Unutterably Silly So what are you doing RIGHT NOW?

[Rumpelteazer]

This afternoon the new owner of our house/store came by for the keys and a walk through of the store and basement where all the switches are. On Monday his building team will start to empty the basement.

Last week his wife and daughter came by to pick up the glass lampshades we had left over (most of which we got from a colleague who shut his store years ago). She's an artist and also makes light fixtures. But some of the shades will be used in the apartments he's going to build upstairs. That's a nice thought, that something from our store will be used in the renovated building.

[Rumpelteazer]

Today a maisonette came on the market which could be right my sister and I.

Sure, it doesn't have a garden, but it does have a spacious balcony, with a screen, so you can keep the out when needed. My sister would like to change the flooring of the living room and kitchen floor to something lighter and change the cabinets in the bathroom to something lighter (I think we'll first have to see it, those pictures often have over saturated colors IMHO). And she had the idea to remove the wall in the attic to create a bigger craft/lego space.

For me the only big downside is the heating. Most of the house has normal radiator. Except for one of the bedroom (guess whose bedroom that would be) and possibly the attic. The second bedroom has a fake electric fireplace, which takes up a lot of space. I'm now dependent on an electrical heater (my Dyson fan/heater) and I only put it on when I'm in the room and when I'm awake. It might sound strange but I was really looking forward to having a bedroom with radiators, which would be set on an thermostat and keep the room at a base temperature whether I was there or not and when I was asleep. I always hated it in winter coming into a cold bedroom when I retreat in the evening and wake up in a cold bedroom in the morning.

The price is over €100,000 below our maximum budget, so that's nice.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

Today a maisonette came on the market which could be right my sister and I.

Sure, it doesn't have a garden, but it does have a spacious balcony, with a screen, so you can keep the out when needed. My sister would like to change the flooring of the living room and kitchen floor to something lighter and change the cabinets in the bathroom to something lighter (I think we'll first have to see it, those pictures often have over saturated colors IMHO). And she had the idea to remove the wall in the attic to create a bigger craft/lego space.

For me the only big downside is the heating. Most of the house has normal radiator. Except for one of the bedroom (guess whose bedroom that would be) and possibly the attic. The second bedroom has a fake electric fireplace, which takes up a lot of space. I'm now dependent on an electrical heater (my Dyson fan/heater) and I only put it on when I'm in the room and when I'm awake. It might sound strange but I was really looking forward to having a bedroom with radiators, which would be set on an thermostat and keep the room at a base temperature whether I was there or not and when I was asleep. I always hated it in winter coming into a cold bedroom when I retreat in the evening and wake up in a cold bedroom in the morning.

The price is over €100,000 below our maximum budget, so that's nice.

Rumple, m'love, for 100K EU below your max budget, perhaps you could ADD a radiator???

ETA: BTW, Rumple, I agree, it's pretty cute and suitable. Now, I could not manage without a yard, but if you don't need one, why take on the headache? And all those savings of shekels? Hell. :-)

Hitch

[Martinoptic]

Today a maisonette came on the market which could be right my sister and I

Looks lovely Rumpel. And as Hitch says you could afford a new heating system as well as the renovations you’d like to do, well within your budget.

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Rumple, m'love, for 100K EU below your max budget, perhaps you could ADD a radiator???

ETA: BTW, Rumple, I agree, it's pretty cute and suitable. Now, I could not manage without a yard, but if you don't need one, why take on the headache? And all those savings of shekels? Hell. :-)

Hitch

Originally Posted by Martinoptic

Looks lovely Rumpel. And as Hitch says you could afford a new heating system as well as the renovations you’d like to do, well within your budget.

I think it will be difficult; the heating system is at the back of the house, so pipes need to be added and those are ugly and a lot of work. The bedroom's got a split airco (below the window). But since they've added the fake fireplace my guess it it doesn't heat up the room enough when it's cold.

