House built on old golf course - yes or no ?

I have been through these same thoughts as well. Housing is such a complex issue for us! One thing to consider about a ttwo-storied house is whether the ground level is configured in such a way as to accommodate a recliner chair or chaise lounge for napping or spates of downstairs sleeping. Having a little cozy corner for yourself downstairs might do the trick, might not, but worth pondering.

 

My take on stairs : My previous home had 2 flights of stairs - we moved specifically to reduce the stairs, number of rooms and floor area because of my ME. Valentijn's suggestion of stair lifts is a good one, but personally I would only install in a house I already lived in, to avoid moving. I wouldn't fit to a new or 'new to me' home.

I would go for the best, most straightforward, hassle free option, which for me is fewer stairs.

You have a lovely problem, @Dechi - finding the right home for you! Good luck

 

Hi @Dechi , I can imagine how difficult the prospect of moving is for you. As a person who has moved, renovated, and considered moving a second time during my 30 years with ME, I may be able to offer comments and suggestions to help you make your decision.

Based on the above, may I assume you currently live in a single-family home (no walls attached to a neighbour)? This may be another important consideration if you are among those ME patients who are sound sensitive. I had already lived in our townhouse for seven years when I became ill. I was accustomed to some sound transmission through the walls from louder activities such as vacuuming and occasional inconsiderate use of stereo equipment. But, when I started hearing little things like drawers and cupboards being opened and closed, cutlery being used in the kitchen, toilets flushing, snoring, and splashing water and the neighbour's butt squeaking on the bottom of the bathtub, I thought something had gone wrong with the sound insulation. It hadn't, of course -- it was instead something that had gone wrong with my brain. Getting away from these irritations was part of our decision to move into a standalone bungalow.

So, this is another factor to consider regarding possibly moving to an attached home -- quiet enjoyment of your home can be affected by the type of neighbours you have. No sound-proofing is perfect, some is terrible -- whether an existing or new build. I thought it would have improved compared with my townhouse built in the 1970's, but apparently not always. I was surprised to hear from my niece that when she visits friends in a new condo, they have to almost whisper after 10 o'clock at night in order to not bother the neighbours. Again, do your homework if this is important to you.

Yes, renovations are hard, but moving was worse for me. At the end of our move, I was so ill and in so much pain I had difficulty getting dressed. The hardest part of renovating was sourcing environmentally-safe building products, and finding contractors willing to use them. Choosing finishes and fixtures was fun, and something you'd also need to do if customizing a new build. During our renovation, I was surprised to be able to sleep in the basement while the contractors were banging upstairs.

Are the renovations you require a necessity (eg. new wiring, plumbing, insulation, roof), or are they more "wants" (eg. to change the layout/style/cosmetics of your existing home)? Would they all need to be done at once, or could they be spaced out based on priority? We staged our renovation, doing the most critical things first (kitchen, flooring in main part of house). The electrical wiring/plumbing was done as each area was renovated, and the windows replaced over three years. The exterior and landscaping were last.

Apart from your current home, is there something in your existing neighbourhood that you need/want to get away from? (eg. discord with incompatible neighbours, inconvenient location)? How would a potential new neighbourhood compare with your current location with respect to conveniences? (eg. public transit, stores and services) What changes might a move require with respect to doctors and service providers?

If you like your neighbourhood and neighbours, would a renovation create enough of a difference in your current home to achieve the illusion of having cut ties from your old active professional life?

Several years after our renovation, the "neighbours from hell" moved in two doors down. I was desperate to leave, and as a result we spent all of my husband's vacation time visiting various locations in western Canada looking for a quiet acreage property. I believed that moving away from the city would improve my circumstances, and possibly also my health. And for for a time this prospect did lift my spirits.

Ultimately, I realized that I'd be taking my limitations with me wherever we moved. It made no sense to uproot by moving to a quieter but less convenient location. That, in itself, could have actually worsened my health. Of course, the aforementioned neighbours moving on after a year and a half helped make the decision to stay.

Research has proven that changes in one's circumstances only work to lift one's spirits for a short period of time before a person returns to their "set point". This, of course, wouldn't apply to you if there are genuine things you need to change in your living environment.

