazines away for now. In the meantime, I'll be dragging HandyMan to more open houses this weekend ;)

Anyone else feel nauseous?

So we did it... we put in our bid... let the house gods decide what they may. There were 7 offers on the table - 7 - not 0, not 2 - 7. That means 7 other people can see the potential in this little house. Or can they? Maybe they're just a bunch of developers whose only intent it is to tear down the place. What a shame that would be. All the beautiful wainscoting, the leaded glass, the stained glass windows, turned to a pile of rubble. See, HandyMan and I want to preserve the place, bring out its inner beauty. That should count for something, no?

I know we're already too heavily invested emotionally. We've stalked the place many times (see my previous post) and already know what renos we want to make. I know... that's just wrong, counting my chickens before they hatch. Even worse, we've gone through some of my old House & Home magazines and tagged pics of things we want to do. I would be so sad if we didn't get the chance to make this house as beautiful as I know it can be. Crossing my fingers...

DAY 1 - April 23 2007

And so the adventure begins. Tonight, the fiance (HandyMan) and I met with our realtor. We've decided to put in our first bid on a house. Its a beautiful 70-year old two story red brick structure in typical North Toronto style. This blog will chronicle our house adventures, in the hunt, the chase, the demolition, the renovating, and the eventual creation of our next "home"

I hope we get this house...Lord knows we have 'stalked' the place enough. "House stalkers", that's what we are. HandyMan and I have a habit of driving or walking by the same houses time after time. We'll peek in windows to try and catch a glimpse of your hardwood. We'll creep just up to your back gate to check out your decking. Night stalking is our favourite past-time. Its so easy to stand on the sidewalk and see your whole first floor when you've got the lights on and the curtains drawn! We're friendly stalkers though. We mean no harm...seriously, we're just there to steal some ideas ;)