A similar apartment is available, with radiators throughout, but it needs a lot of work. It's €45,000 cheaper than the one we're going to visit. But it will need a total overhaul; floors, walls (a lot of dark painted walls) and it doesn't have solar panels. Yes, you can do a lot with 145,000 but as I've said before I was hoping for something we could move in quickly. And tbh the two smaller bedroom are small. I've been hoping for a bit more space, enough space for a bigger bed, dresser/clothes closet and a reasonably sized desk. My sister's been saying she wants to fairly equal sized bedrooms, but it looks like that's not really true. I would love a garden, mind you, these apartments got a big balcony, I could live with it. I really don't have much say in it IMHO, since it's my sister's money.

Our house hunting will be put on the back burner for a couple of weeks; not next week but the week after my sister's got a conference she's organizing and after that my sister and I are going on vacation for two weeks. We'll need to have a good talk about what we want and expect.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

I think it will be difficult; the heating system is at the back of the house, so pipes need to be added and those are ugly and a lot of work. The bedroom's got a split airco (below the window). But since they've added the fake fireplace my guess it it doesn't heat up the room enough when it's cold.

A similar apartment is available, with radiators throughout, but it needs a lot of work. It's €45,000 cheaper than the one we're going to visit. But it will need a total overhaul; floors, walls (a lot of dark painted walls) and it doesn't have solar panels. Yes, you can do a lot with 145,000 but as I've said before I was hoping for something we could move in quickly. And tbh the two smaller bedroom are small. I've been hoping for a bit more space, enough space for a bigger bed, dresser/clothes closet and a reasonably sized desk. My sister's been saying she wants to fairly equal sized bedrooms, but it looks like that's not really true. I would love a garden, mind you, these apartments got a big balcony, I could live with it. I really don't have much say in it IMHO, since it's my sister's money.

Our house hunting will be put on the back burner for a couple of weeks; not next week but the week after my sister's got a conference she's organizing and after that my sister and I are going on vacation for two weeks. We'll need to have a good talk about what we want and expect.

Well, what if you knocked out a bit of wall, created an arch, or just an open space, between those two smaller bedrooms? And made it a bedroom and sitting room? You could possibly use the extant plumbing for the one bedroom and extend it. It's not a perfect solution, but it might work better. I'm not 100% sure that I've spotted which bedrooms (from the images) go where, but I *think* the two that adjoin could be made into a br/sitting-room combo. Hell, then maybe Sis will take THAT and you can have the "old" master to yourself. :-)

Hitch

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Well, what if you knocked out a bit of wall, created an arch, or just an open space, between those two smaller bedrooms? And made it a bedroom and sitting room? You could possibly use the extant plumbing for the one bedroom and extend it. It's not a perfect solution, but it might work better. I'm not 100% sure that I've spotted which bedrooms (from the images) go where, but I *think* the two that adjoin could be made into a br/sitting-room combo. Hell, then maybe Sis will take THAT and you can have the "old" master to yourself. :-)

Hitch

My sister would get the bigger bedroom at the back of the first floor. The other two on that floor are basically the same size. I would like the one at the front (with the airco), since then there's the bathroom between our two bedroom and you don't hear the other as easily. The third bedroom will be used by my sister as office and maybe some clothes storage.

In the attic (also classed as a bedroom), we would remove the wall between the room and the landing. The landing has a lot of wasted space and the floor can then be used as a nice sized craft/Lego room, with the washing machine and dryer on that floor, too.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

My sister would get the bigger bedroom at the back of the first floor. The other two on that floor are basically the same size. I would like the one at the front (with the airco), since then there's the bathroom between our two bedroom and you don't hear the other as easily. The third bedroom will be used by my sister as office and maybe some clothes storage.

In the attic (also classed as a bedroom), we would remove the wall between the room and the landing. The landing has a lot of wasted space and the floor can then be used as a nice sized craft/Lego room, with the washing machine and dryer on that floor, too.

Oh, I see. I mistakenly thought that she would take the one next to the Hal there. But that's the one that YOU will take. Hmph. (I still think, in case anyone cares, that making a Br/Sitting room combo out of those other two rooms makes sense, no matter who buys the place. Some of those rooms in that place are teeeeeeny.)

And the so-called 4th "bedroom" is the one at the top of the house, currently holding the workout equipment, yes? Inside the eaves of the roof?