In the end, I'm glad we made the choices we did. We have a one-level home that should serve us well into the future.

In your situation, I'd make a list of "musts" and "wants", and compare each option (including staying where you are) to determine which might be the best choice for you. It's a big decision. Take your time, and take the pressure off.

 

What a thoughtful and complete list of considerations,@MsUnderstood!

I was reminded of my father, who was driven out of his new condo, after a lifetime of living in detached housing, by the myriad small sounds coming from others in the building. This was in new construction touted to be "soundproof."

 

. . and the visualizations to boot!

 

Hi @Louie41 , it's unlikely you saw this article in Canada's leading news magazine. But perhaps it would be of interest.

Condo hell
Thanks to neighbour disputes, crazy restrictions and incompetent boards, condo dwellers are increasingly finding themselves boxed in

http://www.macleans.ca/society/life/condo-hell/

"As thousands of homebuyers flock to condos for the promise of affordable home ownership and carefree living, they’re learning that life in a condominium is far different from the suburban houses where so many of us were raised.

Never mind that owning a condo usually means sharing your walls, floors and ceilings with your neighbours. Canadian condos are rife with internal politics, neighbour infighting and power struggles stemming from the complicated network of condo boards, owners, investors, tenants and property managers.

Are Canadians—long accustomed to detached houses and backyards—ready for a world where being a happy condo dweller means accepting that we’ll have to give up some of our personal freedom, and that our neighbours may always be too close for comfort?"

 

Very interesting, @MsUnderstood . Thanks.

 

@valentijn stair lift is a great idea, I’ll check their price, you never know...

@Allele good point also. I only buy recliner 3 places sofas, so they’re kind of big but I need My legs up in the air. So yes, there needs to be ebough room.

@Skycloud yes, indeed a « lovely » problem. Making me worse but definitely better than fighting other more terrible battles.

@MsUnderstood I want to thank you for taking the time to write such a thorough response. It must have taken you a long time ! So many great points to take into account, I’m even more confused and really considering renovating now.

Yes, my house is detached, it’s a 1 floor bungalow with basement. I have eliminated buying any house with floors. I went to see a semi-detached tonight and was completely overwhelmed by the stairs.

Here are the renovations I have to do :

The house is exactly 25 years old, a point where all houses need major love.
Kitchen : mandatory, the cabinets are falling apart and they can’t be fixed, too old and cheap
Bathroom : it’s 25 years old and ugly. This could be done later than the kitchen
Water heater will need to be changed (13 years old)
Alarm system needs rewiring and fixing (I live alone and am scared when the night comes)
Main floor needs to be repainted, there are lots of patches of plaster to cover.
Wood floors would look better if sanded and revarnished but it could wait also
Front door needs to be replaced, it’s rusty and desintegrating
All windows will have to be replaced, it could be one at a time.
Backyard : I removed the pool last summer and had the circle it left covered in grass, but it wasn’t done properly and the dogs carry dirt when they go outside, more cleaning to so. So more grass to be added. Since the yard is unlevel, I might as well do a good job at it and resurface the whole thing (5000 square feet). This last part not mandatory though.

That’s about it. All those renovations would/could be done over a period of three years, at the cost of anywhere between 25k-50k. I don’t know if I can stand this much. I had one window done, roofing and water damage to take care of in november-december and found it very hard to manage.

As I’m writing this, I realize I’m probably not ready to do all this. Which means I’m better off finding a house that’s been completely renovated. Brand new is too expensive.

As for the neighborhood, there is the neighbor in front, whose dogs bark most of the day that I would be happy to get away from. And also the mice that keep coming into my house, although I have hired professionals to fill every hole outside. The poor guy’s been trying for 3 years, they always come back. Other than that, I like my neighborhood a lot.

I am looking in the same vicinity, maybe 10-15 minutes max from where I am, so I will keep all the same habits, which are dear to me and bring comfort.

The list of musts and wants has been done already, and analyzed many times, with a friend and my daughter, and even therapist. Tomorrow I will give it to the real estate broker coming to my house. i have decided that I will no longer search myself, it is litterally killing. Visiting will be more than enpugh to drain me...