IME, I've found that almost nobody ever honors that "same size" bedroom thing. NEVER works out that way. It almost seems silly to even say it. Whoever buys the place or pays the most rent or was first in, ALWAYS gets the largest bedroom. Me, I mean...bedrooms are all well and good, but I'd rather have an office or a work area or a crafting area (were I like you) or the like, or a private spot to sit and watch telly without others...a library, that sort of thing. I'm big on escaping, lol.

Hitch

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Hitch

IME, I've found that almost nobody ever honors that "same size" bedroom thing. NEVER works out that way. It almost seems silly to even say it. Whoever buys the place or pays the most rent or was first in, ALWAYS gets the largest bedroom. Me, I mean...bedrooms are all well and good, but I'd rather have an office or a work area or a crafting area (were I like you) or the like, or a private spot to sit and watch telly without others...a library, that sort of thing. I'm big on escaping, lol.

For me a bedroom large enough to hold the bed and a dresser is all I need. My wife has other ideas but then her family was a lot smaller than mine.

Now when it comes to my library/computer lab in the basement, the library has been shrinking as I pick up more ebooks and the pbooks are shipped out. The computer lab has been reduced to a 15U server rack which is now mostly empty due to virtualization and the dark room is long gone. My last pass through the library ending up with half the book shelves being taken out. With the extra time I now have, I have the feeling that only the signed copies will be surviving the next few months. I literally had to bleed for some of the autographs due to Robert Heinlein's support for blood donation and most of them are still meaningful to me.

[Rumpelteazer]

My sister and I have overlapping tastes in tv and movies, but I do love spooky shows and horror, which she doesn't like. And she like historical dramas, which I'm not to fond of. So we need some space to do/watch our own thing.

She doesn't like watching TV in bed, I'm used to it and don't mind it. So I want/need to have a TV in my bedroom (there will also be one in the craft/Lego room), but I'd like to have a nice room and a bed that's bigger than a single/twin. I now have one that's 140cm wide and I like that; there's enough space to set up for cross stitching. I also want a reasonable sized desk, nothing huge, but enough space for my laptop and, if I want to, crafting. And I need some space for my clothes.

My sister need space for clothes, she has a lot more than me, bed and a make-up table. She'll have her office for her computer (which she rarely uses for personal stuff, just work) and to display some of her Lego creations. I hope the craft room will be big enough for a large-ish table and storage for our crafty supplies.

My sister isn't much of a reader anymore but she would love to have bookshelves in the living area. So I can keep all the books I want and they'll finally be on display instead of in boxes.

[Rumpelteazer]

My sister booked a viewing for another house this Thursday. It's bit old fashioned and at the top of the budget. If we were to buy this we would do the walls and floors before moving in and when we've saved up redo the kitchen and bathroom. The basement and utility/laundry room (next to the kitchen) are a plus. The kitchen's got a lot of storage space and the garden is really nice. The second bedroom, with the sloped roof will need some thinking to make it practical for me.

I also wanted to share this bathroom with you, it in a house that came on the market today, not one we're interested it. To call it extra would be an understatement.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

My sister booked a viewing for another house this Thursday. It's bit old fashioned and at the top of the budget. If we were to buy this we would do the walls and floors before moving in and when we've saved up redo the kitchen and bathroom. The basement and utility/laundry room (next to the kitchen) are a plus. The kitchen's got a lot of storage space and the garden is really nice. The second bedroom, with the sloped roof will need some thinking to make it practical for me.

I also wanted to share this bathroom with you, it in a house that came on the market today, not one we're interested it. To call it extra would be an understatement.

LOL, I actually really like that little house quite a bit. The fireplace might drive me a bit bonkers, but that could be reworked in a bit to not be QUITE so...well, whatever decade that is. I like the kitchen and a lof of what's there. and yes, those dormer rooms at the top could be worked into reading or crafting areas, too.

If you can negotiate them down--you know the whole "seller's market" dynamic seems to be wearing down (softening) now (!!!), it might be worth a hard run. A little elbow grease in that yard could make it quite cute and cozy too. I'm not sure I'd put a ton of dough into redoing the floors and walls yet. I'd move in and while it's a bit of a pain to work AFTER you've moved in, admittedly, sometimes, it gives you a better feel for what you really want/need. (I DO agree--it's less of a PITA to do them beforehand, no argument, but that house is at the top of your range, as you mentioned. What if you found out, in six months, that you never really needed to redo the floors?)

That bathroom is HILARIOUS, especially given the contrast with the kinda-icky basement!

ETA: you know, it seems to be that you two are fairly handy--you know, you could probably rip out that carpet downstairs, and replace it with planked flooring, similar to what they have upstairs by DIY. That would save you some $$$. Or EUs or whatever. If you're careful and you source well, you might save a lot of buckeroos.

At some point--not recently, I admit--Mr. Hitch and I redid our entire house (a house ago) in teak flooring and while it wasn't free, it was very affordable, compared to having someone else do it. Just a thought.

Hitch

[Rumpelteazer]

I don't think my sister could live with carpet, neither can I. And the wallpaper looks bubbled in some places and isn't to our taste. We're both traumatized by my father's diy, or rather, him starting projects and not finishing them. Or thinking up projects, getting the materials and then not doing them.

We are handy enough. My sister did a lot of work herself when she moved into her current apartment. But she admitted yesterday that she was traumatized by the wall painting. Almost each room had at least one really dark wall (dark blue, purple, green) and it took many layers of (special) paint to cover that up. So if any walls need to be plastered and/or painted she wants to get a professional to do it.

We need to have a talk about other diy. Because I know my father will want to help, but everything needs to be done his way or he'll throw a temper tantrum (gee, I wonder where I got my possible neurodivergence from).

The basement is creepy, the wine cellar will have to go and we'd use it for storage/pantry.

That bathroom isn't the house we're visiting, it was a house that came up today. Mind you, if the house we bought had that bathroom there's a high chance we would keep it, for shit and giggles. Though I can image it would be a chore to keep the limescale off those tiles.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

I don't think my sister could live with carpet, neither can I. And the wallpaper looks bubbled in some places and isn't to our taste. We're both traumatized by my father's diy, or rather, him starting projects and not finishing them. Or thinking up projects, getting the materials and then not doing them.

We are handy enough. My sister did a lot of work herself when she moved into her current apartment. But she admitted yesterday that she was traumatized by the wall painting. Almost each room had at least one really dark wall (dark blue, purple, green) and it took many layers of (special) paint to cover that up. So if any walls need to be plastered and/or painted she wants to get a professional to do it.

We need to have a talk about other diy. Because I know my father will want to help, but everything needs to be done his way or he'll throw a temper tantrum (gee, I wonder where I got my possible neurodivergence from).

The basement is creepy, the wine cellar will have to go and we'd use it for storage/pantry.

That bathroom isn't the house we're visiting, it was a house that came up today. Mind you, if the house we bought had that bathroom there's a high chance we would keep it, for shit and giggles. Though I can image it would be a chore to keep the limescale off those tiles.

Oh, yes, I realized tht the Liberace bathroom wasn't the house you're visiting.

Hell, just tell dad NO. There comes a time, Rumpel, where you just gotta put your foot down. You gurls are loooong past those times...

Also saw this one too: https://www.funda.nl/koop/woerden/hu...laarstraat-31/ (I also accidentally sent you one that's like 250 years old. It wouldn't bother me, as the house I grew up in was 450-ish, but I know it would bug you, so ignore that one...was on the canal......)

Hitch

[Rumpelteazer]

We discussed both, can't remember why they aren't on the list. The old one probably because it needs too much work and the smaller bedrooms.

After living in a house where the newest part is the front facade from the 1600s (the section my bedroom is in was build in the 1300s) I would love to live in something build after 1900. Or something that's been completely renovated recently, but that isn't in our budget.

Mind you, new build isn't everything either. One of my cousins get a brand new build a couple of years ago and for two years had nothing but problems with leaky pipes in walls. They even had to move out for months to let the house dry out.

In two weeks time my sister and I are going on vacation for two weeks and we're going to make a definite list and wants, needs and deal breakers. She more open to houses/apartments that need work than I. I don't want to live in a work in progress. I've done that for 43 years and want to live in something that's pretty much done. I also need to have a bedroom with proper heating, no more faffing around with space heaters and multiple duvets and blankets in winter.