I have to add that I am single, no partner to help me with anything, which complicate things. Although I am fortunate enough that I have a few people that can help me. So having a slightly smaller house would help. No more 15 feet cedar to take care of (I pay for it), smaller lawn to mow (I do it as little as possible).

The real estate broker will let me know how much my house would go for, Nd if I like her, she will be the one looking for houses for me.

If anyone has anymore points, there all so valid, I’m a taker !

Wish me luck for tomorrow !

 

I'm going to disagree that you have to move, i live in a fixer upper and believe me this is not as daunting as you think.

Kitchen : mandatory, the cabinets are falling apart and they can’t be fixed, too old and cheap
Cabinets are not expensive and you can get them replaced. Not as sexy as a gut and redesign but if you have a decent contractor they can have this done in a day or two.

Bathroom : it’s 25 years old and ugly. This could be done later than the kitchen
Ugly is subjective, toilets can be replaced in 15 mins, vanities are not hard, an hour or two for a professional, shower retiling is pricey but you can just put in plastic shower walls for pretty cheap. Gut and rebuild would again be pricey but if it works does it matter, its a bathroom.

Water heater will need to be changed (13 years old)
Call a decent company, they have it done in a day (half a day is achievable).

Alarm system needs rewiring and fixing (I live alone and am scared when the night comes)
Call a decent company, also a day. Not all new houses come with alarms so you may have to do this anyways after you move.

Main floor needs to be repainted, there are lots of patches of plaster to cover.
Painters are expensive because its a labour intensive job, plus you need someone to fix problems assuming you can't DIY, but this is typically not a structural problem and can wait forever, you should not have any asbestos at 25 year old house.

Wood floors would look better if sanded and revarnished but it could wait also
Wood floors never stay nice, i would leave it, get some rugs or install laminate if you must have new floors

Front door needs to be replaced, it’s rusty and desintegrating
This would be done in a day if you get someone who does doors. Beware of markups though, you can buy 5K doors and they like to sell expensive stuff and claim its a million times better

All windows will have to be replaced, it could be one at a time.
A couple days, but you just pay and they remove and install, Windows are pricey though, why do they need replacement?

Backyard : I removed the pool last summer and had the circle it left covered in grass, but it wasn’t done properly and the dogs carry dirt when they go outside, more cleaning to so. So more grass to be added. Since the yard is unlevel, I might as well do a good job at it and resurface the whole thing (5000 square feet). This last part not mandatory though.
Yard work is annoying and energy intensive, but landscape companies do this sort of stuff though prices vary.

Finding good contractors to do the above is probably the hardest part, if you know people who can recommend good people and you have the energy to check references go for it. All that said moving is appealing, its "easy", its fun and you get to be choosy. On the flip side you lose lots of money from agent fees on both transactions, taxes and likely price difference from current to new house. Plus undone repairs will reduce the value of your current house. And moving with ME/CFS is horrible, packing, unpacking and movers is gonna be hell

Financially its probably cheaper to fix your current house and it will be easier energy wise

 

@Alvin arrrrghhh, you’re making me doubt again, lol ! That’s cruel...

But you’re right in everything you say. There is no emergency. The thing is, if I move, it forces me to declutter the house. i can’t stand it anymore, too much stuff everywhere. And it forces my (grown) kids to get rid of their stuff that’s invading me...

I also don’t want to leave the house unkept, because I’m counting on my house for retirement money when the time comes to move to a home or something. My plan was to buy something which I don’t have to do any repair to for at least 15 years. Maybe then I’ll be cured, or maybe I’ll be worse, who knows...

As for windows, it’s become impossible to close them if you open them. For some. They have had a good life, but now they need to rest !

Good thing is I have a very good contractor whom I trust. Might not be the cheapest, but he is honest.

 

Cruel or doubt is not my goal, i just want to help you make the best financial decisions and this is an area i know a fair bit about.

But force will eat your energy that you probably don't have. Think of it as a stretch goal, do one corner of one room each week (for example). Tell your kids your putting their stuff aside to be moved (or make them come and put it aside/move it). Your low on energy and can't house their stuff anymore and take care of it, they will have to take it to their own places or pay for a storage locker.
You don't have the energy to hear appeals

But you will pay lots of money for that privilege, and from the sounds of it what you have now can go that long with a few things done, and if not you will have more money available to handle them.

Why is this, are they wood, vinyl, metal, fiberglass? Were they always like this?

Thats a bonus. Here is what i would do if i were you (roughly in this order)

Security system, call the company that you have the service through, tell them its malfunctioning, so you want it fixed right away. I assume if you have a service it may cover maintenance, but if not it should not cost a lot. Feeling safe is important.

Kitchen cabinets, ask your person for a quote and choose the ones you like from your local big box store. Prices vary and more expensive is not always better, your guy/girl should be able to guide you or if not the store, especially if you have any cabinet specialty stores in your area.

Front door you can ask your person if they will install it for you. You can buy doors from your local big box store. Most big box stores also do door installations. Finally door places are pricier but have many options available.

Ask your person if they can do up the plaster work, should only take a few hours depending on the specifics, probably before/during/after the kitchen cabinets. Use some of the paint if you have it left or get a can if you know the colour and its still around. If not just leave it and get it painted someday when you get the full painting done.

Your local big box store or a water tank/furnace company can do up a new water tank, find out if you need a permit from your municipality which is a good thing if you do, they will make sure its done right. Its not an easy thing to screw up either way so you don't have to be too picky

I don't know why your bathroom is ugly but a quick spruce up is not expensive or hard, as i said toilet is easy, vanity is easy, floor is more work and shower unless its damaged just leave it.

I don't understand whats wrong with your backyard, if its just dirt problems get the most guaranteed grass seed you can find, use liberally in spring and make sure the dirt stays moist until its growing well (don't let the ground get dry after planting, water several times a day if you have to).
If you need to landscape it then companies do that, prices vary.

 

@Alvin you’re very good and convincing ! ;-)

Thank you !

The windows are vinyl. I changed the most expensive one already (3k). The ones in my bedroom are good for a while. The others are the sliding kind, and when you open them, the handle part just stays in your hand, and I’m not strong/endurant enough to take the window out, put the vinyl back on by knocking on it and replacing the window. Also, some will have fog inside in winter. i could start with those ones. I had themore broken one checked and the guy said you can’t repair it, you need to change it. The contractor I trust told me it needed to be put back in, did it in 2 minutes and didn’t charge me. I never opened that window again.

The contractor also gave me an estimate for the door, I believe 1800$. I was going to have it replace this spring. It has to be tailored to the non-standard size of my door, so he will be taking care of it if I don’t sell the house.

The plaster was done a few months ago, in the event that I would sell. I already have a good painter ready when I am.

I also found a decorator to help me with colors. She’s free if I buy from her store (Benjamin Moore). She will only charge me a bit of time if she has to come to my house. I found this today, and it was for the new house but I could also use it for mine.

Security system : When I bought the house, it was all wired, but not connected. i never used it and don’t know how it works. One night I heard beeping in house and my anxiety grew. I thought the system was malfunctioning and beeping, somI disconnected the wires in the main box (no cutting, just disconnecting). So I guess buying a new one would be in order. Oh, next day I discovered my fire alarm needed a new battery, lol !

Backyard : I can’t use grass seeds, the dogs run all around and it wouldn’t stick. When I bought the house, my inspector told me that the slope yo the house wasn’t optimal and the the water was running towards the house. I fixed the gutters so the angle would change for rain waters but never fixed the slope. I guess I could just fix the slope near the house and have more grass installed. No need to redo the whole thing.

For kitchen and bathroom cabinets, I guess I coul use this cie called « new zone ». They take the cabinet doors, redo them and bring them back, while they also cover the casings. Or maybe not, since my cabinet are cheap presswood I think. I figure the house in the bathroom I could use. The shower I already fixed, I had water damage so had to redo it’s plumbing, changed the fittings, shower head and door. The shower itself is made of vinyl or something like it and it’s in acceptable shape.

Water tank, I asked my plumber and he sais he could install it, I think it’s about 800$-1000$. He could do the toilet as well. Those are expensive though, I was going to do it but didn’t.

I have one question for you Alvin, are you single and do you want to come live with me ? If I had a man like you in my life, I would be the luckiest woman ! ;-)

 

I aim to please, or is that please to aim

I'm a bit confused, though sometimes i need to see things to understand (neurological quirk). Condensation is not necessarily a sign they need replacement, what is your indoor humidity in winter, and what does the outdoor temperature go down to (i don't know where your located)? Condensation means the windows hit the dew point of the room, and most new windows are not low U factor windows unless you pay extra so you would have the same problem. If they are just stubborn it may be worth just not using those ones, annoying but very cost effective.

Sometimes you can just build the frame up and use a standard door but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. Most big box stores give free quotes so worth asking a few and see if you can beat that price.

Excellent

Very nice. I am colour deaf so this is a service i would really use.

Some systems detect low smoke alarm batteries, it may have been warning you of that. Since you have no service if you want one its probably doable, there may in fact be nothing wrong with your current one except its unused. And many offer free installation specials every now and then so if anything needed doing it would cost nothing, though the monthly fees are omnipresent.

Fair enough, and you can get sod but it would need daily watering and to not be disturbed till it roots.

This sounds promising

Thats about average for a water tank. Toilets come in all price points, from $100 to $2000. I would spend a few hundred but no need to buy a toilet with wifi or voice recognition or other fancy features

I am single (dating with ME/CFS is not very feasible). That is a tempting offer, my terms are negotiable

 

There are three of us in our bungalow, so things aren't really the same, but with two of us having ME and one having fibro, it isn't vastly better. We too have got to the stage of considering whether to stay or repair, and went for the repair option. Each major job was exhausting, but we recovered in a week or so. I don't think the same would be true of a move: whether it is to a new house, with all the teething problems to chase up, or an existing house, where problems emerge as you live there, the actual long drawn-out hassle of moving would be exhausting. So I would tend to agree with Alvin.

As for irritating neighbours, we have lived here for 31 years. Irritating neighbours come and go: there's nothing we can do about it wherever we live.

 

@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 !

 

It’s true about the neighbors, we’ve had quite the weirdos and they all left !

Thank you for sharing your story, it helps. Do you have winter where you are ? If so you do you deal with the snow ? If I buy a new house, if it has a garage, that would make it so much easier for me because shovelling and scraping snow and ice off the car are killing me in winter !

 

I live in the south-east of the UK: but we are the highest point for miles around, so if there is snow, we get it. We do have a garage, but it has never been empty enough to get a car in, and anyway, it was built for the small UK cars of the 60s - in a medium-sized modern car I'd probably have to climb out through the tailgate unless the garage was totally empty. Houses here are much smaller, and we don't have basements, so the garage is used for that sort of storage by most people.

But snow doesn't last more than a week here, so we don't use the car when it's like that unless we absolutely have to. You would laugh at the level of snow here that causes chaos.

 

The real estate agent just left. Really nice lady. She was very upfront with me and she said that I have a nice house that fits all my needs. Since I have health problems, she thinks that I should take the time to renovate and declutter if it makes me feel better. She sees nothing urgent to fix.

She says even though she won’t be making any money, she wouldn’t feel right in trying to make me sell the house.

So she’s basically saying the same as many of you said. My daughter also thinks so and I think the reality check is starting to sink in for me !

We agreed that she would take the time to check with contractors if they have any new houses on the way that would fit the bill. Or any relatively new houses she can find. If so she will come pick me up so we can go see them.

We’re giving it one week, after that if nothing makes sense I will most probably decide to renovate. Meanwhile I will prepare my renovation budget and time line, along with a decluttering plan that I will execute (or pay people to if possible).

Everyone here was so nice and helpful, if I renovate, I will post before/after pictures.

 

Today I searched a bit and found a house, a bit farther from where I live, and very reasonably priced. In fact it’s within my best possible budget. But, there are 2 downsides : about 30 houses in this area were flooded last summer. It’s not usual, but it can happen. This house was not flooded at all. But still risky I find. i wonder if a good building inspector car really estimate the risk of flooding. Also, it is 70 meters from a school, which means I would hear the noise, bells, cars coming and going, etc. Sigh...

Then I found another one, same town, but farther away from the lake. Closer to the highway though. And, very weird, this house has it’s living room in the basement... which means I would spend my day getting up from my reckiner and climbing stairs to get water, or food or whatever. Again. Sigh...

No news from my agent yet. This won’t be easy.

 

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.